Founded just in the middle of the 17th century by Futagami Hannosuke Masa-aki,
Sōsuishi Ryū is a "Sōgōbujutsu", a comprehensive martial art covering multiple battle situations.
Even now, they still practice Iai and Jūjutsu techniques
with and without sets of ancient armors,
and with various weapons such as Katana, Tachi, and small concealed weapons.
Those techniques were directly inspired by the most ancient Jūjutsu school in Japan, Take-no-uchi Ryū.
Initially developed within the Tōrenji clan, vassal to the Fukuoka clan,
the school spread in North Kyūshū under the influence of the Shitama family,
who took over the school after Futagami Han-no-suke passed away.
The Sekiryukan Dojo, oldest Dojo in Japan,
is still lead by the Shitama family.
In 1888, Matsui Hyakutarō Munetada,
a disciple of the school, was called to Tokyo to teach Budo to the Akasaka Police.
As he stayed in Tokyo,
Matsui opened his own school under the name Sōsuishi-ryū Kumiuchi Koshi no Mawari.
Mr. Usami Hiroji kindly accepted to answer our questions about their school,
and gave us an interesting insight on the practice and principles of Sōsuishi Ryū.
This year, you were one of the main figures in the re-enactment of the Yoroi Kizome ceremony
at the Nippon Budokan Kagamibiraki. Can you tell us more about this activity?
This year
during the Kagami Biraki ceremony,
among the warriors who paraded, we were only two to represent Sosuishi Ryu;
myself,
and Mr Nakamura, one of my elders who is in Tokyo.
Until recently,
between 5 and 6 members of Sosuishi Ryu used to participate some years.
In other words,
without being a member of the Association for the Research and Preservation of Japanese Helmets and Armor,
it was possible to participate.
As for me, in the beginning,
I was not a member of that association,
but I was one of the disciples of Sosuishi Ryu, who were giving their support.
After that, during about ten years,
I participated in the Kagami Biraki ceremony.
Ssince Sosuishi Ryu is practiced with a set of armor, I'm interested in those things
and I wanted to deepen my knowledge,
so I joined the association.
I'm still present during the Kagami Biraki ceremony today.
Regarding our « O-yoroi » (big armors) and the « Haramaki » (simple breast-plates),
there's a company called « Takatsu Shokai »,
which among others provides the NHK for historical fictions.
They're based inTokyo and specialized in works of art,
and they are those who make eh bien c'est cette entreprise qui fabrique the pieces
that we use during the Kagami Biraki ceremony.
Their style come from the Genpei period,
which means that those armors were used between the end of the Heian period and the beginning of the Kamakura period.
We use those modern replicas of ancient armors today.
What does the Sosuishi Ryu practice mean to you?
It's a Budo that I practice with pleasure,
but with the augmentation of the number of students
I had to take the lead of the lessons.
Consequently, the free time I have
and my energy
are now devoted
to Budo.
It is true that for me,
practice became necessary.
It's one of the things I live for.
Budo has become one of the reasons why I exist.
In the centre of all that,
there is this Kobujutsu called Sosuishi Ryu.
Besides, on the professional side,
I work in literature.
When I was younger, I was rather considering that
it is through words that you can understand mankind.
It's with that thought in mind that I went through my teenage years.
But I understood then that through our bodies,
and through the techniques they are able to perform,
we can also understand mankind.
In other words, you experience mankind
through physical practice.
For me, that's maybe
what defines Budo the most;
A means to understand mankind thanks to the body,
a humanist research.
I think you can say that.
What are the differences between sports, Budo and Kobudo?
Contemporary Budo, the sports versions of Budo,
for instance modern Kendo, Judo,
and I think it is true for Karate too,
have something admirable as sports.
I consider them as remarkable sports.
But I think that Kobudo
are very different from sports.
As for the meaning they can bring to our modern era,
as elements of Japanese traditional culture,
and just the same way performing arts such as No or Kabuki do,
I think they promote traditional modes of actions
and spiritual dispositions.
In sports Budo
as well as in Kobudo,
what is sought is strength.
In sports Budo, victory is determined by rules.
Then in Kobudo, what is that strength?
That's the question I'm asking myself.
