Koto-ryu Koppojutsu
虎倒流骨法術A Japanese koppojutsu school among the nine Bujinkan traditions; short strikes to bones and joints and low kicks.
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About Koto-ryu Koppojutsu
Koto-ryu koppojutsu (虎倒流骨法術, "school of felling the tiger") is one of the nine traditions transmitted in post-war Japan by Takamatsu Toshitsugu and after him by Hatsumi Masaaki within the Bujinkan organisation. Koppojutsu literally means the art of the bone method: its technical core consists of short, direct strikes with the knuckles and the edge of the hand against bones and joints, low kicks to the shin and knee, disruption of the opponent's stance and blows timed to the moment when he shifts his weight. Typical features are a slightly angled body position, evasion along a straight line and a deliberately spare, economical movement without circular transitions, which sets Koto-ryu apart from the related Gyokko-ryu koshijutsu with which it is usually taught in tandem. The school's own chronicles trace the line to Sakagami Taro Kunishige in the sixteenth century and further back to a Chinese teacher named Chan Busho; these details come from family records handed down by Takamatsu and have so far not been confirmed by historians from independent archival sources. The school is not a member of the Nihon Kobudo Kyokai, which brings together verified classical traditions. This page therefore gives neither a founder nor a year of origin and leaves both names in the text as traditional lore. Today Koto-ryu is practised chiefly as part of the Bujinkan curriculum and of the derived Genbukan and Jinenkan organisations.
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