A Primer on Jinen Ryu Bikenjutsu
At its inception, the Jinenkan possessed
the teachings of two separate traditional swordsmanship lineages: the
Kukishin Ryu and the Togakure Ryu. However, only the kata had been
passed down from antiquity- any fundamentals and a method of teaching
real cutting were lacking. Manaka Sensei realized new students would
have to undergo the laborious trial-and-error process he himself had
endured to learn how to cut properly for combat. With this in mind,
and an eye to emphasizing the natural principles (the movements of
air and water, the suddenness of storms and lightning) at the heart
of his teachings, he created Jinen Ryu Bikenjutsu. By carefully practicing
Biken (as it is also called), students gain awareness of the cultural
significance and practical reality of swordsmanship. This primer will
aid students outline the structure and important points of the ryu.
Despite almost disappearing from the public eye, swords and swordsmanship
still exert a powerful cultural fascination. Their impact on language
and society are very deep- we can describe intellectual debate as being
like “a fencing match”, or say that a person has “a rapier wit”; and
while the firearm is definitely a symbol of power, it is a symbol used
by both the police officer and the thug, whereas the sword is still
the mark of a gentleman. Furthermore, the sword attracts that part
of us which values dedication and long practice, and which views training
as honing the wielder’s body and character.
In practical martial arts training, the sword is far from obsolete.
Within the past few years, there have been notable cases of assaults
with machetes, or even with live-blade swords. It is surprising how
readily and inexpensively one can purchase either of the above. A cutting
blade isn’t even necessary- any kind of stabbing point is lethal enough.
Furthermore, many other common weapons- baseball bats, pipes, sticks,
axes, long knives- share similar characteristics with swords. Considering
this, martial arts students deeply require opportunities to familiarize
and acclimatize themselves to these ancient but ever-present weapons.
Jinen Ryu Biken itself reflects some very traditional aspects of Japanese
martial arts. It contains an ordered series of kata, divided into scrolls;
each scroll devotes itself to a certain theme. Students learn the techniques
and scrolls in order. Each kata is a short two-person (or more) sequence
designed to teach a specific kind of movement or concept. It is critical
to know the meaning of the name and the important points, or the lesson
of the kata is lost.
Jinen Ryu means “House of Nature”- the goal is to learn swordsmanship
of “a splendid and nimble nature”, which is in accord with natural
movement. Manaka Sensei patterned the system’s structure after Miyamoto
Musashi’s famous “Go Rin no Sho”- the Book of Five Rings. There are
five scrolls: Chi no Maki (Earth Scroll), Sui no Maki (Water Scroll),
Hi no Maki (Fire Scroll), Fu no Maki (Wind Scroll), and Ku no Maki
(Void, or Emptiness, Scroll). Despite the impressive names, the scrolls
are direct and pragmatic, rather than esoteric in nature. Musashi himself
never wrote about actual techniques, only generalities the warrior
had to understand- anything more specifically described could be stolen
and used against him. By contrast, Manaka Sensei needed to create a
practical course in sword technique for his students, and a way to
guide and order their training.
The first scroll is the Chi no Maki,
or Earth Scroll. As befits the name, it presents the material that
is the foundation of all other technique. The first
part of this scroll is kamae, or stances. As with the scrolls, there are
five kamae for Jinen Ryu, which cover the major avenues of attack.
Each kamae has
a specific meaning and feeling- if one has perfect physical form but does
not concentrate on having this feeling, the kamae is incorrect. The
other part
of the Chi no Maki is called Kihon Toho- literally “Basic Sword Way”. This
is a sequence of the seven fundamental cuts. Though there are other attacks
with the sword, they are almost all variations of these seven. If students
practice Kihon Toho, using the whole body instead of only the arms to generate
power, they will develop the ability to cut straight through, instead of
merely making surface or jagged cuts.
The next scroll is the Sui no Maki, or Water Scroll. The central teaching
is called Ryufu no Tachi, which means to be yielding and unresisting,
like the water willow tree which bends in the wind, instead of bluntly
resisting. These techniques are called uke tachi, or “the receiving
sword”- they are techniques for receiving and countering attacks: specifically,
the attacks from the Hi no Maki. These should not be thought of as
“defense” per se; they are not merely passively escaping the attack,
but for actively seeking openings and pressing home a counterattack.
Footwork is extremely important.
The following scroll is the Hi no Maki, or Fire Scroll. It contains
techniques of attack, called uchi tachi, or “the striking sword”. These
techniques demonstrate attacking from the kamae of Jinen Ryu. Again,
the central principle is Raiko no Tachi- to develop attacks that are
fast like a lightning bolt, attacking both an enemy’s body and balance.
Fire comes after water in traditional Japanese symbology, and the order
of scrolls respects this. However, these techniques must really be
taught before or alongside those of the Sui no Maki.
The fourth scroll is the Fu no Maki, the Wind Scroll. The main teaching
of this longest scroll is Hayate no Tachi, which means to be flexible
and changeable. Having mastered the single attacks and counters from
earlier, here the student learns to handle more complex situations,
and opponents armed with swords or other weapons. Footwork and timing
are more important than ever before. The attacks are also less predictable,
so the student must learn to watch carefully and then move all at once,
without holding back.
The last scroll is the Ku no Maki, or Void Scroll. The main point
of this scroll is called Mugen no Tachi, which means entering a state
of mu, or emptiness. The kata here are for dealing with situations
where you confront multiple opponents. These are considered the most
dangerous circumstances. The descriptions of these kata are brief-
they do not teach precise movements, but rather a single idea for prevailing
in each situation. The student should already have mastered the basic
skills and movement, and be able to enter a state of mu and apply their
technique in a fluid and natural way, seeing the weak points in the
enemy group and exploiting them without thought.
Jinen Ryu Biken is not especially long, but it is compact and thorough.
Mastering these skills will take years. However, the rewards of constant
practice in practical swordsmanship are immensely and immediately satisfying.
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