Jigenryu

It is a unique sword style practiced in the early modern Satsuma domain, and its founder was Togo Tobei no Jojui/Shigekata (1561-1643). Shigenori first studied the Taisaryu style of swordsmanship under Marume Kurandosuke, which was popular in the Kyushu region at the time, but in 1588 (Tensho 16) while accompanying his feudal lord Shimazu Yoshihisa in Kyoto, he had the opportunity to practice Zen at Tennei-ji Temple in Kuramaguchi, Teramachi, where he met the monk Kan'o Zenkitsuosho (whose real name was Akasaka Utanosuke) and was initiated into the Tenshinjo Jiken style of swordsmanship, founded by Tose Yozaemon Nagamune of the Katori Shinto school. After returning to Japan, he combined the essence of both styles to create this style. In 1604 (Keicho 9), at the age of 44, he was summoned by feudal lord Iehisa to become a military arts instructor, and changed the name of his school to Jigen-ryu, taking the word "jigenjintsuuriki" (divine power of manifestation) from the Diamond Sutra. Since then, it has been taught to successive generations of the family as the style of the domain, and the techniques have been well handed down to the current 12th generation, Shigenori. In addition, Yakumaru Gyobuzaemon Kanenobu (1607-89), a high-ranking disciple, taught practical field sword techniques to lower-class and local samurai classes, and called the school Yakumaru-ryu. The characteristic of this school is the training method centered on striking tachiki (standing trees), teaching "strike 3,000 in the morning, 3,000 in the evening" from a diagonal stance, cultivating strong arm strength and mastering the accuracy of striking, with the key points being "never doubting the first strike," deciding life and death, transcending self and others, and treating life and death as one and the same. Nakamura Hanjiro (Kirino Toshiaki), Shinohara Kunimoto, Narahara Kizaemon, Arimura Jizaemon, and Oyama Kakunosuke (Tsunayoshi), who were active during the late Edo period and the Meiji Restoration, were from this school. In addition, there is a collateral branch called the Jigen-ryu school, which was passed down within the Makino family when they were transferred from Nobeoka in Hyuga to Kasama in Hitachi in 1747 (Enkyo 4).

[Ichiro Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

近世薩摩(さつま)藩で行われた独特の剣法で、流祖は東郷藤兵衛尉重位(とうごうとうべえのじょうじゅうい／しげかた)（1561―1643）。重位は初め、当時九州地方に広がった丸目蔵人佐(まるめくらんどのすけ)のタイ捨流を学んだが、1588年（天正16）領主島津義久(よしひさ)に従って在京中、寺町鞍馬口(くらまぐち)の天寧寺(てんねいじ)に参禅する機会を得、そこで閑翁善吉和尚(かんおうぜんきつおしょう)（俗名赤坂雅楽助(うたのすけ)）に邂逅(かいこう)し、香取神道(かとりしんとう)流系の十瀬与三右衛門長宗(とせよさうえもんながむね)を祖とする天真正自顕(てんしんじょうじけん)流の刀法を伝授された。帰国後、両者の精髄をあわせて、この一流を編み出したという。1604年（慶長9）44歳のとき、藩主家久(いえひさ)に召し出されて兵法師範となり、金剛経文にある示現神通力(じげんじんつうりき)の語をとって流名を示現流と改めた。以来、同藩の御流儀として代々家中に教授し、現在の12代重徳(しげのり)までよく相伝の技法を伝えている。また重位の門人、薬丸刑部左衛門兼陳(やくまるぎょうぶざえもんかねのぶ)（1607―89）は、実戦的な野太刀(のだち)を中心に下士・郷士層に教授し、薬丸流と称した。この流の特徴は、立木(たちき)打ちを中心とする練習方式で、斜の構えから「朝に三千、夕に三千、立木を打て」と教え、強靭(きょうじん)な臂力(ひりょく)を養うとともに、打太刀の的確さを会得させ、「一の太刀を疑わず」、生死を断じ、自他を超越し、活殺を一如とすることを要訣(ようけつ)とした。幕末・維新に活躍した中村半次郎（桐野利秋(きりのとしあき)）・篠原国幹(しのはらくにもと)・奈良原喜左衛門・有村次左衛門・大山格之助（綱良）らは、この門派の出身である。なお、傍系に、1747年（延享4）日向(ひゅうが)延岡(のべおか)から常陸(ひたち)笠間(かさま)に移封となった牧野家中に伝えられた示現流がある。

［渡邉一郎］

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