SHINTO MUSO-RYU JO
神道夢想流杖
SHINTO MUSO-RYU JO
神道夢想流杖
2024 Events & activities at Shobukan Dojo, and related dojo.
Travel to Japan – October 2024. Below are several entries related to our trip to Japan in October of this year. Members from several of our dojo across America participated on this trip. And it was amazing! We had opportunities to visit historically significant places, meet new people and become friends, to visit old friends, engage in a fair amount of Jodo training, and to strengthen our bond with the history and culture of Japan, and Shinto Muso-ryu itself.
Paying our respect to past teachers of Shinto Muso-ryu – October 2024. We visited the gravesites, called ‘Ohaka Mairi – お墓参り,of Shiraishi Hanjiro sensei (白石半次郎), Otofuji Ichizo sensei (乙藤市蔵)in Fukuoka, and Shimizu Takaji sensei (清水隆次)in Tokyo. Ensuring their gravesite is clean, offering flowers and food, along with prayers. Jodo has spread throughout Japan, and the world, mainly due to these three teachers in the last 150 years. We feel the connection to these teachers, through our own teachers. This is the chain of Shinto Muso-ryu.
Climbing Mount Homan and visiting ‘Fuchi no Kutsu’ 普池の窟 (Muso Gonnosuke’s cave) – October 2024. Near Kamado Jinja in Dazaifu, Kyushu is Mount Homan. Legend tells that Muso Gonnosuke sequestered himself in this cave for 37 days, and finally had a vision, and message: “know the solar plexus [of your opponent] with a round stick” – “maruki o motte, suigetsu o shire”
丸木を以って水月を知れ
. We spent a day hiking to this cave, to pay our respects to Muso Gonnosuke and previous teachers of Shinto Muso-ryu.
Hono Embu at Muso Gonnosuke Jinja – October 2024. On the grounds of Kamado Jinja in Dazaifu, Kyushu is another small shrine dedicated to the founder of Shinto Muso-ryu Jo, Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi. In 1967 this shrine was built and dedicated by practitioners from all over Japan, but mainly the Kyushu and Tokyo areas. Our teachers Phil Relnick sensei and Nobuko Relnick sensei were present at this 1967 dedication. After properly arranging with the priests in charge of Kamado jinja and the overall shrine grounds, our group participated in a ‘hono embu’ in front of Muso Gonnosuke jinja. As a way to pay our respects to the founder of Shinto Muso-ryu, and of all the teachers that came after him. Up to and including our own teachers. It was a unique and rewarding experience for everyone.
