Combative disciplines that date back to the feudal period of Japan, these arts were designed exclusively for military conflict practiced by the samurai class. Koryu have always been taught through the ryu, a system of teaching and transmission from one generation to the next that changed little in centuries.

There were several thousand martial ryu during Japan’s history, but with the abolishment of feudalism, the majority of these died out. Today, about 300 koryu are extant in Japan. Rarely taught and practiced outside the country, koryu are maintained for their extraordinary historical, cultural, and moral value.