Tennen Rishin-ryū

infobox koryu
nationality = Traditional Japanese martial art
school = Tennen Rishin-ryū
(天然理心流)


imagecaption =
founder = Kondō Kuranosuke Nagahiro
founder dates = fl. c.1789
period founded = Late Edo Period
(1603–1867)
date founded = c.1789
headmaster = Miyagawa Seizō
headmaster dates = N/A
art1 = "Kenjutsu"
description1 = Sword art
art2 = "Bōjutsu"
description2 = Staff art
art3 = Jujutsu
description3 = Unarmed grappling art
art4 =
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ancestors = None identified
descendants = None identified

Nihongo|Tennen Rishin-ryū|天然理心流 was a sword style practiced by several core members of the Shinsengumi.

History

Founded by Kondō Kuranosuke Nagahiro around 1789, the style was popularized by Kondō Shūsuke (1792-1867), the third generation master of the style, who, together with Satō Hikogorō, spread its practice throughout the farming population of the Tama district. Since the first and the second generation masters each adopted a student with superb skills to be the next master, in 1849 the childless Kondō Shūsuke decided to adopt a sixteen-year-old student named Miyagawa Katsugorō, the later Kondō Isami.

This style, like other koryū arts, teaches kenjutsu, bōjutsu, and jujutsu. Tennen Rishin-ryū was particularly suited to group fighting techniques. The style was famous in Edo, and was headquartered at the Shieikan dojo. In 1861, Kondō Isami became the 4th sōke of the style, spread its fame during his time as commander of the Shinsengumi. Noted practitioners were Hijikata Toshizo, Inoue Genzaburō, and the famous prodigy Okita Sōji (who mastered all the techniques of the school and attained "Menkyo Kaiden" status at eighteen or so.) Several men already certified in other styles cross-trained in Tennen Rishin-ryū, such as Yamanami Keisuke, who was enrolled in 1860 and others like Nagakura Shinpachi and Harada Sanosuke stayed at the Shieikan without becoming practitioners of Tennen Rishin-ryū.

Even though quite a few techniques were lost in the beginning of the Meiji era, Tennen Rishin-ryū is still practiced today, among other koryū.

List of Tennen Rishin-ryū techniques

Satsuki-ryō-ken

Hiryū-ken

Hira-seigan

Sasoku-ken

In-yū-ken

Kobi-ken

Denkō-ken

Katana-Nukizama-No-Koto

Syarin-ken

Ōtai-ken

Getsuei-ken

Seigan-ken

Geppa-ken Unkō-ken

Kokō-ken

Sōsha

Sekka-ken

Ryūbi-ken

Kakari-ken

Ensha-ken

Ranken-ken

Shishiō-ken

Ukitori

External links

[http://www.tennenrishinryu.com] - Tennen Rishin Ryu official Japanese site