Martial Arts Of The World - Webs

698 Women in the Martial Arts: Japan
Unlike some schools that claim to have remained largely unchanged
since their inception, it is likely that Tendo-ryû is far different from the
original Ten-ryû practiced by the wild founder Saitô Denkibô Katsuhide.
Nonetheless, perhaps the best of his spirit still resides in the hands and
hearts of the women of Tendo-ryû, a courage and integrity in movement
anyone would do well to emulate.
Jikishin Kage-ryû Naginata-dô and the Development of Meiji Budô
During the 1860s, Satake Yoshinori, a student of the Jikishin and Yanagi
Kage-ryû, developed a new naginata school with his wife, Satake Shigeo,
who had studied martial arts since she was 6 years old and was famous for
her strength with the naginata. Between them, these two developed the
forms of the present-day Jikishin Kage-ryû Naginata-dô. An innovative
work, Jikishin Kage-ryû Naginata-dô bears no discernible relation to Ippusai’s
kenjutsu system, which tradition says preceded it. Furthermore, the
addition of the suffix -dô (way) indicates that the founders saw their school
as a budô, a means of martial practice meant for the purpose of self-perfection
rather than self-preservation.
During the 1920s, the succeeding chief instructor, Sonobe Hideo, introduced
Jikishin Kage-ryû into girls’ schools. (Until the American reforms
of the late 1940s, Japanese schools were rarely coeducational.) Sonobe
taught at major schools in the Kyoto area, and was one of the first teachers
to popularize mass training. “There is no fear on the part of the woman
who is well trained [in wielding naginata],” Sonobe told the Japan Times
in July 1925. “She is strong and confident. Her body is in perfect condition,
muscles hard, body constantly alert, eyes and mind keenly following
the movements of the blade.”
Since World War II, the Jikishin Kage-ryû has continued to grow and
has the most students of any of the traditional schools of naginata. The
present head teacher is Toya Akiko.
The forms of Jikishin Kage-ryû are done in straight lines in a highly
defined rhythm. The kiai (vocal expressions of spirit) are traded back and
forth, in almost a call-and-response, adding to a sense of dancelike structure.
The forms project a sense of crisp elegance, but the emphasis appears
to be on correct performance rather than development of martial skills:
Perfection of the form as it is given rather than an ability to improvise
freely is the aim of the school.
Despite this seemingly noncombative orientation, Jikishin Kage-ryû first
made its name in matches against kendô practitioners. Both Satake Shigeo
and Sonobe Hideo became famous through their many victories in such contests.
Although Jikishin Kage-ryû no longer emphasizes competition against
kendô practitioners, matches still do occur, and many members happily par-