Spearmanship - Soujutsu

A technique for using a spear to fight against enemies wielding swords, naginata, and other weapons. In the early modern period, it was considered one of the four martial arts (archery, bato, and spear) and was highly valued as a public art for the samurai. It is said that the spear first appeared at the end of the Kamakura period as a weapon for stabbing distant enemies, and it was during the turbulent period of the Northern and Southern Courts period that it became recognized as an advantageous weapon for close combat. Furthermore, after the Onin War in the mid-Muromachi period and into the Sengoku period, the nature of battles shifted from traditional one-on-one combat to mass combat between infantry, and the performance of spear-wielding foot soldiers came to determine the outcome of battles. At that time, spear techniques were rough, with opponents swinging their spears to strike and stab each other, knocking them down. However, towards the end of the Sengoku period, the organization of the spear corps progressed, tactics improved, and the use of long spears became more common than short ones, and long-handled spears measuring between two and three and a half ken (approximately 364 and 36 and a half ken) appeared, rather than the six-foot (approximately 182 cm) or nine-foot hand spears. Thus, for a while after the appearance of the musketeers, the foot soldiers' long-handled corps continued to perform brilliantly, and stories of the exploits of spears, such as the first spear or the seven spears, were passed down to the people.

On the other hand, from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early modern period, the types of spears increased from the existing plain spear (suyari) to kamayari (kagiyari), then kagiyari (kagiyari) and kudayari (kudayari), and the study of spear techniques showed remarkable development, producing many instructors specializing in spearmanship. Spearmanship was first established as an external form attached to the various schools of military arts such as Shinto, Toda, Shinkage, and Takeuchi that preceded it, but by this time the art of swords and spears had diversified, and the Muhen-ryu, Gonotsubo-ryu, Iki-ryu, and Honma-ryu schools of plain spears, the Hozoin-ryu school of sickles, the Utsumi-ryu and Saburi-ryu school of kagiyari, and the Ito-ryu (Kenko-ryu) and Nihon Kakuten-ryu schools of tubar weapons were established.

Furthermore, after the Battle of Osaka, as the Tokugawa government stabilized, spears became important as the samurai's official equipment and as a guarantee of the family's honor, and spear techniques made great strides technically, becoming a refined art that focused on spear-to-spear duels. During this early Edo period, most of the major styles were established, including the Hikita, Fuden, Oshima, Taneda, and Kinoshita schools for plain spears, the Nakamura, Takada, Isono, and Shimoishi schools of the Hozoin school for sickle spears, the Kashiwara and Honshinkyochi schools for key spears, and the Isshi, Gyokaku, and Nuka schools for tube spears. Naturally, most of those who learned this were intermediate-level or above, and the invention and use of tanpo-yari (pike spears) and kari-yori (temporary marks) for practice purposes, as well as protective gear such as iron masks, bamboo armor, gloves, and gauntlets, began around the Tenna and Jokyo eras (1681-1688).

[Ichiro Watanabe]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

槍(やり)（鑓、鎗）を操作して、太刀(たち)、薙刀(なぎなた)、槍などの武器を持つ敵と戦う技術。近世ではいわゆる武芸四門（弓馬刀槍）の一つとされ、武家の表(おもて)芸として重んぜられた。槍が離れた敵を突く武器として現れたのは鎌倉末期といわれ、これが接戦武器としての有利さを認められるようになったのは南北朝時代の動乱期であった。さらに室町中期の応仁(おうにん)の乱以後、戦国時代にかけて、合戦の様相も、従来の一騎打ちから歩兵の集団戦闘へと推移し、槍を持った足軽隊の活躍が、戦いの帰趨(きすう)を決するようになった。当時の槍の技法は、槍を振って打ち合い突き合い、相手をたたき伏せるという手荒いものであった。しかし戦国末期に入り、槍隊の組織化が進み、戦法も向上し、短槍より長槍の使用が盛んとなり、六尺（約182センチメートル）または九尺の手槍(てやり)から、二間（約364センチメートル）以上三間半に達する長柄物(ながえもの)が現れた。こうして鉄砲隊の出現後もしばらくは、足軽長柄隊の活躍が目覚ましく、一番槍とか七本槍など、槍の功名話が人々に語り継がれた。

　一方、安土(あづち)桃山期から近世初期にかけて、槍の種類も在来の素槍(すやり)のほかに鎌槍(かまやり)、ついで鍵槍(かぎやり)・管槍(くだやり)が加わり、また操法の研究が目覚ましい発達を示し、槍術専門の指導者を多数輩出した。槍術は、まず先行の神道・戸田・新陰・竹内などの兵法諸派に付属する外(と)の物(もの)の形で成立したが、この時期に至って刀槍の術は分化し、素槍の無辺(むへん)流・五坪(ごのつぼ)流・伊岐(いき)流・本間(ほんま)流、鎌槍の宝蔵院流、鍵槍の内海(うつみ)流・佐分利(さぶり)流、管槍の伊東流（建孝流）・日本覚天流などが成立した。

　さらに大坂の役ののち徳川政権の安定化とともに、槍は武家の表道具として、また家門の名誉を保証するたいせつなものとされたため、槍術は、技術的にも飛躍的に進み、槍対槍の槍合(やりあわせ)を主体とする洗練された術となった。この江戸前期に、素槍では疋田流・風伝流・大島流・種田流・木下流、鎌槍では宝蔵院流系の中村・高田・磯野・下石の諸派、鍵槍では樫原(かしわら)流・本心鏡智(ほんしんきょうち)流、管槍では一指(いっし)流・行覚(ぎょうかく)流・貫流など、おもな流儀はほとんど成立した。これを習得する者もおのずから中級以上の者が中心となり、稽古(けいこ)用の槍としてのたんぽ槍や仮標、鉄面・竹鎧・手袋・籠手(こて)などの防具の考案・使用も、いち早く天和(てんな)・貞享(じょうきょう)（1681～1688）ごろに開始された。

［渡邉一郎］

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