Bugō (武号;Japanese:[bɯgoː]) arenicknames used in theJapanese martial arts. The word is composed of the symbols武 (bu, meaning "martial") and号 (gō, meaning "name"). In English, the term is sometimes translated as "martial name" or "warrior name"[1][2] with similar equivalents in other languages.[3]
AsJames George Frazer demonstrated inThe Golden Bough, using someone's real name is ataboo common to many countries throughout history, and to circumvent this taboo,pseudonyms are often used.[4] For example, in Japan, the word fortrue name (諱, imina) is derived from忌み+名 (also imina), meaning "name to be avoided due to death or other taboos": after death, people are given posthumous names (諡, okurina) to avoid "calling" them via their true name.[5]
In China'sSouthern Song period,Neo-Confucianism combined concepts ofreclusion,self-denial and self-effacinghumility fromConfucianism,Taoism andBuddhism, and these thoughts found fertile ground in Japan.[6] The practice of実名敬避俗jitsumei keihizoku, the avoidance of real names, became fashionable and even de rigueur amongst the educated classes--literati (ja:文人) poets, artists and monks, as well as courtiers.[7] In modern Japan, it is common practice to call people by their titles instead of their names (even within the family),[8] and online, Japanese people tend to usehandles rather than personal names (see alsoJapanese names).[9]
During theEdo period, Japanese people, including commoners, used multiple names.[10]Samurai names changed throughout one's lifetime, depending on stage of life (e.g.coming of age), through titles associated with official positions, allegiance, and finally with Buddhistnecronyms after death (q.v.Kaimyō).[11] However, these are not normally referred to as Bugō unless used within a martial arts training setting (dōjō orryūha).
For example,Miyamoto Musashi's various names included 藤原 Fujiwara (lineage), 宮本 Miyamoto (village origin), 新免 Shinmen (name of father's lord), 辨助 Bennosuke (childhood name), 武蔵 Musashi (title; also possibly read "Takezō" as a personal name), 玄信 ("imina", read as Harunobu, Motonobu and/or Genshin), 二天 Niten (mainly in hissuiboku paintings), 二天道楽 Niten Dōraku, etc. People still debate which of these names were really used, in what ways, and how they were read.[12]
As withpatronymic personal names andYagō, it is common for students to include a character from the teacher's Bugō as a mark of respect and to ensure continuity of thelineage.[13] In many cases the name would not be chosen by the practitioner/student, but chosen for them by the teacher - see many examples below.
Similar customs can be found outside Asia: for exampleRichard "the Lionheart",Don Quixote,Carlos the Jackal, or thering names used by modern sports martial artists. In addition, warrior names are found amongst the indigenousKwakwakaʼwakw[14] and forest dwellers of French Guiana.[15]
The Bugei Ryūha Daijiten directory of historical martial arts schools lists Bugō for many within the various lineages.[citation needed]
Thegrandmasters ofShin-no-shin Ishikawa-ryū always included the character源 in their Bugō to indicate their founder's descent from theMinamoto clan.
Ittō-ryū's founderItō Kagehisa used the name "Ittō-sai" (一刀斎).
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū founder Iizasa Ienao used the name "Chōi-sai" (長威斎).
Yagyū Munetoshi of theShinkage-ryū used the name "Sekishū-sai" (石舟斎).
The character斎 (-sai), meaning "study room", seen at the end of the three examples above is common to many martial artists of theEdo period, principally because of theJapanese four-character idiom"bunbu-ryōdō" ("the pen and the sword in accord"), i.e. the link between martial arts and visual arts. Such 斎号 ("-sai names") are even now commonly used as posthumous BuddhistDharma names for artists or doctors.[16] Whether a given individual intended them to be used aspen names or Bugō is not always clear.
Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu's founderTakeda Sōkaku used the Bugō "Minamoto Masayoshi" (源正義).[17]
His student Yamamoto Tomekichi, founder of Mugen Shintō-ryū, was granted one character from Sōkaku's birth name 惣角, and one from his Bugō 源正義, combining them to make Kakuyoshi (角義). He also had a "-sai name", Ittō-sai (一刀斎) - coincidentally the same as that of Itō Kagehisa as seen above.
Furuoka Masaru, founder of Musō-ryū Iaigiri-dō, used the Bugō "Nitō-sai" (二刀斎) - another "-sai name", this time preceded with "two swords" instead of the Ittō-sai "one sword" meaning.
Bujinkan grandmasterMasaaki Hatsumi has used different Bugō at different stages in his life (e.g. Byakuryū, Toratsugu, Tetsuzan, Hisamune),[18] as did his teacher,Toshitsugu Takamatsu (e.g. Kikaku, Chōsui, Mōko no Tora).[19][20] Those training in this art are frequently awarded Bugō when they reach 5thdan (instructor) level. Many of the names include either the character 龍 (ryū, dragon) or 虎 (ko, tiger), both derived from past names of Hatsumi and Takamatsu (e.g. Unryū 雲龍 = Cloud Dragon,[21] Kiryū 輝龍 = Shining Dragon,[22] Hiryū 飛龍 = Flying Dragon,[23] Nanko = Southern Tiger).[24] The combination of the two, 龍虎 (Ryūko) was awarded to Major Joe Vaughan.[25] Most variants include animals (e.g. Shirokuma = Polar Bear,[26] Taka Seigi = Hawk Justice,[27] Isamu Koma 勇駒 = brave horse,[28] Byakko 白狐 = White Fox,[29] Ōzaru = Great Ape).[30]
Former students of Hatsumi similarly use martial names, e.g. Fumio "Unsui" Manaka,[31] Tsunehisa 'Shōtō' Tanemura.[32]Satō Kinbei, a rather controversial figure who claimed also to have studied under Takamatsu, used the Bugō (and "-sai name") "Jūshinsai" (柔心斎) and passed this to his daughter Chizuko, who became the "2nd generation Jūshinsai".[33] Kimura Masaji, another claiming to have studied under Takamatsu, used the Bugō "Masakatsu" (正勝).[34][35] Students ofStephen K. Hayes'sTo-Shin Do are awarded warrior names on promotion to 3rd Dan, e.g. Kevin "Keitoshi" Casey.[36]
TheTenshin ryū website lists five instructors with Bugō, each granted to them by previous masters.
Shiina Kazue, grandmaster ofHokushin Ittō-ryū, uses the Bugō "Naritane" (成胤). The character胤 (-tane) is common to several generations of grandmaster in this school.
Hidemine Jibiki, president of the All Japan Soft-Style Martial Arts Federation uses the Bugō "Buhō" (武峰).[37]
Nakajima Shōhitsu, grandmaster ofShinkage-ryū, used the Bugō "Shōun" (勝雲). Seven of the past eight in the lineage have used the character勝 (meaning "to win") in their names.[38]
In the KidōkanIaidō Dōjō in Osaka, new Dan grades are awarded Bugō such as 不聆庵[39]