History of Jodo

By Keith Rose

Jodo origins trace back to Muso Gonnosuke katsukichi. Gonnosuke had studied the use of a number of different weapons during his time with the 'Tenshin Shoden katori Shinto Ryu' [ a famous traditional school still extant today] in the late sixteenth century and had eventually begun a tour of Japan in order to test his skills. In due course he encountered the famous swordsman 'Miyamoto Musashi', a duel ensued with Gonnosuke using a 'Rokushakubo' or six foot staff and Musashi using the two sword method he was to become famous for. Gonnosuke was defeated but, uncharacteristically for the time, was allowed to live by Musashi.

Gonnosuke,dejected, then spent the next few years enlarging his knowledge and further improving his skills until, as the story goes, after a period of meditation at the Kamado shrine on Mount Homan he got the inspiration to devise a method using a staff which was shorter than usual, making it more versatile, but still long enough to have a reach advantage over a sword. After taking some time to develop his new method, Gonnosuke sought out Musashi and again entered into a duel with him, this time Gonnosuke emerging the victor and repaying Musashi's original favour by not taking his life. Gonnosuke then formalized his new method, giving it the name 'Shindo Muso Ryu'.

The teaching of 'Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu' was passed from headmaster to headmaster until the title fell to Takaji Shimizu Dai Sensei in the early 1900's [ Dai Sensei meaning 'Great Teacher' ]. The practice of Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu was first introduced to the Z.N.K.R.[All Japan Kendo Federation] in 1956 and shortly after, a study commission was formed to explore the possibility of forming a syllabus of Jo practice which would be accessible to more people. In 1963 a committee was formed under the chairmanship of Shimizu Dai Sensei to produce a set of kata which would be representative of the Jo tradition and in 1968 the 'Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Jodo Gata' was formed. Since then Seitei [fixed system] Jodo has continued to develop under the umbrella of the Z.N.K.R. and is practiced alongside it's parent Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu in many countries throughout the world.