HANBOJUTSU (Three shaku staff)
REKISHI – History
Battle, recorded in the Nihon Shoki and Kojiki (which are two of typical chronicles of Japan) occurred
in the 8th century A.D. Prince Yamato Takeruno Mikoto planned to defeat a brave warrior of Izumo,
Izumo Takeru. Prince Yamato went to visit the warrior and sought to shake hands with him to show
Izumo his good will and friendship. The Prince then invited Izumo to take a cold bath with him, saw
that they might speak of battle strategies in they’re nakedness (Japanese have a saying “naked
companionship” which means to hide nothing from each other.) while the Prince and the Izumo warrior
were bathing, one of the princes retainers carried out the princes plan; he exchanged Izumo’s steel
sword for a look alike akagashi (red oak) would sword (which I suppose looked like an iron sword). To
put the action into a ninjutsu term, he used “mokoton no jutsu” (a technique practiced by the use of
wood). The Prince and Izumo were absorbed in a heated discourse on combat strategies. One would
tell the other about a foregone battle and how he won it by using this or that technique. Then the
other would say in that circumstance another technique would have been a more efficient. In this
fashion, the Prince led Izumo into a trial at physical confrontation.
They got up out of the water to fight. Izumo unaware of the Prince’s plan, swung at the Prince with
the wooden sword. The steel sword of the Prince was broken in half by Izumo’s wooden sword and the
Prince was soon sadly defeated. In this way a warrior, through cunning and guile, used a wooden sword
to defeat another warrior who originally had a steel sword.
In 1339, another story involving another possible origin of the half staff was recorded in the battle
journal (Senki) of Japan. In January of the third year of Engen(1336-39), Ashikaga Takauji and his
army attacked Kyoto. Defending the city was Yuuki Chikamitsu and his troops. One of Yuuki’s
retainers, Ookuni Taro Takehide battled with “Gooketsu” (an extremely strong and unusually large
man) of the Ashikaga army. Ookuni was using a tachi (a fat sword) over three feet long. The “tachi”
came down on Ookuni’s spear with the power of a giant axe and left only a three feet long stick.
Ookuni held the stick in one hand spread his arms in the “Hira no Kamae” and then bid the “gooketsu”
to attack. The Gooketsu, angered by the boldness of Ookuni, raised his “tachi” high in the air and
brought the blade down with the power that would have split the warrior in two, armor and all. Ookuni
remained calm; he used “Taihen jutsu” to avoid the blade and forced his staff into an open space in
the Gooketsu’s armor to throw it off. In the return stroke of the staff after throwing the armor off,
he struck the top of the Gooketsu’s head, cracking his skull. This story is one of the theories of the
origin of the half staff.
In the Kukishinden Ryu the Hanbojutsu is broken down into 3 Kamae, then three sets of formal Kata,
Shoden no kata, Chuden no kata, and Okuden no kata. The Shoden is defense against
Kodachi/Wakizashi; the Chuden and Okuden kata’s are defense against katana. You should learn to
keep a firm grip on the Hanbo but a loose feeling of the staff. Let it move freely.
KUKISHINDEN RYU – SANSHIN NO KAMAE (Three hearts postures)
1. KATA YABURI NO KAMAE (Form breaking posture) 型破之構
Also known as Hira Ichimonji no Kamae, Kachimi no Kamae, Kata Yaburi no Kokoro Kamae.
2. MUNEN MUSO NO KAMAE (No intention, no thought posture) 無念無想之構
Also called Shinshin no Kamae, Shingi no Kamae, Mushin no kokoro Kamae, Mushin no Kamae Mugamae.
3. OTONASHI NO KAMAE (Soundless posture) 音無之構
Also called Shizen no Kamae, Danpi no Kamae, Kage no Ippon no Kamae, Otonashi no Kokoro Kamae,
Otonashi no Kamae Mugamae.
KUDEN: Shinden Amatsu Tatara Ryu’s Hanbojutsu which is based on the Amatsu Tatara Kangi Den
uses 3 Kamae. Kata Yaburi, Munen Muso, and Otonashi. These go by the collective name Sanshi Den,
Sanshin no Kamae, and Sanso no kata. Takamatsu Toshitsugu called the three Kamae Sanshin no Kamae.