A Lineage All But Forgotten - The Yushinkan (Nakayama Hakudo) - Kenshi 24 - 7

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A Lineage all but Forgotten: The

Yushinkan (Nakayama Hakudo)
Introduction
There are few martial artists in history who have been

able to influence an entire generation of politicians,
military personnel, police, educators, and civilians alike.
Whos students (if only for a day) talked about their
experiences with him in detail nearly seventy years after
his death. The first San-Dou-no-Hanshi () in
history. The God of Kendo () Nakayama
Hakudo.
Nakayama Hakudo was arguably the most influential

kenshi247.net/blog/2011/02/14/a-lineage-all-but-forgotten-the-yushinkan-nakayama-hakudo/ 1/30
martial artist in modern history. Many instructors and

students around the world claim to have some
connection to him, having practiced some form or
another of his Iaido. Yet, these same people (in Japan
and abroad) know little more than his name. Only by
looking at his humble origins, ambitions, accomplishments,
and outlooks can we come closer to understanding the
man and his styles.
Nakayama Hakudo
Second Generation Headmaster of the Yushinkan Dojo (

)
Second Generation Headmaster of Kanto Ha Shindo Munen Ryu Kenjutsu (
)
Creator of Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido () and Nakayama no Jo
()
KendoIaidoJodoSan-Dou-no-Hanshi ()
Nakayama Otsuyoshi () was

born in in Imae, Komatsu City,
Ishikawa Prefecture in 1873, the
eighth son of former Maeda
clansman Nakayama Gennosho. At
the age of five his family moved to
Nakacho in Toyama where they
opened a small yakitori restaurant
Nakayama Hakudo ()
located in East Sogawa Merchant

Lane. The restaurant was located on the first avenue off

of Main Street, and was a modest shop by most
accounts. At age eight the young Otsuyoshi came to
work in local inn (ryokan: a Japanese traditional inn)
called Toyama Hall located just two streets over from
his familys yakitori shop.
There in Toyama Hall he worked in the kitchen. As his luck

would have it the manager of the inn, one Takazawa
Toyoshi (a kind and loving man by all accounts)
encouraged the young Otsuyoshi to pursue
swordsmanship after seeing the eight year old playing
with a bokken (wooden sword) fashioned from a tree
branch. At age eleven he gained entrance to Saito
Michinoris dojo of the Yamaguchi Ha Itto Ryu school of
swordsmanship in Hoshiicho off Sogawa Lane. The young
Otsuyoshi had a busy schedule. In the morning he would
travel to Nishi-jubucho where he learned how to read
and write at the Ada Kanji Academy (a supplementary
school). In the afternoon after school he would go to
Michinoris dojo where he to trained in Yamaguchi Ha Itto
Ryu. He then went straight from the dojo to work at the
Toyama Hall.
Otsuyoshi progressed under his various teachers until a

visitor from Tokyo changed his life forever. A swordsman of
sizable skill by the name of Hosoda Kenzo took up
residence in the Toyama Hall.

Kenzo, an educator by trade
was just transferred to Toyama
by The Ministry of Education. He
was a member of the Yushinkan
Dojo (), a Shindo
Munen Ryu school run by Negishi
Shingoro. Highly impressed the
Hakudo demonstrates proper young Otsuyoshi talked to Kenzo

kiriotoshi
for hours. Kenzos stories and
insights into swordsmanship left a
great impression on the Otsuyoshi, ultimately shaping his
entire life.
In 1890 Kenzo handed in his letter of resignation to the

Toyama school district and returned to Toyko. His
departure left the young Otsuyoshi with many questions.
Otsuyoshi felt it was time. He received permission from his
family and employer to travel to Tokyo to pursue kenjutsu.
Takazawa was kind enough to escort the young Otsuyoshi

to Iwasehama, a small port in Toyama Prefecture. There
Otsuyoshi boarded a ship to Naoetsu, Niigata Prefecture.
At Naoetsu he boarded a steam ship that sailed to Ueno,
Tokyo. It was there on the open Japanese Sea that
Otsuyoshi, with the cold sea air on his face remembered
the words of Takazawa: Otsuyoshi, youll be a man who
other men fall in love with. These words stuck with

