The orthography for the "hasso" of kami-hasso and shimo-hasso is borrowed from a Buddhist phrase referring to the eight phases of the Buddha's life. This is probably a stand-in for a homophone meaning "start out," or "send forth."
--Dr. Karl Friday,
Legacies of the Sword, p.72 (footnote)
This passage offers an interesting tidbit. Not having the kanji in front of me I have no idea if the kanji that Kashima Shinryu uses for "hasso" is the same as in other arts or if Dr. Friday's thoughts on the meaning of the term are Kashima Shinryu-specific.
I seem to recall a detailed entry on hasso in the budo glossary (encyclopedia, more like) that Dr. David Hall is working on, but I don't have access to that at the moment.
David Sims
"Cuius testiculos habes, habeas cardia et cerebellum." - Terry Pratchet
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