Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
Martial Arts Of The World - Webs Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
188 Japan as the Ônin War, and lasted until 1477, after which it spread to the provinces until the rise of dominant daimyo. The gradual breakdown of central government and the rise of powerful warlords who controlled independent domains led to internal strife that climaxed in a period of intense warfare known as the Sengoku period (1477–1573). The period was characterized by the inability of the Ashikaga shogunate to assert control over daimyo who sought to establish their domains as independent states and who asserted direct control over individual villages. Between 1500 and 1568 new smaller domains were ruled effectively by local chieftains, called Sengoku daimyo, who were a new breed of territorial rulers. Some of them rose to power from the lower echelons, but the majority were local powerful warriors (kokujin). During that period there was an emphasis on true ability and much less emphasis on name or status; what concerned these daimyo most was the idea of tôgoku kyôhei— enrich the domain and strengthen the military. This principle prompted the daimyo to find various ways to improve their domain’s economy by promoting trade and production. In addition, the Sengoku daimyo established a type of hierarchical relationship with their vassals, separating them into two groups, fudai and tôzama. The fudai were close to the daimyo and were expected to show more loyalty to him, while the tôzama vassals were less loyal to the daimyo and more concerned with practical benefits. The primary concern for the Sengoku daimyo was control of land, which dictated both defensive and offensive strategies. To improve their military capability, many of the daimyo studied Sunzi’s Art of War (Chinese book of military strategy) and frequently consulted the Yijing (I Ching, “The Book of Changes,” a Confucian classic on divination). Their warriors, to whom the saying “call a warrior a dog, call a warrior a beast, but winning is his business” was directed, worked on improving their fencing skills, as well as their archery, among other weapons. In these chaotic times many vassals and warriors at various levels were primarily concerned with their own survival, rather than the well-being of their lord. More than in any other period in Japanese history, loyalty was a conditional situation, in which reciprocity dictated the nature of service and degree of loyalty. Due to the unstable nature of the warriors’ behavior, daimyo composed “house laws” (kahô) for their domains. An important aspect of the kahô was their emphasis on lawful behavior within the domain, as expressed in the kenka ryô seibai (mutual judgment of a quarrel). According to this principle, warriors who engaged in fighting had to be punished, regardless of who was the instigator or who was at fault. The Imagawa family’s kahô even stated that the punishment would be death by execution. The Takeda house, though not specifying a punishment, proclaimed that whoever supported the fight, even without actually participating in it,
would be punished. The kenka ryô seibai was also a way for the daimyo to deal with the problems caused by their vassal’s desire for revenge when wronged and a tool to better control them. The purpose of having strict laws within the domain was to allow the daimyo an uninterrupted control over his domain, and ultimately, increase his efficiency during wartime. The need to control one’s domain by any means was a result of the unforgiving nature of Sengoku confrontations and the appearance of many warminded ambitious daimyo, who waited for a moment of weakness in neighboring domains to launch an attack. Among the fiercest warriors of the period were Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin, whose armies confronted each other in some of the most well-known battles of the Sengoku period. They met five times in Kawanakajima, Shinano province, without resolution. Another celebrated battle is that between Oda Nobunaga, the first to begin a successful unification of Japan, and the Imagawa army at Okehazama (1560)—a battle that is widely regarded as a classic surprise attack. But Nobunaga is probably most remembered for his victory over Takeda forces led by Takeda Katsuyori at the battle of Nagashino (1575). Nobunaga, with the support of Tokugawa Ieyasu, won the battle with three thousand gunners, who were organized in small teams to achieve effective continuous firepower. One of the most important results of Sengoku warfare, which significantly contributed to the spread of martial traditions, was the appearance of castles and castle towns. This trend began when Oda Nobunaga built his Azuchi Castle in 1576, followed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s Momoyama Castle, and later followed by other daimyo. In war, the castle was not intended to hold out to the end. When the attacking army reached ni-nomaru (second line of defense) the lord of the castle would typically commit seppuku (ritual