Otsuyoshi well into his adulthood.
Otsuyoshi arrived in Tokyo in

1891. There, armed with a letter
of introduction from Kenzo,
Otsuyoshi was successfully
admitted into Shingoros
Yushinkan at the age of
eighteen. Otsuyoshi trained
hard, changing his name to
Hakudo () at age nineteen.
Hakudo demonstrating proper striking
Shingoro encouraged him to
study other styles and literature. He tried his hand at
various ryu, or schools, sleeping only four hours a day so
that he could attend around five-six practices a day.
Hakudo was not perfect, however and had several bad

habits to overcome. In shiai geiko Hakudos hip rose every
time before a strike, telegraphing his intentions to his
opponent. In order to correct this Hakudo was forced to
wear stones around his waist to improve his center of
gravity. To learn to execute suri-ashi in a more effective
way, Hakudo was made to wear geta (Japanese
wooden sandals) with a loose thread. This allowed him to
develop a type of scraping suri-ashi, making his
movement harder to see.
Hakudos intense dedication paid off and he rapidly

advanced through the ranks. In 1906 he fought the bouts
that came to define his early career as a swordsmen. At
the Dai Nippon Butokusai Enbu Taikai he defeated Ozawa
Jiro and Takano Shigeyoshi of the Hokushin Itto Ryu school,
Koseki Kiyomasa of the Muhen Ryu school, and Sasaki
Masanobu of the Suifu Ryu. At twenty three he received
Jun-Menkyo and at twenty-seven was licensed Menkyo,
Inkyo. At twenty-eight he was named Daihan or Acting
Headmaster and was married to Shigoros daughter.
Thus, Hakudo was adopted into the Negishi family
(becoming Negishi Hakudo).
In 1912 Shingoro elected Hakudo to take his place on the

committee responsible for creating the Dai Nippon
Teikoku Kendo Kata. There were several problems,
however and both Hakudo and his wife separated from
the Negishi Family for personal reasons, rejoining the
Hakudo Family. Hakudo then built his own dojo in
Masagocho, Hongo ward (present day Bunkyo ward) and
was given permission to use the Yushinkan name.
Takano Sasaburo (left) and Nakayama Hakudo (right) during andemonstration of the Dai Nippon
Teikoku Kendo Kata at Noma Dojo
Hakudo was now renowned around Japan for his skill,

however this was not enough for him. He traveled across
Japan to study various arts like: Itto Shoden Muto Ryu,
Ono ha Itto Ryu, Hokushin Itto Ryu, (Toda) Buko Ryu, Nen
Ryu, Shinkage Ryu, Musashi Enmei Ryu, Jigen Ryu, Ichiden
Ryu, and Ooki-Isshin Ryu. In his search he found two ryu or
schools that would effectively change his life forever,
Shinto Muso Ryu () and Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu
().
In 1912 Hakudo began training in Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsu

and calligraphy under Uchida Ryogoro at Shiba Park,
Tokyo and with Takeda Kohachi at his residence in
Kyobashi, Tokyo. He trained very hard, finding his study of
the jo to be among the most

valuable of his pursuits. Hakudo
wrote:
As a youth I was taught Shinto

Muso Ryu by Shihan, Uchida
Ryogoro. It was because of this
training that I came to
Hakudo in bogu while in seiza understand the Ura or inner
methodologies of Kendo. I
learned the ins and outs of handling the jo, manipulation
of the feet, body mechanics, and other (fundamentals).
Even in my Kendo practice I was able (utilize and)
cultivate these (Jo) techniques. Thanks to this
(integrated) practice I learned a lot. (In the world of
martial arts) there are no kata as thoroughly developed
as Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsus. I believe Shinto Muso Ryu
jojutsu is a national treasure.
In 1916 Hakudo was introduced to Tosa Eishin Ryu by

Itagaki Taisuke (a famous Meiji statesmen and a student of
Oe Masamichi). Hakudo had learned Iai before in Shindo
Munen Ryu, but felt something was missing. He initially
approached Oe Masamichi about training, but was
rejected. Taisuke saw Hakudos resolve to learn the style,
however and introduced Hakudo to Hosokawa
Yoshimasa of the Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu school (aka.
Shinmomura Ha Hasegawa Eishin Ryu) and Morimoto

Tokumi of the Goto Ha Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu school (aka.
Tanimura Ha Hasegawa Eishin Ryu). Hakudo was
accepted as a student of both teachers, making him the
first outsider to learn Tosa Eishin Ryu in history.
Hakudo trained earnestly and

in 1920 the Nippon Butokukai
awarded Hakudo the title of
Hanshi in both Kendo and Iaido.
Around this time Hakudo was
said to have received Menkyo
Kaiden in jojutsu from Uchida
Ryogoro prior to his death in
1921 (though this is greatly
A young Hosokawa Yoshimasa
debated). After receiving his
certification Hakudo did something unexpected: he took
what he learned and created his own version of Shinto
Muso Ryu, commonly referred to as Nakayama-no-Jo,
along with a set of five kihon (basic drills). Shimizu Takaji
was said to have later incorporated Hakudos five kihon
into his set of twelve some years later.
In 1922 Hakudo was awarded Menkyo Kaiden in Goto Ha

Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu from Tokumi and Menkyo in Muso
Shinden Eishin Ryu from Yoshimasa. Contrary to popular
belief, however Hakudo did not recieve Menkyo Kaiden
from Yoshimasa. Hakudo continued to visit both

