| Abe-ryū (安倍流) Abe-ryū Kendo (安倍立剣道) | |
|---|---|
| Ko-ryū | |
| Foundation | |
| Founder | Abe Yoritou 安倍頼任 (1624–1693) |
| Date founded | 1667[1] |
| Period founded | Early Edo period |
| Arts taught | |
| Art | Description |
| Kenjutsu | Sword art |
| Ancestor schools | |
| |
Abe ryū (安倍流, Abe-ryū) or Abe-tate-ryū (安倍立流),[2] also known as Abe-ryū Kendō (安倍立剣道, Aberyukendo), is a Japanese sword school founded by Abe Yoritō (安倍頼任) in the 17th century.[3] Abe was a disciple of Taisha-ryū,[4] an offshoot of Shinkage-ryū.[1] He was considered a Kengō (great swordsman) and instructor to the Akizuki-han in Chikuzen Province.
The Abe ryū is known as the first major school of kenjutsu to use the term kendō (剣道) in 1673,[2][5][6] although the characters had also been used earlier in China.[7] Kendō, or ken no michi, "the way of the sword", describes the teachings of his ryū[7] which emphasized mental and moral practice rather than physical techniques.[4] There is no direct connection between the Abe-ryū usage of kendō and the kendo practiced today.[7]
