Master of Crescent Spear

Hozoin In’ei obtained the name from a branch of Nara’s famous Kofukuji Temple, known as one of the old centers of the Warrior Monk. Nevertheless, he had never seen a fight, and in the fall years he rejected all violence. However, his lifelong obsession with martial arts helped him invent a new weapon that was so versatile and deadly that it had surpassed its creators for four centuries.

Hozoin in’ei in “The Moon Invention” by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1892)

This is my dear new weapon when the moon hits your spear

The son of the warrior monk’ with their help, he mastered the sword, spear and spear.

Then one night, something interesting happened when he practiced his practice Sojutsu (The Art of Spear) Near Salusa Pond. Kofukuji’s monk beheaded 60 samurai and placed his head around the body of water, which is the same pond. If there is anywhere spiritually becoming the birthplace of a new deadly weapon, it is the Salusa Pond.

Legend has it that during his training, the reflection of the crescent moon on the water was seen on Ei, which fused with the reflection of his weapon and gave him the idea of ​​adding crescent blades to his spear. therefore, Like Yari (Scythe), also known as Jumonji Yari (Horizontal Spear), born. It couldn’t be the best timing.

The age of the spear

During the Sengoku period, when the imperial governments lost all their authority and powerful feudal lords to fight for Japan’s rule, Spears became one of the most popular weapons in the country. It all started with the rise of Ashgaru infantry in private armies, where they were thrown at the enemy in large quantities, and thus needed effective weapons that could be mass-produced at cheap prices. The spear and the spear are the obvious solutions.

The samurai quickly followed their example. Of course, they’ve been practicing Sojutsu Long before Ashigaru even existed, but seeing the effectiveness of weapons in large-scale combat inspired them to take their spears out of storage and put them into practice.

Mature spear mania spread quickly in Japan. After the battle, the commander began to identify the seven most valuable samurai and distinguish them into Shichi Hon Yari, Or seven spears. In addition, the first samurai who contacted the enemy is considered to be Ichiban Yari, Or the first spear.

Spears of all seasons

With the progress of the Sengoku period, the use of parkers and guns reduced the cost of cavalry and cavalry. Kama Yari was born on these occasions. Thanks to the horizontal blade, In’ei’s invention is perfect for hooking a samurai and pulling it off the horse, stopping its weapon from the user at a safe distance. It can also make them cut and thrust.

Crescent spears apparently even found use outside the battlefield, where firefighters used them to pull the roof off the house to stop the fire from the town. But this may only happen after the death of ‘ei.

Kama Yari’s versatility is said to be the description found in a poem: “When the spear, when the stab, when the slash is naginata, when you cut down, the sickle. Anyway, it never misses the target.” Indeed, the Swiss Army Knife at the time.

Miyamoto Musashi finally shows up

During the Sengoku period, Kofukuji and Hozoin monks actually didn’t do much. They still remember the 60 beheaded head incidents, which ended with all Nara’s revenge being burned. So, in “Iran” the fascination with weapons is actually more about sports. He never really went out and tested Kama Yari in battle.

More importantly, in 1585, the local master ordered the people of the province to surrender all weapons and stop martial arts training, in’ei obeyed. The only reason for his Sojutsu style,,,,, Called Hozoin-ryu, it did not die there, and then because an influential warrior was to bring some spear lessons to his son, thus resurrecting the temple’s weapons program.

Shortly thereafter, in 1604, the already famous warrior Miyamoto Musashi visited ‘ei to challenge him to fight. But it was too late for him. The monk at the time was 84 years old and his successor, Inshun, was too young to fight in his position, so the honor of fighting Musashi went to the top student at the school: Okuzoin Doei.

Despite using a short wooden sword – a weapon that seemed to be made to lose Kamayari’s sole purpose, Moussasi was able to penetrate the spear’s defense and defeated Okuzoin in two rounds, winning the admiration of the warriors forever. This event later immortalized in Takehiko Inoue’s comics – immortalized in a slightly embellished form Vagabond.

Free from forgetting

Before his death, In’ei ordered the end of all Hozoin-ryu training because he believed that monks should not focus their energy on fighting. His successor fulfilled this wish halfway. They’ve been teaching his Sojutsu style In the monastery for a while.

Eventually, three of the best students were chosen as Edo (modern Tokyo), opening a secular Hozoin-Ryu school that did not teach monks to fight.

The school was successful, and soon Master Hozoin-ryu was hired as a teacher by the Tokugawa Shogunate until the feudal system was abolished, and hozoin-ryu was almost lost again. But it found its own path to survive today and now thrives as a sport. For pacifists, In’ei certainly created a resilient weapon and combat system.

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