Yoshimasa and Tokumi in Kochi. During his time there
Hakudo trained with Yoshimasa at his house. He
maintained a very good relationship with Yoshimasa until
his death in 1923.
In 1925 Hakudo was asked by the head fencing instructor

of the Rikugun Toyama Academy (a military academy) to
assist him in creating a system of Gunto Soho ( ) or
methods of manipulating military swords. Hakudo, through
his research developed five standing iai kata that made
the foundation of the Toyama Ryu Guntojutsu system. In
the same year Hakudo supported Noma Seiji in the
construction and development of the famed Noma dojo.
Noma Dojo became a vessel for men and women of
various ryu-ha or schools to test their skills and exchange
their ideas with other kenshi. In 1927 at the age of fifty-five
he received the rank of Hanshi in Jodo from the Nippon
Butokukai.
In 1930 Hakudo was called on by the Butokukai to

demonstrate Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu publicly (outside of
Kochi) for the first time in history. Hakudo had a problem
though: he never recieved Menkyo Kaiden in the system.
As such, during the demonstration he presented the art
as Muso Shinden Ryu Battojutsu (). This
was done to avoid any altercations that might come
from him using the schools name.
In 1933 Hakudo restructured what he learned in Kochi into

Muso Shinden Ryu () using the Chinese
characters for dream or vision. The Yushinkan once a
training hall exclusively for Shindo Munen Ryu and Gekiken
under Negishi Shingoro; became a dojo for several martial
arts. Students of the Yushinkan (under Hakudo) were
selected to learn specific styles. Men like Nakayama
Zendo and Hashimoto Toyo learned everything while
others like Nakakura Kiyoshi, Danzaki Tomoaki and
Nakajima Gozoro learned only Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido
and Kendo.
In his time Hakudo had seen the death of stylized Gekiken

and the birth of modern Kendo. In 1934 he and his
contemporary Takano Sasaburo demonstrated the Dai
Nippon Teikoku Kendo Kata at the Tenranjiai while
Emperor Hirohito watched on. Both Hakudo and Takano
were highly commended for their performances.
Kendo gained popularity and Hakudo along with Takano

Sasaburo became among (if not) the most requested
teachers in Japan. They traveled the country teaching at
universities, police stations, military bases, Japanese
Government installations, and even the Imperial Palace.
Hakudos students ran into the tens of thousands. In fact
over two thirds of those who held the rank of kyoshi with
the Nippon Butokukai had studied with Hakudo to some
effect.
World War II was a

desperate time for
Japan. The proud
Japanese Military was
being pushed back by
Allied Forces. Japan
had now become a
A decimated Tokyo
target to American
firebombing. Japanese
buildings largely made of wood and built in close
proximity to other residences became mere kindle for
Allied bombs. Tokyo and other cities were decimated. This
accompanied by the destruction Hiroshima and Nagasaki
via Atomic Weapons brought about Japans formal
surrender on September 2nd, 1945. Hakudo was quick to
use his influence, using the Japanese idiom a samurai
never talks (bad mouths) about what is finished Hakudo
asked people to meet their American occupiers with
dignity.
In fencing we call ohen () the spirit or ability to

adapt ones self to the change. What this means is in a
condition where after understanding and
acknowledging the natural tide of affairs (what has

happened), all past ambitions (or goals) must be given
up. In doing so one can reach the state of nothingness.
This requires noble heart. It (nothingness) is the ultimate
goal of fencing. We must meet the Allied Army with
such a spirit. Yesterday they were our enemies, but
today they are not. If we fail not to think of them as
enemies, then it cannot be said that we (the Japanese)
truly understand Bushido. If there is even the smallest
feeling of ill will remaining in our hearts and if we cannot
take a broader outlook, it will to show in our faces and
attitude, giving reason for them (Allied soldiers) to think
of us as cowardly. I am of the personal belief that the
greatness of a nation lies in its open-mindedness.
The end of the war

brought on many
hardships. In an effort to
pacify the Japanese
people Japanese martial
arts were banned. This
brought Hakudo in
Hakudo demonstrating proper Nukitsuke
cooperation with his
compatriots to fight for the right to practice martial arts in
Japan. Eventually through the help of Sasamori Junzo,
Kuroda Yasuji, and Kunii Zenya the ban on martial arts as
a whole was eventually lifted. Japanese could practice
martial arts again.
Hakudos victory brought about harsh realities however.

