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is one of the oldest Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese schools of swordsmanship (kenjutsu
Kenjutsu

, meaning "the art of the sword", is a term for classical Japanese sword arts , in particular those which predate the Meiji Restoration. It is sometimes used more generally to describe any martial art which makes use of the Japanese sword....
). Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna

Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Fujiwara-no-Nobutsuna was a samurai in Japan?s Sengoku Period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryu school of combat....
, who called the school Shinkage-ryu
Shinkage-ryu

meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna in the mid-sixteenth century....
. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyu Muneyoshi
Yagyu Muneyoshi

Yagyu Sekishusai Taira-no-Munetoshi was a samurai in Japan?s Sengoku period famous for mastering the Shinkage-ryu school of combat, and introducing it to the Tokugawa clan....
, who added his own name to the school. Today, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu remains one of the most renowned schools of Japanese swordsmanship. Its name roughly means Yagyu New Shadow School.

he time of its founding by Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, the superiority of a school was determined through duel
Duel

As practiced from the 11th to 20th centuries in Western societies, a duel is an engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with their combat doctrines....
s.






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is one of the oldest Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
ese schools of swordsmanship (kenjutsu
Kenjutsu

, meaning "the art of the sword", is a term for classical Japanese sword arts , in particular those which predate the Meiji Restoration. It is sometimes used more generally to describe any martial art which makes use of the Japanese sword....
). Its primary founder was Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Kamiizumi Nobutsuna

Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Fujiwara-no-Nobutsuna was a samurai in Japan?s Sengoku Period famous for creating the Shinkage-ryu school of combat....
, who called the school Shinkage-ryu
Shinkage-ryu

meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna in the mid-sixteenth century....
. In 1565, Nobutsuna bequeathed the school to his greatest student, Yagyu Muneyoshi
Yagyu Muneyoshi

Yagyu Sekishusai Taira-no-Munetoshi was a samurai in Japan?s Sengoku period famous for mastering the Shinkage-ryu school of combat, and introducing it to the Tokugawa clan....
, who added his own name to the school. Today, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu remains one of the most renowned schools of Japanese swordsmanship. Its name roughly means Yagyu New Shadow School.

Feudal Japan and birth of the Shinkage school

At the time of its founding by Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, the superiority of a school was determined through duel
Duel

As practiced from the 11th to 20th centuries in Western societies, a duel is an engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with their combat doctrines....
s. Basic postures were distinct; a very low stance was maintained, in the interest of protecting the body. The idea of winning at any price was deeply ingrained in the schools of the time, as were the concepts of Isatsu-no-tachi (the school of the sword that kills only once) or Ichi-no-tachi (the sword of only one cut). A great deal of importance was placed on the technology of sword
Sword

A sword is a long, edged piece of metal, used as a cutting, thrusting, and clubbing weapon in many civilizations throughout the world. The word sword comes from the Old English language wikt:sweord, cognate to Old High German swert, Middle Dutch swaert, Old Norse sver? Old Frisian and Old Saxon swerd and Dutch langua...
s and armor themselves. However, with the arrival of muskets (arquebus
Arquebus

The arquebus is an early Muzzle -loaded firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries. In distinction from its predecessor, the hand cannon, it has a matchlock....
es) and other elements of modern warfare, these traditionally invincible techniques were no longer sufficient.

Nobutsuna, with the creation of the Shinkage-ryu
Shinkage-ryu

meaning "new shadow school", is a traditional school of Japanese martial arts, founded by Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna in the mid-sixteenth century....
 (New Shadow School), changed basic postures by raising them slightly. He also changed the manner of holding the sword. The swords themselves were changed; in an era in which a sword could be two meters, Nobutsuna shortened the length of the blade. Most importantly, he perfected a new method of teaching to make the study and practice of the Way of the Sword
Kendo

, meaning ":wiktionary:? of the :wiktionary:?", is a modern Japanese people martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or Kenjutsu....
 easier. Before Nobutsuna, practice was carried out with either a very hard wooden sword (a bokken
Bokken

A bokken , is a wooden Japanese sword used for training, usually the size and shape of a katana, but sometimes shaped like other swords, such as the wakizashi and tanto....
) or one with a dulled steel blade. The practitioners had to therefore stop their blows during teaching to avoid hurting themselves or their students. It is claimed that Kamiizumi created the practice sword called the shinai
Shinai

is a weapon used for practice and competiton in kendo and are meant to represent a Japanese sword. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different kanji....
 (bamboo sword), which is made of strips of bamboo
Bamboo

The bamboos are a group of woody perennial plant evergreen plants in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae....
 inside a leather pouch. The shinai allowed striking with quickness, fluidity and potency without causing serious or disabling wounds as one would with the wooden sword, and without having to stop the attacks.

