Reference doc ＞ Sato Kinbei sensei and his traditional martial arts.
The self-defense techniques of Sato Kinbei sensei
Sato Kinbei sensei of the All Japan Cinese Martial Arts Association was
studying forensic medicine when he was a medical student at Tohoku University.
When we say “Self defence” now, we have an image such as an attack method
for women to defend themselves from ruts. but the most important thing
is the daily defense consciousness.
In the early Showa 50's, Sato Kinbei sensei issued a book called "Introduction
to Tai Chi" [Modern Self Defense Techniques and Tai Chi], for the
members in his Federation, in this book, as an example of various crimes
and incidents, the knowledge of self-defense in everyday life was written
in detailing.
In this book, he criticized that many self defense techniques have to long
times for practicing, and they are difficult to prevent the attacks for
murder, he repeatedly explained it is important that pay attention to crime
prevention and disaster prevention, it is like the samurai discipline to
their own lives, because he handed down traditional Japanese martial arts,
so his consideration is very interesting. I introduce some of them.
.
Vital point
The commentary of vital point "Kinteki" is assuming the time
when a woman was attacked, written as follows.
……Kinteki: It is about the testicles at the vital point of men. As an attack
technique, you will punch and kick it, kicking up between the legs will
hit it well. If you approach, the most effective attack is to grasp it
strongly by hand and do not release it, it is certain that any thug faints
because of pain. Even if you are hugged from the front, or your neck is
tightened, there are many opportunities to grasp it. Even after being pushed
down and being likely to be rape, do not be afraid and you grasp it hard,
please crush the root of evil by forcefully grasping it. You can protect
yourself. If such thug are left untouched, they repeat the crime a number
of times. Let's think of them as enemies of all women and crush the testicles,
so that they never do such a bad job again.
Anytime and in any case, you have to respond flexibly, judge the situation
calmly and immediately take effective countermeasures. If it is mere robbery,
it will not be killed, if you can settle it with money, you should give
them some money. However, if they are aiming for injury or homicide from
grudge or crime passional, you must desperately resist, as a result if
the thug is even dead, it will be legitimate defense.
When you are attacked by a thug, you pretend to follow quietly, and invite
him to a place with many people, it is one of the good way of self-defense.
If you can not do that, you also pretend to follow quietly, and look for
the thug's unguarded points, if you find it, you attack with full power.
Never give up to the end ! ! There is absolutely a chance to be saved !
!
.
Knowledge of Self-defense
There was a master of martial arts named Mr. Nakayama, who was police of
Edo Machibugyo in the Edo period. His wife was also a cool customer. When
she was traveling with a retainer, she was attacked by bandits in a lonely
mountain. at this time she approached the bandits with disheveled hair
and roar with laughter. The bandits thought that she is mad, they felt
creepy and ran away.
.
Koyama Samon Yagyusinganryu
Samon Koyama was a master of Yagyusinganryu in Oshu Yagyu (Yagyu-cho, Miyagi
prefecture) at the Edo period. When he was a middle age he worked in Edo
and won a name for himself. In his later years, he was looking forward
to fishing. One evening, he was walking with a fishing rod on his shoulder.
A man with strong power of amateur sumo wrestling, suddenly to held Samon
from behind with his full power. Even Samon can’t remove that sumo wrestler’s
hands easily, but he think sorry about to hurt sumo wrestler, so he said
[ Hey, is your power so such a weak? ] , sumo wrestler said [ Don't look
down on me! ], he tried to put more power, at that moment Samon took his
arm and threw him forward. He used a moment that sumo wrestler lost tension
of his arms before he hold over again. It is a flexible wisdom of Jiu-jutsu.
.
Mutekatsuryu of Tsukahara Bokuden
Tsukahara Bokuden got on a ferry at Lake Biwa in Ohmi (Shiga Prefecture)
on the way of knight-errantry, there was a samurai who seemed to be a master
of Ken jutsu in the same ship, he was brag about his technique of Ken jutsu
to another passenger.
The Ken jutsu master thought that Bokuden was quiet person, and he began
teasing him, finally he began to say wanted to play a match with Bokuden.
Bokuden said “inside a narrow ferry, it will be trouble for another passenger,
how about to play a match in a sandbank over there”. When the ferry approaches
a sandbank, the Ken jutsu master jumped out of the boat lightly, and waiting
for Bokuden.
Bokuden borrowed a stick from the boatman, and moved the felly from the
sandbank, rowed far out to lake. He abandoned the Ken jutsu master who
angry with a loud voice in a sandbank. This is the famous story called
“Mutekatsuryu of Tsukahara Bokuden”
Bokuden had a genuine samurai spirit. One of a his disciples accidentally
passed behind a rampage horse, when he was almost kicked, he dodged himself
like a swallow, and the people who were watching it admired. However, it
is said when Bokuden passed behind such a dangerous horse, he avoided and
passed quietly…..
.
・
Thinking of Martial arts of Kinbei Sato sensei
In the book of "Introduction to Tai Chi" quotes the anecdote
of the predecessor, it is written that true martial arts leads us to the
point of enlightenment beyond life and death.
.
Sagawa Yamon of Sagawa Shinkage ryu
There was a merchant who is doing business extensively in Sendai, one day
he went to Yamon’s dojo and wanted to get started learn Ken jutsu, Yamon
immediately take him to the dojo and chased after him with a wooden sword
in his hand for about an hour. Yamon only chased after him every day, did
not teach him Ken jutsu at all. A month passed and the merchant got very
dissatisfied, and he asked Yamon to teach Ken jutsu. then Yamon answered
to him, “ It is no profit even if merchants learn Ken jutsu, if you are
exposed to danger, you should flee as soon as possible, so I taught you
how to flee. But Samurai can never flee, and have to be ready for death
anytime, Samurai’s mental attitude is completely different from merchant,
without this preparation you can’t improve even if you learn Ken jutsu”.
