Which sword art do you study?

[MingTheMerciless]

Doing FMA and a little bit of HEMMA ( busy with MMA ) .

I am a little confuse though , why put western and european seperately ? aren't they kinda the same thing ? Maybe you should put Medieval and Re(spelling .. )

 

[Boomer]

I've studied Omori ryu iaido, and Shinkage ryu kenjutsu.

I've also gained experience with parang (machete) in my mande muda silat training.


I gotta say, I'm not such a big fan of swords as I used to be. I guess I just lost some interest on the way and got busy with other studies. I just feel like I won't really use swordsmanship in the span of my life. It's cool to play around with though, and some things can translate into other movements in other weapons and empty hand.

 

[MingTheMerciless]

Re(spelling .. )

That will be Renaissance

 

[SeanKerby]

Nami Ryu Kenjutsu and Iaijutsu.

 

[Mr. E]

Very long thread, lotsa interesting stuff. I study Itto Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu (that's a mouthful eh). Our school evolved from a branching off that is more combat oriented.

I am sorry to say this, but it looks like you have been conned. Please read the following.

http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9804&L=iaido-l&D=0&P=3572

http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9903&L=iaido-l&P=R11137

I realize this may be hard to take. But I think you owe it to yourself to examine the truth. Do a search and see if anyone in Japan knows about your art at all. If you can't find a mention in Japan or the highest ranking person in your art can't prove his claims, then it was created by someone outside of Japan and is not as it presents itself.

I really do feel bad about this. But until you can somehow prove that your art existed at some point in Japan, maybe it would be best if you declined from posting stuff about Koryu kenjutsu.

 

[kidswarrior]

Kung Fu San Soo broadsword.

 

[ScottUK]

I am sorry to say this, but it looks like you have been conned.

Ouch.

Ah well, such is life.

Well spotted there, Mr E.

 

[kaustabh]

Mainly Yang Tai Chi Jian and Shaolin Jian. Any Jian art I am there for it. Do practice some Chinese Broadsword and Indian Kripan/Talwar too.

 

[ToShinDoKa]

Yudansha status in Eishin ryu Iaijutsu, baby! From Shinobu to Sanpo Giri, I know it, and love it!

Also working on Kukishinden ryu Kenjutsu w/ the tachi-blade.

 

[Sukerkin]

Sanpo Giri? That's seitei gata isn't it?

What school do you study at, Tosh? I'm assuming it's not a dedicated MJER dojo as we don't generally practise seitei gata. As I'm sure you know, the reason for that being that it is an amalgamation-by-commitee of styles and thus discards those things that make the art distinctive (which is why it is often utilised as a 'companion' art to kendo).

Would my guess be right that you've learned your swordwork as an adjunct to one of your other arts? If that's so, I'd heartily recommend that if you have a love of the sword arts you seek out a MJER/MSER or whatever dojo that's properly affiliated and train there. The difference is very marked.

 

[Saitama Steve]

Very long thread, lotsa interesting stuff. I study Itto Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu (that's a mouthful eh). Our school evolved from a branching off that is more combat oriented.

Regards,
Ins

Ah, Mr.Lovret's bunch.

Well spotted Mr.E

 

[ToShinDoKa]

Sanpo Giri? That's seitei gata isn't it?

What school do you study at, Tosh? I'm assuming it's not a dedicated MJER dojo as we don't generally practise seitei gata. As I'm sure you know, the reason for that being that it is an amalgamation-by-commitee of styles and thus discards those things that make the art distinctive (which is why it is often utilised as a 'companion' art to kendo).

Would my guess be right that you've learned your swordwork as an adjunct to one of your other arts? If that's so, I'd heartily recommend that if you have a love of the sword arts you seek out a MJER/MSER or whatever dojo that's properly affiliated and train there. The difference is very marked.

By MJER you mean Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu, correct? The same 'unbroken lineage' style famed Master Shimabukuro studies? You are correct, sir. Our Shotokan organization, like many kendo clubs and so on, studied the Seitei kata, as well as some others (only for the sake of variation) from MJER. I specifically loved them because of their simplicity and yet deadly effectiveness (at least from the looks and theory). Yes, sanpo giri, shinobu, imotagoi (think I spelled that wrong) and it's two or three henka, and so on. I was told our Ukenagashi no kata is different from MJER, and of course, we respect MJER as the main source of this art.

I mostly studied it for the principles, HEAVILY samurai in nature, I felt. Lo' and behold, I'd eventually start studying an art with more of a ninja mindset later on...LoL.

