Tengu

In my previous post I briefly mentioned a classical Japanese text about tengu, mythical creatures often depicted in mountain forests, mischievous masters of the martial arts. It is said that Takamura sensei had a fondness for tengu masks. This has lead to them being quite popular amongst TSYR practitioners so I thought I would write a discussion of them here. 

The large tengu head in Kurama village.

The area around Mount Kurama, north-west of Kyoto, is considered one of the primordial centers of Japanese combatives (Ellis Amdur, Old School). According to Threadgill sensei, a young Takamura Yukiyoshi was taken on a pilgrimage by his grandfather. They began at the base of Mount Kurama, walked up to the Yuki Jinja and then on to Kurama-dera near the summit. This area of Japan has a deep history concerning the famous mountain goblins. It is said that Minamoto no Yoshitsune was sent to Kurama-dera to be a priest. However, while staying on the mountain he encountered Sojobo, a tengu king. Sojobo was willing to teach Yoshitsune martial skills and strategy so he could defeat his enemies.

Whatever Takamura saw or heard while on his pilgrimage, it had a profound effect on him. Throughout the rest of his life he would return to Mount Kurama regularly until his death in 2000. Having been to this mountain myself I can vouch for the spiritual significance of the place. The walkway up to the Yuki shrine is bordered on either side by numerous smaller shrines. I would guess that the Yuki Jinja is about half way up the mountain. As you climb higher the steep forested mountainside is quiet and tranquil. More shrines are exposed as you climb the twisting path towards Kurama-dera. Eventually you step out upon the temple grounds. The buildings here are grand and the view over the countryside is magnificent. It is easy to see how a young Takamura would have been awed by the place. A smaller trail climbs higher past the temple until you reach the true summit of the mountain. Here resides a small shrine and a fenced off standing stone called the Yoshistune Sekurabe Ishi (Yoshistune Height-Comparing Rock). According to the legend, the young Yoshistune would measure his height while he was at Kurama being instructed by the tengu. 

Standing stone on the left of the shrine. 

Allow me to speculate somewhat at this point. Takamura's interest in tengu must surely have been encouraged by his grandfather's stories and his trek up Kuramayama. Considering the young man was living in an area that is responsible for many old martial traditions, the stories he heard over the years must have soaked into his psyche. I must talk with Threadgill sensei next time I see him and find out what other tales are told about this time of Takamura's life. 

Tengu come in more than one form. Sojobo is usually described as being dressed like a yamabushi, a Japanese mountain priest, with an unnaturally long nose and a white beard. However, this description is relatively recent in Japanese folklore. They are first mentioned in a classical Japanese text called the Nihon Shoki, written in 720, but its not until a collection of tales written in the late Heian period that the tengu are introduced as troublesome bird-like spirits. Known as kurasu tengu (crow tengu), these creatures are considered inferior to the daitengu (great tengu) who are said to be more knowledgeable, such as Sojobo. 

It appears that it is not until Yoshistune's tale that tengu are related with martial prowess and knowledge. Up until this time they were opponents of buddhism and mischeivous spirits that stole children and caused havoc (this is especially true of the lesser, bird-like tengu). 

It is my understanding that founders of some ryuha attributed their new found skills and principles to training with tengu in forested mountain regions. The region around Kuramayama is but one example of this. One founder, Nakata Hikozaemon named his school Kurama Yoshin-ryu to link it to the mountain where esoteric training took place. It is no coincidence that the art Takamura studied was Shindo Yoshin ryu, a composite of two jujutsu lineages, the Akiyama Yoshin-ryu line and the Nakamura Yoshin Ko-ryu line (T. Threadgill and S. Ohgami). He lived in an area of Japan well known for esoteric practices and these practices can be found in Yoshin Koryu lines. 

So now Threadgill sensei has carried on Takamura's tradition of collecting tengu masks. At hombu dojo, the visage of Sojobo peers over the entrance of the dojo. The rest of us do the same. In the Hamilton dojo where I train, two tengu keep an eye on practitioners. I even have a small red tengu face, brought all the way from Kurama village, to ward of evil spirits and judge the intent of those who walk onto my mats. 

Injuries and Walking with the Tengu.

Today's post is just an update post about where things are in my training.

In my first post of the year I wrote about an ongoing injury I have been trying to train through. It was an inflamed tendon in my leg that just wasn't healing. In fact, I ended my last two training sessions off the mat with an ice pack. So I reluctantly decided to take the first term of training off. I hadn't had an extended break from TSYR training for about eight years. It was the best thing I could have done. One term is about ten weeks and in this time I stopped all martial arts training (aikido included). I am now two weeks back into my training and my body is feeling strong and resilient and more importantly...pain free!

It is an important lesson for me. I have written about working around injuries in training before but I simply couldn't work around a leg injury - everything in budo requires your legs! It is also a lesson about getting older. I am over 40 and my body reminds me now and again that it needs treating with respect. I can't rip into activity like the twenty year old Dean used to do. I was also feeling a little jaded towards my training and the 10 weeks off kick-started my enthusiasm for budo. 

During my ten weeks away from the mat, my family spent 10 days in Japan (see previous post). To be immersed in a culture that my budo practice stems from affirmed a lot of things for me. This certainly rekindled my interest in my martial studies. I also discovered a new podcast to listen to. It is called Walking with the Tengu and you can have a listen for yourself here. This podcast is about exploring classical Chinese and Japanese texts for the modern martial artist. I have found these episodes to be engaging and thought provoking. The main text that is explored is a translation of "The Tengu's Discourse on the Martial Arts" by Issai Chozanshi. I own a copy of this book so it was interesting to hear another's opinion on the concepts written within. 

Ushiwakamaru (Minamoto no Yoshitsune) training with the tengu at Mt. Kurama.

So having been to Japan earlier this year and listening to podcasts on classical texts to and from work, my enthusiasm for my training has increased once more with a more resilient, reliable body to work with.