In sports Budo,
a match takes place within a certain and definite period of time,
there's a beginning and an end,
and it's organised within this frame.
But in the case of Kobudo, there's no fight today.
If we were to fight, it's our lives that we would put at stake.
In those conditions, any victory would bring resentment,
because it would mean wounding one's adversary, or even taking his life.
So, what's a true combat, and what's victory?
Even when you win at a certain time,
you cannot win eternally.
In that sense, in Kobudo...
In the world of Budo too, actually, were it sports Budo or Kobudo,
we're attached to this notion of victory.
But in the case of Kobudo
it is associated with a fight that one individual has to conduct his whole life,
and maybe beyond.
It's a something that can be linked to the meaning that Kobudo could have in the present days,
and it makes me think.
From the outside and mainly during demonstrations, non-practitioners criticize the realism of the practice.
What is the meaning of demonstrations for you?
Regarding Kata in Kobudo,
to those who ask if they could be used as they are in real combat,
I would answer that some could be used, and some others couldn't.
It's a question that our students often ask,
but the Kata have many functions.
One of them is to allow, through specific movements,
to build a body according to the principles of our school.
As to know if they are useful in real situations,
I would say that some things are hidden within the Kata.
When movements and bodies themselves start to embody the spirit of the school,
the you understand how
such or such technique can be used in practice.
But during demonstrations we do our best to perform only fundamental Kata (paterns).
So it seems normal to me that while only watching the demonstrations,
one could doubt their efficiency in real situations.
I usually explain to my students
that demonstrations and practice are the same thing,
so it is important
to practice both seriously.
Obviously, we sometimes make mistakes during demonstrations,
and sometimes everything goes perfectly.
What is different from real situations is the presence of spectators, which can be a stressful thing.
I think that being able to manage that is a necessary step in our Budo training.
In a pacified Japan, how did Sosuishi Ryu, an art oriented on ancient techniques, manage to survive?
Regarding Sosuishi Ryu,
there are presently two branches, including the one in Kyushu.
During the Edo era, the Sekiryukan Dojo did not exist,
and they practiced in the Dojo of the Fukuoka Clan.
During the Meiji era, after Shitama Sensei,
Aoyagi Sensei, Shihan in Kyushu, became the 14th master of the school.
Aoyagi Sensei was an ancient Bushi (warrior).
Not only for his disciples, but also more generally
for ordinary people who did not belong to the warrior class,
he founded the Sekiryukan Dojo in Kyushu,
in order to teach Sosuishi Ryu to a wider range of students.
As for our branch that developed here,
as I said earlier,
Matsui Hyakutaro Sensei, after becoming Shihan of Jujutsu at Tokyo's Police Headquarters,
spread Sosuishi Ryu to Tokyo and Kanto.
And that Matsui Sensei
also taughtSosuishi Ryu not only to disciples of the ancient Fukuoka estate,
but also more widely the general public.
According to an anecdote that was passed on,
the first Kobudo master to have accepted a foreign disciple
was Matsui Sensei.
According to that anecdote anyway.
It is important to keep in mind that
Sosuishi Ryu was originally a Bujutsu for Bushi only.
As such, it was practiced by samurai.
With the advent of the Meiji era, not only samurai,
but also ordinary people
were accepted as disciples and could benefit from the teachings,
in Kyushu as well as here.
It explains why, since the Meiji Restoration,
and despite many turnarounds,
Sosuishi Ryu could continue.
One more thing;
like for instance the inclusion of Kodokan Judo in Kyushu,
or on our side, the inclusion of academic Iai,
from the Kendo Renmei, that we used to study.
Nowadays at the Kosonkai we don't,
there was a time when we used to practice it.
Those major and modern "sports" Budo
were practiced with Sosuishi Ryu at a time.
And that's probably one of the reasons why
Sosuishi Ryu could continue until today.
Isn't Sosuishi Ryu also strongly linked to the world of ancient swords?
In Sosuishi Ryu Kosonkai,
"Ko" of Kosonkai means "light",
and "Son" corresponds to "Tattoi", which means "respectable", "noble".
That's the name of our group
that was decided by Kitajima Koku Sensei.
"Koson", in truth,
is a reference to the name of the Katana expert master Hon'ami Koson.
Although the characters are different,
their pronunciation "Koson" was used to name our group Kosonkai.
