Founded by Saito Denkibo in 1582,
Tendo Ryu is a self-proclaimed Sogo-bujutsu
(a "global" martial art),
a school with a technical curriculum that is supposed to cover multiple battle situations.
Although it is mainly renown today for its techniques with the Naginata,
the Japanese glaive,
Tendo Ryu actually includes the practice of various other weapons:
the long and short swords, both swords simultaneously,
the dagger, the staff (representing the shaft of a broken Naginata),
and the Japanese sickle with a chain (Kusarigama).
The modern version of the Naginata practice, called Atarashii Naginata,
is one of the 9 official modern Budo recognized by the Nippon Budokan.
Tendo Ryu is one of the two original styles of Naginata Jutsu it comes from,
with the Jiki Shinkage Ryu.
Today, we interview Kimura Yasuko Sensei, 17th Grand Master of the school.
She teaches Tendo Ryu and Atarashii Naginata in several schools and to her own classes.
Kimura Yasuko Sensei invited us to her house to share her knowledge and opinion on the art.
Together, we tackled various topics, such as the school's evolution throughout history
and what it represents as an ancient Bujutsu, as well as what it symbolizes at the present time.
The Naginata,
is a pole weapon,
which, different to the Yari (spear), has a curved edge.
By using that curve,
we can perform in Tendo Ryu a series of thrusting techniques,
also called "Midare",
which are deeply penetrating.
Tendo Ryu as a whole also includes sword practice along with Naginata.
Given that we are a Sogobujutsu,
we practice not only Naginata, but also Nito (2 swords), Jo (staff), and Kusarigama (sickle & chain),
and also techniques such as Tachi against Tachi (ancient long sword).
Actually, I wish I could call it Tendo Ryu Sogobujutsu,
without having to say Naginata-jutsu,
but as you may know, it is a legally registered name
and the name Tendo Ryu can be used only by a specific Aikido school.
That is why we cannot use Tendo Ryu alone.
Now, I have registered the name "Tendo Ryu Naginata-jutsu",
but if possible, I would like to name it as a Sogobujutsu
so as to designate the school it represents.
In any case, that's how we write the school's name,
but at the Nippon Budokan they call us by the whole name Tendo Ryu Naginata-jutsu,
so, in fact, it doesn't go as I would like.
Atarashii Naginata was designed and spread as a school subject,
and was written in the Hiragana syllabary (alphabet)
We on the other hand, we use the Kanji version "Naginata";
when you write it in roman letters,
it looks the same,
but in that case we actually mean "Naginata-jutsu".
You just talked about Naginata(do),
but we almost never use that word, we actually use Naginata-jutsu.
"Naginata(do)" is a word that we do not use.
We call our discipline "Naginata-jutsu".
As for Atarashii Naginata, which appeared after World War II,
when it started after the ban on martial arts was over,
well,
that "way" ("Michi"), that corresponds to the "do" of "Naginata(do)",
is what you build through thorough training,
so that's why Atarashii Naginata does not have that suffix either.
Kendo, Judo, etc, use the suffix "do",
but regarding Naginata, we do not talk about Naginata(do).
In fact, since Tendo Ryu is at its root,
weapons and tools are very similar,
and I think it has a great influence.
When I became Soke myself,
I wanted to follow Tendo Ryu's principles as much as possible
but there is a pack of techniques for Atarashii Naginata which is decided by the All Japan Naginata Federation
and since many people ask that they are taught,
we organize training without armor ("Bogu"),
and we practice the Atarashii Naginata "Kata" and the Tendo Ryu techniques,
according to the participants' wishes.
That's how we practice nowadays.
No, they are definitely different.
Atarashii Naginata being practiced in competition,
in a way, everybody's primary goal is to achieve victory.
This is, I think, a significant difference.
I am now retired,
but I used to teach both at university.
To protect Kobudo is, in a way, one of the Atarashii Naginata Federation's mission,
that's true,
however the All Japan Naginata Federation doesn't teach Kobudo.
We do demonstrate Kobudo during particular major events,
but there is no Tendo Ryu teaching in the Japanese Naginata Federation.
Naginata became a more feminine practice when firearms started to be used;
weapons such as the Naginata
were not used anymore on the battlefield,
and were kept at home.
They were kept as defensive weapons for women or monks.
In a similar way, modern Atarashii Naginata, too,
became a feminine practice at the National Sports Festival and in the High School Championships.
Men are much more numerous abroad,
but it is nowadays considered a feminine practice.
It is true, however,
that some initiatives encourage men to practice too,
and it is possible that this year, or the next, for the National Championships, or for the Regional Championships,
they will organize mixed tournaments.
Until the 14th generation, Soke were men.
