北辰一刀流兵法 第32回合宿の感想 (松代藩文武学校)
Impressions of the 32nd Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō gasshuku at the bunbu gakkō (literary and military school) of the Sanada clan in Matsushirō, Japan. It was held from the 16th-20th of October 2024 and was led by the 7th sōke (headmaster) Ōtsuka Ryūnosuke, together with his father, the retired 6th sōke Ōtsuka Yōichirō. This video gives some impressions of what one can expect from our yearly gasshuku in Matsushirō.
The physical keiko (training) in Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō, has a well rounded approach between suburi (sword swinging exercises), kata-geiko (fixed form training), and gekiken (various traditional full contact sparring methods). Students not only learn techniques in theory, but also have to test the techniques they study in full contact training. First with shinai (bamboo swords) and during the later stages also with shinken (sharp swords)
Through the training methods which are still fully and authentically preserved within our ryūha (school), Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō became one of the so called bakumatsu san-dai-ryūha. The three biggest and strongest schools of bujutsu (warfare) during the late Edo period.
We also still preserve the original open door policy which was set in place by our founder Chiba Shūsaku in 1820, accepting all challengers from other koryū (old schools of warfare). According to our tradition our current sōke, Ōtsuka Ryūnosuke is also fighting actively almost on a daily basis, teaching all of the higher mokuroku ranked shihan, shihandai and shidōin through shiai-geiko (free fighting practice).
https://hokushinittoryu.com