Many of his most dedicated students died in the war, with
even fewer of the surviving returned to train. Budo fell into
decline. Hakudo felt a change was needed.
Hakudo restructured Muso Shinden Ryu for the general

populous. The attempt was to reduce the aggressive
nature of the kata and emphasize the more spiritual side
of the ryu. Certain aspects of the kata were changed to
reflect this. Omori Ryus Gyakuto for example, pre-war
ended with stabbing the teki in the back of the head.
Hakudo later changed the stab into Muso Jikiden Eishin
Ryus todome, which was considered a more merciful
coup de grce.
(*Authors note* the Pre-War Gyakuto Todome was done

far differently than what most iaido-ka do it today. The
sword was raised high in the air and caught on the mune
of the blade with the middle finger. Then after flattening
the palm against back of the blade, it was thrust into
the part of the head where the spine meets the skull [US.
Marine Scout Snipers were taught to shoot the same
spot]. The Yushinkan preserved this method).
Hakudo did have several regrets. In his Kendo Koshutsujyu
() or Collection of Oral
dictations on Kendo, Hakudo talked
about his regret over a style he kept in
secrecy from most of his students. The
style of Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto Nakayama Hakudo (right),
Hashimoto Toyo (left),
no Shigenobu. HasegawaEishin Ryu:
Oroshi
Hakudo intended all of his serious

students to learn all of his arts. Only those students who
pursued and progress in all of Hakudos arts had access
to what Hakudo called Hayashizaki Hon Ryu () or
the real teachings of Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu.
According to Hakudo only nine people learned the first
inner tier of the school; they were:
Otuska Iwao (Menkyo)

Hasegawa Minoshiro (Menkyo)
Ohayashi Jungo (Menkyo)
Sakonji Tadaichi (Menkyo)
Nakayama Zendo (Menkyo)
Aoki Eizou (Menkyo)
Hashimoto Toyo (Menkyo)
Mukuta Kozou (Menkyo)
Suhara Sugematsu (Menkyo)
Hakudo added that only four individuals surpassed them

by learning all the kata and in effect achieving Menkyo
Kaiden, their names were:
Nakayama Zendo (Menkyo Kaiden)

Hashimoto Toyo (Menkyo Kaiden)
Mukuta Kozou (Menkyo Kaiden)

Sakonji Tadaichi (Menkyo Kaiden)
Hakudo said, it was his intention to

teach the Hayashizaki Hon Ryu (
) school more, but by the end of the
war he lacked the proper time and
Hakudo demonstrates the

suitable candidates to do so.
kata Junto
This is not to say that Hakudo did not

foster or teach his other students. Less than a handful of
outstanding students ever received any traditional
ranking (ie. Densho) from Hakudo. The most notable of
them were perhaps Matsuo Kenpu and Kimura Eijyu, who
received Menkyo Kaiden in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido (
).
The man called The Last (True) Martial Artist (

) died in 1958 at the age of eighty-five. Hakudo was
survived by his son Nakayama Zendo to whom he passed
all of his knowledge onto.
[]:
Otsuyoshi, youll be a man, who other men fall in

love with :Takazawa Toyoshi
To be Continued..
(Part three will serve as a clairification of Muso Shinden

Ryu and Hayashizaki Hon Ryu. It will explore the origin,
past, present, technicalities, and curriculum of the school
and its derivative sects).
(Special Thanks to: Richard Stonell !!! to whom without this

article would not have been possible)
Glossary:
Teachers/Influences:
Takazawa Toyoshi: former head of the Toyama Inn and former student of
the Shin-Shintakuma Ryu Jujutsu school. He was a father figure to
Hakudo.
Saito Michinori: last known Shihan of Yamaguchi Ha Itto Ryu; he was
Hakudos first sword instructor. Unfortunately little information on him
survived.
Hosoda Kenzo: Educator and influential sempai of Hakudo. Shindo Munen
Ryu Kenjutsu Menkyo under Negishi Shingoro.
Negishi Shingoro: 6th Generation Shihan of Shindo Munen Ryu Kenjutsu
and Hakudos most influential
teacher.
Takano Sasaburo: Ono Ha Itto Ryu Kenjutsu Menkyo Kaiden, and a
Hanshi in Kendo. He was one of Hakudo greatest sempai and confidants.
Uchida Ryogoro: A contemporary of Shirashi Hanjiro. Ryogoro received
Menkyo Kaiden in Haruyoshi Ha (Haruyoshi branch) of Shinto Muso Ryu
and Ikkaku Ryu Torite from Hirano Kichizo Yoshinobu. He also received
Menkyo Kaiden in Ono Ha Itto Ryu (from Ikuoka Heitaro), Hozoin Ryu (via
the Takeda Family), and Kushin Ryu. He was the founder of Uchida Ryu
Tanjojutsu.
Takeda Kohachi: former Kuroda Clansmen, he was also a contemporary
of Shirashi Hanjiro. He received Menkyo Kaiden in Haruyoshi branch of
Shinto Muso Ryu. Kohachi died only a few years after Hakudo began
training with him.
Itagaki Taisuke: famous Japanese statesmen from Kochi:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itagaki_Taisuke
Oe Masamichi: former Shihan of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and Muso
Shinden Eishin Ryu, he was a former samurai of the Tosa/Yamauchi clan.
Morimoto Tokumi: former samurai of the Tosa/Yamauchi clan. Tokumi
received his Menkyo Kaiden in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu from Goto
Magobei Masasuke making him Oe Masamichis contemporary.
Hosokawa Yoshimasa: former samurai of the Yamauchi clan. He was a
Shihan of Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu and teacher of Hakudo.
Noma Seiji:Kendo enthusiast and founder of Kodansha Publishing Ltd. He
established Noma Dojo in 1925.
Sasamori Junzo: educator and Hanshi in Kendo and Iaido. He received
Menkyo Kaiden in Tsuguru Den and Yamashika Den (collectively together
they made up Hirosaki Han Den) Ono Ha Itto Ryu, Muraku Ryu, Hirosaki
Han Den Shinmuso Hayashizaki Ryu, and Chokugen Ryu.
Kuroda Yasuji: famous swordsmen and Shihan of Kogagawa Kaishin Ryu,
Tamiya Ryu, Shin-Shintakuma Daiken-Nichi Ryu, Tsubaki Kotengu Ryu,
and Setama Oguri Ryu. He was an activist who fought for the right to
practice Japanese martial arts while under American occupation.
Kunii Zenya: former Maniwa Nen Ryu Shihan and revisor (disputed
creator) of Kashima Shin Ryu. He was recruited by Sasamori Junzo to
participate in a bout against an American soldier armed with a rifle and
live bayonet. He won the match without killing the soldier. Junzo used this
as evidence that weapon based martial arts were as much about
preserving life as they were about taking it. The ban on martial arts in
Japan was soon after lifted.
Ryu-Ha or Schools Mentioned:
Toyama Han Den Yamaguchi Ha Itto Ryu ():

