The Naganuma Ryu Samurai Troop Movement Training Manual.

Edo Period Samurai Training Manual Translated

One of my pandemic lockdown projects was to translate one of the Edo period samurai training manuals from my collection, in particular 長沼流足並調練雛形, Naganuma Ryu Ashinami Chōren Hinagata, or, The Naganuma Ryu Samurai Troop Movement Training Manual, an Edo Period Samurai Military Arts and Sciences Textbook. My friend Suguru Maruoka specialises in the reading of old texts, and so he transcribed the original text, we then translated it into modern day Japanese, and then not only translated that into English, but researched extra background information on the school and those involved with it to produce this book.

The original copy of the Naganuma Ryu Ashinami Chōren Hinagata, with the author, or owners’ name redacted on the cover. Black light and digital methods were used to reveal the name, and help date the copy. Photo © Chris Glenn

The Naganuma Ryu was an extremely prestigious Edo period school of samurai military arts and sciences created by Naganuma Tansai. The school found fame as one of the foremost martial art disciplines, adopted by some of the most influential feudal domains across Japan. One of the earliest domains to incorporate the Naganuma system was the Owari clan of Nagoya. Naganuma Ryu also flourished in the Kuroda clan’s Fukuoka Domain, (now Fukuoka Pref., Kyushu), Tsu Domain (Mie Pref.) the Sendai Domain (Miyagi Pref.), and the Aizu Domain (Fukushima Pref.), where the Naganuma Ryu arts were taught at the Aizu clan’s Nisshinkan school until the late Edo period Boshin War (1868 – 69).

There were said to have been over 1,000 disciples of the Naganuma Ryu, however only ten men were awarded Menkyo Kaiden, 免許皆伝 or “License of Total Transmission”, the highest level of competence allowing the receiver the right to fully transmit the discipline.

This book is a page by page translation and explanation of an undated handwritten Edo period (1603 – 1868) samurai military training manuscript of the Naganuma Ryu Ashinami Chōren Hinagata, or Naganuma Ryu Troop Movement Training Manual.

The original text was hand written in a clear and educated sosho cursive style and features finely drawn, colored illustrations and black and white diagrams of troop field positions and footwork.

Instructions on footwork and on field troop positions. Photo © Chris Glenn

Full color photographs of the entire manual itself allows the reader and researcher to see the original pages of text and follow it in modern Japanese and full English translations.

This particular work, considered just part of the now extinct Naganuma Ryu’s numerous combat strategy manuals, examines small unit tactics, including instruction on troop movements and the battle formations to be assumed on the command of taiko drums, kane war gongs or bells, horagai conch shells, and the use of the tassled saihai baton.

Handwritten and drawn instructions for the use of the saihai, a tasseled baton used to direct troops in battle. Photo © Chris Glenn

Like books such as Miyamoto Musashi’s Go Rin no Sho, details are not written explicitly. This is to prevent outsiders from discovering the schools secrets, most of which were taught verbally, and expected to be kept secret. Additional notes help the modern reader understand the context of the manuscript and discover how the samurai trained for battle.

The book is available as a Kindle download. Hope you enjoy it.

https://www.amazon.com/Naganu.../dp/B08FMHPQJ3/ref=sr_1_1...