Sōsuishi-ryū


Sōsuishi-ryū is a traditional Japanese martial art founded in 1650 that focuses on Kumi Uchi and Koshi no Mawari. The title of the school also appears in ancient densho as Sōsuishi-ryū Kumi Uchi Koshi No Mawari and in the book Sekiryūkan No Chōsen, which was approved and published by the Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan in 2003. In the Bugei Ryūha Daijiten, Sōsuishi-ryū is cross referenced and listed under the entry/title of "Futagami-ryū." It includes a brief categorization, history and description of the school.

History of Sōsuishi-ryū

The legend of the founding of Sōsuishi-ryū dates back to Futagami Hannosuke Masaaki in 1650 CE. He was a district samurai living in the area of Bungo-Taketa, which was in the domain of Kuroda during the era called Sho-o.. Masaaki, was a practitioner of his family martial art Futagami-ryū and a high-level student of Takenouchi-ryū. He felt the techniques of Futagami-ryū were imperfect, so in order to improve them he decided to travel all over Japan and train himself by going on a pilgrimage. At one point he went deep into the mountainous, rugged valley of Mt.Yoshino, where for thirty-seven days he trained and sought enlightenment. He refined the finer points of the technique of Futagami-ryū and honed the secret teachings that he had studied. He then assembled them into what he believed were the best of everything he had learned. One day, while he was gazing at the Yoshino river, he noticed the water flowing and swirling together steadily. The training of his mind, body and spirit converged at that one moment. This event, called satori in Japanese, prompted him to change the name of Futagami-ryū to Sōsuishi-ryū in remembrance of his experiences at the Yoshino River.

The Shitama Family

Shitama Matashichi was a samurai originally from the Bungo-Taketa and a friend to Futagami Hannosuke Masaaki. Matashichi extended an invitation to Masaaki to come and stay with him in the Chikuzen. It was there that Masaaki disclosed the teachings of his school Sōsuishi-ryū to Matahachi. Since this time, Sosuishi-ryū has been handed down and instructed by the Shitama family. On the five occasions where the Shitama family were unable to head the school, the ryū had to be looked after by another until a male heir, bearing the Shitama name, could step in and inherit it.
On occasion a "Yōshi" or "adopted son" from outside the family would be brought in to marry one of the daughters or cousins who had the surname "Shitama" in order to continue the lineage. After marriage the yōshi would change their surname to the wife's surname and inherit the ryū, continuing the family bloodline for the next generation.. The art and family line continues in Fukuoka city today.
In 1888, a Menkyo Kaiden of Sōsuishi-ryū moved to Tokyo and began teaching the martial arts to the Akasaka Police in Tokyo. His name was Matsui Hyakutaro Munetada.

Matsui Hyakutaro Munetada

Munetada was born native to Kyūshū, Japan in Fukuoka on February of Genji year 1. He was the first son of Matsui Kakitsu who was the samurai of Fukuoka han. As a boy he was fascinated with the martial arts so he started to train with his uncle Matsui Kōkichi, a Shingen No Maki, Menkyo Kaiden in Tenshin Jigō-ryū and direct student of Sōsuishi-ryū under 11th generation inheritor Shitama Munetsuna. Munetada also began training under Shitama Munetsuna and received a Shingen No Maki in Sōsuishi-ryū. In Meiji year 16, when he was 19 years old, Munetada completed the Senbondori in Fukuoka. In the year Meiji year 21, the Metropolitan Police Board invited Munetada a position training the officers of the Akasaka Police. He moved to Tokyo that year and opened a private dōjō, the Shobukan, on the premises of Duke Ichijo's Palace in Fukuyoshi-cho, Akasaka to teach martial arts. In Meiji year 38, he was given "Seiren sho" and then was awarded "Kyoshi-go" in June of Meiji year 42. He remained in his position for 30 years, until retirement. At the same time, he dedicated himself to opening a Seifukujutsu as a business for all Judo ka. He was the president of the Dai Nippon Judo Seifukujutsu until his death. The Butokukai awarded the title of Hanshi to him during May of Showa year 2. His line of Sōsuishi-ryū is sometimes referred to as the Tōkyō-den or "Matsui-ha" and it continues in Tokyo today.

The Sekiryūkan and Sōsuishi-ryū Today

The following is an excerpt taken directly from the Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan website:
Throughout its history, a decline in the popularity of Sōsuishi-ryū has often posed a real threat to its survival. However, the inheritors have always prevented this by learning and incorporating other techniques and theories such as Ogasawara-ryū and Kyūshin-ryū, so that the tradition remains alive and relevant, and that the technique of Sōsuishi-ryū is continuously developed. Today, this responsiveness to alternative disciplines is still maintained by the current 16th Master, Manzo Shitama, ensuring that Sōsuishi-ryū technique continues to evolve.
The legacy of Sōsuishi-ryū from past masters comprises such a vast and complicated array of techniques that it is nowadays simplified to make it easier to learn. This was initiated by the 15th Master Shusaku Shitama, to make Sōsuishi-ryū accessible to as many people as possible, in recognition of increasing popular interest in classical martial arts.