Founded by Yamaguchi Bokushinsai it was a synthesis of several styles.
Most famously studied by Mugai Ryu founder Tsuji Gettan. It was a ryu or
school that unfortunately fell into obscurity. Hakudo earned a Mokuroku
in the style prior to leaving for Tokyo at eighteen. Upon receiving Menkyo,
Inkyo in Shindo Munen Ryu Kenjutsu from Negishi Shingoro, Saito
Michinori awarded Hakudo the Zukai Densho () the highest-level
scroll in the school. The school died with Michinori.
Shindo Munen Ryu(): Founded by Fukui Hyoemon Yoshihira
was school of Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu. It became one of the most popular
and wide spread martial arts schools in Japanese history. Shingoro and
Hakudos particular version was Kanto Ha Shindo Munen Ryu:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shind%C5%8D_Munen-ry%C5%AB
Ono Ha Itto Ryu (): Founded by Ono Tadaaki a student of
legendary swordsmen Itto Ittosai, it was Onos version of Itto Ryu. The ryu
or school was widely transmitted having countless branches all over
Japan. The family line was transmitted through the ages until Yamaoka
Tesshu received mastery of it. He then formed his Itto Shoden Muto
Ryu, effectively ending the Ono family line.
Hokushin Itto Ryu (): Founded by Chiba Shusaku Narimasa;
Shusaku first learned Hokushin Muso ryu from his father and later
Nakanishi Ha Itto Ryu from Asari Matashichiro Yoshinobu. He later
combined the teachings by reducing the eight sets of Itto Ryu into three,
while adding iaijutsu and later a naginata techniques. The style became
one of the most popular styles in the country spreading across Japan.
Suifu Ryu(): Founded by Tokugawa Nariaki; a synthesis of the three
main sword arts of the Mito Clan (Mito Han Den): Shindo Munen
Ryu, Hokushin Itto Ryu, and Togun Ryu. It was one of Nariakis
most ambitious projects. Sasaki Masanobu was the last shihan of
the system. He trained at the Tobukan along with Ozawa Jiro. After
his death, Jiro attempted to resurrect the style, but failed.
Shinto Muso Ryu (): Founded by Mus Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi;
Gonnosuke integrated the spear, naginata, sword, and bo staff into a single
versatile weapon. A Otome Ryu () of the Kuroda domain the art split
into several factions. By the late Edo Period only two branches survived;
the Haruyoshi and Jigyo. Both Uchida Ryogoro and Takeda Kohachi
received Menkyo Kaiden in the Haruyoshi branch and taught their
versions of Shinto Muso Ryu to the masses. Shirashi Hanjiro (another
Kuroda retainer) received Menkyo Kaiden in the Haruyoshi branch and
Mokuroku in the Jigyo branch. He later combined and re-codified the
schools using the characters for divine (). His line was succeeded by
Shimizu Takaji and under went even more revisions. Takajis Jodo()
was passed to many individuals throughout the world. Uchidas line
unaffected by both Hanjiro and Takajis changes was passed on through
his son Ryohei and student Nakayama Hakudo. Another line of the
Haruyoshi branch survived though one of Hakudos students Matsuo
Kenpu who received Menkyo Kaiden from Shirashi Tokugoro.
Tosa Eishin Ryu (): is a collective reference to Muso Jikiden
Eishin Ryu/Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu as taught within the Yamauchi
Domain. It was one of several Otome Ryu () of the Yamauchi
Domain and as such meant exclusively for Yamauchi clansmen.
Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu (): Founded by Hayashizaki

