Shindō Munen-ryū
| Shintō Munen-ryū (神道無念流) | |
|---|---|
| Founder | Fukui Hyōemon Yoshihira |
| Date founded | Early 18th century |
| Period founded | Edo period (1603–1868) |
| Current headmaster | It depends on the branch. |
| Art | Description |
| Kenjutsu | Sword Art |
| Iaijutsu | Sword Drawing Art |
| Shin Shinkage Ichiden-ryū | |
| Funishin-ryū ・ Enshin-ryū ・ Fuso Nen-ryū ・ Shintō Muteki-ryū | |
Shindō Munen-ryū or Shintō Munen-ryū (神道無念流?) is a Japanese koryū martial art school founded by Fukui Hyōemon Yoshihira (福井兵右衛門嘉平) in the early 18th century. The style rapidly gained popularity throughout Japan due to the efforts of Togasaki Kumataro, Okada Junmatsu, Saito Yakuro, and his sons Shintaro and Kannosuke.
Fukui Hyōemon (1700-1782) was born in Shimano no Kuni (now ) and learned Shin Shinkage Ichiden Ryu under Nonaka Gonnai received Menkyo Kaiden at a relatively young age.
Hyōemon, unsatisfied, traveled Japan taking part in shinken shobu (death matches) and honing his skills. He became so reputed that he was listed on Imperial and Tokugawa Bakufu records as one of the best swordsmen of his time. Hyoemon continued to travel through Japan until he encountered a small shrine in the Inazuma Mountains. There he found the Izuna-Gongen Shrine where he meditated and trained in isolation for 50 days. On the 50th night he achieved enlightenment. The resulting enlightenment was organized into a rather large syllabus of techniques later codified as "Shindō Munen-ryū".
Hyōemon thereafter traveled to Edo (present day Tokyo) where he opened a dojo in Yotsuya. There he trained a small number of dedicated students until his retirement. Hyōemon then passed the ryu onto his successor Togasaki Kumataro (2nd Generation). His grave can be found in present-day Saitama not too far from his protoge's (Togasaki Kumataro).
The fourth successor of Shindō Munen-ryū, Saitō Yakuro Yoshimichi (斎藤弥九郎), established the dojo called Renpeikan (練兵館) in Edo.
Shindō Munen-ryū reached the pinnacle of its popularity towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1868). In this politically unstable time, Shindō Munen-ryū swordsmen participated in both the political and physical battles that came to define the Bakumatsu (1853-1868). It was not uncommon for Shindō Munen-ryū swordsmen of different or even the same dojo to engage each other in combat. Politically active members like Katsura Kogoro and Ito Hirobumi later took active leadership roles in the Meiji Government.
...
Wikipedia