Sōsuishi-ryū is a classical Japanese martial art from the Bungo Takeda district of the Kuroda domain (Present-day Fukuoka & Oita prefectures, Japan) and includes tuition in kumiuchi (unarmed combat), koshi no mawari and kodachi kumiuchi (swordsmanship).
Students train via kata (paired and solo forms) to learn important factors of balance, power generation, posture, etc. Kata training often repeats the basic movements and teachings of principles to consolidate learning . Beginners start with kihon (basic techniques) and then move on to more combative techniques as they mature in training.
koshi no mawari
This martial tradition has it’s roots in Futagami-ryū, created in the late 16th century, during the turbulent warring states period (or Sengoku-jidai) in Japan’s history (1476-1615) by a warrior in the service of the Kuroda domain named Futagami Tokishige. Futagami studied Takenouchi-ryū (The oldest systemized school of jūjutsu in Japan, dating back to 1532). Futagami combined Takenouchi-ryū with his own personal experiences in battle and as personal guard to the Karō (head chamberlain) of the Kuroda domain to formulate his own system of martial technique, calling it Futagami-ryū.
Futagami Hannosuke Masaaki studied Futagami-ryū from his father, Tokishige and also from Takenouchi-ryū. Futagami after taking part in the military campaigns of the Shimabara rebellion, combined the teaching of his family’s system with the teachings of Takenouchi-ryū to formulate his own system of martial technique, calling it Sōsuishi-ryū.
Sōsuishi-ryū is a Koryū (Classical tradition or school) of Japanese martial arts. Judō, kendō, aikidō, karate-dō and Shorinji Kempō are all modern forms of martial arts founded either in the very late 19th century or early 20th century. Koryū are typically founded before the Meiji restoration of 1868. Koryū schools vary from system to system in characteristics and in theory. Some teach only the use of a certain weapon (sword, spear, halberd etc.) while other systems teach a comprehensive syllabus of unarmed combat and the usage of various weapons. Classical martial traditions that teach comprehensive martial arts are called sōgō bujutsu/budō.
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