Jinsuke Shigenobu and revised by Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin.
Shimomura Michi Sadamasa was licensed in Tosa Eishin Ryu by
Yamakawa Kyz Yukikatsu. He (Mochi) was said to have devised several
innovative changes in the school and passed them on to his students. Both
Yoshimasa and (Oe) Masamichi received Menkyo Kaiden in the school and
transmitted it to several people. Yoshimasa issued Menkyo Kaiden to Ueda
Heitaro Chubu and Menkyo to Nakayama Hakudo. Uedas and a few other
lines of Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu survive and are being taught today.
Goto Ha Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (): Founded by
Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu and revised by Hasegawa Chikaranosuke
Eishin. The style was transmitted throughout the years to Tanimura
Kamenoj Takakatsu. Kamenoj passed Menkyo Kaiden onto several
students including Got Magobei Masasuke. One of many shihan of Muso
Jikiden Eishin Ryu, his line became known as Goto Ha or Goto version. He
had several talented students and issued Menkyo Kaiden to a few of them.
Among those awarded were Oe Masamichi and Morimoto Tokumi.
Toyama Ryu Gunto Soho (): was developed in 1925 was a
military art devised for Japanese soldiers. It consisted of Kumitachi,
Iaijutsu, Sojutsu (meant to represent a Bayonet), Happo Giri () or
Eight Methods of Cutting, Shigeki () or Marksmanships, Tameshigiri (
) or Test Cutting, and Military Music (used for marching and
cadence).
Hayashizaki Hon Ryu (): Founded by Hayashizaki Jinsuke
Shigenobu; it was a style passed down to Nakayama Hakudo via
Hosokawa Yoshimasa. The only remaining teacher of the style is Ogawa
Takeshi (current headmaster of the Yushinkan Dojo).
Glossary of Terms:
Shiai Geiko ()- lit: Contest, practice; it is used to express the

idea of a sparing match.
Kumitachi ()- lit: Grouped swords; is a type of paired form usually
found in Japanese weapon arts.
Gekiken ()- lit: Conquering the Sword or Fencing; it was the pre-
cursor to modern Kendo. Often ryuor school specific, it was a practice that
allowed swordsmen of particular schools to apply learned techniques or
concepts in a relatively controlled environment. Unlike modern Kendo; it
contained the use of several or multiple weapons, grappling, striking, and
physical duress that brought students to a new level of endurance and
understanding.
Otome Ryu ()- lit: that which flows but remains at home was a ryu-
ha or school that was either sponsored by or kept secret by a feudal clan.
Densho ()- lit: Written Teachings are scrolls normally awarded to
students of Japanese koryu or Old Japanese Martial Arts. Densho act as a
both a text on martial arts and certification (having the names of the
author, recipient, and date issued).
Mokuroku ()- lit: Catalog is a type of scroll usually awarded to
students after several years of dedication. The details differ from school to
school, but a mokuroku consists of a (partial or complete) list of kata,
fighting strategy, military strategy, esoteric or religious teachings,
philosophy, or other facets of learning.
Jun-Menkyo () lit: Orderly License; it is a scroll issued by several
ryu or schools, usually prior to the Menkyo scroll.
Menkyo ()- lit: License/Permit; differs from school to school, but is
normally a scroll of high level awarded to those who have attained a
profound level of skill or understanding in their respective
school.
Menkyo Kaiden ()- lit: License of Full-Transmission; it is a scroll
that normally denotes that the receiver has attained a superior command
or even mastery of their ryu or school.
Inkyo ()- lit: Certificate of Proficiency; is a license given to those
who have either finished their training or have been given permission to
establish their own dojo.
Inka ()- lit: Certificate of Proficiency; is a license given to those who
have either finished their training or have been given permission to
establish their own dojo. (Same as Inkyo)
Shihan ()- lit: Instructor; is a term often misused today. A Shihan is a
person who was fully licensed in their respective ryuor school and by the
grace of their teachers, allowed to run or operate their own dojo or
training hall.
Soke ()- lit: Head of Family; it is a term that has been widely misused
and misunderstood (especially within the last eighty years). Soke or
Patriarch is the head of a family house hold. Japanese families were
traditionally extremely hierarchical. Families following Confucian
doctrine were divided into households based solely on ones age or
importance in the family. The patriarch of the family (normally belonging
to the highest house of the family) had the power to make final decisions
on behalf of the entire family, issue or cut off financial support to lower
households, or in extreme cases hamon () or excommunicate a family
relative. It was a very powerful position. Though the principle has existed
in Japanese martial systems for sometime, but it has became more or less
exaggerated in the 20th and 21st century. It has become a way for a Shihan
to consolidate power as well as preserve the integrity of his/her martial
art.
Hanshi ()- lit: Instructor of Warriors; it is an honorary title issued by
a number of organizations in Japan.
San-Dou-no-Hanshi (): was a honorary title given to those
that received Hanshi in Kendo, Iaido, and Jodo from Nippon Butokukai or
Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei (All Japan Kendo Federation).
Dai Nippon Teikoku Kendo Kata ()- lit: The Greater
Kendo Kata of Imperial Japan was the pre-cursor to the Nippon Kendo
Kata ().
Tenranjiai ()- lit: match [game] held while in the presence of the
Emperor; a Tenranjiai is not just related to a martial art contest, but in any
contest where the Emperor is watching. The martial art related
Tenranjiai(s) occurred in 1895 and 1940. Nakayama Hakudo and Takano
Sasaburo demonstrated at the Showa Tenranjiai () or the
Tenranjiai of the Showa Emperor. Since that time the Tenranjiai have
occurred in modern sports like baseball and more traditional sport like
Sumo.
References:

