| School: | Oishi Shinkage-ryū (大石神影流) |
| Founder: | Oishi Susumu Tanetsugu (c.1798 - 1865) |
| Date Founded: | c.1840 |
| Period Founded: | late Edo period |
| Headmaster: | Oishi Kei (大石馨) |
| Art1: | Kenjutsu |
| Art2: | Iaijutsu |
| Description1: | Sword art |
| Description2: | Sword drawing art |
| Ancestors: | Kage-ryū (Aizu) |
Oishi Shinkage-ryū (大石神影流) is a traditional school (koryū) of Japanese martial arts, founded by Oishi Susumu Tanetsugu in the early 1800s.[1] [2]
The origin of Oishi Shinkage-ryū was Aizu Kage-ryū kenjutsu (swordsmanship), which was founded by Aizu Ikōsai Hisatada. Aizu Kage-ryū was transmitted to founder by Murakami Ittō. He came to Yanagawa domain from Ōoka domain. He taught Aizu Kage-ryū kenjutsu, Oshima-ryū sōjutsu (use of spear) and Okuyama Shinkan-ryū jujutsu. One of his student was Oishi Yuken who was a grandfather of Oishi Susumu. Oishi Yuken taught Oishi Susumu his kenjutsu and sōjutsu arts. Both Susumu's grandfather and his father were instructors of Yanagawa domain.
Oishi Susumu improved the protective gear used during practice. In addition, he improved fukuro shinai (bamboo sword covered with leather) to a modern bamboo sword. He devised stab technique, and a technique of striking one's opponent's breastplate. He was said to be five foot eleven inches tall (1.8 meters), a great height for a Japanese of his day. Therefore, his style of swordsmanship uses longer bamboo practice swords than most other styles. There are stories of him engaging in combat around Japan using his four shaku shinai (about 121 cm).[3]
By the order of his feudal lord, he went to the capital city, Edo in 1832. In the next year, he did kenjutsu matches with many famous instructors. After Oishi Susumu, his son, also named Oishi Susume, inherited the school. Because the latter didn’t have a son, his younger brother, Oishi Yukie was placed as the headmaster of the ryū. After the Meiji Restoration, they didn’t practice swordsmanship for some time, but the school survived still. When Oishi Yukie died, his son, Oishi Hajime was young, so Itai Masumi, the pupil of Oishi Yukie protected the Oishi Shinkage-ryū. After Oishi Hajime grew up, he inherited his father's martial art. He taught the ryū to his grandson, Oishi Eiichi. And Oishi Eiichi taught the Oishi Shinkage-ryū to Morimoto Kunio. Morimoto Kunio was given menkyo kaiden (a teaching license) and is currently teaching the Oishi Shinkage-ryū.
Early history pre-dating Oishi Shinkage-ryū:
After founding of the school:
Oishi Shinkage-ryu is a traditional school of swordsmanship. The features of the Oishi Shinkage-ryū are techniques called morotezuki (to make a both hands pass), katatezuki (to make a single hand pass) and dōgiri (to cut the waist). These techniques were used by Oishi Susumu for the first time in swordsmanship matches with the protective gear. Oishi Susumu made 79 kata, which are called tekazu in Oishi Shinkage-ryū.
Techniques of the Oishi Shinkage-ryu kenjutsu include use of one sword with both hands, techniques to use two swords, saya-no-uchi (iai) and naginata. The first three groups of kata is the basis of the ryū.