高木揚心流
The history of Takagi Yoshin Ryū Jūtaijutsu begins sometime around the 13th year of the Eiroku period (1570) in the Funagata Yama area of Miyagi , where a mountain priest from the Abe family named Unryu (meaning, Cloud Dragon) lived. The Abe family had possession of 1 of 4 sets of scrolls that detailed both spiritual and warrior craft that dated back centuries. From Abe Bunshō (1466) are 30 scrolls in total titled the Amatsu Tatara Rinpo Hiden Makimono. Unryu was an expert in Taijutsu, Bōjutsu, Yarijutsu and Shurikenjutsu from this lineage and taught a samurai from Katakura Kojuro in the Fukushima Province named Ito Sukesada. Sukesada added hanbō, kenjutsu and kodachi to what what his teacher Unryu had taught to him.
Ito Sukesada taught a pupil by the name of Takagi Oriemon Shigetoshi who was at the time a young samurai from the Tohoku-Shiroishi Han in northern Japan. Oriemon is said to have mastered this teaching by the time he was just 20 years old. At the age of 60 he was granted mastery of six different martial arts of the Imperial Bodyguard by the Emperor Higashiyama.
Oriemon added grappling methods from Sumo to complete a system of Jūtaijutsu and inspired by the teaching of his father who is quoted as disciplining his son with the words, “A willow is flexible, but a high tree is breakable.” This teaching would characterize the movement of the Takagi Yoshin Ryū practitioner, as the willow tree used compliance and flexibility as their strength versus rigidity. Oriemon chose to name his style of fighting after his own name and the the influence of his father.
In the 17th century, the soke of Takagi Yoshin Ryū, Takagi Gennoshin Hideshige, and the 15th Soke of Kukishin Ryū, Kihei Shigenobu, fought a friendly match and became close friends. Following, both systems exchanged technique and even became restructured, resulting in shared kata and methodologies. Takagi Yoshin Ryū and Kukishin Ryū passed down through history from this time forward as sibling Ryū-ha. During the Tenpo era at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate (around the year 1841), three top students of Yagi Ikugoro Hisayoshi (the 13th head of the Takagi Yoshin Ryu) branched off and the results were the Seito-Ha Fujita Takagi Yoshin Ryū, Ishibashi Takagi Ryū, and Ishitani Takagi Yoshin Ryū.
Takagi Yoshin Ryū came to Toshitsugu Takamatsu who’s family retained possession Amatsu Tatara Rinpo Hiden Makimono (copies) through their relationship to the Kuki family. Takamatsu Sensei studied Takagi Yoshin Ryū from Yoshitaro Tadefusa Mizuta beginning in 1908. At the Jinenkan Dōjō we are learning the Fujita Takagi Yoshin Ryū and Ishitani Takagi Yoshin Ryū from the Takamatsu lineage.
Jūtaijutsu, 柔体術
The techniques employed primarily concentrate on subduing an opponent in close quarter engagement and restraining them. Literally meaning “Pliant body technique”, this system of taijutsu emphasizes throwing an opponent, joint manipulation, choking methods and restraints. The Takagi Yoshin Ryū has a history of use in Japanese security enforcement and this is clearly evident when the techniques are witnessed.
Lineage of Takagi Yoshin Ryū Jūtaijutsu
Takagi Oriuemon Shigenobu
Takagi Umannosuke Shigesada
Takagi Gennoshin Hideshige
Ookuni Kihei Shigenobu
Ookuni Yakuburo Nobutoshi
Ookuni Tarodayu Tadanobu
Ookuni Kihei Yoshisada
Ookuni Yozaemon Yoshisada
Nakayama Jinnai Sadahide
Ookuni Takazaemon Hidenobu
Nakayama Kaemon Sadasaka
Ookuni Kamaharu Hidetoshi
Yagi Ikugoro Hisayashi 1830-1844
Fujita Fujigoro Hisayoshi
Mizuta Yoshitaro Tadafusa
Takamatsu Chosui
Hatsumi Masaaki (Present Sōke)
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