:-
Tony Cundy: Kendo World vol 2 No. 4, 2004
PUBLISHED BY
J e f f r e y K a r in j a
Jeff liv es in Tokyo where he practices Kendo, Iaido, and a number of Koryu.
View all posts by Jeffrey Karinja
February 14, 2011 Jeffrey Karinja history, iaido, kendo, kenshi
27 thoughts on A Lineage all but Forgotten: The Yushinkan

(Nakayama Hakudo)
Beth Johnson
February 14, 2011 at 11:36 am
Thanks, Jeff. Lots of interesting details. Im looking forward

to the third part.
seburo
February 14, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Thanks!
Steven
Jeff, good work. a really good read. thank you for your
hard work.
Felipe Perez
EXelente, muchas gracias, sin duda un gran trabajo

felicitaciones un abrazo desde Chile, Dojo Butokuden
Andy Rogers
Fantastic write-up!!!
Petr Brezina
Thank you, its great.
ConnyLo
Great, very great, I am impressed! Thank you for that work

(waiting for a small brochure of that all to buy at
Amazon: A brief history of Iaido ?
Steven
jeff, pluralize martial artist in the first line?
kokkidojo
Im sorry for adding links to Kokki dojo web. The trackball

function of wordpress was on. I switched off. Please
admin for deleting our links. Im sorry once again.
George McCall
Hey, I deleted the trackbacks I dont mind them perse,

so no worries.
Dean Jolly
Thanks for the great article.
Can I use it as part of our notes son iaido document?

The document is available to all our students, in printed
form for the cost of printing.
It also brings up a question for us in Montreal ( Shidokan )

Our founder, Okimura sensei studied with Danzaki sensei
iaido.
I was told that Danzaki sensei was a student of Hakudo.
How does he relate to him? He is not on your list of
prominent students
thanks for all the good work
Dean
Jeffrey Karinja
Dean, Thank you !
If it is ok, with George you can make the article available

on your website through a link. I appreciate you not
charging students (none of the contributors on kenshi247
[including George] receive compensation for our efforts)
keeping this information free (as intended) is good, but (if

George is ok with it), please support kenshi247 and link us
to your site.
Understand that the list I provided was Not my list of

prominent students, but Nakayama Hakudos (he wrote
the list publicly in his Kendo Koshutsujyu), thus I am stating
his beliefs and statements (not mine). I will be writing a
follow up article that will explain more about Muso
Shinden Ryu that will include many lineages including
Danzakis.
Best
Jeff
George McCall
Dean, feel free to link to anything on the site. You can of

course use part of the article in any not-for-profit handouts
for your dojo (if you could link to kenshi247.net and
mention Jeff as a source then that would be nice). Glad
you enjoyed Jeffs work!
Dean Jolly
Hi George and Jeff

I have asked our Web master to add a link to your site

It will be up in a few days
thanks again
Dean
Ellis Amdur
March 5, 2011 at 5:52 am
Jeffrey I noticed the following statement in your fine

essay: He traveled across Japan to study various arts
like: Itto Shoden Muto Ryu, Ono ha Itto Ryu, Hokushin Itto
Ryu, (Toda) Buko Ryu, Nen Ryu, Shinkage Ryu, Musashi
Enmei Ryu, Jigen Ryu, Ichiden Ryu, and Ooki-Isshin Ryu.
Does the Yushinkan have any documentary evidence

regarding Nakayamas training in Toda-ha Buko-ryu? For
example, who he trained with, if he received any
menkyo, etc. Given the time period, a time where we are
trying to flesh out our history, any information you have
would be very helpful. PM would perhaps be best, as this
would take your essay and discussion off track, I think.
Best
Ellis Amdur
Jeffrey Karinja
March 6, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Unfortunately no. Hakudo sensei received a lot of densho

