Hōki-ryū is a Japanese koryū sword-fighting martial art founded in the late Muromachi period by Katayama Hōki-no-kami Fujiwara Hisayasu .
History
Although often stated to be a student of Hayashizaki Jinsuke, the ryū itself states that Katayama Hisayasu inherited eighteen secret sword techniques from his uncle Katayama Shōan. Additionally Katayama Hisayasu was also said to have been the younger brother of Takenouchi Hisamori for a time, but was known within the Katayama family as Katayama-ryū and Katayama Hōki-ryū became more widely known there and throughout the country. The present day the tradition is generally referred to as just Hōki-ryū. The art had been handed down in the Katayama family and the Hoshino family, however the family of the last Katayama head was wiped out in World War II and that direct line, known as Katayama-ryū, is no longerextant. The Hoshino family in Kumamoto regularly maintained contact with the Katayama family and the majority of groups practicing Hōki-ryū todaycome from the Hoshino lineage. Today the Hōki-ryū tradition is today in its 12th or 13th generation. Using Iso-no-nami as a base, Hisayasu and later generations of the Katayama and Hoshino families developed and established over seventy sword forms although many of these have been lost in most groups practicing Hōki-ryū today. Presently, fifteen basic forms form the basis of nearly all Hōki-ryū groups, with different groups having varying numbers of the remaining kata surviving. These fifteen forms are divided to two sets; six forms in Omote and nine forms in Chudan. Most forms are started from the seiza posture.
Branches
Hōki-ryū has through history branched off and spawned derivatives. The majority of groups today come from the Hoshino family of Kumamoto. Today the art has large groups practicing in the Kyūshū, Hiroshima and Kansai areas, as well as smaller groups in other areas. Additional branches active today include Ono-ha Hōki-ryū and Kumagai-ha Hōki-ryū. Ono-ha Hōki-ryū was founded by Ono Kumao and is today primarily practiced under the auspices of the All Japan Iaido Federation. Kumagai-ha Hōki-ryū is today only practiced in one dojo in northern Kumamoto Prefecture.
Iai forms
Omote (initial set)
'. Thrust to an opponent to the left, with hand alongside the blade, in seiza posture.
'. Thrust to an opponent to the left, with hand alongside the blade, in seiza posture.
'. Thrust to an opponent to the right, with hand alongside the blade, in seiza posture.
'. Block an attack from right, and cut an opponent.
'. Deflect tsukidome, an attack from front, and cut an opponent.
'. Cut three opponents, in seiza posture.
Chu-dan (middle level)
'. Nukitsuke to kesa and cut an opponent from front, in seiza posture.
'. Strike aside the attack of an enemy, and cut, in seiza posture.
'. Nukitsuke to kesa and cut an opponent from front, in standing posture.
'. Nukitsuke to kesa and cut an opponent from rear, in standing posture.
'. Jump-up and block ukenagashi from tate-hiza posture, and cut an opponent in the front standing and approaching.
'. Block ukenagashi from standing posture, and cut an opponent in the front.
'. Strike aside the attack of an enemy, and cut, from tate-hiza posture.
'. Block ukenagashi, strike a face of an opponent in the front and thrust.