Kitajima Sensei
was a martial art master as well as an expert regarding swords.
And if Kitajima Sensei started to study Sosuishi Ryu,
it's because the former master, Sugiyama Sensei,
was actually teaching Sosuishi Ryu,
and that Sugiyama Senseivenu came to Kitajima Sensei to learn sword expertise.
It's at this occasion that Kitajima Sensei started to practice Sosuishi Ryu.
So, in the school's history,
the Japanese sword, the Katana,
had an important part.
Thank to the involvment of a Katana specialist, passionate about his art,
the Kosonkai, a group coming from the Sosuishi Ryu tradition, could be founded,
and this Kosonkai, in a way,
continued, I think, to perpetuate until today
the tradition of Sosuishi Ryu.
Did Sosuishi Ryu have a role in the takeover of Budo and Kobudo
by military propaganda organs before and during the War?
It's not something I heard about.
Regarding its links with the Butokukai,
among the members of the Shitama family, in Kyushu,
there was a master who was originally a "Hanshi" [high titre] of the Butokukai
where he had been trained in Judo. He entered the Shitama family as "Mukoyoshi" [adopted adulte],
after what he became the heir of Sosuishi Ryu in Kyushu.
Then, Matsui Sensei too, as far as we're concerned,
received the title of "Hanshi" from the Butokukai.
There were some links with the Butokukai then.
As to know if, during the war, when Budo were pushed forward,
[and integrated to the war propaganda],
Sosuishi Ryu was linked to that significantly,
that's something that I never heard of.
Regarding the history of the school,
rather than the Second World War, it's during the Meiji restoration
and during the following wars [Sennan Senso],
that the members of Sosuishi Ryu took part in the fights,
for instance during the Satsuma rebellion, on Saigo Takamori's side,
and some of them died at that time.
It is part of our history.
Besides,
there were different groups of Samurai, such as Shincho Gumi, Shinsen Gumi and Roshi-tai,
in which members from Kanto took part
during the events of the Bakumatsu.
But at the time Sosuishi Ryu was not yet developed in Kanto,
so I don't think that it concerned our own branch.
Can the practice of Sosuishi Ryu bring something to Budo practitioners?
I don't have a great experience of modern sports Budo,
so I couldn't tell,
but if the practitioners of those sports Budo
gave Sosuishi Ryu a try,
if they studied it, practiced it, I think that through it
they could find direct links with their own martial arts.
However, given my own experience,
I would say that among the Aikido practitioners
many are those who get interested in Kobudo,
and who want to study other Budo.
For a great part, they are very enthusiastic in their study.
I would like to organize a meeting
with Aikido practitioners,
an among our students, there are some who come from Aikido.
Furthermore, there are common points between techniques. For instance, "Kote Gaeshi".
Some of our school's techniques
can produce a different effect if they are performed the Aikido way,
and it's possible that some of the Aikido techniques
have their roots, or share roots with our own branch.
It is important to keep that in mind.
But Kendo, Judo or Karate practitioner consider maybe
that their techniques are remarkable enough,
and they don't feel the need to try different things.
That's the impression I have anyway,
and people who consider themselves self-sufficient
maybe don't seek to broden their perspectives.
Where and when can we practice with your group?
In Saitama, "Koshi no Mawashi"
and "Kumi Uchi" are both taught, as it was the case during today's class.
lessons are taught in Yorii-machi's Sports Hall (Saitama pref.),
Saturday or Sunday morning, depending on the availability.
In that same neighborhood,
in a place called Hachigata,
there's also the Hachigata Zaisanku Hall (public hall)
in which there is a traditional Japanese room like this one.
We organize lessons there on Tuesday and Thursday evenings,
from 6 PM to around 8:30 PM,
sometimes even up to 9 PM,
so it's possible to practice in those places.
Regarding the membership of Sosuishi Ryu,
those who wish to try
can come to trial classes,
and practice about 6 months like that
before having to make a decision.
It is not possible to become a member as a regular disciple from the beginning.
It is necessary to give it some thoughts to decide by yourself
if you're able to practice.
We never refused ourselves any membership,
but our discipline is different from a sport,
and we ask to our new students to take their time before making their choice.