from several styles (some that I did not even list), but
Buko-ryu was not among them. I am unsure as to who his
instructor was or the exact year he joined. Sorry Ellis.
Best
Jeff
Pingback: Kendo-Kyoju Yushinkan | dillonlin.net
Pingback: (original) Noma Dj Part 1 () 1 | dillonlin.net
Petr Brezina
November 28, 2012 at 12:10 am
Hi Jeff,
do you prepare a continuation of these articles? I think
that the theme about Nakayama sensei and his
successors(Hashimoto Toyo, Nakayama Zendo, Danzaki
Tomoaki etc.) are interesting for many people. Thanks a
LOT for the existing articles and for next informations in
future.
Best Regards Petr
HOPLOblog
June 27, 2013 at 8:24 pm
He hosted Karates Funakoshi Gichin (1868-1957) in his

dojo. Right?
kenshi247
June 28, 2013 at 12:47 am
Hmmm, no idea. I would be surprised if they didnt know

each other and hadnt met as they were very close
contemporaries.
Peter
July 3, 2013 at 4:31 pm
Funakoshi Gichin wrote this in his book
Funakoshi, Gichin (1981) [1975]. Karate-Do: My Way of Life.

Tokyo: Kodansha International. ISBN 978-0-87011-463-2.
Jope
October 3, 2013 at 7:36 pm
Great article! Is the third part in the works? Its been a

long time coming now and Im very interested knowing
about the lines of Muso Shinden Ryu practised these days.
As I study MSR, I could provide information on our has

lineage regarding the article.
kenshi247
October 4, 2013 at 5:29 pm
Jope, the guest writer that did this series for me returned
to America to study so at the moment any additions are
on hold. Sorry!!
k0ns0l3
August 4, 2014 at 2:36 am
Did the third part ever come out? Is there a link for it?
Darren
December 23, 2014 at 9:04 am
where is part 3?
George McCall
December 24, 2014 at 10:16 pm
The guest blogger returned to America Im afraid.
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11/02/15 A Lineage all but Forgotten: The Yushinkan (Nakayama Hakudo) | kenshi 24/7

A Lineage all but Forgotten: The

There are few martial artists in history who have been

Nakayama Hakudo was arguably the most influential

martial artist in modern history. Many instructors and

Second Generation Headmaster of the Yushinkan Dojo (

Nakayama Otsuyoshi () was

located in East Sogawa Merchant

Lane. The restaurant was located on the first avenue off

There in Toyama Hall he worked in the kitchen. As his luck

Otsuyoshi progressed under his various teachers until a

residence in the Toyama Hall.

Hakudo demonstrates proper young Otsuyoshi talked to Kenzo

In 1890 Kenzo handed in his letter of resignation to the

Takazawa was kind enough to escort the young Otsuyoshi

other men fall in love with. These words stuck with

Otsuyoshi arrived in Tokyo in

Hakudo was not perfect, however and had several bad

Hakudos intense dedication paid off and he rapidly

In 1912 Shingoro elected Hakudo to take his place on the

Hakudo was now renowned around Japan for his skill,

In 1912 Hakudo began training in Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsu

the jo to be among the most

As a youth I was taught Shinto

In 1916 Hakudo was introduced to Tosa Eishin Ryu by

Shinmomura Ha Hasegawa Eishin Ryu) and Morimoto

Hakudo trained earnestly and

In 1922 Hakudo was awarded Menkyo Kaiden in Goto Ha

from Yoshimasa. Hakudo continued to visit both

In 1925 Hakudo was asked by the head fencing instructor

In 1930 Hakudo was called on by the Butokukai to

from him using the schools name.

In 1933 Hakudo restructured what he learned in Kochi into

In his time Hakudo had seen the death of stylized Gekiken

Kendo gained popularity and Hakudo along with Takano

World War II was a

In fencing we call ohen () the spirit or ability to

acknowledging the natural tide of affairs (what has

The end of the war

martial arts again.

Hakudos victory brought about harsh realities however.

Hakudo restructured Muso Shinden Ryu for the general

(*Authors note* the Pre-War Gyakuto Todome was done

Hakudo did have several regrets. In his Kendo Koshutsujyu

Hakudo intended all of his serious

Otuska Iwao (Menkyo)

Hakudo added that only four individuals surpassed them

Nakayama Zendo (Menkyo Kaiden)

Mukuta Kozou (Menkyo Kaiden)

Hakudo said, it was his intention to

Hakudo demonstrates the

This is not to say that Hakudo did not

The man called The Last (True) Martial Artist (

Otsuyoshi, youll be a man, who other men fall in

(Part three will serve as a clairification of Muso Shinden

(Special Thanks to: Richard Stonell !!! to whom without this

Itagaki Taisuke: famous Japanese statesmen from Kochi:

Ryu-Ha or Schools Mentioned:

Toyama Han Den Yamaguchi Ha Itto Ryu ():

Hakudos particular version was Kanto Ha Shindo Munen Ryu:

Muso Shinden Eishin Ryu (): Founded by Hayashizaki

Shiai Geiko ()- lit: Contest, practice; it is used to express the

(Authors note the Pre-War Gyakuto Todome was done