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An
Introduction to Yamanni Chinen-Ryu bojutsu
By Martin Nobida
Yamanni Chinen-ryu kobujutsu, or Yamanni-ryu, is a traditional weapons
martial art that originated in Okinawa. The principle weapon used in the
style is the roku-shaku bo, or six-foot staff. The style has been described
as one of the most dynamic and devastating of the Okinawan weapons styles,
most probably because of its distinctive wide and flowing strikes, which
contrast greatly with the short and choppier movements characteristic
of other weapons styles that trace their roots to Okinawa.
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Many of the major modern Okinawan-based bojutsu styles have their roots
in Yamanni-ryu, with their founders getting at least some training with
Yamanni-ryu masters. As such, many kata, or prearranged fighting sets, of
various styles share the same names as Yamanni-ryu kata. And though their
sequences are similar, the individual techniques and body dynamics are very
different and, arguably, much less sophisticated. Unlike other modern Okinawan
kobudo styles, which have become mainstream as a result of successful efforts
to propagate them, Yamanni-ryu had remained relatively secretive and guarded.
Recently, however, through the efforts of the current grandmaster, Chogi
Kishaba, and his premiere student, Toshihiro Oshiro, the style has been
gaining widespread exposure around the world. In recent times, other traditional
Okinawan weapons, such as the sai, tonfa, kama, and nunchaku have been incorporated
into the system; the philosophy for manipulating these weapons is very similar
to that used for the bo--namely, techniques should almost always be large
and flowing. |
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Yamanni Chinen-ryu takes its name from the Chinen family, which was a
prominent aristocratic family in the Ryukyu islands. According to many
historians, the legendary martial artist "To-de" Sakugawa brought a staff-fighting
art from China to Okinawa sometime in the late 1700s. The Chinen family,
which was entrusted with the security of Ryukyu nobles, adopted and further
developed this art over the course of a few generations. As such, this
style of bojutsu is not a product of the peasant classes. Like most martial
arts of the time, the techniques were passed on mainly within the family.
Legend has it that Sanda Chinen, the grandmaster of the style, dreamt
of a bouncing bo one day. This gave him inspiration for developing bo
swings that rapidly recover into kamae or continue on in a rapid succession
of strikes, for which Yamanni-ryu is so well-known today. Kishaba-sensei
trained under Sanda Chinen’s grandson Masami Chinen. His principle students
include Oshiro Toshihiro and Shinzato Katsuhiko whom he taught privately
throughout the ’70s. In 1992, Kishaba-sensei opened a small dojo in Naha,
Okinawa, and there has been teaching small classes of students for the
very first time. In the United States, Oshiro-sensei, as the leading authority
of the style outside of Japan, is "under orders" from Kishaba-sensei to
propagate the art around the world. In addition to running a successful
dojo near San Francisco, where students from all styles have come to benefit
from his knowledge and experience, he has conducted numerous demonstrations
and seminars around the United States, and is in demand in Japan, Germany,
France, Panama, and elsewhere. Oshiro-sensei has also released a Yamanni-ryu
video, which is available from Tsunami Video.
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Kata included in the Yamanni-ryu bojutsu system include the following:
Bojutsu
... Donyukon ichi (Initiation)
... Donyukon ni (Initiation)
... Choun no kun sho (Basic)
... Choun no kun dai (Basic)
... Ryubi no kun (Intermediate)
Traditional
... Shuji no kun (Intermediate)
... Sakugawa no kun (Intermediate)
... Shirataru no kun (Advanced)
... Tomari Shirataru no kun (Advanced)
... Yunigawa / Yonegawa no kun / Hidari bo (Advanced)
... Shinakachi / Sunakake (Advanced)
... Chikin bo / Tsuken bo (Advanced)
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Introduction
