In search of info.

[Kendoguy9]

Hello all,

This is my first post here. This question is for all the historians out there. I practice a style of Japanese sword call Jikishinkage-ryu. It was a very popular sword system at one time, but no longer. It is very unique among Japanese sword arts because of the methods we use. There is great emphasis on breathing and walking methods that are unique within Japanese sword arts, but are very similar to the Yang Taiji chaun I have done, and the Xing Yi chuan I have seen.

It seems that a previous headmaster Mr. Ogasawara Genshinsai, around 1600 or so, switched sides one time too many in battle and the Shogun had it out for his whole clan. To avoid the fate of his kinsmen he fled to Beijing China. He lived there for about 10 years until things cooled off a bit for him and he repatriated himself. While in Beijing though, he studied spear and boxing and taught Jikishinkage-ryu (known as just Shinkage-ryu back then). The only reference I have to this is someone or something called Changyung Mosun in a copy of the lineage. It do not know if Changyung Mosun is a person he studied with or an art he practiced!? Does anyone have any clues? Does this style he practiced exist still today or an offshoot of it?

I have seen old manuals of Japanese sword techniques copied by Chinese generals and monks. It is well known that this is Shin/Kage-ryu, but I doubt it is the same line because I believe those books were written in the mid to late 1500's, and the master of my lineage was in China in the early 1600's. I must say though, the techniques look very familiar.

Any help would be appreciated,

[Mr Punch]

Sorry, don't think I know anything about your style, but you are right in thinkin ghtere are other ryu called shinkage ryu. The one that springs to mind is the Yagyu Katori Shinden Shinkage Ryu, which is quite well-known but very traditional and not very well followed.

There may be some similarities: I think the footwork in the Yagyu Ryu is fairly standard, but the ritual hand positions (mudra) are probably Chinese-influenced... unless they came from Japanese mikkyou (esoteric Buddhism - alot of which also came from China anyway).

Got a website? May be able to shed some light on it...

[Kendoguy9]

Hi Mat,

Thank you for your reply. I do not have a website for Jikishinkage-ryu. This is the closest I've got: http://www.koryu.com/guide/jikishinkage.html

I am famillar with Yagyu Shinkage-ryu though. My teacher who lived in Japan for about 15 years learned Jikishinkage-ryu and Owari line of Yagyu Shinkage-ryu from the respective headmasters, Namiki sensei and Yagyu sensei. He also studied the Edo line of Yagyu under Otsubo sensei and Muto sensei. I have also seen a bit of Komagawa Kaishin ryu by headmaster Kuroda sensei, another old Shinkage-ryu branch. None of them are at all like Jikishinkage-ryu. Our first scroll is call Hojo no kata, which is the same as Sangakuen no tachi in Yagyu, but they have deveopled on very different paths.

I was hoping that someone on a kung-fu forum might know a bit more then I do. I have a feeling this sort of stuff is lost to history though. Thank yu again for your interest though.