Takayama Masakichi, the Man Who Was Responsible for the "Takayama-Tō"

[ghp95134]

Takayama Masakichi
高山 政吉 (たかやま まさきち)

Takayama Masakichi (June 19, 1899-June 1, 1972) was a Japanese martial artist. During the war, he became a member of the Imperial Japanese Navy and studied sword techniques and teaching methods of the land and navy, and opened the Takayama style of swordsmanship.

He served in the Navy as a martial arts master of the Maizuru Prefectural Government, and in addition to performing cuttings on everything, he himself went to the battlefield and studied and presented how to handle military swords in melee combat. Takayama wanted to join the navy but was refused admitance by the Legal Affairs Bureau, he remained in civil service until the end of the war. On September 30, 1943 (Showa 18), his Ministry of Navy civil service rank became the equivalent of rear admiral/general.

Table of Contents

1 Career
1.1 Background, Kendo training
1.2 Opportunities for melee sword art research
1.3 Participate in the battlefield
1.4 Research writing, presentations and achievements
1.5 Postwar Downfall and Martial Arts Ambition


Career
Upbringing, Kendo Training

Takayama Masakichi was born in Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture. From an early age, he studied kendo from Ushijima Seishiro, Matsuishi Keisuke, and Nakano Sosuke; later he went to Kyoto in 1923 (Taisho 12) to study under Naito Takaharu who was a kendo hanshi [master]. In 1926 (Taisho 15), he was awarded the Kendo Seirenshō License by the Dai Nippon Butokai. [ed. note. 精錬証 Seirenshō; the forerunner of the 錬士 renshi license]
In 1934 (Showa 9), he was promoted to a kendo teacher [教士 kyoshi].

Opportunity for Melee Sword Art Research
[白兵抜刀術 Combat Swordsmanship]

In June 1925 (Taisho 14), Takayama accompanied the Dai Nippon Budokukai on a martial arts tour of Korea and Manchuria, and toured Ryushun and Higashi-Kinkanzan Battery, fierce battlefields of the Russo-Japanese War. Takayama later stated that this was the start of his research.

Takayama argued that one-handed saber-style swords should be changed to Japanese swords because the sabers are not suitable for battle. Also, soldiers who fought on the front line at the time said that when the enemy was wielding a dadao (太刀) sword, it was difficult to approach them with bayonet. Within the military it was thought that when the enemy's body was pierced with a bayonet, the flesh would cling to it and tighten around the bayonet blade, so you had to use force and pull it out quickly. To refute this line of thought, Takayama introduced an experiment using pigs and dogs, but he was laughed at; he decided to finally test his theory on the battlefield.

Participation in Battle

On September 18, 1931 (Showa 6), when the Manchuria Incident occurred on the occasion of the Lake Yanagijo Incident, Takayama thought it was a chance try his own theory in practice. He went to the Naval School of Engineering where he worked and requested permission to join, but was told it is not permitted to request military service while at the Naval School of Engineering or port area where he worked.

Later, on August 9, 1937, when the Second Shanghai Incident happened, Takayama requested permission to serve and was granted permission once, but it was later revoked. He finally departed under the personal orders of Admiral Suetsugu Nobumasa and followed the 16th Division, which was heading to the Battle of Nanjing at that time.

On December 10 of the same year, Takayama joined the division on the outskirts of Nanjing, where he met with the commander, Lieutenant General Nakajima Kesago. At noon on December 13th, the LTG Nakajima asked him to try test-cutting of seven POWs, and he "cut off the heads wonderfully." On December 29, Takayama wrote a draft of 白兵抜刀術 [Close Quarters Sword Techniques] at Chiang Kai-shek's official residence in Nanjing Castle, and in February 1938 he completed his draft.

Later, Takayama served in the Spring and Autumn Operations of 1938 (徐州作戦 "Operation Xuzhou" in May, and 武漢三鎮作戦 "Operation Three Wuhan Towns" in October).

Research Writing, Presentation, and Achievements

In November 1939 (Showa 14), at the order of the 3rd Fleet in the Shanghai area (Vice Admiral Kiyoshi Hasegawa, flagship "Izumo"), the battojutsu sword research was completed at the Shanghai Special Land Force headquarters. [ed. note. Battojutsu: 抜刀術 i.e., techniques to extract and immediately deploy the sword] After that, Takayama returned to Japan and published "Budo Reform Findings" in a magazine in 1940. In addition, from this time onward, he developed the "Takayama sword" based on the lessons learned from the Chinese incident, and instructed Seki swordsmiths in Seki City, Gifu prefecture, how to make the sword.

After that, Takayama gave lectures at the Maizuru Navy Basic Training Group and the Naval Academy, and demonstrated the actual skills; the Naval School of Engineering adopted Takayama's battojutsu techniques. Furthermore, on May 5, 1940 (Showa 15), the sword techniques were released by the Maizuru Navy under the popular name, "高山流白兵抜刀術" [Takayama Ryu Hakuritsu Battojutsu] at the Dai Nippon Butokukai Kyoto National Convention.
[ed. note: 高山流白兵抜刀術 Takayama Style of Mele Sword Techniques]

At the same time, Takayama's sword theory was considered by the Army to see whether or not it should be adopted, and on May 19 the recommendation was examined by General Matsui Ishine, Lieutenant General Nakashima Imahara, Lieutenant General Ishihara, and the Army Toyama School superintendant Lieutenant General Tanaka Hisakazu. On September 20, based on the report of kendo master Nakayama Hakudo, Takayama's sword method was deliberated and adopted at the Army Minister's official residence by Dai Nippon Butoku Kai Chairman General Hayashi Senjuro, General Ishii Matsune, and Toyama Academy Superintendant Lieutenant General Tanaka Hisakazu.

On October 18 of the same year, the adoption was approved by the Minister of the Army, Hideki Tojo, and Takayama was informed by the Army that he would be treated as a lifelong instructor. In November, the Toyama Military Academy issued the textbook 軍刀の操法及試斬 [Military Sword Handling Techniques and Test-cutting] which was disseminated to officers and others.

In 1941 Takayama traveled to Yokosuka after receiving a call from the Navy Yokosuka Artillery School's Physical Education Branch director Colonel Onitsuka Tetsuo (Navy basic training group number 47), and on June 16th, 海軍武道教範 [Navy Martial Arts Manual] was ordered created.

1942 (Showa 17), "Reform of Combat and Martial Arts" was announced and Takayama gave a lecture at the National Gymnasium. The lecture record was published in the magazine "Shinbudo" and published on February 1, the same year.

In 1943 (Showa 18), Takayama instructed 24 instructors and teachers of the Physical Education Department. He also elucidated about the head-cutting [kaishaku] during the seppuku [hara kiri] ceremony. His lecture was well received by the members as being interesting in theory and practical skills; they called Takayama "Takayama Musashi".

On 18 October 1943 the "Navy Martial Arts Manual" was established, which was adopted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare as a "National Defense Martial Arts" in response to a request for emergency situations.

In August, through negotiations between the Navy and the Butokukai, Takayama Masayoshi was awarded 9th dan in Kendo, Iai, and Bayonet Fencing. On January 19, 1944 the decision was made to disseminate the Takayama sword method by teaching it in four different parts of the country: (1) in the Northeast Area at the Tokyo Higher Normal School dojo; (2) in the Middle Area at the Kyoto Butokuden, (3) in the West & Shikoku Areas by the Kure Navy Basic Training Group, and (4) in the Kyushu Area by the Sasebo Navy Basic Training Group. To accomplish this task, Takayama was further awarded a 10th Dan by the Butokukai in Kendo, Iai, and Bayonet fencing.

Postwar Downfall and Martial Arts Ambition

On August 15, 1945, Takayama ended the war while teaching sword-cutting techniques with the Nara Air Corps. He decided to commit suicide at the same time because his own Takayama sword method was lost to the war along with the Empire of Japan, however, he was stopped by Colonel Fujisaki, the former Chief of Education at the Navy School of Engineering. Takayama decided to leave the Navy martial arts tradition for future generations. After the war, he hid in Mt. Kuzumi in Kyushu, and remained in obscurity for 25 years. [Editor Note: Takayama was classified as a Class B War Criminal for testing his sword techniques on over 20 Chinese Prisoners. Cf: Nakamura Taizaburo's books.]

Although Takayama lived in seclusion in Kuzumi, his desire for martial arts did not diminish, and he continued to write. On July 15, 1970 he issued "A Study of Kendo In the Land-Sea-Air Self-Defense Forces." At this time, the construction of the "Budo Sports University" building had begun and the ridge-pole of the building was raised; the building was half-way completed.

On 3 November 1970 Takayama completed writing Nippon Martial Arts System. This was originally published in 1941 (Showa 16) when he was ordered to create Navy Martial Arts Manual; Nippon Martial Arts System is a revised post-war version.

Takayama did not go out into the world [become famous] after the war, his 73-year life of dedication to martial arts ended on June 1, 1972 at Kusumi.

Source Japanese Wiki

[ghp95134]

The man:
a. thrust
b. disengage [step rearward]
c. prepare overhead cut
d. downward vertical cut
e. resheathing

[Bruce Pennington]

This should be pinned. It will be linked/referenced many times in the future.

Thanks Guy!

Would it detract from the thread to ask for an article on the Takayama Prison swords? I get many questions about it and I can’t find much on the operation. The last guy that asked had a Takayama-to (shorter blade, fat kissaki) and said it was made at the prison.

[ghp95134]

...Would it detract from the thread to ask for an article on the Takayama Prison swords?...

Thanks Bruce. You know, I have absolutely zero information on the Takayama prison. I read years (decades?) ago that the warder was an amature swordsmith, but that's all I remember.

-- Guy

[Bruce Pennington]

Also, twice the article mentions "Maizuru Marine Corps" and "Marine class of 47" - I was told the Japanese did not have Marines during WWII.

[ghp95134]

Bruce,

Perhaps a mistranslation on my part? The article states 海兵団 Kaiheidan; I translate that as Navy Soldier Group — Marines????

[Nick Komiya]

See here Translation Request IJN Label stamp markings

[ghp95134]

See here Translation Request IJN Label stamp markings

Basic training???

[Nick Komiya]

Navy's Boot Camp

[ghp95134]

Navy's Boot Camp

Thanks! I'll make the correction in the article.

-- Guy

EDIT: RATS! Can't edit anymore .... is there an administrator here who can change the FOUR [thanks MAP] "Marines" references to "Navy Basic Training Group"???