Musashi Ryu Kenjutsu DVD by Takara Takanashi

The Swordsmanship of Legendary Swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, Renowned for His Dual Sword Technique

In the history of Japanese martial arts, Miyamoto Musashi stands out as one of the most famous swordsmen. His greatest skill lay in proficiently wielding two swords simultaneously. Despite numerous scholars in later years seeking to unravel the secrets of his martial pursuits through texts like the "Gorin no Sho" (The Book of Five Rings), few have endeavored to truly understand and master the essence of his two-sword technique. This rare exploration is undertaken meticulously by the distinguished martial artist Takamuro Takara, who has studied both Nitenshin-ryu and Nitento-ryu, revealing Musashi's swordsmanship techniques with thorough demonstrations and explanations, adapting to the changes of his era.

Evolution of Musashi-ryu Swordsmanship

Throughout his life, Miyamoto Musashi evolved his military strategies and philosophies, transitioning from the Enmei-ryu style in his early years to Nitenshin-ryu in his later years. The Nitento-ryu tradition passed down within the Kokura domain significantly diverged from other dual sword techniques, effectively representing Musashi's swordsmanship style until his middle age. Conversely, the Nitenshin-ryu Yamato branch, under the guidance of Master Inamura Kiyoshi, embodies the refined essence of Musashi's military strategies in his later years, embodying the principles found in the "Gorin no Sho" text.

By threading together these two schools with references to texts such as the "Gorin no Sho" and Enmei-ryu swordsmanship manuals, the underlying principles of Musashi's swordsmanship evolution and his comprehensive Musashi-ryu martial arts style become apparent.

Contents:

• Characteristics of Miyamoto Musashi's Two-Sword Technique
• Cross reception
• Cross reception / Nitento-ryu style
  • Derived forms (1) (2)
• Cross reception / Nitenshin-ryu style
  • Middle stance
  • Derived forms (1) (2) (3)
• Timing of attachment
  • When the opponent's strike is delayed and the distance is close
  • Taking the lead
• Timing of crossing
  • When struck quickly from a distant interval
  • Cross hold
• Cross reception against attacks from various angles
• Cross reception against thrusts
• Final form of Nitento-ryu style
  • Sword forms: Autumn leaves strike
  • Yamato-ha Nitento-ryu: Sword forms
• Swinging exercises
• Stepping

Cast:

• Takamuro Takara (TAKANASHI Takara)
  • From a young age, he practiced various martial arts and combat techniques. Since 1999, he has studied Nitenshin-ryu under Master Inamura Kiyoshi, a disciple of the Yamato-ha eighth generation Aoki Norio. Later, he also studied the Kokura-han tradition of Nitento-ryu transmitted by Morio Kobayashi (Human National Treasure, Fifth Generation Yanagiya Kosan), researching the evolution of Musashi's techniques. In 2009, he founded the Kobudo Gakusha Seifu-kai. From 2010, under the guidance of Master Shohei Koyama, he studied Tosen. In 2011, he received permission for Shinkin-ryu martial arts (Higeta-ha) from Master Atsushi Yamamoto. In 2015, he renamed the group to Kobujutsu Zefukai after crossing the Eurasian continent. He has dedicated himself to martial arts training, teaching domestically and internationally in Europe, America, and various Asian countries.

Length: 101 min

Language: Japanese

SPD-7527