In Karukome’s dissertation (p.103) he provides gokui comparison tables for different densho associated to Jikishinkage-ryū. Here we examine his comparison of the Heihō zakki (兵法雑記; miscellaneous notes on military strategy) of Yamada Mitsunori — composed Jōkyō 3 (1686) and surviving in a 1708 copy in his own hand — and the Naganuma Kunisato Jikishinkage-ryū mokuroku kudensho (直心影流目録口伝書) of 1764.
Please see the Evolution of Jikishinkage-ryū Densho note that summarizes his analysis of how these documents change over time. One important note historically is that Yamada at his time derives the densho from a late master Kamiya (神谷氏, 伝信大居士) — Kamiya Denshinsai, and does not trace the lineage back further. At the time of Ogaswara and Kamiya, each master felt they had founded their own approach to swordsmanship. It is only later in the mid-Edo period where inheritors of the art begin reaching back further, to attest that their art was defined by divine revelation and unchanged, likely in keeping with the social norms of the time.
Summary
A high-level reading of the tables shows that
- Kōmyōken (功妙剣; merit/efficacy-subtle sword) and Shinmyōken (心妙剣; heart-subtle sword) — paired with the a-un bonji; apparently aspects alongside the primary Shinmyōken (神妙剣).
- Ken-tai-yū (権体勇; provisional-body-courage?), sidenote fugyō-fuki-fushi (不行不帰不止; “not going, not returning, not stopping”) — a non-fixation formula.
- 西江水 (Seikōsui; xī jiāng shuǐ; West River water) — the Mazu (馬祖) / Layman Pang (龐居士) kōan 一口吸盡西江水 (yīkǒu xī jìn xī jiāng shuǐ); a kuden gokui in both documents.
- Sōtai no zu (惣体之〔卜〕; the integration of the whole body)
- Furyū no katsu (不立之勝; the victory of not-establishing) — resonant with 不立文字 (furyū monji) and the mukamae (無構; no-stance) / katsuninken (活人剣) logic.
- Shin-moku-tai (心目体; heart–eye–body) — the three modes of seeing; parallels the Heihō Kadensho item 神妙剣を見ること三段の分別 (seeing the shinmyōken, the three-level discernment).
- Kōjō gokui (口上極意) — present in both columns.
- 気当 (ki-ate): Yamada places it in the waza (業) section; Naganuma moves it into the gokui (極意) section.
- 西江水: present in the 極意 (kuden) section of both works
- 十悪: with the verse and katakana are found in Naganuma (1764); Yamada (1686) instead has 心目体 after 不立之勝.
- Lineage datum: Yamada derives the densho from a late master Kamiya (神谷氏, 伝信大居士) — Kamiya Denshinsai.
Heihō zakki of 1708
The Heihō zakki lacks the matters 相尺・留三段・切落・吟味 of the Jikishin Seitō-ryū heihō mokuroku (直心正統流兵法目録). Its waza (業) section contains:
相心之事 ／ 目付之事 ／ 仕懸之事 ／ 手之内之事 ／ 横一文字之事 ／ 竪一文字之事 ／ 気当之事 ／ 一体当之事 ／ 附太刀当之事 ／ 極意
It then lists kuden gokui (右口伝 — 極意):
- アウン（梵字） 功妙剣 口伝 ／ 心妙剣 口伝
- 権体勇〔傍注: 不行不帰不止〕 口伝
- 西江水 口伝
- 惣体之〔卜／〆〕 口伝
- 口上極意之事 口伝
- 以上
Tail (repeated items, boxed separately)
惣体之〔…〕 口伝 ／ 不立之勝 同 ／ 心目体 同
Mokuroku Kudensho (直心影流目録口伝書)
The Naganuma Kunisato-stage densho of 1764 has 業 (waza):
一相心之事 ／ 一相尺之事 ／ 一目付之事 ／ 一仕懸之事 ／ 一手之内之事 ／ 一横一文字之事 ／ 一竪一文字之事 ／ 一留三段之事 ／ 一体当之事 ／ 一太刀当之事 ／ 一切落之事 ／ 一吟味之事 ／ 右口伝
With kuden gokui listed as:
- アウン（梵字） 功妙剣 口伝 ／ 心妙剣 口伝
- 気当 口伝
- 権体勇〔傍注: 不行不帰不止〕 口伝
- 西江水 口伝
- 惣体之 口伝
- 口上極意之事 口伝
- 不立之勝 口伝
- 十悪〔傍注: 非トモ〕 口伝
This content and notes can be found in later copies we examine in detail.
