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Mugai ryu

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Mugai-ryū (無む外そと流りゅう, Mugai-ryū) or "Outer Nothingness School" is a Japanese koryū martial art school founded by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻つじ月がつ丹に資し茂しげる) on 23 June 1680. Its formal name is Mugai Shinden Kenpō (無む外そと真伝しんでん剣法けんぽう).

Mugai-ryū
(無む外そと流りゅう)
Ko-ryū
Foundation
FounderTsuji Gettan Sukemochi
(辻つじ月がつ丹に資し茂しげる)
Date founded23 June 1680
Period foundedMid-Edo period (1603–1868)
Arts taught
ArtDescription
Kenjutsu - Tachi, WakizashiSword art; with long sword, short sword.
Ancestor schools
Yamaguchi-ryū • Ittō-ryū Mugai-ryū curriculum. Shinkage-ryū • Awaga-ryū • Kashima Shintō-ryū Yamaguchi-ryū influences.
Descendant schools
Ōdachi-ryū • Genkō Nitō-ryū

History

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The founder of Mugai-ryū, Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi (辻つじ月がつ丹に資し茂しげる) was born to Tsuji Yadayū descendant of Sasaki Shirō Tadatsuna, in the first year of Keian (1648, early Edo period), in the Masugi (馬杉ますぎ) village area of Miyamura (宮みや村むら), in Kōga (甲賀こうが郡ぐん) region of Ōmi (近江おうみ), now Shiga Prefecture.[1]

When he was 13 he went to Kyoto to study swordsmanship and at the age of 26 he received kaiden (full transmission) and opened a school in Edo (now Tokyo). The school he studied is controversial. The most accepted theory is that he learned Yamaguchi-ryū [note 1] swordsmanship under Yamaguchi Bokushinsai, but earlier documents state he studied under Itō Taizen.

Also, he studied Zen Buddhism and Classical Chinese literature under Zen monks Sekitan Ryōzen (石いし潭良全ぜん) and Shinshū (神州しんしゅう) at Kyūkōji temple (吸江ぎゅうこう寺てら) in Azabu Sakurada-chō (麻布まふ桜田さくらだ町まち). At the age of 32 he reached enlightenment and received from his Zen teacher a formal poem taken from the Buddhist scriptures as an acknowledgment and proof of his accomplishment. Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi used the word Mugai from this poem as his nom de plume and hence, later generations alluded to his swordsmanship teachings as being "the style of (Tsuji) Mugai", or Mugai-ryū.

The name "Mugai" comes from the following poem:

一法いっぽう実じつ無む外そと
乾坤けんこん得とく一いち貞さだ
吸毛方かた納おさめ密みつ
動どう着ぎ則そく光清こうせい

"Ippō wa jitsu ni hoka nashi[note 2]
Kenkon ni ittei wo eru
Suimō wa hō ni mitsu ni osamu
Dōchaku sureba sunawachi hikari kiyoshi"

"There is nothing other than the One True Way
As vast as Heaven and Earth may be, only the Way can create this single Righteous Virtue
The One True Way dwells in our hearts and its sharpness can slice a fluttering feather in two

And the purest light radiates whenever It manifests"

The earlier documents on the school opened by Tsuji Gettan were lost in 1695, when a great fire hit Edo. Later records show that he had 32 daimyō [note 3] as pupils, including the rōjū [note 4] Ogasawara Sado-no-kami Nagashige, Sakai Kageyu Tadataka, the feudal lord of Maebashi, and Yamauchi Toyomasa, the feudal lord of Tosa. The list also included 150 jikisan,[note 5] and 932 baishin.[note 6]

Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi was known not just as a master of the sword, but as an enlightened Zen philosopher and scholar. As an evidence, his writing Mugai Shinden Kenpō Ketsu[note 7] shows heavy influences from Zen and Chinese philosophy.

He died on June 23 in the 12th year of Kyōhō 享とおる保ほ (1725) at the age of 79. The tombs of Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi's successors are kept at the Nyoraiji temple (如来寺にょらいじ), which is now in Nishiōi (西大井にしおおい町まち), Shinagawa (品川しながわ区く), Tokyo.

Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi was unmarried and it is assumed that he had no offspring as he adopted the eldest son of priest Sawatari Bungo-no-kami (猿渡さるわたり豊後ぶんご守まもる), of Ōkunitama Shrine (大国たいこく魂たましい神社じんじゃ) in what is now known as the Tokyo provincial government area, as his son. Sawatari's eldest son took the name Tsuji Kimata Sukehide (都治つち記き摩ま多た資し英えい)[note 8] and became one of Tsuji Gettan's successors, along with Gettan's nephew, Tsuji Uheita (辻つじ右みぎ平太へいた).

