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1. About the Takeuchi-ryu kobudo
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(Photo right is of Ono Yotaro, chief instructor of the Chofukan Dojo in Kyoto, Japan.)
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This exclusivity of the ryu is not a marketing technique to get people to join up. We are basically a not-for-profit dojo. However, we are aware that there have been instances in which some unscrupulous people have appropriated names of different classical systems for their own greed, including that of this ryu. We strongly advise that anyone seeking to train in a classical martial art of Japan be sure that their instructors are honest and authentic. I (Wayne) don't claim to be any great shakes at Takeuchi-ryu. Our club reflects my belief that I myself need to get better, and the way to do it is to constantly train myself with other students. My main teacher in the Takeuchi-ryu is Ono Yotaro, but I must also credit all my sempai (senior students) who were patient with my clumsy efforts, especially Kouno-san and Takagi-san, who currently have a branch dojo of the Chofukan and Kurashiki Dojo in Tokyo, Japan, where they instruct the Bitchu-den Takeuchi-ryu. There are two Takeuchi-ryu dojo in Tokyo. One is headed by Kouno and Takagi-san, and another by Shiraishi Shingo, also connected to the Chofukan. Takagi-san's "real" profession is as a government official, while Kouno-san is employed by a bank. Shiraishi-san is an academician. The Seifukan in Hawai'i is taught by myself (Wayne Muromoto). I am currently an instructor at a local community college. The other senior student is Rev. Clark Watanabe, an ordained Shingon Buddhist minister. In Utah, Anthony Abry is a jack-of-all trades, who breeds horses on his own farm, shoes horses, and does some day trading. My teacher, Ono Yotaro, is a landscape architect by trade who owns his own company and also lectures at a college. In Kurashiki, there is the Bitchu line Takeuchi-ryu master Nakayama sensei. There are also the honke and sodenke lines of the Takeuchi-ryu in Okayama Prefecture. We try to inculcate in our club the inquisitive and earnest atmosphere that we encountered at the Chofukan and Butokuden. We aren't interested in spreading our group thin, we don't want to proselytize like crazy, and we won't claim that we're better than any other style or system. In fact, one of the reasons why we have maintained this small club is to avoid the many squabbles, personality wars and ego-tripping often found in different groups. We just want to study koryu budo in as clear-headed a manner as possible. If your art is fun and effective for you, then more power to you. |
The
Takeuchi-ryu is considered among one of the oldest extant martial arts
of Japan, and is often referred to as the "father" of Japanese
grappling arts. In the following pages will be some information about
the history, techniques, philosophy and organization of the Takeuchi-ryu.
To date, there remains but a handful of Takeuchi-ryu (also
known as Takenouchi-ryu) dojo in Japan connected to the Bitchu-den, Honke
or Sodenke linse. The Seifukan is one of only two dojo currently authorized
to teach Takeuchi-ryu in America. The other dojo is in Utah, and is
run by fellow Takeuchi-ryu member Anthony Abry, who like Wayne Muromoto
limits his student numbers for the sake of better quality training. Wayne
was recently given official permission to teach and is officially licensed
and ranked in the Chofukan line, headed by Ono Yotaro. To this date (January,
2002), these are the only two dojo officially connected to the Takeuchi-ryu
outside of Japan. If you would like to contact Mr. Abry, go to the