Shingen Ryu Kenjutsu

[Lokesana]

Does anybody have any information regarding Shingen Ryu Kenjutsu?

I am led to believe it is a smaller Koryu dating back to the 16th century although I am unable to find any detail confirming this at the moment. I am specifically looking at the Australian based school, headed I believe by Matsugi Tanaka Sensei although the only reference I can find refers back to the schools Melbourne based web site.

I have no reason to question the schools credentials. Just cross checking before contacting them directly as a matter of due diligence. Your consideration and assistance is greatly appreciated.

[Devon Smith]

I tried a search using their kanji "森源流" with no results. Maybe a modern take on an older school? Best move is to get in touch.

Also, see: http://www.e-budo.com/forum/showthread.php?47934-Koryu-in-Australia&p=8148#post8148

Devon

[Lokesana]

Thanks Devon. I think i'll head out and watch a practice session.

[hyaku]

Does anybody have any information regarding Shingen Ryu Kenjutsu?

I am led to believe it is a smaller Koryu dating back to the 16th century although I am unable to find any detail confirming this at the moment. I am specifically looking at the Australian based school, headed I believe by Matsugi Tanaka Sensei although the only reference I can find refers back to the schools Melbourne based web site.

I have no reason to question the schools credentials. Just cross checking before contacting them directly as a matter of due diligence. Your consideration and assistance is greatly appreciated.

I can also find nothing online. This does not mean that it does not have credentials. My own school is on the net for members only. But I would be cautious on this one. Being Japanese or having a Japanese name is not a qualification either.

Taken from Facebook: The chief instructor is Morgan Tanaka (based out of the Gold Coast). The Melbourne school was originally formed at Swinburne University from 2000 - 2004. SInce then it has been taught on a private class basis.

I do not have a copy of the lineage (it was never that important to me as a student) but I understand that one does exist.

[hyaku]

This gleaned from another group: Chris Parker I've tried to ask them (Shingen Ryu) about their history before, as there is scant information on anything they publicly offer... they didn't seem to understand the relevance of the question... my takeaway from communication with them, albeit rather limited, as they stopped answering fairly quickly, and they train the same night as myself, so I am not in a position to visit, is that it is a modern created system, apparently taught by a Japanese teacher (Matsugi Tanaka), whose credentials are listed as "40 years of martial arts training, almost exclusively in Japan",likely created by Tanaka himself.

There are a few odd aspects... not least of all the name. They use the kanji 森源流, which they translate as "Forest Heart School"... I've never seen that kanji for "Gen" rendered as "heart" before... I'd likely translate it more as "Source of the Forest School" myself... and, even there I'm not sure about it. Anyone else finding issues with the kanji?

Not having seen any of their waza, I'm not in a position to comment on the make up of the school, and the only description is that their art is claimed to be "from 1600", and that "Kenjutsu... focuses on fighting with the katana in one or two hands"... so not much to go on there! If I get a Monday night free, I might see about heading over to see them... but honestly, my own training and study takes priority by quite a large margin.

To add to that a background in karate does not qulify one to do kenjutsu. In Melbourne, there is a study group of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu and Tenshinsho Den Katori Shinto Ryu, and a group training under Kajitsuka-sensei's Arakido organisation as a study group of Yagyu Shingan Ryu and Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, who manage to keep a pretty low profile.

[Lokesana]

Thank you for taking the time to reply with this information. :)

[Chris Parker]

Thanks Devon. I think i'll head out and watch a practice session.

Ha, hey Steve... you know you can just ask me directly, and not need Colin Watkins to go to all the trouble of asking me elsewhere, yeah?

I thought the same as yourself (head over, see what they're like), however, as they train on a Monday, you know that night's already taken out for me... but a free one came up, and I headed over to the class.

Unfortunately, when I got there, I was informed that the group no longer teaches there, due to "lack of students", and it was unsure if the instructor was going to start up again anywhere in the foreseeable future. I did take the opportunity to ask what I could of the Melbourne Salle owner, as he'd had the chance to watch some of their classes, and see what he thought... he said it all seemed quite reasonable from his perspective, it was largely kata, and dealt a lot with multiple opponents (which is a less-commonly encountered aspect of Kenjutsu ryu-ha...). There was one or two other things mentioned that I'll keep off here, but you can talk to me directly about if you're interested.

Sorry for not seeing this sooner, and hope you're well.

[Lokesana]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the info. I have been meaning to pop in on a Monday night to catch up for some time but the universe has been working against me. lol Will get in sooner or later. Thanks mate.

Steve