THE

TAKAGI RYŪ
CHŪ GOKUI NO MAKI
(2020)
 THE TRANSLATION AND TRANSCRIPTION
OF THE

TAKAGI RYŪ
CHŪ GOKUI NO MAKI

AN AMATEUR TRANSLATION PRODUCED

FOR THE INTERESTS OF

THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF JUJUTSU

PRODUCED FROM
THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT
POSTED AT THE INDICATED WEBPAGE

http://jtweymo.angelfire.com/COVER_PAGE_T-T.html

Persons wishing to view the original document

as produced by the Japanese
should consult the web address included in this text.

WEYMOUTH PUBLICATION CO.

AUSTIN, MINNESOTA
2020

TRANSLATION DONE
IN CONJUNCTION WITH
THE WORK OF
MASTER PETER KING

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 4

THE TAKAGI RYŪ CHŨ GOKUI NO MAKI ........................................................................ 5

The SUMMARY............................................................................................................................... 10

3
INTRODUCTION

These translations and transcriptions, of which the Takagi Ryū Chū Gokui No Maki text is a part of, were produced in
the interests of the American Federation of Jujutsu. Any party or person is free to avail themselves of a copy of this
text or any other found therein. It would be appreciated if you would acknowledge the AFJ in doing so.

Technical Information: The document is based upon an original early 20th Century scroll and may be a “Modern”
copy of the older original. The original was dated 1902. It came from a branch of the Takagi Ryū that is directly
associated with the now famous Ishitani-den of the Takagi (Yōshin) Ryū. It's a principle document (a record scroll of
sorts for that school). As such it is highly relevant to many other branches and forms of the Takagi Ryū and the Takagi
Yōshin Ryū, including the Takagi Yōshin Ryū, Jūtaijutsu of the Takamatsu-den Martial arts (but is most definitely not
a Takamatsu-den scroll.). The original historical document is a small sized scroll, known to be part of a set, but given
the various forms of the Takagi Ryū, we just don't know what all might have been included per any given branch of
the stuff? Some branches have additional item listings or even additional sections (or lack sections) of the Chū Gokui
No Maki and other makimono of the Takagi Ryū Jūjutsu Densho.

As far as specimen examples of this school go, this scroll and the school it represents are a fairly good representation
of the core traditional forms of the Takagi Ryū, which is an interesting point as well. The relationship of this, and other
forms of, the Takagi Ryū to the now famous Hontai Yōshin Ryū are fairly well known (the older original name of the
Hontai Yōshin Ryū was Hontai Takagi Yōshin Ryū). But the current form(s) of the Hontai Yōshin Ryū has changed so
much over the years that, really, its curriculum and documentation doesn’t look much like the older modes of the
Takagi Ryū, as it once did.

Here in the last word of the introduction, I hope to make it perfectly clear that only linguistics and legitimate
academics was applied in the course of rendering translation and the making of these transcriptions, hoping to remain
true to the original content and feel of the Takagi Ryū Chū Gokui No Maki text itself. This was thought best, so as to
provide a more authentic experience that is devoid of 'stained glass' colourations which offers to obscure the text's
content. I mean, namely, that one ought not to approach such important works of translation, having a biased view
caused by insistence upon interpreting things according to one's own beliefs or martial arts experiences.

Logan (J.T.) Weymouth

Shihan, Rokudan (6D)
AFJ Shinden Yōshin Ryū
Yudansha, AFJ American Judo.
November 25th, 2020

4
 THE
TAKAGI RYŪ
CHŪ GOKUI NO MAKI

5
 高木流中極意巻
Takagi Ryū Chū Gokui No Maki
The Book of the Middle Level Secrets of the Takagi School

初段巻 Shodan No Maki

Book of the Initial Level

一 霞捕 Kasumi Dori Mist Capture

一 洞返 Dō Gaeshi (hora gaeshi) Cave Counter
一 搦捕 Kasumi Dori Entangling Capture
一 虚倒 Kyotō Dropped through Open Air
一 片胸捕 Katamune Dori Single Chest Capture
一 両胸捕 Ryōmune Dori Double Chest Capture
一 追掛捕 Oikake Dori Chasing and Capturing
一 戒後碎 Kaigo Kudaki Rear Guard Crusher
一 行違 Yuki Chigai Chance Encounter
一 唯逆 Yui Gyaku Inversion
一 乱勝 Ranshō Stolen Victory
一 拳流 Ken Nagare Fist Flow Down
一 膝車 Hiza Guruma Knee Wheel

以上裏表 Ijō ura omote

More beyond in the Inner and Outer Forms
廿六手之次第 Nijūroku-te No Shidai
The arrangement includes twenty six techniques

體 Tai The Body

一 腰車 Koshi Guruma Hip Wheel

一 腰流 Koshi Nagare Hip Flow
一 鵲 Kasasagi Magpie
一 引違 Hiki Chigai Pulling Difference
一 刑頭 Keitō Condemmed
一 腰折 Koshi Ori Hip Breaker
一 両手止 Ryōte Tome Stopping Both Hands
一 水流 Mizu Nagare Flowing Water
一 柳雪 Ryūsetsu Willow Snow
一 瓢墜 Hukube Ochi Gourd Drop
一 鞆捕 Tomo Dori Hand Guard Capture

6
 一 水入 Mizu-iri (suinyū) Entering Water

以上十五手之次第
Ijō Jūgo-te No Shidai
Beyond all these there are 15 techniques in the arrangement

調 Shirabe Investigation

一 梅吐 Baido Plum Drop

一 袖車 Sode Guruma Sleeve Wheel
一 両手懸 Ryote Gake Hooking Both Hands
一 膽碎 Tansai (Kimo Kudaki) Courage Crusher
一 未落 Sue Otoshi Ram Drop
一 體碎 Tai Kudaki Body Crusher
一 霜風 Sōfū Frost Wind
一 逆捕 Gyaku Dori Reversing Capture
一 乱風 Ranpū Storm Winds
一 風折 Fūsetsu Intermittent Winds

以上及裏手 Ijō Oyobi Urate

More beyond these as the Inner and Outer of the techniques

無刀捕 Mutō Dori

No Sword Captures

一 拳者捕 Kenja Dori Capturing a Boxer

一 壹文字 Ichimonji Straight Line
一 柄落 Tsuka Otoshi Hilt Drop
一 向捕 Muko Dori Front Capture
一 廻捕 Mawashi Dori Rotating Capture
一 後捕 Ushiro Dori Rear Capture
一 沈捕 Shizumi Dori Sinking Capture

以上十四手之次第
Ijō Jūyon-te No Shidai
Beyond these there are 14 techniques in the arrangement

大小捌型 Daisho Sabaki Gata

Twin Swords Manipulation Patterns

一 柄碎 Tsuka Kudaki Hilt Destroyer

一 引捕 Hiki Dori Pulling Capture
一 入捕 Iri Dori Entering Capture
一 乱嶽 Rangaku Stormy Mountain Peaks

7
 一 掬捕 Sukui Dori Scooping Capture
一 柳骨 Ryūkotsu Willow Bone
一 潮返 Shio Gaeshi Tide Reversal
一 掛落 Kake Otoshi Hanging Drop
一 小手止 Kote Dome Wrist Stopper
一 車投 Kuruma Nage Wheel Throw
一 四手刀 Yottsude-tō Four Hands on the Sword
一 刄結 Ninketsu (ha-musubi) Wrist Stopper
一 透捕 Sukashi Dori Space Making Capture
一 掬捕 Sukui Dori Scooping Capture
一 横刀 Ōtō Side Sword

以上廿八之次第
Ijō Nijūhachi-te No Shidai
Beyond these there are 28 techniques in the arrangement

右之條々高木流捕手
柔術毎刀捕大小捌
目録無残置令附
嘱々者千金莫傅
可秘之
The previously listed items of the Takagi school
each have the version used to capture swords
and so serve as part of the Mokuroku Catalog
listing of the Daishō Sabaki Twin swords
manipulation patterns. These must be kept a
strict secret for those whom have been entrusted
with them as they are not unlike a thousand
pieces of gold.

一 方角 Hōgaku Direction of Approach

一 位捕 Kurai Dori Capture by Position
一 勝身 Kachimi Victorious
向後㔫右強弱 All sides and the general context of strengths and weaknesses
一 四方詰 二手詰 中返□明死 while caught up and countering one's own evident death.
Yonhō Dzume Crammng in Four Directions Ni-te Dzume Two hands Cramming
一 四方搦 向詰 四手八手 Four Hands and Eight Hands
Yonhō Garami Entangling in Four Directions Mukōdzume Cramming to the Front
一 五人捕附 附八手詰 Additionally Eight Crammining Techniques
Gonin Toritsuke Capturing Five Men

明治三拾四年
三月吉日
March 1st 1902 during the Meiji era

魚田平藏重次

8
 Uota Heizō Shigetsugu

松原在太郎正勝
Matsubara Zaitarō Masakatsu

八尾善次郎殿
Yatsuo Zenjirō

[ MAKIMONO ENDED HERE ]

9
SUMMARY

I thought it would serve well as a summary to this scroll if we discussed a few important aspects of traditional Takagi
Ryū and the way this school acts in regard to its own traditions. Here we are discussing the context in which the
Takagi Ryū Chū Gokui No Maki actually exists. First, let me explain that not every modern form of the Takagi (Yōshin)
Ryū actually follows the customs we are about to discuss. Some modern forms (and schools descended from the
Takagi Ryū) don’t know anything about the traditions and customs that are being discussed in this summary. That is a
very important point to bear in mind. The schools that don’t hold these traditions could adopt them, one supposes,
should they encounter them as a set of traditions. But without detailed information that would otherwise be quite
impossible.

The original teachings and traditions of the Takagi (Yōshin) Ryū make examples of the early masters Takagi Oriemon
and Takagi Umanosuke as quintessential role models for people to follow. As students and followers of the Takagi Ryū,
one is expected to do so oneself. This is done through traditional tales about the two characters Takagi Oriemon and
Takagi Umanosuke. These stories are told in traditional modes of conveyance, some of which includes songs and
chants that are recited. Some are supposed to be told and discussed upon certain special occassions, such as certain
traditional Japanese festivals.

An Example of Such Stories and the Meaning of its Elements

One such story is the Tale of Takagi Umanosuke and the Ghost Woman. The elements of the story involve a certain set of
conditions and a certain point during the life of Takagi Umanosuke. In the story, he took refuge in a place that was
somewhat known to be haunted by the ghost of a woman (as well as other
possible spirits one might encounter.) The course of the episode is, by
Japanese standards, told in such a way as to accentuate the macabre nature
of such an encounter. Takagi Umanosuke is largely described as handling
the whole situation with a reasonably cool head, rather non-chalantly, in
other words. Nonetheless as one would expect, he does, at points along the
line, succumb to the bizarre nature of the encounter and has some difficuty
as he gravitates between wanting to attack and repel an opponent while at
other times he is near paralysed by fear and revulsion.
Understanding the more traditional modes of Japanese story telling and
the message it was meant to convey is not so easy for those of us whom
are not actually Asians. But some of its elements do have a rather
universal nature, and as an example of this: the Ghost woman is actually
just a standard national adaptation of the Old Hag. The Old Hag is a form
of a spirit mentioned in the folklore of many nations (as examples of
adpatation, in Gaelic language she is called Cailleach [KUHL-uck] or
might be refered to as a Banshee.) She is a messenger of doom, according
to legend, those whom meet her will likely die soon atterwards. In worst
case examples, they may die at the time they encounter her, found later in
time afterwards, their bodies and faces show that they died from fear and
horror. That is what Takagi Umanosuke was being faced with in the story.
On the surface, the message of the story is that, if you do encounter the

10
Old Hag, the Ghost woman… be like Takagi Umanosuke and make your way out of the encounter alive and intact. But
beyond the surface meaning, there is a more intense meaning that is encoded in the symbolics of the story and its main
antagonist, the Ghost woman hag. As symbolics, it is a set of circumstances that are very very bad. The kind that could kill
you. The symbolcs of the Ghost woman betrays that the circumstances are the result of Passive elements of some sort (Yin
and Yang, male and female aspects… female means “passive”.) The Passive elements that caused the circumstance could
have been the lack of attention people gave things, and it resulted in a dangerous condition from which escape could prove
difficult (this sort of thing, for example.)

The example story of Takagi Umanosuke clearly reflects that, even though one does what one can to remain calm,
cool and collected… when being faced with the harsher aspects of the episode, you are going to break down. You may
attack enemies that aren’t there. You may become paralysed with fear. But the base meaning of the story is rather clear:
if you do encounter such circumstances… be like Takagi Umanosuke and make your way out of the encounter alive
and intact.

Really, this message is the core of the Takagi Ryū as a school, that’s what its teachings and curriculum are for (by
traditional standards). Beyond it, there is the description given of both Takagi Oriemon and Takagi Umanosuke, how
both men made something of themselves. They didn’t give in to bad circumstances, but were necessarily tolerant of
them when they found themselves faced with misfortune and hardship. There is story after story that is told about
Takagi Oriemon and Takagi Umanosuke, each has some part of these messages embedded in them. All part of the
message that serves as the core of the Takagi Ryū, and yes, that’s what its teachings and curriculum are for (by
traditional standards): so you can possibly do the same for yourself. By the more traditional approaches that is the
context of the Takagi Ryū Chū Gokui No Maki.

TEXT ENDED HERE

11