Similarities where you don't expect them.

I was just randomly searching Japanese youTube today and discovered this. A series of video’s about Yagu Shingan Ryu. An old warrior tradition, that involved armor, weapons and empty hand techniques. One of their older fighting traditions.

I did a little research on the art, which does not make me an expert, finding out that both Judo and Aikido had some roots in this tradition. There are many Yagu traditions but this might assist understanding them a bit.

Among other things it is known for its close quarter jujutsu grappling techniques, which require a clear understanding of taijutsu (body movement). In this context, taijutsu refers to the underlying principles of body dynamics, rather than the physical techniques themselves.

Some of the trade-mark maneuvers include pole-driving (dropping an opponent on his head), back breaking, and neck snapping.

for the warrior, whose sole purpose was to kill or be killed

I would think that the public in the past would know little of these traditions. More close practices in those traditions.

But today so much is now available for viewing.So when I viewed what is an advertisement for a Quest video on this art, I was quite surprised.

YouTube simply was labeled in Japanese,

島津兼治 柳生心眼流口伝秘技 剛身

So I went to Bing Translate and got

‘Island Tsu and Osamu yagyu eye flow oral secret technique rigid body’

Which did not tell me much. Then I followed the link for the sale of the video and there it translated as this

Koh Tsu and Osamu yagyu eye flow oral secret technique

Then viewing youtube most of it was a lecture in Japanese which of course I do not understand. But the beginning were several demonstrations and those were interesting.

A Japanese system showing the vertical strike, as done in Isshinryu.