Nagae Kusarigama (Type 4) - An Ill-conceived Theory as the Basis for Jo in Shinto Muso Ryu

The above sequence is the end of the Jodo Kata 'Ranai'. The Jo having missed and touched the ground, strikes away the sword on the way back up and then strikes the suigetsu from the side.

This is a nice combination but I always wonder how good the final hit can be, given the angle.

I can say one thing for sure - it would be far more convincing if there was a 20cm right angle blade at the end, as is the case with the Nagae Kusarigama.

On observing the use of the Type 4 Kusarigama, being the long handle variant, one cannot help but notice how this weapon encapsulates the features of several weapons in one. Most obviously, there is the types of Kusarigama, however is also encapsulates the methods of the Jo.

On considering the use of the Jo in Jodo in general and Shinto Muso Ryu in particular, I must confess that in my limited experience I would still have selected the sword over the Jo if given the choice.

On observance of the companion method of Kenjutsu, Kasumi Shinto Ryu, we can see that the methods of the Shinto Muso Ryu Jo are somewhat transferable to the sword - to my mind the idea of the Jo against the sword would be a case of ‘had to’ rather than ‘want to’.

I do however ponder as to if we supplant a Jo with a long handle Kama or long handle Kusarigama we may have something very useful - there is now a great motivator at the end of the weapon.

On Hiki Otoshi the raking action of the weapon would be superb.

If I compare the Jo like use of the Kusarigama in Isshin Ryu, and supplant the longer handle version, the idea of blocking with the chain would become blocking with the shaft, and therefore much more palatable.

So, perhaps some food for thought - an unusual theory whereby the kata of Shinto Muso Ryu are re-examined with the Long handle Kama/Kusarigama in mind.

Obviously there is no historical evidence that this may be the case - it is probably that the Jo is very much a versatile and representative weapon that you could shoe-horn just about anything in there, but a bit of fun none the less.

Spear (Yari) in Owari Kan Ryu 尾張貫流 (Kudayari & others)

Owari Kan ryū is known for its use of the kuda-yari (tube spear). The e (shaft) is run through a kuda (metal pipe) that’s in the front hand of the practitioner. Interestingly the school’s students start training by doing shiai (competition) and only after considerable training they learn the school's kata (forms). Most classical schools that practice shiai do so after learning kata. Thrusting using the kuda. Cross-stepping. Thrusting attack with kuda. Wide stance. Shiai. Shiai using a spear with a cross piece. The original demonstration from which these stills were taken is here:

The Structure of the Tenshinshoden Katori Shinto Ryu Syllabus

It should be noted that the current head, Otake Risuke, has commented that not all of the parts of Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto Ryu survive. I recall his comments in various documentaries that Archery was once a component, and only some of the spear survives. Through various sources, mostly Otake's book, I have put together this brief outline of their syllabus, however I have little idea of the exact stage each is taught except that I believe the students start with Omote no Tachi. I will use this as the basis for further posts and may add to it over time. I believe their are important implications when Otake says that one of the main reasons for training all the weapons is to train the swordsman against them. Note in this section in brackets are my own comments and should therefore not be relied upon, those from the written work of Otake are clearly marked. Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto Ryu -Kenjutsu (Otake lists Tachi, Ryuto and Kodachi under Kenjustsu) --Tachi (Use of the singl

Australia’s Turning Point – Signals Intelligence leading to the Battle of the Coral Sea

Australian/American Signals cooperation was not only important in stopping the Japanese advance to Australian shores but marked the beginning of Australia embedding its forces with the United States rather than simply furnishing troops for the British. Whilst the British, in my opinion , had a long history of using Commonwealth troops to either protect their colonial interests or to take on deployments with high expected rates of attrition, when Australia faced the real possibility of invasion with the vast majority of its troops and equipment deployed overseas, it was the Americans, whose interests in the Pacific aligned with our own, that were on hand to push the Japanese back from our shores. The Battle of the Coral Sea saw the beginnings of the deployment of Australian sea power under direct American command, a joint approach that would continue to the present time – it was, however, Signals Intelligence that led the way to the embedding of US/Australian forces and played a major

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