Hozoin-ryu Sojutsu
宝蔵院流槍術A Japanese school of spear fighting from Nara. Its spear has a cross-shaped head with two side blades, so it not only thrusts but also catches and cuts.
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About Hozoin-ryu Sojutsu
Hozoin-ryu sojutsu is a Japanese school of spear fighting founded in the sixteenth century in Nara by the monk Hozoin In''ei, who lived from 1521 to 1607. He was the abbot of the Hozoin, a subtemple of the great monastery Kofuku-ji, and pursued martial arts alongside his monastic calling. The hallmark of the school is a cross. Instead of the usual straight point it uses the kama-yari, also called jumonji-yari, a spear whose head carries two curved blades at the sides and resembles the character for the number ten. The shape changes the whole manner of fighting: the spear does not only thrust but also catches, drags and cuts, so it can deflect an opponent''s weapon and continue the attack in the same motion. That is exactly why in the Edo period Hozoin-ryu was regarded as the most dangerous opponent for a swordsman. Tradition tells that In''ei was led to the shape of the head by the reflection of a crescent moon on the surface of the Sarusawa pond; it is a pleasing story rather than a documented fact. In''ei was a friend of Yagyu Muneyoshi and the two Nara schools influenced one another. The art is still transmitted in the Hozoin-ryu Takada-ha line and counts among the recognised old schools.
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