suicide). Toyotomi Hideyoshi succeeded Nobunaga, the second of the three unifiers, who became known as a master of siege warfare by coalition. His supreme military strategy was complemented by unusual diplomacy; defeated daimyo were given the opportunity to join Toyotomi’s camp after swearing allegiance. In addition, his effective policies—heinô bunri (separation of warriors and farmers) and katana-gari (sword hunt)—contributed greatly to his success in unifying Japan. Toyotomi successfully implemented a policy of moving samurai from the countryside to castle towns where they could be closely monitored. Following Toyotomi’s death (1592), his leading generals were divided into two camps, the western camp of Toyotomi allies and the eastern camp of Tokugawa forces. In 1600 the two camps met in what is perhaps the most famous battle in Japanese history, the Battle of Sekigahara. Relying on a last-minute betrayal within the Toyotomi coalition, Tokugawa forces Japan 189
- Page 158 and 159: 138 Form/Xing/Kata/Pattern Practice
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- Page 174 and 175: 154 Gunfighters fine art” (Cunnin
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- Page 213 and 214: fact, some of these weapons were co
- Page 215 and 216: The periodic emphasis on the ideal
- Page 217 and 218: of the bloody Ônin War (1467-1477)
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- Page 240 and 241: 220 Kajukenbo Joseph Holck, a black
- Page 242 and 243: 222 Kajukenbo nese, and the Japanes
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- Page 252 and 253: 232 Kali Kali See Philippines Karat
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188 Japan<br />
as the Ônin War, and lasted until 1477, after which it spread to the<br />
provinces until the rise of dominant daimyo.<br />
<strong>The</strong> gradual breakdown of central government and the rise of powerful<br />
warlords who controlled independent domains led to internal strife that<br />
climaxed in a period of intense warfare known as the Sengoku period<br />
(1477–1573). <strong>The</strong> period was characterized by the inability of the Ashikaga<br />
shogunate to assert control over daimyo who sought to establish their domains<br />
as independent states and who asserted direct control over individual<br />
villages. Between 1500 and 1568 new smaller domains were ruled effectively<br />
by local chieftains, called Sengoku daimyo, who were a new breed of<br />
territorial rulers. Some of them rose to power from the lower echelons, but<br />
the majority were local powerful warriors (kokujin). During that period<br />
there was an emphasis on true ability and much less emphasis on name or<br />
status; what concerned these daimyo most was the idea of tôgoku kyôhei—<br />
enrich the domain and strengthen the military. This principle prompted the<br />
daimyo to find various ways to improve their domain’s economy by promoting<br />
trade and production. In addition, the Sengoku daimyo established<br />
a type of hierarchical relationship with their vassals, separating them into<br />
two groups, fudai and tôzama. <strong>The</strong> fudai were close to the daimyo and were<br />
expected to show more loyalty to him, while the tôzama vassals were less<br />
loyal to the daimyo and more concerned with practical benefits.<br />
<strong>The</strong> primary concern for the Sengoku daimyo was control of land,<br />
which dictated both defensive and offensive strategies. To improve their<br />
military capability, many of the daimyo studied Sunzi’s Art of War (Chinese<br />
book of military strategy) and frequently consulted the Yijing (I Ching,<br />
“<strong>The</strong> Book of Changes,” a Confucian classic on divination). <strong>The</strong>ir warriors,<br />
to whom the saying “call a warrior a dog, call a warrior a beast, but<br />
winning is his business” was directed, worked on improving their fencing<br />
skills, as well as their archery, among other weapons. In these chaotic times<br />
many vassals and warriors at various levels were primarily concerned with<br />
their own survival, rather than the well-being of their lord. More than in<br />
any other period in Japanese history, loyalty was a conditional situation, in<br />
which reciprocity dictated the nature of service and degree of loyalty.<br />
Due to the unstable nature of the warriors’ behavior, daimyo composed<br />
“house laws” (kahô) for their domains. An important aspect of the<br />
kahô was their emphasis on lawful behavior within the domain, as expressed<br />
in the kenka ryô seibai (mutual judgment of a quarrel). According<br />
to this principle, warriors who engaged in fighting had to be punished, regardless<br />
of who was the instigator or who was at fault. <strong>The</strong> Imagawa family’s<br />
kahô even stated that the punishment would be death by execution.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Takeda house, though not specifying a punishment, proclaimed that<br />
whoever supported the fight, even without actually participating in it,