Hōzōin ryū was founded by Hōzōin Kakuzenbō In’ei around 1560 and specializes in the art of spearmanship (sōjutsu).
One of the characteristics of this school is the use of the jumonji-kamayari, which is a spear that features a crossbar at the blade.
Currently Hōzōin ryū Takada-ha is located in Nara, Japan and is led by Ichiya Junzo soke (21st generation headmaster and successor of the school).
The founder In’ei was a Buddhist monk of Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. It is said that one evening, on seeing the reflection of the crescent moon shining on Sarusawa pond, he was inspired to create a spear with a cross-shaped spearhead.
An ancient Japanese poem expresses the spear of Hōzōin-ryū sōjutsu:
It can be a spear to thrust.
It can be a naginata to cleave.
It can be a kama to slash.
In any case, it never fails to hit the target.
Since the start of 2014, a small studygroup started training of Hōzōin ryū Takada-ha sōjutsu in Kochōkai.
This studygroup has a strong connection the Alster dōjō in Hamburg led by Jürgen Seebeck and the group is therefor humorously called “Hamburg-West”.