Nobutsuna, sensing the changes in the ways of war at the time, re-thought his methods of martial arts (bujutsu), and began to advocate the utilization of light armour during training. The face of war was being transformed, and as it was necessary to move faster than before. Nobutsuna perfected a style of sword fighting that was freer in its movements, more sparse, more restrained, more adapted to brawls and to duels, than to the fields of large scale battles. Nobutsuna created the ancient schools of sword known as satsujin-ken, or the killing swords. These are characterized by postures and offensive techniques, designed to win at any price. He wanted to establish tatsujin-ken—the sword of an accomplished man, an Expert. The art of the sword of the Shinkage school takes into account and adapts to the opponent's weaponry, contrary to the former sword styles which taught to impose dominance without taking into account the opponent.

The strategy of the Shinkage school takes into account the geography of the terrain, the hour of battle, and other parameters. For instance, to utilize the technique named empi, one must understand a deeper, secret level (gokui) of battle. In empi, (meaning, the "Swallow takes Flight") one uses a technique of spearing an opponent with a thrown sword. To do this, one learns to use the sword not only to defend his position but to also have the "power of adaptability" in facing different individuals, much as a captain must consider the winds and change sails in order to travel in the best direction to reach his objective. It is similar to a hunting hawk, which must constantly reconsider the best trajectory in which to strike effectively. Like the raptor, it is necessary to be able to anticipate, to be able to assess and definitively act. "Move with the mind, in order to move with the body" is one of the central tenets of the school. Another sword style is called Katsujin-ken (the One who preserves Life, the Sword of the Victor). Katsujin-ken teaches that, if one's sword does not stop the movement of the enemy, then one may try to fit to the opponent's rhythm, thus entering into the mind of the adversary to find his weakness.

Kamiizumi Nobutsuna's legacy

The feudal lord Kamiizumi Nobutsuna led a simple life. Although he was not a monk
Monk

A Monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, the unconditioning of mind and body in favor of the realization of one's true nature, and does so living either alone or with any number of like-minded people, whilst always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose....
, he kept his head shaved, which was a sign of renunciation of the everyday world. He did not have children and left all his property to his student Yagyu Muneyoshi
Yagyu Muneyoshi

Yagyu Sekishusai Taira-no-Munetoshi was a samurai in Japan?s Sengoku period famous for mastering the Shinkage-ryu school of combat, and introducing it to the Tokugawa clan....
. Muneyoshi had gained his own renown as a remarkable swordsman even before Nobutsuna's passing. He began development of the muto techniques of using bare hands against the sword and it is he who appended the name of his family (Yagyu) onto the name of the school, founding the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu. His son, Yagyu Munenori
Yagyu Munenori

was a Japanese swordsman, founder of the Edo branch of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, which he learned from his father Yagyu Muneyoshi. This was one of two official sword styles patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate ....
, later perfected the techniques of muto, and also created the techniques of iaijutsu
Iaijutsu

, often translated roughly as the "art of mental presence and immediate reaction", is the Japanese martial art of drawing the sword. At least one author makes the distinction that, strictly speaking, iaijutsu consists exclusively of the portion of combat where the sword is drawn, and that any further techniques are technically classified as kenju...
.

Upon Muneyoshi's death in 1606, the school split into two. His grandson Yagyu Toshiyoshi took command of the Owari
Owari Province

was an old Provinces of Japan of Japan that is now the western half of present day Aichi Prefecture, including much of modern Nagoya. Its abbreviation is Bishu ....
 branch, while Munenori became the head of the Edo
Edo

, literally: Headlands and bays-door, "estuary", ), also Romanization of Japanese as Yedo or Yeddo, is the Geographical renaming of the Capital of Japan Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868....
 branch. Takenaga Hayato the founder of the Yagyu Shingan Ryu was a student and received the gokui of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu under Yagyu Munenori. The Edo branch, although no longer headed by a descendant of the Yagyu family, continues to be practiced by a small, faithful group of practitioners in Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
 under the direction of Sono Seigo. The Owari branch of Nagoya continues under the guidance of a direct descendant
Kinship

Kinship is a relationship between any entities that share a genealogical origin, through either biological, cultural, or historical descent. In anthropology the kinship system includes people related both by descent and marriage, while usage in biology includes descent and mating....
 of Muneyoshi, Yagyu Nobuharu Toshimichi.

Munenori's son, Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi
Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi

Yagyu Jubei Mitsuyoshi is one of the most famous and romanticized of the samurai in Japan's feudal era.Very little is known about the actual life of Yagyu Mitsuyoshi as the official records of his life are very sparse....
, contributed greatly, in turn, to the school. He was not only a master of sword, but also a strategist, an expert of jujutsu
Jujutsu

, literally meaning the "jutsu of :wikt:?", or "way of yielding" is a collective name for Japanese Japanese martial art styles including unarmed and armed techniques....
-yawara, ninjutsu
Ninjutsu

sometimes used interchangeably with the term is the martial art, strategy, and tactics of unconventional warfare and guerrilla warfare practiced by the shinobi ....
, kempo
KEMPO

KEPCO is a acronym that may refer to:* Korea Electric Power Corporation, a South Korean power provider* Kansai Electric Power Company, a Japanese power provider specializing in the Kansai region...
 and an ascetic who went on musha-shugyo, the warrior's ascetic journey. His sword technique was named chie-no-ken (sword of Transcendent Wisdom).

