Harada Shinsei (Founder of Jigen Ryu - 慈眼流)

[Robert Reinberger]

My first post to e-budo after a long time unfortunately has a sad cause:

The members and students of Jigen Ryu ( 慈眼流 )* are mourning the decease of HARADA Shinsei, our respected teacher and founder of our school, who passed away on October 9th, 2006 in Japan.

Jigen Ryu Founder
HARADA Shinsei (Kojun)
1939 - 2006

Our condolences go to HARADA sensei's family, and also we, sensei's students from Japan and Europe will miss him sadly.

His fascinating abilities, the honest efforts to get and pass on to his students really everything of his great skills and knowledge without witholding anything, and, most of all, his hearty and human nature will always stay as our valuable and respected memories, and will be the incentive to our further endeavors.

HARADA Sensei was born on December 28th, 1939 in Nagano. When he was eight years old, the family moved to Osaka, where he was accepted in the school of Shitennoji, the oldest buddhist temple in Japan, at age 11, and later assumed his priest-name "Kojun".

From 1954 to ca. 1961 he practiced Kodokan Judo at the Uenomiya gymnasium under the direction of WATANABE sensei, later Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu and Takuma Ryu under TAKASHIRO sensei. From ca. 1963 until the early 1970'ies he studied Hakko Ryu Jujutsu and Koho Igaku Shiatsu, first under GOTO shihan, then directly under the founder OKUYAMA Ryuho, and received the highest license of that school. Beside his activities regarding systems of close-combat, HARADA Sensei also practised Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu and later Heki Ryu Kyudo under ENDO shihan.

Afterwards he taught Jigen Ryu ( 慈眼流 ), a system based on all this experiences, which in Europe was at first called "Daiwa Ryu" ( 大和流 ), but which was also named "Jigen Ryu" ( 慈眼流 ) officially in 1991.

From 1981-1984, by order of the Shitennoji, HARADA sensei lived and taught in Austria, after that he rotated between Belgium, England, Japan and Austria, before he eventually returned to Japan in 1991. But also in the following years sensei visited Austria repeatedly to teach his students, and at other times these came to Japan to continue learning there.

It was only in October / November of 2005, when Harada sensei hold his last Jigen Ryu Jujutsu seminar in Vienna, and celebrated with us "100 Years of Jiu Jitsu in Austria". Back in Japan, on October 9th, 2006, due to a severe disease, Harada Sensei concluded his earthly existence.

Never in my life, or since my beginning in martial arts and Budo in 1970, have I met a teacher who was able to demonstrate, let and make you feel (as uke or tori alike), and to teach the difference between using muscular strength/technique/speed and using that power, that is called "Ki" by many people, like Harada sensei could do.

* Harada Sensei's "Jigen Ryu" ( 慈眼流 ) has no connection whatsoever to the famous old school
of sword-fighting called "Jigen Ryu" ( 示現流 ) which was founded by Togo Bizen no Kami Shigekura.

[yoj]

This is indeed sad news, I never had the privelidge to train under him, however his Daiwa ryu is a direct part of my lineage through my instructor, Giles Chamberlin sensei, who trained with him during his time in the UK. His art forms a very active part of pretty much every session at Dentokan Oxford, and a comparison of Hakko ryu based waza with Daiwa ryu technique always results in a yelp from uke, a legacy to be proud of.

I've passed this information on to those that would like to know, and have received notes of condolences. Thank you for letting us know Reinberger sensei.

Regards,

Jim

[giles]

I had the pleasure of training with Harada sensei when he was
at the Shitenoji school in Suffolk, UK. Looking back on it, it was a
surreal setup. We trained in a traditionally built kyudo dojo,
surrounded by half timbered Suffolk farm houses, a temple and a tea
house. Most weeks there would be three or four of us struggling to
get to grips with what we were being shown. Verbal communication
was in a mix of Japanese, English and German, but the real information
was transmitted physically.

Harada sensei had the most sensitive technique I've ever come across.
It has had a profound influence on my life in martial arts - my goal
became to be able to reproduce, at least in part, that ability to take
posture with just a touch, execute a lock with no grip, be alive to
what uke is doing.

When I heard of his death I remembered one evening when he and Tanaka
sensei were patiently showing the three of us how to do a technique.
Nidan, nikkyo. Again and again. "No , no, too strong". Again.
Sitting in the pub afterwards, trying to intellectualise how he did
things and failing miserably. Back the next week and there he was
again - happily giving up his time and wrists to try to show what was
possible.

Harada sensei was a man who taught me a great deal, and showed me even
more, for which I will always be grateful.

[EcoRI]

Hi all,
I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Harada Sensei. I never trained under him or any of his students, but I would read whatever information I could find on his system.
Sorry if its bad timing but does anyone know if he had appointed anyone to be the next Soke of Jigen ryu?
It would be a shame to see his ryu die out (in a soke sense, I'm sure his students would continue no matter what)

Thanks and my sincere regards and wishes to his family and students

[Robert Reinberger]

Dear Jim, Giles and Greg,

thank you very much for your words.

Greg, Harada Sensei already had addressed that matter verbally several times in the past. Finally, with the date of October 3rd, 2006, certificates for succession and several instructions have been written and meanwhile all necessary things have been passed on. But please let us keep this thread dedicated to the memory of Harada Sensei himself.

The official mourning period will end on the 49th day following the Passing Away of Harada Sensei, with a ceremony called "Shijukunichi no Hoyo".