Frame-grabs from a private training video with my late mentor, Ishida Hiroaki shihan, teaching the fundamentals in Jūjidome (X-shaped/cross block) of Musashi's Niten Ichi-ryū.

At a surface level, the principle is simply to control Uchidachi's sword as they strike - applied situationally anywhere from Jōdan to Gedan with Uchidachi's sword on the exterior of the Nitō Jūji (cross). Ishida sensei called this seizing waza - Kani no Tsume (Crab's Pincers).

However, at a deeper level of principle, ... Read More

Offensive or winning efficacy of the short-sword in Nitō-ryū - where did it go?

From my Niten Ichi-ryū training with Iwami Toshio sōke I was admonished that the Nitō Seihō's primary focus is really about learning and acquiring the skill to use a single long-sword in just one hand to strike or win against an opponent. And within the outward transmission of the five Nitō kata, the short-sword is exclusively used to parry or control the opponent's long-sword so you can strike with your own long-sword - in other words, the short-sword's function is as a defensive or parrying weapon.

Furthermore, ... Read More

Musashi commented, "To move from one place to another, you slightly raise your toes and push off your foot from the heel, forcefully," and stressed "In my strategy the way of moving is no different from normal walking on a road."(1)

So let's consider the second above-mentioned statement first.... Read More

Musashi’s Chūdan-no-kamae.

An inevitably-discussed aspect for practitioners of Miyamoto Musashi’s Nitō-ryū kenjutsu, which is found in both Enmei-ryū and Niten Ichi-ryū, and other independent schools that also have connections to Musashi’s teachings, is the apparent key difference between what is referred to as Enkyoku-no-kamae (also called Gasshō-no-kamae [1]) and Ensō-no-kamae in relation to the fundamental and paramount Chūdan stance. ... Read More

Miyamoto Musashi's Hyōhō-no-Hyōshi.

Occasionally, I'm asked what in my view is the key emphasis or focal point in Musashi's Niten Ichi-ryū kata, and the real essence of his latent teachings that are left embedded within them.

First, I tend to point out that within the present-day Niten Ichi-ryū schools.... Read More

Shinken-Shōbu: What does partnered Kenjutsu Kata training really teach?

In the historical context of traditional Japanese swordsmanship, exponents had to assume there would come a time when they were to be directly faced with life-and-death. And they came to understand that the only way to deal with this is to practice it.

In that regard, the aim of practice is to experience a serious-style (shinkengata) matter of life-and-death, and there is no other way but to.... Read More

「 武蔵は、他の諸流派の師匠のように相伝証書を発行していない。これが事実である。もし、武蔵がそうした相伝証書を残していたら、その写しなりとも各地に残って伝わっていたことだろう。

武蔵は特定の門人宛に相伝証書を授与するということをしなかった。というのも、武蔵には独特の考えがあって、入門誓詞すら取らなかった。修行に奥も口もない、入門も卒業もない、それが武蔵流であった。兵法の道は、ただ自身の発明すべきことである。武蔵には門人は多かったが、厳密にいえば、武蔵には「免許門人」は一人もいないのである。」

鈴木幸治: 播磨武蔵研究会

‘Musashi didn’t issue proof documents of succession (sōden shōsho) like other school masters. That is the truth of the matter. If Musashi had left such succession proof documents, copies would have remained somewhere and been passed on.

Musashi did not award a succession proof document to any particular disciple. The reason was, Musashi had his own unique idea and didn't even request any vow/oath for entering disciples. In Shugyō (ascetic practices) there is no interior or entrance, no entering or graduating, and that was the Musashi-style. The way of Hyōhō is purely about one's own inventions/discoveries. There were many disciples of Musashi, but strictly speaking, there wasn’t even one person that became a "licensed disciple" (menkyo monjin) of Musashi.’

Suzuki Kōji: Harima Musashi Kenkyūkai

Learn authentic and fundamental Miyamoto Musashi two-sword methods and techniques in a single introductory event.

This condensed seminar format is the ideal setting to introduce a prospective trainee, with or without prior martial arts and/or weapons experience, to the Japanese Swordsmanship that is transmitted within our school, or to simply try out what we do without any commitment to ongoing training.

For further details - click on the image or the Seminar menu link below.