From the 15th generation, a woman became Soke,
and in the professional martial art schools before the war called "Busen" (Budo Senmon Gakko),
there was a training center devoted to training instructors
and everybody there used to train for a year.
At the time, most practitioners that were coming to learn Naginata were probably women.
Tendo Ryu has a history stretching back 450 years.
In the old days, men used to practice.
Naginata being a heavy weapon, probably...
I think that the practice must have been physically demanding.
Then, before the war, when they started to enter the martial arts training center,
I think that women, by their abilities, influenced the masters' teaching.
After the war, Atarashii Naginata, mostly inspired by Kobudo, started,
with the introduction of armored sparring and competitions ("Bogu"),
Then with demonstration competition (Kata), it slowly drifted towards competition,
so much so that today, it seems to me that it is rather close to a sport than a Budo.
Naginata, the authentic weapon,
is heavy.
A real Naginata weighed between 3 and 5 kg,
and, in the end, there is no point in swinging it around.
Women, for their part,
cut vertically.
Except strikes aimed at the legs, all cuts are vertical.
That's the techniques we use.
I think that they are geometrically very logical and efficient movements.
There are approximately 200 techniques, all of them performed with weapons.
People who learned those techniques
are still in great shape today, and are doing their best to preserve them.
Nito (2 swords), Jo (staff)....
... people practicing Kusarigama recently are quite rare.
I teach Nito and Jo myself, and practitioners study it earnestly.
According to researchers, there are many Tachi against Tachi techniques,
and among them, many are linked to Naginata techniques.
It is the same for Nito.
They are not independent; they are linked together, to Naginata among others.
Naginata techniques are linked to Tachi vs. Tachi, to Jo,
and that way there are many similarities between them.
You know, there is a great variety of Jo-jutsu in Kobudo.
When I became Soke,
I learned that a disciple of Tsukahara Bokuden founded his own school in Ibaraki,
which was inspired by Bokuden's teaching and was related to the techniques of Tendo Ryu.
Consequently, there are many techniques which have the same name and are very similar.
It's quite funny indeed, and everybody enjoys it.
The International Budo University did a demonstration in front of the Imperial Couple,
Her Majesty the Empress liked Rhythm Naginata a lot,
and she would apparently have encouraged them to organize such events again sometimes.
Practitioners want to introduce Kobudo techniques because they are stylish.
Atarashii Naginata alone, in the end, doesn't allow them to express that stylishness,
that's why they would like to include Kodubo techniques.
The former Soke, in fact,
disapproved of watching videos to imitate techniques, without really practicing Kobudo,
but I have recommended to introduce those techniques myself.
Also, it is true that by introducing Kobudo, techniques do gain some depth,
and a better Rhythm Naginata is possible.
Yes, since the goal is to perform a demonstration.
No, there are Rhythm Naginata trainings for demonstrations,
but it is not at the heart of the practice.
In the case of Japan, I am afraid that we will soon be unable to win against sports.
Everybody takes advantage of their youth to train wholeheartedly and participate in competitions,
but in the end, when their physical condition is declining,
they cannot keep up.
In that regard, when they're not able to win anymore, they lose interest,
and finally they stop.
There is no such thing in Kobudo.
Even when you're aging, you can adapt your practice to your physical condition,
and go on for a long time.
Truly, for both competition and other aspects of the practice, if there is no "Zanshin" (vigilance),
and you just strike over and over without putting yourself in it, the referee is not supposed to give a point.
It is true that the notion of "Zanshin" is fundamental,
but I have the impression that today's youth are only content with striking.
They cannot express "Zanshin" properly,
and it seems to me that "Zanshin" is easier to understand in Kobudo.
Yes, there are.
There are many people who want to practice traditional Kobudo techniques without learning Atarashii Naginata.
After all, it's interesting,
the fact that there is no competition but a more authentic training method (Kata) seems to raise interest.
It is also said that Kobudo are more stylish.
In fact, I think that the absence of competition is actually attracting.
In that confrontation
in which you face a Tachi, with that long pole arm in your hands,
the delicate appreciation of timing and distance is specific to each individual,
and that's where the interest lies.
Those who participate in technical competitions ("Engi" and "Kata") are more likely to take interest in it,
but those who participate in regular competitions
do not practice Tendo Ryu,
in any case I think that very few among the youth do.
But for technical events,
Kobudo Ryu practice is a real plus,
and in that regard, people who practice Tendo Ryu get good results and achieve victory.
Quite a lot of them.
Concerning "Kata" events,
I think that everything is important, obviously,
but you have to keep in mind that estimation of timing and distances
have to be a fundamental component in the practice of Kata.
I think that it is not only a question of shape.
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