Women, martial arts and Katori Shintō-ryū

The Source of Katori Shintō-ryū

Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by the samurai Iizasa Iga-no-Kami Ienao (born 1387) after he retired to the grounds of the great Katori Shrine following a life full of battle and war. There, he had a dream-like vision of the god of war, Futsunushi no Mikoto, who imparted the secrets of martial strategy to him. This occurred in his 70th year. (Sugino & Itō, 2016, 31-32)

This part of the founding myth of Katori Shintō-ryū is well known, both inside and outside the school. However, the ancient lore also contains other aspects that are not discussed as frequently. In the Katori shinryo shinto-ryu kongenshu (Divine Origins of the Sacred Sword Tradition of the Katori Shrine), one of the oldest scrolls in the possession of the Iizasa family, it is written that Futsunushi learned the divine combat scenarios Itsutsu, Nanatsu, Kasumi, and Hakka from the goddess Marishiten. (Hall, 2014, 214)

Marishiten is an ancient goddess whose origins trace back to pre-Hindu India. There, she was known as Marici, a goddess of war, light, and the dawn, as well as a patron deity of warriors. She is said to have possessed the ability to make her followers invisible to their enemies. She was often depicted with multiple arms and multiple faces. From morning until evening, she reportedly rode across the sky on the back of a wild boar or in a chariot drawn by boars. As a goddess, she was venerated within Buddhist cults and eventually made her way to Tibet and China. There, she took on the name Molizhitian. In China, she was even worshipped as a deity by Taoist sects. Later, through esoteric Buddhism, she arrived in Japan as Marishiten and assumed an important place in the Japanese pantheon. (Hall, 2014, 2-3)

We can therefore conclude: According to our school’s own documents, the very origin of Katori Shintō-ryū can be traced back to the goddess Marishiten!

Yamato Nadeshiko and Onna Musha, Women of the Samurai

Traditional Western and Japanese gender roles for women hardly differ in many aspects. The woman is expected to stay at home, take care of the household, raise the children, and obediently follow her husband.

Such an ideal woman is called Yamato Nadeshiko in Japan, which translates to the “fringed pink [flower] of Yamato.” Yamato is the name of a tribe from which the Japanese trace their ancestry. In one aspect, however, this image of women differs from its Western counterpart: a Yamato Nadeshiko was also expected to possess an iron will. (Yamato Nadeshiko, n.d.)

This image of women is derived from the women of the samurai. It was certainly a rarity for women to actually have to go into battle. Nevertheless, there are legends about the famous Onna Musha, the female warriors Tomoe Gozen and Hangaku Gozen, whose stories are still enthusiastically told and read today.

Samurai women had a duty to be strong and to be able to defend their home and estate. To this end, they learned how to use the Naginata. The Naginata is a sword-lance, a powerful weapon for battle. Gradually, however, Japanese armies grew, and the Naginata was replaced by spears and pikes, which were easier to use in a formation. In a lighter and shorter modified form, the Naginata then developed into the ideal weapon for women. Thanks to this weapon, a woman trained in the Naginata could easily strike down much stronger men. (Amdur, n.d.)

We can therefore conclude: The fact that women are trained in martial arts is nothing unusual in Japanese culture; in many cases, it is even expected and completely natural!

The Women of Katori Shintō-ryū

In this section, I would like to introduce and shed light on individual women from the history of Katori Shintō-ryū, as well as from the present day.

Itō Kikue

Itō Kikue Sensei was born on September 30, 1906, in Sawara, Chiba. For generations, the Itō family had held an important role as shrine guardians of the Katori Shrine. Itō Kikue Sensei began her training in Katori Shintō-ryū at a very young age under the guidance of Hongu Toranosuke Sensei. Together with Sugino Yoshio Ō-sensei, she wrote the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū Budō Kyohan. She was most likely responsible for the chapters on the Naginata.

In the 1940s, she taught Katori Shintō-ryū Naginata at public schools, primarily to women and girls. After World War II, she withdrew from the affairs of the Ryūha to work as an elementary school teacher. (Sugino & Itō, 2016, Appendix)

Torigae Yoshi

Torigae Yoshi learned Katori Shintō-ryū under Shiina Ichizo and was a fellow student of Sugino Yoshio Ō-sensei. After the founding of the Sugino Dojo, she became a member and supported Sugino Ō-sensei in teaching and giving demonstrations. She is said to have been a very strong and energetic martial artist, and stories about her are still told at the Sugino Dojo to this day. She was a feared master of the Naginata and received her Menkyo from Iizasa Kinjiro, the 19th Sōke of Katori Shintō-ryū.

Eri Larsen-Kusano

Kusano Sensei has been practicing martial arts since 1976. Her journey began at the Sugino Dojo, where she started training in Aikido under Sugino Yoshio Ō-sensei. Three years later, she began learning Katori Shintō-ryū, which would become her passion. In 1989, she met the Norwegian Sozen Larsen, who also began learning Kenjutsu at the Sugino Dojo. The two fell in love and got married. (Byklum, 2015)

In 2002, they moved to Norway and opened the Kakudokan Dojo. Today, Kusano Sensei holds a 7th Dan and leads the Norwegian branch of the Sugino Dojo. She is therefore one of the highest-ranking women in Katori Shintō-ryū in Europe, and generally one of the highest-ranking individuals worldwide.

Izumi Mikami-Rott

Izumi Mikami-Rott is a Japanese manga artist and illustrator who currently lives in Leer, East Frisia. She also holds a 5th Dan in Katori Shintō-ryū and supports her husband, Ulf Rott, in teaching and spreading Kenjutsu throughout Germany. She has a very friendly and open nature, but can be very strict during training, bringing out the best in her students.

Women at Kobukai Berlin

If you are a woman, we hope we have shown you that you are warmly welcome to experience samurai sword fighting with us. Ancient weapon-based martial arts are particularly well-suited for women to develop important attributes such as distancing, timing, observation skills, body control, and courage—all of which are also crucial when facing an aggressor in everyday life. (Skoss, 1997)

Sources

Amdur, E. (n.d.). Women Warriors of Japan The Role of the Arms-Bearing Women in Japanese History. Koryu.com. Retrieved 12 18, 2024, from https://koryu.com/library/wwj1.html

Byklum, K. (2015, 07 10). Ikke tro at du er for flink. Fardrelandsvennen. Retrieved 12 19, 2024, from https://www.fvn.no/magasin/i/ry220/ikke-tro-at-du-er-for-flink

Hall, D. A. (2014). The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten: A Study of the Evolution and Impact of Her Cult on the Japanese Warrior. Brill.

Skoss, D. (1997). Why Women Should Wield Weapons. Koryu.com. Retrieved 12 19, 2024, from https://koryu.com/library/dskoss4.html

Sugino, Y., & Itō, K. (2016). Teachings of the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō Ryū. Lulu Press, Incorporated.

Yamato Nadeshiko. (n.d.). tv tropes. Retrieved 12 14, 2024, from https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/YamatoNadeshiko