Toyama-Ryū

Within the Bushin Kai we practice the Toyama Ryū method of Japanese swordsmanship as taught by Shihan Mukaida Takeshi.

The Toyama Ryū, a relatively modern school of Japanese swordsmanship based on the Guntō Sōhō forms, was developed in 1925 for the “Rikugun Toyama Gakko” (Toyama Military Academy) in Tōkyō, Japan. This method was drawn from the knowledge of traditional Japanese swordsmanship tested for centuries on battlefields at the time of Samurai. The techniques of this school were developed by a committee of the highest exponents of Japanese swordsmanship of that era and their styles, among them was the prominent figure Master Nakayama Hakudo (Shimomura-ha Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū Iai-Dō), Sasaburō Takano (Ono-ha Ittō Ryū), and many others. The main purpose was to select the most effective techniques and combinations to be used by the Japanese Imperial Army in real combat situations.

The original Guntō Sōhō forms were primarily designed to teach the military officers to quickly deploy the sword for close-quarters combat. With the dissolution of the Rikugun Toyama Gakko after 1945, the most technically advanced instructors went on to develop the Toyama Ryū, further adding traditional teachings to expand and complete the school’s curriculum. The most prominent of these advanced instructors were Morinaga Kiyōshi, Yamaguchi Yūki and Nakamura Taizaburo.

Morinaga Kiyōshi Shihan was the leading officer (retired with the rank of Colonel) responsible for formulating and teaching the techniques during the time of the Rikugun Toyama Gakko. After its dissolution, Morinaga Shihan continued teaching the Toyama Ryū in the Kansai region of Japan and founded the Dai Nippon Toyama Ryū Iaidō Shinkokai.

Yamaguchi  Yūki Shihan was already an expert in Iaidō and Kendō at the time of the Rikugun Toyama Gakko and he continued teaching the Toyama Ryū in the Hokkaido region of Japan and founded the Dai Nippon Toyama Ryū Iaidō Rengokai.

Nakamura Taizaburo Shihan established himself in the Kantō region of Japan and founded the Zen Nihon Toyama Ryū Iaidō Renmei. Nakamura Shihan made several appearances on national television demonstrating the Toyama Ryū method and impressive Tameshigiri (test cutting on bundled reed targets) during the ’70s and popularized the school among other Bu-jutsu groups, actors and stuntmen, and more rapidly had followers overseas.

The 2^nd Headmaster of our line of Toyama Ryū was Minowa Hitoshi Shihan. He studied the methods of Morinaga Kiyōshi Shihan, Yamaguchi Yūki Shihan and Nakamura Taizaburo Shihan. He founded the Toyama Ryū Tōkai Renmei Minowa Kai in 1980 and established himself in Seki city (Gifu prefecture, Japan), which is an important center for producing swords in Japan. Minowa Shihan was renowned for his expert swordsmanship and impressive Tameshigiri (test cutting) demonstrations, and he made many friends among exponents of other swordsmanship and Budō schools, which he invited every year to Seki City to perform in an “Enbu” (presentation) for the occasion of the famous “Hamono Matsuri” (swords and edged implements festival).

Minowa Shihan passed away in 2007, in his memory all his followers and friends keep up the tradition of meeting in Seki City every year to perform together and present the true spirit of Japanese Budō.

The peculiarity of our line of Toyama Ryū, as was taught by the 3^rd Headmaster Mukaida Shihan, is the wonderful harmony between the effectiveness and precision of the cutting technique of the sword and the elegance and refinement of movement rarely seen elsewhere. There is a strong influence from studies of the Shinkage Ryū method of swordsmanship (a Kōryū with over 400 years of history and development, which we also practice within the Bushin Kai), and this is expressed both in forms (Kata) and test-cutting with a live blade (Tameshigiri). The movements are powerful, fluent, and agile. Great emphasis is placed on studying the correct “Tōsuji” (line of the swing of the sword during cutting) and “Hasuji” (angle of the blade edge during cutting), and an unbroken, non-mechanical, flowing, and natural movement that allows to continue the action in the case of defending against more than one opponent at once.

The curriculum includes Suburi, Battō-jutsu, Iai Kata, Ken-jutsu and Tameshigiri with the Katana (long sword) and the Kō-dachi (short sword), as well as Sō-jutsu (spear techniques) and Jūken-jutsu (mounted and unmounted bayonet). In addition, the practice of programmed and free sparring is performed by the advanced students.