Likes Likes:  0
Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Mugai Ryu book revisited + history update

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2000
    Location
    Baltimore, MD
    Posts
    30
    Likes (received)
    0

    Default Mugai Ryu book revisited + history update

    I have now finally received my copy of Craig Sensei's Mugai Ryu book. A lot of discussion took place in a previous thread on quality on the information of this book. I found a number of odd things on the technical side (techniques I can't recognize as Mugai Ryu, mix of all sorts of non-Mugai Ryu techniques and information, and weird technical descriptions/comments etc.) - all which were well covered by Renfield Kuroda and others - so I will therefore not dwell on this here). I will however focus on some of the (faulty) historical information in the book. Here is a good example of information which is completely faulty - and where the information is later contradicted in the book:

    p. 19:

    Quote: "Two brothers, Yasuke and Hidezou Takahashi, had trained with him (Gattan, that is). They were also students of Hakusan Yamamura who taught a style of iaijitsu called Jikyou Ryu. The brothers, afetr Gettan's death, combined his Mugai Ryu with their Jikyou Ryu style. This was done mainly because Gettan Sensei fixed his attention only on one thing - tachiai. Tachiai is a competition or duel between two opponents;a grapple. A state where both sides face each other, at approximately nine steps apart, and then advance into combat. If I understand the translations correctly- and I have checked them several times- there were no sitting katas in Mugai Ryu before the Takahashi brothers combined the two arts. Until Yasuke Tkahashi's death in September 1802, they taught their combined Mugai Ryu in Ehimehan prefecture. After Yasuke's death, his brother Hidezou took over. After Hidezou's death in 1816, the style was handed down to his best student, Kyutaro Takahashi, who also happened to be his son" Unquote.

    Apart from this being faulty information (names, dates etc.) - which I will elaborate on in a moment - Craig is contradicting himself by later stating (correctly!) that Takahashi Kyutaro was born in 1858 (p.109 - although here he refers to him as "T.Takahashi", but it can only be Kuytaro, since he several times throughout the book refer correctly to him as Nakagawa Soke's teacher) - and according to above his father died in 1816....! (Did they have a sperm bank in Japan already in the early 19th century???!!). Also, it also point to faulty information when Craig S. claim that the "Takahashi brothers" trained with Gattan. This is hardly likely, since he died in 1727 and they died in 1802 and 1816 respectively - which would have made them quite young and Gattan quite old when they should have learned from him.

    Ok, so what is the right history? well, since Mugai Ryu has been practised within several noble families for centuries, all information about the various generations is quite detailed. The 13th Soke (or 11th - depending on how you count the early Tsuji's) Nakagawa Shiryu Shinichi wrote several books on the history. In "Mugai Shinden Heido Kou" by Nakagawa Soke (written in 1966) we get the following information about the transfer of Mugai Ryu from the Tsuji family (although it still continued in one line of the Tsuji family in Edo for several generations hereafter) to the Takahashi as well as how the inclusion of Jikyo Ryu came about:

    First of all, Tsuji Gattan was a direct student of Taga Jikyoken Morimasa - the founder of Jikyo Ryu. So he did learn Jikyo Ryu and probably included techiques and principles into his own Mugai Ryu creation. Jikyo Ryu was thereafter passed down through the Tsuji family line as well as to other students of the Jikyo Ryu founder. This second line is considered the Honke (main line). Taga Jikyoken Morimasa passed it to Sasaki Ryokokushi, then to Yamamura Sogen Masatoyo, then to Yamamura Gosuku Masaane, then to Yamamura Tsukasa Masashige. The last Yamamura taught Jikyo Ryu in Edo, and among his students were Takahashi Yasuke Mitsusuke (alternative reading of 'Yasuke' is 'Hachisuke')and Takahashi Tatsuzo Mitsukura. Yasuke was the 6th head of the Takahashi family and was born in 1750 and died in 1809). He became the 8th (alternative counting the 6th) soke of Mugai Ryu from Tsuji Kimata Sukeyuki (4th soke) - a decendant of Tsuji Gattan's Nephew, Tsuji Uheita. He passed down both Mugai Ryu and whatever of Jikyo Ryu that was passed through the Tsuji's as a Soto Mone (external art). Takahashi Tatsuzo also learned from both Yamamura and Tsuji Sukeyuki. He was born in 1784 and died in 1835. He was the 9th (7th) soke of Mugai Ryu. The Takahashi family were high-ranking officials and later Kenjutsu Shihan to the Sakai family and moved with them to Himeji in 1749. Takahashi Tatsuzo passed on Mugai Ryu and the honke of Jikyo ryu to several of his sons: Takahashi Yasuke Nariyuki (2nd son, b. 1816 - d.1880, 10th soke of Mugai Ryu), Takahashi Hidezo Takenori (4th son, b. 1821 - d. 1848, never became Soke), and Takahashi Tetsuo Takenari (5th son, b.1830 - d. 1876, 11th soke of Mugai Ryu). Thereafter it was passed down to Takahashi Kyutaro Koun, who was the first son of Tetsuo. Kyutaro was born in 1858 and died in 1940 and became the 12th (10th) soke of Mugai Ryu. He was an outstanding individual who helped create the first set of kata for the Kendo Federation. He was also among the very few Kendo Shihan in the Meiji Era. Two others were Takano Sukesaburo of Nakanishi-Ha Itto Ryu and Kawasaki Zensaburo of the Hijikata branch of Mugai Ryu (from Hjjikata san no Jo Hisaharu - a student of the 3rd soke). Takahashi Kyutaro passed Mugai Ryu on to Nakagawa Shinichi. There is additional information on all the Takahashi's and which arts they practised - but I will leave that out for now.