The merchant very admired to hear that, he respected Samon and he went
home….
.
Resolution of a serious match
There was a great man of samurai named Hoshino Kanzaemon in Owari (Aichi
Prefecture). One day he went to Karo's house (chief retainer), this Karo
likes sumo wrestling very much, at that time there was a sumo wrestler
who is able to swing a large boat anchor with one hand in Karo’s house.
Karo ordered Kanzaemon “you play a match with him”. He declined many times,
but Karo didn't agree it. Kanzaemon had no choice but to accept the match
with the sumo wrestler.
The sumo wrestler wore only a loincloth and came out, but Kanzaemon keeps
his swords on his waist. Referee saw his style and blamed him ” Swords
are not necessary for sumo wrestling match”, but Kanzaemon said “ I’m not
a sumo wrestler but a samurai, I play a match by Karo’s order, but I think
that always to wear swords is the way of samurai ”.
When the sumo wrestler grasps him, he killed the sumo wrestler with the
sword. People who were watching it around were surprised. Kanzaemon slowly
put the sword in the sheath and went in front of Karo, he said to Karo
“ I believe that samurai’s match is like this", he bowed to Karo,
and he went home. Karo got very angry in his mind, but he couldn’t help
it, he told the people who were there “His behavior is obvious as a samurai,
it was my mistake that order a samurai fight with sumo wrestler”.
.
The secrets of Ken jutsu
There was a person who requested to become a disciple of Yagyu Munenori
who was private instructor of Tokugawa Shogun. As soon as Munenori saw
at this samurai asked to him “ You look like master of Ken jutsu, why do
you want to become a disciple of me”, the samurai answered “ I have never
learned martial arts ”. Munenori said “ So you came to try me isn’t it?
I am a private instructor of Tokugawa Shogun, so you can’t deceive me”.
Then the samurai said “ Since I was a child, my father talked me to strictly
that the samurai don’t have to love life, I always keeping this in my mind,
now I am not afraid of dying at all, besides this, I don't know anything
about that caused it except this”.
Munenori said with great impression “ That's the only thing about the secrets
of Ken jutsu, I had several excellent disciples so far, but no one initiate
into the secrets of Ken jutsu, you don’t have to learn Ken jutsu any more
”. Then Munenori conferred him Menkyo-kaiden (full proficiency). After
that he talked to people like this “ For a person who transcends life and
death is no longer to necessary to learn martial arts”.
.
Traditional martial arts has been practiced between samurai since ancient
times, it studied by blood and sweat, and it has been handed down. "If
you don’t kill, you will be killed." this is martial arts that you
attack on the center of the enemy with this determination to kill. The
head and the torso are separated by one attack, such a way of deadly technique
is a traditional martial arts.
.
Hirayama Kozo was traditional Martial Arts master in the late Edo period,
he is who I respect the most. He wrote the book of Tyukoshinganryukisoku,
It is written as follows. “ No matter what kind of the enemy's attack,
you have to step into enemy's with the whole body, and attack the center
of the enemy with force like to break through to his behind, otherwise
it will not reach the enemy's body. Like this you must full of your strength
and tension, you must diligence every day, and must not get bored, you
must struggle every day, and must not hate it. you train your heart and
after struggling repeatedly, if you take a sword and stand against an enemy,
the enemy unconsciously step back and pull his face. If you don’t become
like this, you can’t fight a real fight ’.
.
In this way, by seriously training with the feeling of live or die, kill
or be killed, then it is possible to clarify life and death in the moment
of dangerous. When you live you have to live seriously, when you die you
have to die like a samurai. It is Budo (true martial arts) to make a true
human way of life.
From this point of view, how many martial arts are there that deserves
the name of Budo in Japan now? The safe fight that decided the rules is
not martial arts but sports or physical education.
.
Soma Taisaku
Kawakami Denemon who is a master of Fudenryu Ken jutsu of Matsue clan (Tottori
prefecture) went to cross swords with a Hirayama Kozo, but Kozo was just
going out that day, so Shimotome Hidenoshin(famous Soma Taisaku) who was
a disciple of Hirayama Kozo, played against him instead of Kozo. Denemon
used the 6 feet long bamboo sword, but Hidenoshin headed for this with
a 1.3 feet short bamboo sword.
They glaring at each other for a while, but Denemon was pushed by spirit
of Hidenoshin that “Step into with the whole body, and attack the center
of the enemy”. And he gradually step back, then the moment Denemon is desperate
to tried attack, that moment he was to striked on the wall by ferocious
thrust of Hidenoshin.
.
Training of Martial arts
Budo (Martial arts) comes from the technique of killing enemies and transcends
life and death to reach the point of enlightenment. So you can reach the
point that enemies can not doing anything to me (an intention to kill),
great consciousness to develop (live healthy and long), living according
to the heavens and the earth and nature (the point of enlightenment).
The way of the Bdo will never be completed in a short time, you learning
from leaders who properly practiced, and practice by concentrating for
a long time, then you can reach this place.
If you train true Budo, you do not need to Zen meditation or relying on
God, training of Budo is already religion itself.
.
From "Introduction to Tai Chi"
[Modern Self Defense Techniques and Tai Chi]
・
