By the end of the Edo period Jiki Shinkage-ryū was one of the most powerful sword traditions of Japan. Below is some of my writing on the art, its history, and technical character. Please consult my book on the art for additional information. This site also hosts my continued research on the broader family of Shinkage-ryū.
June 2026
Examining factions of Jikishinkage-ryū and their practice in different areas of Japan.
June 2026
Sōjaku-no-koto (相尺之事; mutual distance or measure) is one of the formal matters listed in historical mokuroku of Jiki Shinkage-ryū kenjutsu. We examine its relationship to Sino-Japanese philosophical concepts.
June 2026
Detail of Hassō Happa from 1800 Kashima Shinden Jiki Shinkage-ryū densho by Ogawa Yashichi, its place in Hōjō swordsmanship, and how the eight phases may relate to the eight extremes of Daoist Huainanzi geography.
May 2026
Details on choices of romanization of 直心影流 — this project uses Jiki Shinkage-ryū, but other choices are also valid.
May 2026
Discussion of kodachi and habiki practice in Jiki Shinkage-ryū Seito-ha as informed by an examination of Saitō Akinobu (1901) Gokui Kyōju Zukai, explaining brief oral teachings.
May 2026
Summary of 1800 Kashima Shinden Jiki Shinkage-ryū densho by Naganuma Tadasato, copied by Ogawa Yashichi, comparing it against other densho I analyzed in my recent book.
March 2026
These notes collect the documentary side of some of my research into the *gokui* (極意) of Kashima-shinden Jiki Shinkage-ryū.
December 2024
Text on Jikishinkage-ryū Hōjō (foundational) swordsmanship, provided for reference based on Jikishinkage-ryū Sōhonbu and Hōbyōkan material. This is typically chanted or recited before performance of the Hōjō kata of Jikishinkage-ryū.