Techniques and Characteristics

The techniques of Sōsuishi-ryū correspond with other ryūha founded during the Keicho and the early Edo period of Japan. For example: atemi is used to distract the enemy; a lack of overly complex joint locking techniques; weapons retention techniques ; defenses against armed and unarmed enemies; and the use of defensive and offensive tactics. There are several basic and advanced techniques in Sōsuishi-ryū, such as atemi, ukemi, tai-sabaki, kansetsu-waza and nage-waza. Some aspects are almost identical and directly correlate to those found in Takenouchi-ryū such as: torite, hade, kogusoku and kumi-uchi.
The kata in Sōsuishi-ryū encourages the practitioners to not only practice defensive tactics as the defender, but to also offensive and sometimes predatory tactics are used against the "attacker". This method of learning is intended to create a heightened sensitivity, augmenting the awareness of body language and openings when attacking or defending.
Within the Sekiryūkan, the Sōsuishi-ryū syllabus consists of forty eight kumi-uchi kata, divided into five skill sets: Idori - 8 techniques; Tai-Toshu - 8 techniques with variations ; Yotsu-Gumi - 8 techniques; Tai-Kodachi - 8 techniques; and Sonota - 7 techniques. In addition to its repertoire of close combat methods, the tradition also contains a number of iai and kenjutsu techniques contained under the collective umbrella term, Koshi No Mawari making the ryūha a sōgō bujutsu or "Comprehensive martial art".
Koshi No Mawari means "Around the hips" when translated into English. It refers to the concept that anything expedient around the area of the hips can be used as a weapon. As with most koryū, this would commonly be a kodachi or an uchigatana/katana, however upon exploring this concept, other weapons and objects can be utilized.

Locations

Sōsuishi-ryū in Japan

Today, Sōsuishi-ryū has three schools in Japan.
The Shitama family line of Sōsuishi-ryū is practiced at the Shadanhōjin Sekiryūkan, the hombu dōjō of the ryu, located in Fukuoka, Japan. It is headed by the current hereditary shihan, Manzo Shitama.
And two groups that currently claim to be a representative of Matsui Hyakutarō’s tradition, the Kōsonkai and the Seirenkan. Matsui Hyakutarō's first successor, Sugiyama Shōtarō, who also happens to be one of the founders of the Kobudo Shinkōkai, transmitted the school to Kitajima Kokū. Kitajima Kokū named the branch "Kōsonkai" and was later succeeded by Shimamura Takeshi, then Manabu Ito, and finally by Kimura Akio., current headmaster of the branch. The Kōsonkai is mainly based in Yorii machi. The Seirenkan, led by Usuki Yoshihiko is an independent organization created after Usuki Yoshihiko left the Kōsonkai. It is dedicated to the preservation of Sōsuishi-ryū’s teachings as passed down from Matsui Hyakutarō. While these schools practice independently of each other, Manabu Itō and Yoshihiko Usuki have traveled to the Sekiryukan to train with Shitama Sensei and view Manzō Shitama as the hereditary Shihan of Sōsuishi-ryū.

Sōsuishi-ryū Outside Japan

Sosuishi ryu is taught in several dojo outside Japan.
In Australia, Sōsuishi-ryū was represented by Patricia Harrington from 1965 until early 2016, supported by Betty Huxley and Michael Huxley. Since October 2016 the representation of Sōsuishi-ryū in Australia sits with Thomas Crooks, Kyōshi and Peter Williams, Kyōshi, Directors of Sōsuishi-ryū Jūjutsu Kai Australia and Kumataka Dōjōs. Crooks Sensei and Williams Sensei are both direct students of Shitama Manzo Sensei. Keikokai are located in Epping and St George, Sydney and Bayswater, Perth. As of April 2018 the United States is led by Sosuishi ryu-USA Directors William Kinkel, Gomokuroku and Shihan, and Bill Williams, Yonmokuroku and Shihan Dai. Both Kinkel, and Williams Sensei are direct students of Shitama, Manzo Sensei, the hereditary Shihan of Sōsuishi-ryū.
The Seirenkan dōjō is led by and is located in Tokyo, ; the Seirenkan also has International branch schools located in Singapore, Italy, the United Kingdom in the city of London and in the United States in Chicago, Illinois, North Carolina & in Portland, Oregon. The Kosonkai Dojo led by Kimura Akio has no international schools and is located solely in Saitama, Japan.