Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu
A Japanese sword art school and one of the most widely practiced schools of iai in the world. Often referred to simply as "Eishin-ryu," it has an unbroken lineage dating back from the sixteenth century to the early 20th century.
The founder of the earlier school Eishin-ryu was Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu. Hayashizaki was born in Dewa Province, Oshu (present-day Yamagata Prefecture). He lived c. 1546 to 1621 in what is present-day Kanagawa Prefecture. Many of the historical details of Hayashizaki's life are suspect, since, like most famous martial artists in Japan, his story has been widely fictionalized. It seems that he grew up during a time of constant warfare in Japan and was exposed to sword-fighting methods from an early age. According to legend, Hayashizaki's father was killed and to take revenge he began training in earnest. He went to the Hayashizaki Meijin shrine to pray for guidance and received divine inspiration for a new technique of drawing the sword and attacking in one movement. Legend says that he eventually defeated his father's killer.
Following this, Hayashizaki continued on his martial arts pilgrimage, training with renowned swordsmen and attracting students of his own (such as Tamiya Heibei, founder of Tamiya-ryu (Tsumaki).
Hayashizaki established his own style of swordsmanship, calling it Shinmei Muso-ryu.
Hayashizaki's art has had many names since it was established, such as Hayashizaki-ryu or Jushin ryu. It is considered the foundation for many of the major styles of iai practised today, in particular Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu and Muso Shinden-ryu.
The seventh generation soke of Hayashizaki's school, Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Hidenobu (Eishin), was one of its most important headmasters. He had a major influence on the school. In particular, he adapted techniques originally developed for the tachi to use the contemporary katana. He devised many new techniques, some of which now form the Tatehiza no Bu (Chuden) set. Hasegawa's influence and adaptation led to the style being named Hasegawa Eishin-ryu. It was also referred to as Hasegawa-ryu or simply Eishin-ryu.
Oe Masaji demonstrated sword technique. The line of Jinsuke-Eishin,[citation needed] called Tanimura-ha, was created by Goto Magobei Masasuke (d. 1898) and Oe Masaji Shikei (1852-1927). It was Oe Masaji Shikei who began formally referring his iaido branch as the Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu during the Taishō era (1912-1926).
Some regard Hasegawa as the primary founder of Eishin-ryu, which would make him the first generation sōke rather than the seventh, and make Shinmei Muso-ryu a parent school of Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu.
The ninth generation soke was Hayashi Rokudayu Morimasa. Hayashi introduced a set of techniques executed from the formal seated position seiza. These techniques are thought to have been developed by Hayashi's kenjutsu teacher, the Shinkage-ryu swordsman Omori Rokurozaemon, and are said to be influenced by Ogasawara-ryu etiquette, hence starting from seiza. They were taught alongside Eishin-ryu as Omori-ryu. Hayashi was responsible for introducing the school to the Tosa Domain at the behest of the ruling Yamauchi family.
As the school took root in Tosa, it came to be referred to as Tosa Eishin-ryu. Eishin-ryu and Omori-ryu were taught to the Yamauchi family, with a few peculiarities (such as exaggerated leg movement to account for long hakama).
After the death of the 11th headmaster, Oguro Motozaemon, the school split into two branches. They later became known as the Tanimura-ha and Shimomura-ha (after their respective 15th and 14th headmasters, Tanimura Kamenojo Takakatsu and Shimomura Shigeichi).
One of the most important soke was the seventeenth, Oe Masaji. Born in Asahi (nakasuka) Tosa in 1852, in his youth Oe studied Kokuri-ryu and Oishi Shinkage-ryu kenjutsu, along with Shimomura-ha Eishin-ryu (Muso Shinden Eishin-ryu. At the age of 15 he took part in the Battle of Toba–Fushimi, following which he studied Tanimura-ha Eishin-ryu under Goto Magobei. He also studied Eishin-ryu bojutsu under Itagaki Taisuke. Oe inherited leadership of the Tanimura-ha, becoming its 17th headmaster. He combined the school's teachings with those of the Shimomura-ha and restructured its curriculum. Oe reduced the number of waza from around 160, and reorganized them into the Seiza (Shoden), Tachihiza (Chuden), Okuiai (Okuden) and kumitachi waza sets practised today. Although he retained the original techniques, he changed the names of some waza to aid understanding. Oe named the reorganised school Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu, during the Taisho era (1912-1926). In 1900 he began teaching kendo and Eishin-ryu at the Kochi branch of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai and at local schools. In 1924 he became the second person (after Nakayama Hakudo) to be awarded hanshi in iaido by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. Oe died at Enokuchi on April 18, 1926. His many students went on to spread Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu iai beyond Tosa and throughout Japan. 60 years after his death a memorial stone was raised to honour him on Mt Godaisan.
