Criticical kata editorial by the Shiigi-sensei, Associate Director of the Tokyo Judo Federation Rank Promotion Deliberation Council

http://www.tojuren.or.jp/30dantai/chiku/2006bunkyo.html

(Sorry, Japanese only)

Shiigi-sensei is a very well respected judo sensei and also a classically schooled shihan of Katori Shintô-ryû

Shigi sensei was a member of the Bunkyo ward judo federation because his dojo at the Supreme Court was within Bunkyo ward. It is long closed, so I don't know if he still is. He is an interesting gent, whose classical jujutsu training informed his judo kata. His father trained alongside Ohtake sensei.

Bunkyo ku Judo Federation has a prominent history with kata; that website has a number of such articles.

He also wrote a book about Katori Shintô-ryû that was published last year:

天真正伝香取神刀流 : いにしえより武の鄉に家伝されし精妙なる技法群!

Back in 1990 I had the pleasure of getting to know Shiigi-sensei at the Kōdōkan, and of performing nage-no-kata with him at the conclusion of the summer kata course. He was sporting enough to do it with me, as both uke and tori, though he professes not to like this kata. I see that a DVD by him of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū is due for release later this month, under the title 日本武術の源流 天真正伝香取神刀流 第1巻 基本編. His kime-no-kata is outstanding.

Bunkyo-ku is of course where the dojo of Ochiai-sensei, nephew of Kuhara-sensei and pre-eminent expert on the Go-no-kata is located.

Cichorei Kano wrote:He also wrote a book about Katori Shintô-ryû that was published last year:

天真正伝香取神刀流 : いにしえより武の鄉に家伝されし精妙なる技法群!

He worked on this a long time. Years ago I was working with Shiki sensei to provide an English translation.

I was just practicing Katori Shinto ryu from the beginning, and the kata, at least to me, are very involved and complex - slash, hack, guard / withdraw, attack attack, duck, drop one hand, some fifteen moves or more. And, of course, many of my reflexes and steps were wrong, drilled for years in Takeuchi ryu and Shinto Muso ryu kata, bits of iai and Kashima Shinto ryu, which are generally shorter and to the point.

The outcome, better forgotten, will not figure highly in my memoirs or bibliography! It was a disaster, frankly; while I am pretty much a perfectionist when I try to write kata instruction, in spots I wasn't able to figure out much of anything, and it was a mishmash.

But I really enjoyed practicing the art. And Shiki sensei, who is pretty unique.

NBK

NBK wrote:

Cichorei Kano wrote:He also wrote a book about Katori Shintô-ryû that was published last year:

天真正伝香取神刀流 : いにしえより武の鄉に家伝されし精妙なる技法群!

He worked on this a long time.  Years ago I was working with Shiki sensei to provide an English translation.  

I was just practicing Katori Shinto ryu from the beginning, and the kata, at least to me, are very involved and complex - slash, hack, guard / withdraw, attack attack, duck, drop one hand, some fifteen moves or more.  And, of course, many of my reflexes and steps were wrong, drilled for years in Takeuchi ryu and Shinto Muso ryu kata, bits of iai and Kashima Shinto ryu, which are generally shorter and to the point.  

The outcome, better forgotten, will not figure highly in my memoirs or bibliography!  It was a disaster, frankly; while I am pretty much a perfectionist when I try to write kata instruction, in spots I wasn't able to figure out much of anything, and it was a mishmash.  

But I really enjoyed practicing the art.  And Shiki sensei, who is pretty unique.

NBK

Don't blame yourself. If it is of any consolation, you were preceded by at least one illustrious predecessor: Kanō Jigorō. You won't find that in any Kōdōkan publication though. Doesn’t fit the image of the myth.

As David points out, Shiigi-sensei is an excellent person to consult with regard to Kime-no-kata. I had long discussions about this kata with him myself. He is very much into the real thing, the essence, and hence is highly critical of the Kōdōkan approach. You might often see him shake his head when he sees a Kōdōkan 8th dan instructor once again fake kata, since as a shihan of Katori shintō-ryū he just knows how one should hold or draw a sword, or what proper body position is.  About some of the absolutely nonsensical things one oftentimes sees at the Kōdōkan, are people performing shōmen while almost touching their own asses with the kissaki of the katana, or people standing on the tips of their toes hips high while performing shōmen uchi. Most of the Kōdōkan-sensei have no training whatsoever in handling a sword, and it shows, but they just copy things they have seen from someone else without any such experience and without asking questions or providing challenges, and when you deviate from this mannerist approach they think it is wrong because it deviates, irrespective of the essence. I have pointed out many of these things before on this forum, but have stopped doing that. It doesn’t make you any friends. But for what it is worth, all those who hate me or think I just make up these things, I hope you have an opportunity of meeting Shiigi-sensei. He knows what he is talking about, he has the experience, training, and know-how. It will be refreshing. As a Japanese, he has the spine and balls to stand up against some of the Kōdōkan nonsense, much like Michigami-sensei, Kanemitsu-sensei or Ushijima-sensei would. Hanon-sensei would love him. Oh, and also, his family does come from a true samurai background, not made up, the real thing.

The gent in the hakama is Shiigi sensei's long term deshi, Kent Sorenson, who also is the senior practitioner of Toda-ha Bukō-ryū Naginatajutsu in Japan, IIRC.

This video is instructional because Shiigi sensei goes through the attacks and a number of koryu jujutsu style defenses before demoing the final solution that is Kime no Kata.

There are trailers to DVDs with Shigi Munemori:

天真正伝香取神刀流① Tenshinshoden Katorishinto Ryu 1


天真正伝香取神刀流② Tenshinshoden Katorishintoryu 2


Book and these DVDs are avalaible in amazon.co.jp ...

Italian document THE TRADITION OF KATORI SHINTO RYU IN THE FAMILY SHIIGI

LA TRADIZIONE DEL KATORI SHINTO RYU NELLA FAMIGLIA SHIIGI
http://www.judobagnoaripoli.it/Doc/shigi%20keibun.pdf

Hello everyone:

I've find very interesting Shiigi Munenori Sensei. I'm thinking visiting Japan next year. Can anybody tell me where is Munenori's Sensei Dojo? How can I contact with me? Does he teaches openly to foreigners?

Thank you so much