Sekiguchi Ryu Batto Jutsu

Seki Guchi Ryu Batto Jutsu

関口流抜刀術

Characteristics of Art: Tobichgai or jumping cuts. Fierce kiai. Particular Jodan kamae and noto.

Art Lineage: There are a few lines continuing today. I am aware of the Main Jujutsu line in Wakayama prefecture, (information previously printed here was proved to be a forgery thus erased. Sorry for the inconvenience) the Higo line that split into two lines after Aoki Tesshin Sensei and another line from the Nishio Han.

Nishio Line:Sekiguchi Yagouemon Uji Nari -Kuze Judayu -Yamaji Jinzaemon-Shigata Yahyoe - Kumakura Hikoemon -Inogawa Yozaemon -Sakata Moheiji -Suzuki Sukejiro -Inagaki Yunosuke -Kamegai Osamu -Yamada Yoshitaka.

Main Line: See Sekiguchi Ryu Jujutsu Page
It seems that the batto jutsu or iai techniques were over shadowed by the Jujutsu and judo of the school. Since I've started training with the main line, they have been working hard to revive the sword aspect of the art and produce good swordsman.
Besides the iai, the main line also has a few kenjutsu kata and kogusoku (dagger) techniques.

Higo Line: (also known as Higo Ryu Iai) Sekiguchi Uji Nari, the son of SGR Jujutsu's founder, is credited as the founder of the sword in this line (He and Yagouemon might actually be the same person).

His student, founder of the famous Shibukawa Ryu Jujutsu, learned jujutsu and battojutsu from the Sekiguchi family. Shibukawa went to Edo (present day Tokyo) and opened a school that soon became very popluar. Shibukawa changed the techniques of the jujutsu and called it Shibukawa Ryu Jujutsu, while keeping the Sekiguchi Ryu name on the Batto Jutsu.

A man from Higo Han (Kumamoto Prefecture) by the name of Izawa Nagahide, moved to Edo and began studying Sekiguchi Ryu Batto Jutsu with Shibukawa, and brought the art back with him when he returned to Kumamoto.

With the exception of the 6th generation, a member of the Izawa family continued the heritage of the art till the 8th generation. The 13th generation was Oishi Nagamasa, who handed it down to Aoki Tesshin. Aoki left a few students with Menkyo Kaiden to continue the art.

I know of 3 people who claim right to soke from Aoki Sensei, though one later stepped down to support one of the other two, Yamada Yoshitaka.

I trained directly under Yamada Yoshitaka Sensei (Higo Ryu techniques) and Sekiguchi Yoshio Soke (main line).

In my trining, I like to focus on actual use of the techniques as well as the form. Though my old Shinto Ryu teacher ,Otake Ritsuke sensei, often disagreed with me, I believe that cutting bamboo and straw is a very important part of sword training, even if you only intend to focus on iai.

Sekiguchi Ryu Batto Jutsu was founded by Sekiguchi Yagouemon Uji Nari, son of the founder of Sekiguchi Shin Shin Ryu Jujutsu. Though Yamada Yoshitaka finds it unlikely, some say that Sekiguchi Jushin himself, was a student of Hayazaki Jinsuke, the man credited as being the father of iai batto jutsu.

Sensei Carl McClafferty of the Mizuhi Kobukan, heads Yamada sensei's organization in the United States.

Aoki Tesshin Sensei performing Kuruma Gaeshi.