Tsuji's school spread mainly in four domains: Himeji (now a city in Hyogo Prefecture), Isezaki (now part of Gunma Prefecture), Koromo (now Toyota city of Aichi Prefecture) and Tosa (now Kochi Prefecture).

In the Meiji Era, two of the most famous swordsmen in Japan were from Mugai-ryū, both being appointed as Hanshi by Dai Nippon Butokukai: Takahashi Kyūtarō (1859-1940) from Himeji and Kawasaki Zensaburō (1860-1944) from Tosa. The lineage of Takahashi Kyūtarō was kept by his grandson, Takahashi Hidezō, Hanshi of Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei.

Mugai Shinden Kenpō Curriculum

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The school has only kenjutsu in its curriculum, having adopted the Jikyō-ryū (自じ鏡かがみ流りゅう) school of iaijutsu as a complement, and it has a strong connection with Zen due to Gettan's belief that the "sword and Zen are the way of the same Truth".[2]

The curriculum of Mugai-ryū consists of 10 techniques with a long sword and 3 techniques with a short sword.[3] Later, the techniques for duels (shiaiguchi 試合しあい口こう) were also added.

An analysis of the techniques present in Mugai-ryū shows a clear influence of Ittō-ryū, so either the Yamaguchi-ryū studied by Tsuji was a derivation of Ittō-ryū,[note 9] or Itō Taizen was a master of this style.[note 10]

The scarce number of techniques in Mugai-ryū[note 11] reflects Tsuji Gettan's philosophy on the actual effectiveness of techniques, as well as his methods of teaching and grading.

About Jikyō-ryū iaijutsu

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Jikyō-ryu (自じ鏡かがみ流りゅう) is a school of iaijutsu founded by Taga Jikyōken Morimasa (多賀たが自じ鏡かがみ軒のき盛もり政まさし), being a derivation of the Shin Tamiya-ryū (新田にった宮みや流りゅう) school. Taga is said to have taught iaijutsu to Tsuji Gettan while in Edo. The Takahashi lineage of Mugai-ryū kenjutsu learned iai from the Yamamura lineage of Jikyō-ryū, generation after generation.

Jikyō-ryū's base curriculum features two sections, which comprises two sets each. They are, in order: Goka 五箇ごか (5 techniques), Kumiai 組合くみあい (15 techniques), Goyō 五ご用よう (7 techniques) and Naiden 内ない伝でん (14 techniques).[note 12] After those, there is a further "set", taught only to the most advanced students.[note 13]

Although this school is usually known as being associated to the Mugai-ryū, it is a school on its own. Its most famous lineage is the Yamamura lineage, but there are other lesser known lineages.

About Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō

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Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō (Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō 無む外そと真伝しんでん居合いあい兵へい道どう) is a modern school of iaido founded by Nakagawa Shiryō Shinichi (中川なかがわ士し龍りゅう申さる一いち, 1895–1981). Nakagawa was, in his youth, a kendo disciple of Takahashi Kyutarō, but he chose to focus on the iaijutsu techniques that Takahashi knew. Based on those, Nakagawa created Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō.[note 14]

Nakagawa's lineage was formally passed to Ishii Gogetsu Zenzō (石井いしい悟さとる月がつ善蔵ぜんぞう) in the late 1950s.[4] However, this seems to be revoked by Nakagawa himself later on.

Today Mugai-ryū has splintered into several lines[note 15] and there is no one sōke(representative).[5] Nakagawa Shiryō Shinichi is generally considered the last sōke.[note 16] He did not appoint a successor, but awarded several menkyo kaiden (full transmission), and his students continue to teach the school and several new lines have been established, each with their own sōke. Nakagawa also founded an organization called Mugai Kai to help preserve the school.

Although there are some minor variations according to the lineage, the base curriculum of the school can be considered as follows:[6]

Go-yō 五ご用よう Go-ka 五箇ごか Go-ō 五ご応おう Hashiri-gakari 走はしり掛がかり Iai no kata (kumitachi) 居合いあい之の形かたち Wakizashi no kata 脇差わきざし之の形かたち
Shin 真しん Suigetsu 水月すいげつ Muna-zukushi 胸むね尽つくし Maegoshi 前ぜん腰こし Hokuto 北斗ほくと Kiridome 切留きりどめ
Ren 連れん Inchūyō 陰かげ中陽ちゅうよう En-yō 円えん要よう Musōgaeshi 夢想むそう返がえし Taihaku 太白たいはく Tsukidome 突留
Sa 左ひだり Yōchūin 陽ひ中陰ちゅういん Ryō-guruma 両りょう車くるま Mawarigakari 廻まわり懸かかり Ryūsei 流星りゅうせい Ukenagashi 受流
Yū 右みぎ Hibiki-gaeshi 響ひびき返がえし No-okuri 野の送おくり Migi no Teki 右みぎの敵てき Kasumi 霞かすみ Kiriage 斬き上じょう
Sha 捨 Hazumi 破やぶ図ず味あじ Gyokkō 玉だま光こう Shihō 四方しほう Inazuma 稲妻いなづま Kuraizume 位い詰つめ

Apart from these, there is a set called Naiden (内うち伝でん), taught only for the advanced students.[note 17]

The differences between Mugai-ryū Kenjutsu, Jikyō-ryū Iaijutsu and Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō

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Mugai-ryū Kenjutsu, Jikyō-ryū Iaijutsu and Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō are three separate entities, being distinct from each other.

