Rediscovering Budo from a Swordsman's Perspective

Many people who practise one or more of the martial traditions that have their roots in Japan, find it surprising that the first Western contact with the Japanese samurai was before the middle of the sixtenth century. There is a vague realization that the battlefield arts of bujutsu were already

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several hundred years old by then. During the ensuing Edo period, covering the seventeenth to the late nineteenth century, these fighting arts were transformed to the classical Budo and that is is only from around 1900 that the well-known modern forms began to appear. Following World War Two the trend in modern Budo has been towards changing the old techniques to become more sports-like and acceptable to foreigners (non-Japanese).

In this book, Roald Knutsen, a well-known 6th dan Kendo master, sets out to show that the original cultural background is by no means lost and that the serious student of any modern Budo will find there a great deal to enrich his understanding.

From almost any viewpoint these martial traditions of Budo contain far more of interst than mere technique, and even the casual reader will find this lively text well-informed and stimulating.

In an environment where Budo has lost much of its original spirit in the inevitable process of changing attitudes towards sport, the author reappraises and reaffirms the profound and intrinsic importance of the underlying warrior cultrue and its real legacy.

Technical knowledge rests entirely in the dojo; this book is intended to show those interested something of the roots that underpin the true Bujutsu and Budo, and to throw some light on the other complex influences from the past that have enriched so many of the surviving traditions. A number of these roots are purely warrior-based in nature, others are intellectual or even esoteric.

If a student is only searching for techniques, then this book will be of limited value. But for those inclined to look below the surface, there is much to commend it. Indeed, rediscovering Budo will be widely welcomed by more serious Budo practitioners, as well as interested observers, who are looking for a return to 'first principles', concerned more about substance rather than style, and thereby gain valuable insight into the mindset of Japan's unique warrior culture.

Roald Knutsen (1933-) was born of Anglo-Norwegian parants in Hertfordshire and educated at the Perse School, Cambridge, and Watford Grammar School. Later, after studying Art and Design, he served as a regular in the intelligence Corps, and followed with a successful career in graphic design and finally choeographing complex medieval combt sequences for a computer film project in England and the USA.

For the past half-century, he has practised traditional Kenjutsu, Kendo, Iai-jutsu, and So-jutsu (the Art of the Spear) under a succession of famous masters, having menkyo-kaiden, (senor master's licence) in one of the oldest transmissions of Iai-jutsu, and the rank of 6th dan Renshi in Kendo. He has also studied and written extensively about the Japanese warrior traditions and aspects of Japanese history.

Contents

Preface
Acknowledgements
List of figures
1 Introduction
2 A swordsman's perspective
3 Background
Bujutsu or budo?
Ninjutsu-a modern myth?
Ko-bujutsu roots
4 The Kashima tradition
Nature of bujutsu and budo development
Movement from the classical to teh modern
Development of the major weaponed budo
Poetry and dance raditions
5 Book or dojo learning?
6 Historical perspective
Tradition
Windows on the past
The kyo-ryu and tactics
Other kyo-ryu traditions
'Kuroda-bushi'
More from the Kahsima tradition
The weak pulling down the strong
Fortifications and Takamagahara
7 A proper attitude towards budo
Kiai-the sound of the spirit
Historical aspects of kiai
Developing the Kakegoe
A kiai-shugyo
8 Respect and discipline in budo
Development of reigi
Relationships in reigi
Chinese and Japanes clan laws
Wider issues
Reigi in the context of the dojo
Reigi in practice
9 Reflections on kata
Flexible and formal trainng in the modern context
Underlying principles in kata
Kata in historical perspective
Tactics
Approaching kata
10 The deeper influences on the budo tradition
Harmony and breathing are one
The hand positions in Mokuzo
11 Gods, mountains and yamabushi
12 A very rude noviciate
13 Tengu and the bujutsu tradition
Yagyu Muneyoshi and the tengu
Divine messengers and swordsmanship
Divine inspiration
Shinkage-ryu and Marishi-ten
Kamiidzumi Nobutsuna nd Tsukahara Bokuden
Tsukahara Bokuden's three shugyo
14 The Mikkyo in action
Symbolisim of the shoulder postures
Inner meanings
Notes
Appendix I Origins of classical swordsmanship
Appendix II Arts and ways classification
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

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