My teacher Mike DePasquale Sr. trained in Sosuishitsu Ryu under Georgie Okumora. Sosuishitsu Ryu was founded in 1650 by Futagami Hannosuke Masanori. He was a samurai living in the area of Bungo Takeda which was in the province of Kuroda. Masanori was trained in Takenouchi Ryu and in time had founded his own system, the Futagami Ryu. Masanori felt his system was not perfect, so in order to master it he decided to travel all over Japan and train himself. Towards the end of his journeys he went into the valley of Mt. Yoshino in Yamato, where for  thirty seven days he trained and sought enlightenment. He perfected the essential points of his system and mastered the secret techniques that he had studied. He then reorganized them to what he believed was the quintessential way. One day, while he was meditating by the Yoshino river, he noticed the twin rivers flowing and converging together powerfully. In this moment his mind, body and spirit converged spontaneously giving him the spiritual enlightenment "Satori" he had so desperately pined for. Due to this experience, Masanori decided to change the name of  his system from Futagami Ryu to Sosuishitsu Ryu. This was done in honor of his inner experience during his stay at the Yoshino River.

Sosuishitsu Ryu Jujutsu Demonstration

Influence of the Takenouchi Ryu

According to the Densho of Takenouchi Ryu on June 24, 1532 a pilgrim passing through the town of Okayama, situated between Kyoto and Hiroshima, stopped at the house of Takenouchi Nakastsukasadayu Hisamori. The pilgrim was in reality the Kami Atago, in whom Hisamori believed. Before his departure lord Atago disclosed 5000 forms of arrest to Hisamori. Hisamori continued to study the techniques and strategies revealed to him. When he mastered the secret principles, he established his own system and named it Takenouchi Ryu, after himself. The Kogusoku and Koshi No Mawari methods of this school are the main influence on the Kata within the Sosuishitsu Ryu.

Takenouchi Ryu Bojutsu

Takenouchi Ryu Kenjutsu