Naganuma Ryu Troop Movement Training Manual: An Edo Period Samurai Military Arts and Sciences

The samurai were among the greatest warriors in history, and 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.

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. 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 translation.
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 formations to the command of taiko drum, kane war gongs or bells, horagai conch shells, and the use of the saihai baton. Additional notes help the modern reader understand the context of the manuscript and discover how the samurai trained for battle.