Is there something you would like to tell to practitioners who will see this interview?
I have a feeling that I did not answer all of your questions really properly...
I practice Budo
and I have to say that it is very pleasant to train
with my students.
You asked me what was the meaning of Budo,
it's the practice itself that is the most interesting part.
As to know why we devote ourselves to Budo, and it's obvious,
it's because we come with the urge to practice our own Budo or Bujutsu
according to our schools and traditions.
As a disciple of a Budo [Budo Shugyosha],
I always consider that it's the thing I want to focus on.
I have some pride for my own martial tradition;
I think that it's the same for the other disciplines,
and it's also true for the practitioners of "sports" Budo.
We are proud of what we do,
and we do it all the more fervently.
That's what I want to tell to Budoka, to focus on practice.
For instance, when you're already a member of a school,
or a member of a group attached to a school,
and, by vanity,
to put it simply you decide to create your own school or group,
and that's something which is not rare in the world of Koryu Bujutsu,
I think that behavior is deeply regrettable.
Masters from other traditional schools also find this situation deplorable.
When you devote to Bujutsu, and you train
earnestly,
I think that you have to focus more on practicing,
on the training itself.
On the other hand, it's regrettable
to mix Budo with personal interests,
or publicity,
and that's something that I deplore.
Bujutsuka in China say
that all Bujutsuka are brothers;
it's an idea that I like and that moves me.
I would like that everybody in the world of Budo, with that state of mind and with sincerity,
seek to cultivate their humanity through performing techniques.
That's my wish.
I'm not sure with what state of mind people practice abroad,
but to come back to the previous words, pour reprendre l'expression, Budoka are all brothers,
and I think that people who dedicate themselves to Budo
are indeed all brothers,
so by practicing Budo together,
I hope to perfect my own training as a human being,
and also go on forging new bonds of friendship.
Todoroki-san, Kanazawa-san, what does the practice bring to you?
I started only 4 years ago,
and I think it is the same for the other Kobudo,
but what I like since I started Sosuishi Ryu,
is that you can learn many ancient techniques,
but also on the spiritual side.
Really, deep inside, in my mind,
I have a feeling that I reached a truth.
As it happens, I live in Yorii-machi,
and I don't want to advertise, but Yorii-machi is a beautiful city,
full of culture and history.
For instance there is the Hachigata castle not far from here,
which was built by the Hojo clan during the Sengoku era.
We also organize the "Hojo Matsuri"
during which you can see reconstructions of that time.
I am now quite old,
and that's why I would like as much as possible
to transmit that exceptional Kobudo to future generations.
It's not a question of becoming stronger or anything for me,
even if obviously you get stronger on the spiritual side,
but as much as possible,
I would like to contribute to transmit Sosuishi Ryu to future generations.
It's one of my motivations at the present.
As for me, through Budo,
if I succeed in getting a different point of vue,
I think that it will be enough to make me happy.
Particularly when I observe Bujutsu or Budo,
I find similarities with No theater.
That way, my attention focuses, strangely,
on the way the feet are arranged, on the way people walk.
And I imagine, in those situations, how they move their centre of gravity to achieve that.
From completely different fields
and by comparing them to Budo
you can grow your interest by having fun.
That's something I find very interesting.
On the other hand, regarding sports Budo, for some,
- by the way, the Olympic Games are about to start [reference to the admission of Karate in the Tokyo Olympics of 2020]
it's a question of victory and defeat, and the medals it can bring,
and practitioner train very hard every day,
try to surpass themselves,
and it's mostly to get medals.
For them, to win is really important,
and the spectators too
enjoy watching and are expecting victories.
But in the case of Budo, it's not only a question of victory.
there are other implications... how to say...
other appeals.
Whatever the outcome of a match, you never criticize your partner in case of victory.
In Budo, you encourage, you value your partners.
You don't raise your fist in a victorious pose like this,
on the contrary, you have a completely opposite attitude in Budo.
And about that,
your...
how to say... feeling...
how to say...
you are grateful,
when you learned something, because it is not ephemeral.
It's with that perspective and with that in mind
that I practice at my best.
And doing so,
if I'm paying attention to my partner, I can pull him up.
That's why young people too,
if I could stimulate that feeling in them, I would be very happy.
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