Mugai-ryū kenjutsu (Mugai Shinden Kenpō) is a school of kenjutsu whose practitioners also studied Jikyō-ryū iaijutsu. Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō (Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō) is a gendai budo (modern school) of iaido, being named after the kenjutsu school due to the fact that Nakagawa Shinichi's kendo teacher was from Mugai-ryū kenjutsu.

Although the lore in Mugai-ryu Iai Hyōdō traditionally places its founder as Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi, this is historically inaccurate. Nakagawa himself states several times that "Mugai-ryū is actually Jikyō-ryū",[note 18] hence the Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō must be seen as a different school from the Mugai Shinden Kenpō, which is a school of kenjutsu.

However, while it can be said that Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō was created based on some of the Jikyō-ryū techniques, making several techniques visually similar, both schools are completely different. This can be seen in the actual techniques, as well as their uses, interpretations and variations, and in other teachings.

For instance, a glance at the names of the techniques shows that Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō altered the order of the curriculum,[note 19] removed and rearranged several Jikyō-ryū techniques and added new ones.

The following table maps some of the Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō techniques' names to the original Jikyō-ryū curriculum:

Technique Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō set Jikyō-ryū original set
Shin 真しん Go-yō 五ご用よう Goyō 五ご用よう
Ren 連れん Go-yō 五ご用よう Goyō 五ご用よう
Sa 左ひだり Go-yō 五ご用よう Goka 五箇ごか and Goyō 五ご用よう
Yū 右みぎ Go-yō 五ご用よう Goka 五箇ごか and Goyō 五ご用よう
Sha 捨 Go-yō 五ご用よう Goyō 五ご用よう[note 20]
Suigetsu 水月すいげつ Go-ka 五箇ごか Naiden 内ない伝でん
Inchūyō 陰かげ中陽ちゅうよう Go-ka 五箇ごか Naiden 内ない伝でん
Yōchūin 陽ひ中陰ちゅういん Go-ka 五箇ごか Naiden 内ない伝でん
Hibiki-gaeshi 響ひびき返がえし Go-ka 五箇ごか Naiden 内ない伝でん
Hazumi 破やぶ図ず味あじ Go-ka 五箇ごか Goyō 五ご用よう[note 21]
Muna-zukushi 胸むね尽つくし Go-ō 五ご応おう Kumiai 組合くみあい
En-yō 円えん要よう Go-ō 五ご応おう Naiden 内ない伝でん
Ryō-guruma 両りょう車くるま[note 22] Go-ō 五ご応おう Naiden 内ない伝でん
No-okuri 野の送おくり Go-ō 五ご応おう Kumiai 組合くみあい
Gyokkō 玉だま光こう Go-ō 五ご応おう Naiden 内ない伝でん

Notes on differences

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  1. Although they may share the same name, the actual technique from Jikyō-ryū may differ in its entirety from the Mugai-ryu homonymous.
  2. There is no set called Go-ō 五ご応おう in Jikyō-ryū.
  3. The Mugai-ryū's Hashiri-gakari (走はしり掛がかり), Iai no kata (kumitachi)(居合いあい之の形かたち) and the Wakizashi no kata (脇差わきざし之の形かたち) sets do not exist in Jikyō-ryū and neither do they have any homonymous technique in the Jikyō-ryū curriculum.
  4. There are other sets in Jikyō-ryū that are not present in Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō.

Also, although Nakagawa had access to several Jikyō-ryū's densho (scrolls and manuscripts), he was not fully instructed in them. This is apparent in his explanation of the densho called Yōhō(Mochiikata) Nijūgoka-ji(Nijūgoka no koto) (用もちい方かた二に十じゅう五ご箇事), where he admits his ignorance about the concept of "misumi" (三角さんかく), for instance.[note 23] Other evidences of his incomplete instruction can be seen in his explanation on the length of the sword and on the sageo(下しも緒いとぐち), both lacking crucial information for a true Jikyō-ryū practitioner, among other teachings and oral instructions that are not seen in Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō.[note 24]

The grading system used in Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō is based on the modern dan/kyū systems of modern martial arts like judo and kendo. Jikyō-ryū and Mugai Shinden Kenpō employ an older grading system, used during the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Notes

