Hello,
I would like to request some assistance on obtaining information pertaining to the Kyushin Ryu ?
Through several sources I have read many different things. In Secerets of the Samurai by Ratti & Westbrook, they have identified this school in two seperate sections as being a close combat specialty school, then in another "Members of the kyushin Ryu, a school of ninjutsu, became noted for their unorthodox meathods of using a spear". In A Dictionary of the Martial Arts, by Frederic, Kyushin Ryu is defined:" An ancient Japanese school of defense against lance(yari) attacks, halberd (Hoko) or naginata."
We are certain that Kyushin Ryu was one of the influential ryu of kodakan and in the famous photo showing Kano with all the jujutsu masters, there are two men from Kyushin Ryu. First and foremost would be Yozo Eguchi of Kumamoto who was involved in kodakan kata formulation. Also in the photo is Hidemi Tozuka of Chiba. All history of Judo mentions Kyushin ryu, but none mention any information regarding the influence or sytem style of Kyushin ryu.
I've also heard that Kyushin ryu is a branch group of the Takeda line and that there are Kyushin ryu Aikijututsu schools.
Could anybody steer me in the right direction on how I could obtain some valid information regarding this ryu. Thank you.
Adam Mitchell