Shinkage-ryū History
The history and texts of the Shinkage-ryū tradition, centered on its Kashima-Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū branch — its founders, the stelae that record them and how the line divided into factions over time, together with close readings of the transmission scrolls. The bakumatsu–Meiji institutional world these swordsmen worked in — the shogunal Kōbusho academy and the turn toward kendō — is treated under Kenjutsu in Transition. I also have a book available (opens in a new tab) on the history, principles and technical context of the art.
Essays and Articles
【Densho Analysis】
Close readings of classical densho (伝書; transmission scrolls) — comparing their kata, structure, terminology and lineage across schools, working from the primary documents.
【The Kawashima Takashi Memorial Stele】
June 2026
Text, Translation and Roster of a 1960 memorial stele to honor Kawashima Takashi in his birthplace, Kitashimizu Fudō-in (北清水不動院), Yokoshiba (横芝), Chiba.
【Reading the 1968 JSKR Founder's Stele at Kashima】
June 2026
Text, Translation and Roster of a Jikishinkage-ryū memorial stele erected at Kashima Jingu in 1968. A Telescoped Lineage in Imperial-Shinto Idiom.
【Factions of Jikishinkage-ryū】
June 2026
Examining factions of Jikishinkage-ryū and their practice in different areas of Japan.