    Overall, the historical parts of Craig's book seems to be a mix of all sorts of stories (some true and correct - and some not - as above). The book should not have had the title it has, since there is at least as much mentioning of Chiba-Ha Hokushin Itto Ryu and all sorts of other things as there is Mugai Ryu.

    Concerning the techniques in the book and the question of whether they are "original, orthodox Mugai Ryu" or not is not clear. However, on p. 128/129 Craig is trying to explain the names and the structure of the curriculum for us (and himself, it seems...). It leads me to believe that it is what he learned from Kuniba Sensei he remembers and has put in this book. I will elaborate on this conclusion, if anyone are interested in discussing this further.

    All in all a weird book with numerous mistakes and odd mix of history and techniques (a bit like his Jujitsu book with the subtitle "Jujitsu before 1882" - where most, if not all, the techniques shown in the book are modern day Taiho-jitsu for the police and military....!).

    Flemming Madsen

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    Baton Rouge, LA
    Posts
    453
    Likes (received)
    0

    Default

    As an outsider looking in, the question arises in my mind-

    "Is he misinformed, ignorant, or deceiving people?"
    Douglas Wylie

    Do not learn philosophy from fortune cookie.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2001
    Location
    Darlington, UK
    Posts
    1,019
    Likes (received)
    1

    Default

    The last thread and this one seem to show that this book is mainly taken from memory, notes at the time, and perhaps may be more of an anecdotal reference book, sort of putting your thoughts in order as it were. This was the case with the kendo book, which was o.k. in its way. Perhaps it may be the way I would first sit down and write one for MJER, I'll have to try it!!

    Alternatively, perhaps its all a clever Marketing ploy by some evil bookseller with a net connection...

    Tim Hamilton
    Tim Hamilton

    Why are you reading this instead of being out training? No excuses accepted...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2002
    Location
    Tokyo
    Posts
    768
    Likes (received)
    0

    Default

    Originally posted by Douglas Wylie
    As an outsider looking in, the question arises in my mind-

    "Is he misinformed, ignorant, or deceiving people?"
    I don't (and don't want to) believe that someone who has dedicated decades to the martial arts as Craig-sensei has, is explicitly trying to cut corners to make a buck. So I will assume that Craig-sensei wrote this book to the best of his ability and knowledge. However, I agree with Flemming that the inaccuracies are troubling and I wonder if perhaps Craig-sensei was premature in writing the book without at least consulting with the current heads of Mugairyu namely Shiokawa-gosoke of Mugairyu Iaihyodo, as well as the current soke of Mugairyu Kenjutsu, and the various other lines. (And if Craig-sensei recognizes Nakagawa-gosoke as the legitimate instructor of Mugairyu, then he should also recognize Shiokawa-gosoke as the 15th head of Mugairyu Iaihyodo, as Shiokawa-gosoke was appointed by Nakagawa himself.)

    I also agree with Flemming that the overwhelming inclusion of non-Mugairyu techniques was a bit odd, as there are plenty more techniques in the Mugairyu curriculum. For example, in Mugairyu Iaihyodo advanced practitioners learn kumitachi with both short and long sword, as well as sword vs. staff (which I think is Shindo Muso Ryu, but I'm not sure...Flemming do you know?)

    Regards,
    renfield kuroda

Similar Threads

  1. Koryu demonstrations & events in Japan
    By allan in forum Koryu: History and Tradition
    Replies: 186
    Last Post: 2nd June 2011, 15:19
  2. Motobu Choki
    By Troll Basher in forum Ryukyuan Unarmed Martial Arts
    Replies: 99
    Last Post: 25th August 2005, 19:12
  3. Commonly Used Budo Acronyms
    By Mekugi in forum Member's Lounge
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 21st May 2004, 03:44
  4. Humble origins?
    By JakobR in forum Ryukyuan Culture and Traditions
    Replies: 50
    Last Post: 13th January 2004, 23:45

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •