When the word swimming is mentioned, many of us will conjure images of blue-hued pools, and the exploits of professional athletes such as Michael Phelps. For others, it will bring to mind the lacquered grimaces of synchronized swimmers, the unusual headgear of water polo stars or the tightly wrapped wrists of competitive divers. While completely understandable, this is a very limited view of natation arts, one that has been completely hijacked by the modern Olympics.

The strokes that we now watch from stands and seats are the direct result of the influence of this sporting phenomenon, only one hundred twenty-four years old. Indeed, one of the four core strokes of the Olympics itself, the butterfly, was only introduced in the 1930’s and was, surprisingly, originally performed with breast-stroke legs. However, without the tranquility and clear markings of a modern swimming pool, strokes such as the crawl or butterfly are at best ineffective, at worst simply dangerous.

What most people practice as swimming then is the offspring of a completely unnatural environment, devoid of current, waves, salt, lack of visibility, unsure depth and wildlife (the writer himself having had a narrow scrape with a protective swan whilst swimming in London’s Hyde Park). The Japanese classical swimming arts are the polar opposite–they are highly practical strokes and strategies, systematically designed to give the practitioner mastery of the natural element. In essence, to give the individual the same confidence they have on land, in the water. It is no coincidence that the final award given to a master of the Kobori-ryu is the Bosui (忘水) scroll, which literally means ‘to have forgotten that one is in the water.’

What we describe now as Nihon Eiho, has been referred to by various names through the ages: suijutsu, suiren, tosuijutsu, yueijutsu, yueiho and simply oyogi. References for swimming in Japan go back to the times of the Emperor Jimmu (circa 660 BCE), and the tales of the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki, but it is the navy, in particular the Mishima Suigun (active in the early part of the 16th century), that is thought most likely to be the origin of focused attention on swimming techniques. However, no contemporary records exist of the actual techniques taught–as with most koryu arts, it took the relative peace of the Edo period to allow these methods to blossom into traditions with solid curricula.

The majority of these swimming traditions were formulated in the warmer southern regions of Japan, particularly Kyushu and the Wakayama area, and flourished in clans that were strongly martial, often with daimyo with personal interests in the martial arts. Many daimyo were practitioners, and shogun themselves, such as Tokugawa Ieyasu and Iemitsu, were also known to be avid swimmers.

Thirteen traditions have made it down to the modern day: Shinto-ryu, Suinin-ryu, Kobori-ryu, Suifu-ryu, Mukai-ryu, Suifu-ryu Ohta-ha, Yamauchi-ryu, Kankai-ryu, Shinden-ryu, Koike-ryu, Iwakura-ryu, Nojima-ryu, and Shume Shinden-ryu (the latter of which was only recognized as being different enough from Shinden-ryu in 2014). All of these ryuha are recognized, supported and promoted by the Nihon Eiho Committee, which is in turn part of the Japan Amateur Swimming Association. A simple comparison for which can easily be made with the All Japan Iaido Federation, part of the All Japan Kendo Federation.

Each tradition maintains their own forms of recognition, often in the form of menjo and menkyo as per kenjutsu traditions, while practitioners also take exams under the auspices of the committee. However, there are no seitei (synthesized) forms in the latter, in the manner of some other martial arts organizations, that have created such forms to be used as a shared set of movements. Each practitioner performs only techniques from their own curriculum to receive recognition, putting a considerable degree of pressure on the judges who must be familiar with disparate techniques from each ryuha.

The Nihon Eiho committee oversees two major events a year, the Nihon Eiho Kenkyukai, this year celebrating its 66th gathering and the Nihon Eiho Taikai, holding its 63rd event. The former takes one of the extant traditions, in turn, as its theme and provides a platform for the traditions to present the latest research into their origins and curriculum, both academically and physically.

The Nihon Eiho Taikai features time trials, individual and team performance competitions, as well as recognition in the form of four levels of ranking. Specifically, these are yushi 游士 (recognized swimmer), renshi 練士 (trained swimmer), kyoshi 教士 (instructor) and hanshi 範士 (model). In 2104, due to the large numbers of aged practitioners who found it difficult to reach the physical requirements of these ranks, a different system to recognize their efforts was created. Specifically, these stages of recognition are called, shusui 修水 (trained in the water), wasui 和水 (harmonized with the water, nyosui 如水 (Understanding the essence of water).

