Japanese Swimming Style - Nihon Eiho

Japanese swimming has developed as a martial art since ancient times, and there are more swimming styles than any other. They are broadly divided into flat, horizontal, and solid body positions, and are suited to the waters where each style originated. Each style has its own purpose and rules. Currently, there are 12 traditional styles officially recognized by the Japan Swimming Federation: Suiho-ryu, Mukai-ryu, Suiho-ryu Ota-ha, Kankai-ryu, Nojima-ryu, Iwakura-ryu, Koike-ryu, Shinden-ryu, Suinin-ryu, Yamanouchi-ryu, Kobori-ryu, and Shinto-ryu. Most of these originated in the Edo period, between around 1700 and before 1830. Japanese swimming was first created for the practical use of martial arts, and was a method of swimming across flowing water, swimming long distances, and swimming that was convenient for carrying objects or working on the water's surface. However, as time passed, in addition to practical swimming styles, artistic elements of beautiful and skillful swimming were added, and this formal beauty is perhaps the greatest feature of Japanese swimming styles and is known throughout the world.

In recent years, in order to open up the various swimming styles that had been systematically organized in a closed society, a large joint committee was formed to promote the widespread development of these styles. Since 1956, the Japan Swimming Championships have been held every August, and various swimming style competitions and qualification examinations for 12 swimming styles are conducted. In the swimming style competitions, men and women under the age of 25 compete in the performance of each style's swimming style, and there are also other competitions such as team, horizontal body swimming, and support swimming. The qualification examination involves an official certification system for Suirensho, Kyoshi, and Hanshi, and titles are awarded by the Japan Swimming Federation based on a comprehensive evaluation of age, years of experience, swimming technique, personality, and the degree of contribution to the spread and preservation of Japanese swimming. Ranks and various lists that each school institutionalizes based on the level of swimming technique are absolute within that school and cannot be compared with those of other schools.

[Yoshio Horiuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

日本泳法は古来から武芸の一つとして発達し、他にその例をみないほど数多くの泳法がある。大きく分けて平体、横体、立体の体位に基づき、それぞれの流派の発祥の水域にあった泳ぎで、各泳法の動作に目的と約束事があるのが特色である。現在、財団法人日本水泳連盟で公認されている伝統流派は、水府流、向井流、水府流太田派、観海流、能島(のじま)流、岩倉流、小池流、神伝流、水任流、山内(やまのうち)流、小堀流、神統流の12流派であるが、その起源の多くは1700年前後から1830年以前の江戸時代である。日本泳法の出現・発案は、武技的実用のため生まれたのであり、流水を横切る泳ぎ方、長距離を泳ぎきる泳ぎ方、物体を持ったり水面上で作業をするのに便利な泳ぎ方などがくふうされたものである。しかし時代が進むにつれて、実用泳法のほかに、美しく巧みに泳ぐという芸能的なものも加えられ、その形式美は日本泳法の最大の特徴として世界に冠たるものであろう。

　近年、閉鎖的社会で体制化されていた各流派の泳法を、門戸を開き広く世に普及発展させるため大同合議し、1956年（昭和31）から例年8月に日本泳法大会が開催され、各種泳法競技と12流派の資格審査が行われている。このうち泳法競技は、25歳以下の男女が各流派の泳法演技を競うもので、このほか、団体、横体競泳、支重などの競技がある。資格審査は、水練証、教士、範士の公認制度があり、各位とも年齢・経験年数、泳法技術、人格とともに日本泳法の普及保存に対する貢献度など総合的な評価によって、日本水泳連盟より称号を授与される。なお、個々の流派が泳法技術の練度によって制度化している段位・各種目録などは、その流派内においては絶対的なもので、他流派のものとは対比できない。

［堀内幸雄］

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