Hello all. I am a long time lurker with some questions re: koryu history.

I was wondering whether anyone could point me to some information regarding the rough size (practitioners-wise, influence in political and security matters) of some of the bujutsu ryuha in the Edo period?

I am aware of the status of say Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, and the large amount of Itto-ryu schools, but what about older styles like TSKSR and Kashima Shin-ryu?
Would they for instance have been more or less "antiquated" by the time of late Edo, leading to few members, or would they have always been less widely practiced? Or were they still considered as useful as ever, even if they were originally intended for battlefield use?

I read that while some schools were in different respects and at some points connected with a clan, others like tsksr were more independent and did not get involved in politics. What are the actual implications of this? Did practitioners simply come to learn and then returned to their obligations elsewhere, did the school become a sort of mini-clan in itself, with the authority to command its members should the school be approached for assistance in stuff like security or feuds between clans? Or did they simply mind their own business in a temple somewhere in the sticks?

That was an awful lot at once, I know!