Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsu Books & DVDs

Shinto Muso Ryu is one of Japan's oldest and most respected martial arts traditions, specializing in jojutsu (the art of the short staff). Founded in the early 17th century (circa 1605-1608) by Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi, the art has maintained an unbroken lineage for over 400 years.

According to tradition, Gonnosuke—already an accomplished martial artist—suffered a defeat in a duel with the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. Following this encounter, Gonnosuke retreated to Mount Homan in Kyushu where he underwent intensive meditation and training. There, he reportedly received divine inspiration from the Shinto deity Hachiman to create a new weapon and fighting system based on a staff approximately four feet long (jo).

Gonnosuke later had a rematch with Musashi using his new jo techniques and was able to defeat him—one of the only recorded defeats of Musashi. The system Gonnosuke developed became known as Shinto ("New Way") Muso ("Divine Dream") Ryu.

Originally developed for battlefield and law enforcement applications, Shinto Muso Ryu includes not only jo techniques but also associated weapons systems including tanjojutsu (short stick), hojojutsu (rope restraint techniques), jutte-jutsu (truncheon), and kenjutsu (swordsmanship).

The art was preserved through the Edo period as the official martial art of the Kuroda clan in Fukuoka. In the modern era, Shinto Muso Ryu gained international recognition largely through the efforts of Takaji Shimizu (1896-1978), who taught the art to the Tokyo police and later introduced it to foreign students.

Today, Shinto Muso Ryu is practiced worldwide while maintaining its traditional teaching methods and kata (formal patterns). The current headmaster is Hiroshi Nishioka, and the art continues to be valued for both its practical applications and its preservation of traditional Japanese martial culture.