 

[Insley Stiles]

I am sorry to say this, but it looks like you have been conned. Please read the following.

http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9804&L=iaido-l&D=0&P=3572

http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9903&L=iaido-l&P=R11137

I realize this may be hard to take. But I think you owe it to yourself to examine the truth. Do a search and see if anyone in Japan knows about your art at all. If you can't find a mention in Japan or the highest ranking person in your art can't prove his claims, then it was created by someone outside of Japan and is not as it presents itself.

I really do feel bad about this. But until you can somehow prove that your art existed at some point in Japan, maybe it would be best if you declined from posting stuff about Koryu kenjutsu.

Mr. E-

I recently met Phil Relnick and spoke with him at length about this issue of names. While I am somewhat despondent about our apparent lack of roots, I am confident that what I have been studying for the last 18 years has merit. I am told that somewhere along the way our style was changed to reflect a more combat oriented format. I was not there and cannot prove this beyond what I have been told. I am also glad to note that this Lovret person never entered into the picture as far as I can find out.

While what we do may not be Tenshinsho-Den Katori Shinto Ryu as I have seen it demonstrated, I believe, after 33 years in martial arts, that what we practice is practical as well as enjoyable and beneficial. I will continue to train in and teach our style of kenjutsu as long as I enjoy and am enriched by what we are doing.

I will also continue to search for our roots. I began my study of martial arts in Uechi Ryu Karate-Do, a very traditional Okinawan style and I know my roots in this back to the founder and beyond. I very much value origins but, regardless of the name, I cannot refute what we do. Opinions vary. During a trip to Japan a few years ago I was told by an 8th dan in kendo that Kenjutsu does not exist in Japan any more. Who'd a thunk it!

I value your opinions so please keep them coming.

Regards,

Ins

 

[Mr. E]

I am told that somewhere along the way our style was changed to reflect a more combat oriented format.

Take a second to think about just how strange that sounds.

Are you saying that someone took a koryu kenjutsu style like the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto ryu or one of the Itto ryu factions in Japan that was founded by men who killed people with swords and used by others to kill trained swordsmen and then made it more combat oriented without getting into real combat with a sword themselves?

Or are you saying that someone actually did get into sword combat and that is where these changes come from?

It is like when I asked about Phil Elmore's combat experience over his book on the sword. Nothing other than a life and death encounter has the same feel as the real thing. You can't know with any great certainty that what you do will work when parts of your brain take over from your normal mind and massive amounts of chemicals dump into your system.

So how would you even know that what you do has merit- unless you have had to face someone with your sword?

If by having merit you mean that you have fun with it, ok. There are people that play Live Action Role Playing games that also can say the same thing.

But if you are going to talk about swordsmanship as if what you do is Japanese related- you had best have a link to Japan. And if you want to talk about what you do as if it was the same as an art bathed in blood, you had best be sure that this is the case.

If you just want to have fun, then admit it and know your limitations.

 

[Charles Mahan]

I am told that somewhere along the way our style was changed to reflect a more combat oriented format.

See it's not so much the questionable lineage that really rubs people the wrong way. The lineage issue is just questionable. It's the holier than thou attitude implicit in the above assertion that irritates. Now I'm not gonna say that it's the case here as I don't know the details of this particular school very well, but it's typical of the type of propaganda-like marketing spiel common amoung many small McDojo type places where the instructor learned a little bit from one school or other, broke with the style to open their own place and then used that type of statement to justify their actions. It gets old.

 

[karate-dragon]

Kendo - and it's the best workout ever. Also think it has transitioned into my regular sparring for speed and subtle movement as well as kata practice with posture and poise.

 

[Koryu Rich]

Seitei iaido and Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu, currently working on Seitie as I'm a n00b I've only done a very little bit of MJER.

Also Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu.

I'v found they have helped on multiple levels with my Bujinkan Taijutsu .

 

[Sukerkin]

Hi Spooky :tup:. Nice to see another valued member of MAP putting a few footsteps in other sands, so to speak . MT's a bit different than the Planet but I think you'll like it here.

 

[Koryu Rich]

Cheers!

I thought I'd start spending more time over here, less sharks in the water and all that.

Plus you guys get cool smilies :jediduel:

 

[ToShinDoKa]

Spookyfbi posted:

"I thought I'd start spending more time over here, less sharks in the water and all that."

Ain't that the truth! :angel: