Tendo-ryu naginatajutsu (Ten-ryu hyoho)

[JakobR]

A paper I have recieved lists the Tendo Ryu kata to #206;

108 Tachi vs Naginata
10 Tachi vs Jo
5 Tachi vs Kusarigama
16 Tachi vs Nito
5 Tachi vs Tanto
59 Tachi vs Tachi
3 Tachi vs Kodachi

To my memory, however, "only" #156 are still trained within the school. I have been told that most Tachi vs Tachi are lost but does someone have more exact information? Any information would be helpful.

[Eric Montes]

Jakob,
Your numbers are off. But you are correct about the Tachi sets. I have asked Mitamura Sensei about them and her response was they are lost.

Where did you get the number 156? I never heard an exact number regarding the number of kata that are practiced while I was at Shubukan.

Eric

[JakobR]

Hello Eric!
I think I got the number 156 from Tanaka-sensei. 206-156 makes 50 meaning that there at least should be 9 tachi vs tachi that are still trained. Perhaps the number 156 is wrong but it would still be interesting to know which kata are still around. The other numbers should be correct though as it comes from Soke.

[Eric Montes]

Jakob,
Sorry it took so long to reply. Your numbers are based on the assumption that all the naginata kata in the curriculum are still practiced. That is no longer true.

There are many naginata kata that have been lost as well. I do not know specifically which ones. (I did not quiz Mitamura Sensei on the full list of kata....)

I have been told this many times (it take a long time to get through my thick skull...) Practice what you have been taught, not what is on the list or what others are doing.

Mitamura Sensei and Tanaka Sense have said on more than one occasion, the basics of Tendo Ryu are most important. If you cannot do them correctly, you will not be able to do anything else correctly.

E

[JakobR]

Hello again!
So you are saying that the number 156 is not correct either? I would not dream about training anything else that I have been taught (and not even seen). My interest is from an academic approach rather than a practical one, and it would be nice to know which forms and weapons that are still used within the Tendo Ryu curriculum.

[Riku]

I just got a book written by late Abe Toyoko Sensei and I found there are some tachi vs tachi kata in it