The one who codified the techniques of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu into its traditional form was the fifth soke (heir), Yagyu Toshikane. He codified all the basic instruction (kihon-waza) into a document known as Hassei-ho or more commonly Sei-ho. These series were responsible for making understood the essential points of forms (kata
Kata

is a Japanese language word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. Kata are used in many traditional Japanese arts such as theater forms like kabuki and schools of tea ceremony , but are most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts....
) that had been transmitted by Munenori. Before the advent of modern kendo, he created a form of free fighting in teaching with shinai.

Nakai Masakatsu (?? ??, fl.
Floruit

Floruit refers to a period of time during which a person, school, movement or even species was active or flourishing. It is the third person, singular, perfect tense, indicative, active form of the Latin verb florere ? "to flourish"....
 1891–1908), a teacher whose own teachers had been proficient in Shinkage Ryu and Yagyu Shingan Ryu Taijutsu, taught these arts to Morihei Ueshiba
Morihei Ueshiba

Morihei Ueshiba was a famous martial artist and founder of the Japanese martial art of aikido. He is often referred to as , meaning "founder", or Sensei, "Great Teacher"....
 (the founder of aikido
Aikido

is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying Qi" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker fro...
) from 1903 to 1908, in his dojo in Sakai
Sakai, Osaka

is a cities of Japan in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It has been one of the largest and most important seaports of Japan since the Medieval era.Following the February 2005 annexation of Mihara, Osaka in Minamikawachi District, Osaka, the city has grown further and is now the fourteenth most populous city in Japan, with 833,414 residents as of 2007-0...
 near Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
. At the time, Ueshiba was serving in the 61st Regiment in the Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army

The Imperial Japanese Army , or literally Army of Empire of Greater Japan was the official ground based armed force of Imperial Japan from 1867 to 1945....
. In 1908 Masakatsu gave Ueshiba a mid level license in Gotoha Yagyu Shingan Ryu Taijutsu. Yagyu Shinkage-Ryu was also taught in the United States from 1981-1988 by Yagyu Hideki.

Lineage

Mainline
  • Founder - Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Fujiwara Nobutsuna
  • 2nd Headmaster- Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Munetoshi (Sekishusai)
  • 3rd - Yagyu Hyogonosuke Taira Toshitoshi (Jounsai)
  • 4th - Owari Gondainagon Minamoto Yoshinao
  • 5th - Yagyu Hyogo Taira Toshikane (Renya)
  • 6th - Owari Gondainagon Minamoto Mitsutomo
  • 7th - Owari Gonchunagon Minamoto Tsunanobu
  • 8th - Yagyu Hyogo Taira Toshinobu
  • 9th - Owari Gonchunagon Minamoto Yoshimichi
  • 10th - Yagyu Rokurobe Taira Toshitomo
  • 11th - Yagyu Hyosuke Taira Toshiharu
  • 12th - Owari Saishochujo Minamoto Haruyuki
  • 13th - Yagyu Mataemon Taira Toshiyuki
  • 14th - Yagyu Hyosuke Taira Toshihisa
  • 15th - Owari Gondainagon Minamoto Naritomo
  • 16th - Yagyu Shinroku Taira Toshimasa
  • 17th - Yagyu Chujiro Taira Toshishige
  • 18th - Owari Gondainagon Minamoto Yoshikumi
  • 19th - Yagyu Sangoro Taira Toshichika
  • 20th - Yagyu Kinji Taira Toshinaga
  • 21st - Yagyu Nobuharu Taira Toshimichi
  • 22nd - Yagyu Koichi Taira Toshinobu


Edo line
  • 1st - Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Munenori
  • 2nd - Yagyu Jubei Taira Mitsuyoshi
  • 3rd - Yagyu Hida-no-kami Taira Munefuyu
  • 4th - Yagyu Tsushima-no-kami Taira Muneari
  • 5th - Yagyu Bizen-no-kami Taira Toshikata
  • 6th - Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Toshihira
  • 7th - Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Toshimine
  • 8th - Yagyu Noto-no-kami Taira Toshinori
  • 9th - Yagyu Hida-no-kami Taira Toshitoyo
  • 10th - Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Toshiakira
  • 11th - Yagyu Hida-no-kami Taira Toshiyoshi
  • 12th - Yagyu Tsushima-no-kami Taira Toshimune
  • 13th - Yagyu Tajima-no-kami Taira Toshimasu
  • 14th - Yagyu Toshihisa

Other Branches
Shunpukan
  • Kanbe Kinshichi (student of Yagyu Toshichika)
  • Kato Isao

Arakido
  • Otsubo Shiho (student of Yagyu Toshichika and Toshinaga)
  • Muto Masao
  • Kajitsuka Yasushi

Marobashikai
  • Watanabe Tadatoshi (student of Yagyu Toshichika and Toshinaga)
  • Watanabe Tadashige

External links



USA New York City official school http://www.shinkageryu.us/ founded by Tadashige Wantanabe in 2002.