Research on Jitte (Jutte) and Torinawa — A 1964 First Edition Masterpiece

The Item

• Title: Jitte Torinawa no Kenkyū (十手捕縄の研究) — Research on Jitte and Arresting Ropes.
• Author: Nawa Yumio (名和弓雄, 1912–2006).
• Publisher: Yūzankaku Shuppan (雄山閣出版).
• Date: June 27, 1964 (First Edition, First Printing).
• Format: A5 Hardcover with Slipcase, 240 pages.
• Original Retail Price: ¥1,200 (昭和39年当時定価).

The Rare Inscription & Historical Provenance

This priceless volume is a high-status, direct-lineage Association Copy, featuring a formal, hand-brushed ink dedication and the signature of the author.

The inscription reads: “To Mr. C. Gruzanski, 1965. 10. 25. Yumio Nawa.”

• Direct Lineage & Mentorship: Grandmaster Yumio Nawa served as the primary teacher and combat research mentor to my father, Charles V. Gruzanski, during my father’s extensive tactical training residency in Japan. This signed book stands as definitive physical evidence of direct knowledge transfer from a legendary Japanese master to the pioneer who first introduced these “secret” arts to Western security forces.
• Historical Timing: Signed on October 25, 1965, this book captures the peak era of collaboration between the two men. While Nawa was firmly established as Japan’s foremost authority on Edo-period law enforcement, my father was actively synthesizing the field research that would later become his seminal English text, “Spike and Chain” (1967).

Why This Book is Unique

Terminology Note: The book focuses heavily on the Jitte (often transliterated as Jutte in Western martial arts literature). While the standard modern Japanese pronunciation is “jitte,” author Yumio Nawa meticulously documents the tool’s historical deployment under its traditional names, bridging classical systems with modern manuals.

Comprehensive Inventory: The text outlines over 200 distinct historical weapons, providing exhaustive breakdowns of the Jitte (iron truncheon), Torinawa (arresting rope), and Nagemono (specialized throwing projectiles).

Visual Documentation: The book is highly renowned for its extensive archive of clear black-and-white photographs and historical line drawings, mapping out complex physical restraint tactics, wrapping angles, and rare tools like the sasamata and manriki-kusari.

Expert Foundation: As the 14th Grandmaster of the Masaki-ryū tradition, Nawa utilized this work to document the highly sophisticated, non-lethally engineered methods used by undercover samurai police to maintain peace across the Tokugawa Shogunate.