Each of the traditions’ teachings can be placed under four headings

Approach, entry and exit

This would refer not only to the reading of currents and how to enter the water so as to avoid shocking the body or being wrong footed by a current, but also how to psychologically prepare oneself and one’s group for the swimming objective (distance, infiltration, maintenance operation etc.).

Practical swimming: Prone / Side / Standing

Basic swimming techniques are focused on giving the individual confidence in the water and, most importantly, an understanding of buoyancy. One begins with prone strokes that allow the practitioner to hold their head out of the water, a major difference to modern strokes. Indeed, the Kobori-ryu contains no techniques that take the practitioners eyes away from the objective.

The strokes are then broken into methods of crossing water, whether with, against or across currents, those for speed or those to conserve energy. It is no surprise that many of the strokes taught by military special forces look extremely similar to those practiced for centuries in Japan.

Many of these techniques are performed with the body held in a side position and elderly people can be seen performing them today in Japanese pools, such was their prevalence in the education system some decades past. They are extremely efficient, and an advanced practitioner can swim 25 meters with only four or five strokes.

Consistent across all of these techniques is that motion is created through the movement of the hips and legs. The arms are used to assist buoyancy or make directional changes. The head is also held at a consistent angle, negating the bobbing or rotating actions of the head performed by modern athletes. This means that there is no requirement to adjust one’s balance once the objective has been reached.

In addition to these distance strokes, water treading techniques are also practiced. These function both as ways to balance out the body’s musculature, as well as providing a base in the water from which to perform tasks, such as cleaning ships, but also to perform more martial functions such as swordsmanship or archery.

An excellent introduction to the practical swimming techniques of the Suifu-ryu, performed by students of Keio University

Performance swimming

In addition to practical techniques, more aesthetically impressive and demanding techniques were developed. These were used to impress guests or the daimyo who supported the tradition itself, but also acted as a way to practice some of the most essential movements of the traditions. Carrying heavy objects, swimming in armor or the swinging of enormous signal flags are representative of this kind of performance technique.

A news feature on Nihon Eiho, focusing on katchu gozen oyogi of the Kobori-ryu, but also featuring footage of other performance techniques.

Advanced teachings: Strategy / Resuscitation / Philosophies

Many traditions impart associated teachings, such as boat handling and naval formations as well as techniques for rescuing the drowning (punching the victim on arrival, to avoid any chance of their frantic movements endangering the rescuer, and pulling them to safety by their hair, perhaps not as welcome in this PC age as then, but highly effective nonetheless).

The techniques of Nihon Eiho are eminently practical and liberating. From personal experience the ability to swim whilst the head is held out of the water brings a totally new understanding and enjoyment of the environment, as well as great affinity to it. Unlike professional athletes, Nihon Eiho practitioners do not fight their way through water, they leverage it and gain energy from it. This kind of experience has received much attention in the west in recent years through the ‘Wild Swim’ boom.

Swimming in natural locations also brings exceptional respect for water, something life guards at stations around the world can understand immediately. Thousands of people lose their lives every year when they expect rivers and the sea to be the same as their local pool. Practitioners of Nihon Eiho learn how to judge the movement of water and its depth from observation and its feel upon entry, allowing them to perform the right technique for the circumstances.

I was once asked what martial art was the most practical I had ever experienced. Back then, I would have answered Filipino Kalis Illustrisimo that I had been privileged to train in Manila; now I would have no hesitation to say Nihon Eiho.

An English language program from NHK, featuring a general introduction to Nihon Eiho

About the author

Antony Cundy is a student of Kobori-ryu Tosuijutsu. He is the only non-Japanese to have been given a teaching license in Nihon Eiho, presently holding the Souden Mokuroku License from the Kobori-ryu and the Kyoshi license from the Nihon Eiho Committee.

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