Kasumi Shinto-ryu Kenjutsu

infobox koryu
nationality = Traditional Japanese martial art
school = Kasumi Shinto-ryūfn|a


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founder = Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshifn|b
(夢想權之助勝吉)
founder dates = fl. c.17th century
period founded = Mid Edo period
date founded = c.17th century
headmaster = No single headmaster
headmaster dates = N/A
art1 = "Kenjutsu"
description1 = Art of the sword
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ancestors = None identified
descendants = None identified

nihongo|Kasumi Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu|霞神道流剣術, or ("Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu"), is one of the names used to describe the collection of sword-versus-sword training-forms ("kata") for the long and short sword found exclusively in the Japanese martial arts system Shintō Musō-ryū.: Krieger, Pascal - "Jodô - la voie du bâton / The way of the stick" (bilingual French/English), Geneva (CH) 1989, ISBN 2-9503214-0-2 #6] The system comprises 12 standing forms, 8 of which are for the longsword ("Odachi") and 4 with the short sword ("kodachi").

History

The core of the Shinto Muso Ryu system is comprised of two elements, the jojutsu training forms and the twelve kenjutsu training forms. The origin of these kenjutsu forms are not clear other than it was a part of SMR from the beginning of the tradition, unlike the assimilated arts of Uchida-ryu, Ikkaku-ryu, Ittatsu-ryu and Isshin-ryu.#2] Before creating the SMR, the founder, Muso Gonnosuke, had extensive training and experience in other martial arts. He received a "Menkyo Kaiden", a license of complete transmission, in the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu tradition and he was said to have mastered secret techniques derived from the Kashima lineage of martial arts tradition.#2]

Up until the mid 1800s there seems to have been no known name for the tradition, it simply being referred to as "8 longsword and 4 short sword forms". The tradition came to be known as Shintō-ryū kenjutsu in the mid 1800sMatsui, Kenji. 1993. "The History of Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu", translated by Hunter Armstrong (Kamuela,HI: International Hoplological Society)] by research made into the history of SMR by the SMR-practitioner Umezaki Chukichi.

The discovery of the name "Kasumi" Shintō-ryū was made from recent research by the SMR-practitioner Kaminoda Tsunemori, a direct student of Shimizu Takaji#2] and leader of the "Nihon Jodokai"-group. This research has not yet been verified by independent sources, but the "Kasumi" designation has been used within Kaminoda's own organization to label the 12 kenjutsu forms. [http://www.geocities.com/nvbudokai/jodo.htm Official Northern Virginia Jodokai website with reference to "Kasumi" Shinto-ryu. Affiliated with Kaminoda Tsunemoris Nihon Jodokai] ] The name Shintō-ryū and Kasumi Shintō-ryū is used interchangeably among the various SMR-Jodo organizations and no consensus has been made on which name is to be used.

Methods

Training

The 12 forms of Kasumi Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu:

Longsword
* 1. "Aisui (Sa)"
* 2. "Aisui (Yu)"
* 3. "Jū"
* 4. "Chibarai"
* 5. "Sarin"
* 6. "Uke nagashi"
* 7. "Nitō ai" - "attacker uses both long and shortsword at the same time"
* 8. "Suri komi"

Shortsword
* 9. "Inchū"
* 10. "Uke kaeshi"
* 11. "Miuki dome"
* 12. "Tsuki dashi"

Footnotes

*fnb|a"The name "Kasumi" Shintō-ryū is not the universal way of naming the 12 sword kata. The discovery of the name "Kasumi" Shinto-ryu was made from recent research into the history of Shintō Musō-ryū but is yet to be confirmed. The most common and older way of naming the 12 sword kata in SMR is "Shintō-ryū"."
*fnb|b"The true origin of the 12 kenjutsu forms is still not fully explored. Most likely the originator of the forms were Muso Gonnosuke, the creator of the Shintō Musō-ryū tradition"

Acronyms Used in Text

* "SMR= Shintō Musō-ryū"

References