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  1. ^ Some call Yamaguchi-ryū as Yamaguchi Ittō-ryū, though this seems to be an informal name, since it's not seen in old documents. Nakayama Hakudō, one of the most proeminent swordsman of the early 20th century, is said to have been trained in Yamaguchi Ittō-ryū under the instruction of Saitō Risuke, before starting his training in Shintō Munen-ryū under Negishi Shingorō.
  2. ^ "Hoka nashi" means literally "Nothing other (outside)" and can be read as mugai, hence Tsuji's nom de plume.
  3. ^ Daimyō (大名だいみょう) were feudal lords having over 10,000 koku as stipend/territory.
  4. ^ Rōjū (老中ろうじゅう) was an Elder, one of the highest administrative ranks in the Tokugawa Shogunate.
  5. ^ Jikisan (直参じきさん) were the Shōgun's direct vassals with stipends below 10,000 koku.
  6. ^ Baishin (陪臣ばいしん) were the vassals of feudal lords.
  7. ^ 無む外そと真伝しんでん剣法けんぽう訣, lit. "The core sword techniques truly transmitted by Mugai".
  8. ^ Notice that the spelling of Kimata's family name is different from Gettan's.
  9. ^ In this case, the Yamaguchi-ryū learned by Tsuji Gettan is highly unlikely to be the school founded by Yamaguchi Umanosuke Ietoshi, since this one is based primary in nitō (two swords) techniques. Little to nothing is known about who actually Yamaguchi Bokushinsai was.
  10. ^ Given that the founder of Ittō-ryū was a man called Itō Ittōsai, Itō Taizen may be someone from the Itō-ha (also known as Chūya-ha) Ittō-ryū. However, Itō Taizen is a man shrouded in more mystery than Yamaguchi Bokushinsai.
  11. ^ Only 13 techniques, excluding variations and the dueling techniques. Compare with other schools, like Ono-ha Ittō-ryū or Yagyū Shinkage-ryū.
  12. ^ For an incomplete list of the Jikyō-ryū techniques, refer to: Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai Zensho", Ryoso Kenyukai, 1938, or to: Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō-kō". Mugai-kai, 1966.
  13. ^ Refer to the corresponding Jikyō-ryū densho.
  14. ^ Takahashi's iai techniques are from the Jikyō-ryū (see section on Jikyō-ryū) and can be seen at: Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai Zensho", Ryoso Kenyukai, 1938.
  15. ^ Roughly speaking, there are three major lines: one derived from Ishii Gogetsu Zenzō, one from Shiokawa Hōshō Terushige and one from the remaining Mugai-kai practitioners, like Nakatani, Shirai, Ohno, Toda, Okamoto and others.
  16. ^ He would be the first and the last sōke of Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō. However, in Mugai-ryū Iai Hyōdō's lore, the school is directly related to Tsuji Gettan. Therefore, he's not considered as the first sōke in the school, but Tsuji instead.
  17. ^ Originally, there were three techniques in this set. Now, depending on the lineage, there may be more techniques. Some names that can be seen as part of the Naiden set are Tsukikage Kannō, Shōfū, Sangyō-icchi, Kaminoto, Banpō Kiittō and Jinrai. Some lineages separate those in Naiden and Okuden (奥伝おくでん).
  18. ^ For instance, refer to: Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō-kō". Mugai-kai, 1966, p83 and p93.
  19. ^ While this may seem relatively harmless at first sight, altering the order of the curriculum means that the entire teaching system and the school's structure are altered from their foundation, thus becoming an entirely different system. Just think of an educational system having college before high school, or elementary school before junior high, and so on.
  20. ^ Although Shin, Ren, Sa, Yū and Sha appear in the Goyō set of both schools, their order is different in the Jikyō-ryū original set, as well as their use.
  21. ^ In Jikyō-ryū, Hazumi has a nontrivial place in the Goyō set.
  22. ^ Read as Ryōsha in Jikyō-ryū.
  23. ^ For Nakagawa's explanations, refer to: Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō-kō". Mugai-kai, 1966
  24. ^ Just for reference, misumi refers to a specific shape for the transversal section of the sword. The length of the blade in Jikyō-ryū is fixed, both for tachi and wakizashi, and the sageo has some unique specifications for the school. Refer to the appropriate Jikyō-ryū densho.

References

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  1. ^ Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai Shinden Iai Hyōdō-kō". Mugai-kai, 1966.
  2. ^ Suimokai site
  3. ^ Gettan, Tsuji. "Mugai Shinden Kenpōketsu", 1680.
  4. ^ Shinichi, Nakagawa. "Mugai-ryu Iai Hyōdō Kaisetsu", 1960.
  5. ^ EJMAS: Interview with Sato Kimimaro-sensei
  6. ^ Edo Mugaikai homepage (in Japanese)
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