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