Blog: 2001 Sean Askew Momochi-Den Seminar
On the weekend of June 9, 2001, Sean Askew (Bujinkan Shihan) taught a three-day Momochi-den Seminar at the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo. Attendees from Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, and Pennsylvania participated.
(A streaming video of the seminar is available in the Video Streaming Library.)
Below is an interview article between Sean Askew and Jeff Ochester about the Momochi-den from November 2002:
JO – “You went to Japan for training, but while you were there you went to Sophia University. What was your education in besides Budo while you were there?”
SA – “My schooling was in Japanese History and Language as the major - it’s called Hikaku Bunka-Nihongo Gaka, which translates into English as “comparative culture”, but basically all of your credits are focused on Japanese history, and how that relates to world history, and then Japanese language. Then I minored in Japanese religions.”
JO – “In the United States, usually college is a four year degree, is that the same in Japan?”
SA – “Yes, my major in university was a four year degree. It’s a BA.”
JO – “Where did the Momochi-den history come into your studies? You’ve done two Momochi-Den Taijutsu seminars for our dojo, and quite a few at other dojo – what made you study this?”
SA – “I started that concept in 1995, the year that I was graduating from Sophia University. I was writing a lot of papers on Japanese history, and was doing a lot of my thesis papers on how martial arts evolved in Japan. Not just because of war and armor, although that was a basis for it, but as time went on religious concepts changed. And because of this, there was a religious influence [in martial arts] as well. Most of the wars were heavily influenced by different strains of Buddhism. And that’s how it came along. Oda Nobunaga went into the Iga area, and basically, razed it – burnt it to the ground and killed everybody [see note below]. Those who survived fled. The Momochi-den, being one of them, were the Soke of these bugei. The Koto Ryu, the Gyokko Ryu, the Togakure Ryu, the Kumogakure Ryu, the Gikan Ryu. I say these names now, but in those days there was no such thing. Everything was basically called the Gyokko Ryu Karate Koppojutsu, or Gyokko Hicho Karate Koppojutsu. There were all kinds of names for it – Shitojutsu is another – Koshijutsu too. Koshijutsu really means - we really look at today like “There is the Gyokko Ryu, there is the Kihon Happo, the Shoden, the Chuden, the Okuden, the Sho Ryaku, Chu Ryaku, Ge Ryaku , but these are not very old. [Hatsumi] Sensei has said that the kata are probably no more than 100 years old. The themes are very old – the theme “Koku ” [translated as “empty space”, or “unlimited sky”] for instance, it is a very old concept in our tradition, but the movement that we associate it to today, according to Hatsumi Sensei, were probably put together this way by Takamatsu Sensei or Toda Sensei (Takamatsu’s grandfather). As a matter of fact, Hatsumi Sensei has said that the Kihon Happo of the Bujinkan were put together by Toda Sensei. Because it was a word of mouth tradition, it wasn’t like “okay, here is a form”, it was more like your father would say, “punch at me” and you learned that. You fought, and you would learn positions, timing and movement, without making a big deal out of it. There was no real idea of “kata ” in the kuden (verbal or oral traditions) arts. In koryu arts , there was always the formality, but that really comes from the influence of Zen in those arts. Traditionally, there are no forms.”
Note: The martial arts in Japan were influenced by many things, but most notably the civil wars taking place from the Heian Era (starting in 794) through the Sengoku Jidai (1568-1600). As more clans gained experience in battle, and better armor was created, the tactics of fighting changed as well. By time the Edo period began (1603-1868), most wars had stopped, and the age of forced peace began. Sean is eluding to the “Iga no Ran”, or the Iga revolt. In 1579, Oda Nobunaga attacked the forest and homes of the ninja warriors living in Iga, but was unsuccessful in defeating them. In 1581, Oda attacked a second time, defeating the ninja of Iga, where more than 46,000 men invaded and destroyed most of the Iga Prefecture, and the ninja/shugenja living in it. At the end of this battle, many ninja clans scattered and fled, including portions of the Momochi family – hence the beginning of the Momochi-den.
Who is Sean Askew? Sean Askew (Bujinkan Daishihan) began his training in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu during the late 1980s. His martial arts experience covers Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, Kosen Judo, and shootfighting. He lived in Japan for a total of fourteen years during two separate stays between 1990 and 2008, which allowed him to train directly with Hatsumi Soke and the Bujinkan Daishihan. Sean earned a degree in Japanese Language and History with a minor in Japanese Religions from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan. He also lived and studied in China. Sean holds several high-level teaching licenses (Menkyo Kaiden) in Koto Ryu from Noguchi Sensei. Additionally, he has written several books regarding the history of the ninja. Sean works for a Japanese automotive supplier and runs the Bujinkan Kokusai Renkomyo Dojo.
