Araki ryu (torite kogusoku or kenpo)

[KTT]

Dear E-Budo Members,

What is the relationship between the founders and what are the technical similarities / differences between Araki ryu, Shin Araki ryu, Araki Shin ryu http://www.jujutsu.com/jujutsu/htm/Frame19.htm and Yagyu Shingan ryu Araki Do (International Hoplology Society Guide to Classical Martial Ryu of Japan - No. 1, page 9)?

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Kevin T. Tanemura

[Aaron Fields]

Kevin Tanemura,

The best answer you will get to this question is to contact Ellis Amdur. He posts on e-budo and can be reached via his e-mail. Ellis has a teaching liscense in Araki-ryu and is therefore the best person to help you with what you are looking for.

[Ellis Amdur]

Araki Ryu has never had a "soke" system - instead, it was expected that when receiving a menkyo, one would be licensed to teach as one saw fit. Therefore, the ryu permutated from the second generation. Almost all lines of Araki Ryu emanate from the 2nd generation teacher Mori Kasumi, and generally speaking, those separate lines maintained the same central set of grappling techniques. Each, however, added other techniques, particularly weapon forms, as they saw fit.

When an instructor had deviated to such an extent that he believed that he had fundamentally taken a different road, he would form a new ryu. Those who believed that they had retained enough of the essence of the core ryu would likely include Araki in their name. Thus, there were many lines of Araki Shin ( "new") Ryu, Araki To ("sword") Ryu, for two examples. Others, who basically created something new, had such names as Kasumi Shin Ryu, Seishin Ryu, Takenouchi San To Ryu, etc.

Currently, there are two factions of Araki Ryu located in the Ise-Zaki area of Japan - sons of teachers in the same line, they chose to each maintain their own dojo. The faction I belong to, a third, is syncretic, the product of three separate lines of Araki Ryu and two lines of Araki Shin Ryu. It has a primary lineal relationship to the Ise-Zaki line(s), but should be considered fundamentally apart, and quite different in many aspects from the previous two.

In addition, there is a line of Mikkami Araki Ryu ("Three diety Araki Ryu") which is a very limited jujutsu school, practiced for some generations in a single mountain village; a school called Araki Ryu Gunyo Kogusoku in the Saitama area, which focuses primarily on iai and spear, with some other weapons, and other than sharing a founder, bears no relationship to the mainline; and finally, an Araki Ryu iaido, which also claims Araki Mujinsai as the founder, but otherwise, again, is unrelated.

I have never heard of Shin Araki Ryu. (Mikkami Araki Ryu can also be read San Shin Araki Ryu). "yagyu shingan ryu, araki do" is an odd name in the extreme. The only thing I can imagine is that it refers to the line of Yagyu Shingan Ryu that claims descent from Araki Mataemon, a prominent Shinkage Ryu swordsman, of no relation to the Araki Ryu.



Best

Ellis Amdur

[Mrose]

Last weekend I attended a Kobudo embukai in Nakano, Tokyo, where I am a rather new member of the Tokyo Yagyu kai. I saw many interesting schools demonstrate. I wish I didn't have to worry about that pesky "work so I can pay the rent" thing so that I could learn more.
One of the schools that stood out to me was the Araki Ryu, of which I saw two groups demonstrate. In one of the demonstrations they showed jujutsu waza. During this, something that looked like a small cube with a larger flat tray on top was placed between the shidachi and uchidachi. Can anyone tell me what this is? Is this to show an attack in doors while serving tea perhaps? Any information is appreciated. Thanks.

[Ellis Amdur]

The object is called a sampo - and it is an ordinary (archaic) serving tray. You will usually see them in Shinto shrines, stacked with tangerines or mochi, in front of the altar. There are three kata in this set, which is the very first thing one learns in the Araki-ryu. The set is called sankyoku, which means "Three themes." The individual is offered the tray, which properly should have a cup on it - in theory containing sake - and at the moment they reach for it, they are attacked. These kata obviously show a certain attitude towards how one should deal with one's enemies, and it is also significant that they is the first thing taught.

Best

[Mrose]

Mr. Amdur,
Thank you for your reply. Like I said, I was quite impressed with what I saw of Araki Ryu. If you would indulge my curiosity one more time, there was also a weapon that consisted of a pole about the same length as a sword and had a chain and ball at the end. What is the name of this weapon? Thank you again.

Sincerly,

[Finny]

there was also a weapon that consisted of a pole about the same length as a sword and had a chain and ball at the end. What is the name of this weapon?

I'm not Mr. Amdur, but this weapon is called the chigiriki.

There is a thorough discussion of it in Mr Amdur's book 'Old School'.
Here is a pic of an Araki Ryu chigiriki technique:



There were a bunch of pics of Mr. Amdur and a student of his performing sankyoku on koryu.com - but they seem to have been removed.

Anyways - here are some more interesting koryu pics:

http://ejmas.com/tin/meijitaikai/Meijitaikai.html

http://www.koryu.com/photos/reports.html

[paul browne]

Mr. Amdur
I have taken great pleasure in reading the articles you have written both in Aikido journal and the various books edited by Diane Skoss.
I was interested in what you said regarding the kata mentioned above. Are these techniques some sort of Torite, arresting technique or are they ambushes designed to send an enemy to his maker? I am interested both from a martial and practical way.
The art I practise, Shorinji Kempo, contains a great many pre-emptive locking and throwing techniques but the strategy for 'acquiring' the opponents limb is rarely covered. Likewise I am employed in law enforcement work where techniques are taught but the 'lure' is not given any emphasis. Is that what is happening in these kata's, are the items props to entrap the opponent?
is one of these the techniques illustrated in Donn Dreagers book Classical Budo? any practical advice you feel able to give on adapting practice to cover these strategies would be appreciated.
Many thanks
Paul Browne