Iai Lineage

[Ien]

First I'd like to thank Erik Tracy for that great diagram. I managed to make a copy and add in my own sensei so I could figure it all out. I train with Hirao Katsumi Sensei in Tokushima, and he would be a "cousin" to Haruna Sensei.

Anyway, it got me started so I tried drawing a similar diagram going back from Oe Sensei all the way to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu. A good way of seeing that Tanimura-ha and Shimomura-ha were really closely related. But it also highlited the fact that a lot of my information is scant and often contradictory. I admit my sources are all 3rd hand, but they seemed to suggest that 'the facts' are scarce indeed.

So, my question. What are the best sources for information on the early origins of Iai, and has anyone done or is doing any real research into this? Is there good stuff in Japanese just waiting to be translated?

If you could all just point me in the right direction I would be very grateful. Though unfortunately I will be limited to English sources only. (My Nihon-go is barely conversational, I don't want to even contemplate reading archaic Japanese)


Eynon Phillips

[Hellsten]

Hi, one of the best sources for lineages is Bugei Ryuha Dai Jiten but that is in japanese. We have made a "translation" from Hasegawa Eishin Ryu lineage from that book:

http://personal.inet.fi/surf/iaido/Articles/hasegawa_eishin_ryu_keito-BRDJ.pdf

if you like to look other sources which we have worked:

http://personal.inet.fi/surf/iaido/Articles/lineage.html

There are some articles about the history of Tosa Eishin ryu and Eishin ryu in the beginning of the 20th century in the old magazines of Gekkan Kendo Nippon we are trying to translate. When we get that ready I'll give a notice.

If someone has done other reasearch we are interested to change information. Please contact:
pasi.hellsten@hus.fi

best wishes

Pasi Hellsten
Finnish IAIDO Federation
http://personal.inet.fi/surf/iaido/

[Earl Hartman]

I looked over the lineages shown, and a couple of things stand out:

The Bugei Ryuha Daijiten shows my teacher, Masaoka Kazumi (Katsukane) as a direct student of Oe Sensei. This is true, and Masaoka Sensei had Kongen no Maki from him. However, it does not show Mori Shigeki Sensei who was Masaoka Sensei's senpai, and who also received the Kongen no Maki from Oe Sensei (I believe one of Iwata Sensei's two Kongen no Maki is from Mori Sensei).

Iwata Sensei's lineage, on the other hand, shows Mori Sensei but not Masaoka Sensei.

Just thought I would point this out, and compliment those concerned on their translation of the lineages.