Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō Dōkōkai Leicester, UK — Gyōshinkai (晓辰会)
Welcome to the website of Gyōshinkai (晓辰会), the Leicester practice group for the authentic Japanese sword art of Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō.
Techniques
Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō's signature is an extremely aggressive, straight-in tsuki (thrust) backed by centreline control, with defending and clearing integrated.
The teachings of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū are not limited to kenjutsu (swordsmanship) as was common in many other ryūha from the Edo period, but also battōjutsu (sword drawing, consider iaido), naginatajutsu (glaive fighting), jūjutsu (unarmed techniques) and gekiken (sparring, consider kendō) as a unified whole since the foundation of the school. Furthermore, Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō was and is still famous all over Japan for its technical strength, scientific approach to swordsmanship, and well-structured teaching methods.
One of the greatest benefits of training in Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō is a set of systematic and structured footwork techniques. Such a set of footwork techniques does not exist in many martial arts. Or, key footwork techniques are, unfortunately, kept secret and only taught to a few disciples after years of training and trust, in most Chinese martial arts. However, without solid footwork as a foundation, one cannot even properly begin or truly master any martial art.
Hokushin Ittō-Ryū teaches footwork from the very beginning.
Moreover, the footwork in Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō goes beyond combat, because it also teaches us the optimal method of walking in daily life, yes, walking—the most unnoticed, yet the most significant!
History
Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō is a traditional ancient Japanese martial art (koryū, 古流) founded in the early 1820s during the turbulent years of the late Edo period (1603-1868), by the legendary sword saint, Chiba Shūsaku Taira no Narimasa. During the Bakumatsu era, Hokushin Ittō-Ryū stood at the pinnacle of the San-Dai-Ryū (“Three Great Schools”) alongside Shintō Munen-Ryū and Kyōshin Meichi-Ryū. Alumni such as Sakamoto Ryōma carried forward Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō's ideals, helped bring about the Meiji Restoration, and left a lasting mark on modern Japanese history.
Among all the still extant koryū, Hokushin Ittō-ryū is one of the very few schools that is completely and authentically preserved, as well as still actively engaging in taryū-jiai (duels with swordsmen from other schools).
Modern kendō grew directly out of Hokushin Ittō-Ryū, adopting shinai sparring, protective gear, and teaching methods.
Value
Equally revolutionary was the school’s spirit of inclusiveness: over 200 years ago, Chiba Shūsaku, the founder of Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō, welcomed all four social classes (四民: 侍農工商) and produced celebrated female swordswoman Chiba Sana. In that same spirit, Gyōshinkai today welcomes all individuals regardless of background, gender, age, or experience level. Anyone with sincerity and dedication is invited to joing, train, and grow with us.
Gyōshinkai
Like other koryū, Hokushin Ittō-Ryū Hyōhō branches follow a hierarchical structure. In this system, a dōjō may only be established by a shihan (master). Gyōshinkai is an official training group, a dōkōkai, operating under the famous Chiba Dōjō (千叶道场) and led by an experienced and qualified student Martin (Yánjǔ) Yào, serving as the kaichō (会長). Gyōshinkai has been recognised as a dōkōkai since 2024, operating under the authority of the school's 7th sōke (宗家, the headmaster), Ōtsuka Ryūnosuke Masatomo (大塚龍之介政智), one of the very few professional koryū teachers worldwide, who have dedicated their lives entirely to the preservation of their respective arts. Our training group has been based in Leicester since 2025.
Contact
If you are interested in training, please contact us via email at martinyyao@yahoo.com or by phone at +44 (0)7780 586190.
Thank you very much. We look forward to crossing swords with you :)
Kind regards,
Martin (Yánjǔ) Yào