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Rasmus
10th October 2007, 12:00
I recently got hold of this:
http://www.budovideos.com/shop/customer/product.php?productid=19458

Unfortunately I do not speak nor read Japanese so much of it is incomprehensible to me. Can anyone tell me what branch of Mugai-ryu this and who the people in the movies are?

Brian Pettett
10th October 2007, 14:05
Have you asked them yet? As that seems to be more or less a "stock" cover that budovideos displays for some of their titles, and there is no description on their site, my first inclination would be to write them.. That, or post some screenshots..

Rasmus
10th October 2007, 14:16
I have already bought a copy of the DVD from them. It is the actual cover you see on that site. The documentary contains a short history, some paired kata and a few sitting iaijutsu kata. I can try to make a few snapshots from the movie when I get home from work but no clips since I'd don't want to violate the copyright laws too much.

A.J. Bryant
10th October 2007, 14:35
According to the information I have (I also have the video BTW) it's Takahashi Shuzo. What's demonstrated on the video looks quite a bit different than other Mugai-ryu I've seen. Brian here, or others, would know more about this person and the differences.

Hope this helps.

Rasmus
10th October 2007, 16:32
According to the information I have (I also have the video BTW) it's Takahashi Shuzo. I believe you're correct. I found this description of the movie from another reseller (www.budogu.com):


This video shows the Mugai Ryu Iai of the late Takahashi Shuzo, one of the leading practicioners of Mugai Ryu in Japan during the 20th century. Though he was not in the very good condition when this tape was made, it remains a valuable resource in the history of Mugai Ryu, providing a snapshot of one it's most influential teachers of the 20th century.


What's demonstrated on the video looks quite a bit different than other Mugai-ryu I've seen. Brian here, or others, would know more about this person and the differences. Yes it do look very different. I would really like to know his relationship to Takahashi Kyutaro Koun and Nakagawa Shiryo Shinichi. Was it Kyotaro who broke with his family and changed things or was it Nakagawa, his student, who did it later on. Was it perhaps the other way around -- Shuzo Takahashi-sensei changed things and Kyutaro Takahashi-sensei continued with the original form?

In which part of Japan did Shuzo Takahashi-sensei teach and is his particular branch of the style still around?

robertmrivers
10th October 2007, 22:11
I have this video

It is Takahashi, Mugai Ryu. It is considerably different than any of the orthodox Mugai Ryu in Japan, apparently due to their involvement in Kendo. Take it for what its worth...

The habiki no kata (paired kata) are featured. These are done in most lines of Mugai in Japan. But still...they are a bit different.

I am sure Kuroda Sensei will chime in and give us the real meat on the Takahashi line...

Rob

renfield_kuroda
11th October 2007, 13:35
That DVD is question is Takahashi-sensei well, well past his prime, doing his family's flavor of the old kumitachi and supposedly original iai kata. The Takahashi branch was (and I believe still may be) closely tied to kendo, which is evident in many ways in the DVD.

Nakagawa-sensei is the one who "consolidated" what we now call Mugairyu Iaihyodo, which of course was promptly broken up into various branches by his successors.

There are still extant lines of Mugairyu kenjutsu (some Takahashi, some not I believe) that have nothing to do with and do not recognize Nakagawa-sensei nor anything Mugairyu Iaihyodo.

The DVD is interesting to have in the library, but debates about "authenticity" are moot, as that really depends on your particular point of view regarding Mugai. Besides which, I suspect part of the motivation in making the vid was to capture Takahashi-sensei before he died; he was well past his prime even then.

Regards,

r e n