08 - Hojo Jutsu




Hojojutsu is the art of bind and tie a prisoner, using a cord. It developed in the Japan feudal, be practiced by the class of the samurai. The word "hojo" is formed by the kanji "ho", that also is pronounced "tori", and signifies "capture, bind"; and "jo", that also is pronounced "nawa", and signifies "cord". The word "jutsu" signifies "art, ability".




To main reason of itself lace someone came of the need of be bound, maintain alive or stop the escape of determined individual. It was the case of the feudal period in the Japan, when the enemy be captured for supply information, or to be utilized in change of someone important that outside captured of another side. There are several other reasons by the which the hojojutsu was utilized. One of them was hold a prisoner it to be presented to some authority, in an eventual judgment by crimes made. Like this, the Japanese are detached for will have developed a sophisticated cord use system for tie persons.

The Hojojutsu was incorporated to the martial knowledge of the bushi and used mainly in the bloody one was of the 'Sengoku Jidai'. The lower class of the officials, call of 'okapiki', learned how basic forms of hojojutsu under the supervision of the officials of the class samurai. The task of tie a prisoner or suspicion be relegated to the lower patents.




With the restoration Meiji (1887), the Hojojutsu fell in disuse. It is important observe that the prisoners were tied of a specific way, indicating his social status. Each approach of marvel indicated the social position that the prisoner occupied and the crime that make. There is, inside the hojojutsu, special techniques for persons with strong or capable arms of will undo the we, so that, specially the person laced was stirred, more was strangled.

The cords in general were deeds of linen, silk or hemp. In the period Edo, colorful cords indicated the crime and the status of the person. By example, the white cord be used for smaller crimes, while the blue cord be used for grave crimes. If the person went someone important, be used the violet cord. If it went of class drops, used itself a black cord.

During that period, to be tied with a cord passing for the neck was extremely humiliating. Some considered worse than the death.




Several kinds of us are utilized, with purposes that go since hold tight, strangle or lace a prisoner to another. The Kaze in the Ryu Bugei I possessed the Hojojutsu in its curricular grille, but other schools also developed that modality, as to Fujiwara Ryu, Chokuji Goden Ryu, Sekieuchi Shin Shin Ryu and many other.

Oneof the approaches of capture a prisoner consisted of be thrown a sort of clasp that knocked down person. That then it be tied in an intricate net of cord, that it paralyzed completely. Today few are the masters that dominate the hojojutsu traditional. The modern police of the Japan still carries with himself cords for contain the prisoners, beyond the handcuffs.