Legends claim that first formulated the principle of the soft pliability of a doctor from Nagasaki named Akayama Sirobey (in another version – Miura Esin), which over several years studying in China, traditional medicine. There he became acquainted with the technique of throws, submission techniques and strokes of the system, which he called Hakudo. Returning home, he founded a private school of martial arts, where he began teaching technique Hakudo. However, the monotony of training led to that soon almost all the students from otverulis Akiyama. Four years after opening its Dawes doctor closed it and retired to a Buddhist monastery for a hundred-day meditation.
It tells the legend, one day early frosty morning Akiyama went for a walk in the garden. Here his attention was drawn to a remarkable pattern: on the eve of abundant snow has fallen, and many trees were broken branches, but willow (other sources – a cherry-sakura) stood as if nothing not used – heavy clumps of snow just slipped from its elastic branches. They say, Akiyama in the form of intact branches of willow experienced insight. In an instant he realized that to resist force by force is useless and destructive, it is necessary to evade the attack, redirect the force and use it to their advantage. This overarching principle of overcoming the forces of softness and weakness was the basis for further research masters, who soon managed to increase its arsenal of up to 300 (according to other sources – up to 70) techniques and create their own school, which after the death of a teacher called Esin-ryu.
As seen from the descriptions above, that the starting point for research Akayamy served martial art of China. Actually in the XVII-XVIII Chinese Wushu had a tremendous influence on the development of ju-jitsu. Thanks to them in the arsenal of martial arts in Japan includes a variety of punches and kicks, multiple options for pain and asphyxiating seizures.
The considerable contribution to the improvement of jujutsu made Chinese immigrants. Among the most famous Chen Yuanbin (Japanese pronunciation – Tin Gempin) and learn about Japanese warriors from martial arts of Shaolin.
Chen Yuanbin was an outstanding master “tsinna” (or “blue-on”), the Chinese art of conquest, submission techniques and throws. Chen Yuanbin was born in 1587 in the province of Zhejiang and received a good education. At age 27 he enrolled to study at the famous Shaolin temple, where he spent 13 months (1615-1616). When he was 35 years old, in 1621, he first came to Japan in Kyoto, as a translator at the embassy and in the winter of that year entered the service of Prince Mori. In 1625 he settled on Mount Corine Dzan in a solitary cell aficionados Buddhism Nagatoya Kyubey from the town Adzabu Iikura. In place of the monastery the next year the monastery was built by Corinne Dzan Caucus-ji Temple, which became the main “coaching center” Chen Yuanbina. His first students were three Ronin (wandering samurai) – Fukun Sitiroemon, Isogai and Miura Dzirodzaemon Edziemon and monk Kyuen and family members Nagatoya. After learning from the Chinese masters, monks Caucus-ji and Nagatoya family for generations maintained the tradition of Chen Yuanbina unchanged, call her “Gempin-ryu jujutsu, and ronin dispersed to various provinces in Japan and have established their own schools, each of which became the source for dozens of others, thus the name of a Chinese calligrapher became widely known among the masters of bu-jutsu.
However, Chen Yuanbin was not the first to introduce Japanese with Shaolin Wushu. According to the chronicles of Shaolin, starting from the XIV century it periodically trained Japanese monks, many of whom are actively involved in martial arts. So in the years 1312-1324 he lived in the Shaolin Japanese, known as the monastic name Dazhu. Within a few years after coming to the monastery, he became one of the leading specialists in a fistfight, and art of stick, and got such respect from the Chinese counterparts, which was allowed to engage in chief coach of Shaolin Wushu masters Hueyvenya for the first time in the history of the monastery passed alien technology secrets battle with 18 canonical types of weapons.
In May 1327 came to Shaolin Dazhu son, who took the monastic name Deshi. He was supposed to take place in the monastery for three years, but the monks who were friends with smart, hardworking and friendly Japanese, persuaded the abbot to allow Deshi stay in the monastery for a few more years, so he was able to master the “secret” sections of fist art, to study which allowed only senior monks.
In the years 1347-1379 he studied at Shaolin Japanese monk, known by the Chinese monk named Chzhaoyuan. In “The Chronicles of Shaolin Temple” on it says: “He is versed in Chinese language and calligraphy. First, he served as clerk, and then – a senior monk, to also, he perfectly mastered the Shaolin martial arts. “