Welcome to Kenjutsu Ireland

The home of the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu Dublin Kenyu Bu

Kenjutsu.ie is the digital home of the Dublin Kenyu Bu - a group of dedicated martial artists exploring the koryu traditions of kenjutsu (Japanese Swordsmanship), the core of which is our study of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu.

On this site you'll find information on legitimate and genuine styles of swordsmanship and the Dublin Kenyu Bu.

Here you can learn about kenjutsu and specific styles such as Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, the style of Miyamoto Musashi (pictured right), Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai and Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo.

Should you have any questions or wish to study and train in any of these art's please feel free to contact us.

Training Available In...

What is Kenjutsu?
剣術

Kenjutsu (剣術) meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword" is a catch-all term for all (koryū) schools of Japanese swordsmanship, particularly those that predate the Meiji Restoration (1868). In this way kenjutsu is very much associated with...read more here

Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryū
二天一流

Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryū (二天一流), can roughly be translated as "the school of the strategy of two heavens as one". It is classified as a koryū (ancient school). The style, famous for its simultaneous used of two swords ....read more here

Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū
無双直伝英信流

Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū is, in essence, the art of drawing and using the Japanese Sword. It is a specific style of traditional swordsmanship which trace's their origins back as far as the fifteenth century... learn more about Iai here.

Shintō Musō-ryū / Shindō Musō-ryū
神道夢想流

Primarily the study of jōdō or jōjutsu, the art of wielding the short staff (jō) to defeat a swordsman in combat this dynamic and exciting style of combat focuses on proper combative distance, timing and concentration.

Dai Nippon Battō Hō
大日本抜刀法

The Dai Nippon Battō Hō (大日本抜刀法) forms were developed in 1939, by Kōno Hyakuren Sensei based on his expert knowledge of Musō Jikiden Eishin ryū. The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (DNBK) asked for the assistance of Harumasa Fukui (19th headmaster), and Kōno Hyakuren (19th headmaster), in creating a series of battōjutsu techniques to be taught to the naval officers of the Japanese military, about to set forth for World War II. Kōno and Haramusa Sesnei developed a series of 10 standing Iai techniques (plus 2 kae waza) based on koryū forms.

In Dublin Kenyu Bu we teach the 7 Kihon Iaijutsu waza, 5 Oku Iaijutsu waza and the 7 paired kumitachi (kenjutsu) forms. We also teach a selection of 5 Yoroi Oyo Waza, that can be performed in armor.

Finally, within this school, we also teach the ZNIR Tōhō (刀法) developed by Kōno Hyakuren Sensei.

Keshi Ryū
警視流

Founded in 1886 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, under the leadership of Kajikawa Yoshimasa (梶川義正), Ueda Banosuke (Benosuke) (上田馬之助), and (H)Itomi Sosuke (逸見宗助), this style of the police sword corps (Battōtai) included:

  • 5 forms of Keshi Ryū Iaijutsu (警視流立居合),
  • 10 forms of Keshi Ryū Kenjutsu (警視流木太刀形),
  • 16 forms of Jujutsu (柔術),
  • 6 forms of Early Arrest Methods (早捕 ) and
  • 5 forms of Arresting Techniques (活法).

The complete Iai and Kenjutsu syllabus is taught in the Dublin Kenyu Bu, with a selection of the Keishi Kenpo (Police Self-Defense Techniques) 警視拳法 .

Shindō Munen-ryū
神道無念流

Originally an offshoot of Kamiizumi’s Shinkage-ryū via the Shin Shinkage Ichien-ryū line, Shindō Munen-ryū was founded by Fukui Hachiemon Nagayuki. Born in 1702 Fuki opened the doors of his own dōjō in the Yotsuya area of Edo at some point in the 1920s.

By the time of the 4th headmaster Saitō Yakurō Yoshimichi in 1826 and the foundation of Rempeikan dōjō, Shindō Munen-ryū had won great acclaim and was seen as one of the “Three Great Dōjō of Edo”, alongside, Chiba Shūsaku’s Genbukan (Hokushin Ittō-ryū) and Momonoi Hachirōzaemon Naoyoshi’s Shigakan (Kyōshin Meichi-ryū).

A partially fractured account of the Shindō Munen-ryū Iaijutsu is all that remains of the school today, with all of the complete lines now extinct.

In Dublin Kenyu Bu we offer training in the 12 Iaijutsu kata of (Hosoda-ha) Shindō Munen-ryū.

Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu
霞神道流剣術

Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu is one of the Fuzoku Ryūha (assimilated arts) within Shindō Musō-ryū 神道夢想流. (Kasumi) Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu (霞神道流剣術) was developed by the founder of Shindō Musō-ryū, Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi (夢想 權之助 勝吉) sometime between 1602 and 1614.

Shintō-ryū Kenjutsu consists of 12 sword-versus-sword training-forms (kata). 8 kata are odachi (longsword) vs  odachi and 4 with the kodachi (short sword) winning over the odachi. All 12 kata are offered to students in the Dublin Kenyu Bu.

Uchida-ryū Tanjōjutsu
内田流短杖術

Another of the Fuzoku Ryūha (assimilated arts) within Shindō Musō-ryū 神道夢想流, Uchida-ryū Tanjōjutsu (内田流短杖術) offers 12 forms using a walking stick against an odachi (longsword). All 12 forms, plus a selection of oyo waza (applied forms) are taught in the Dublin Kenyu Bu.

 

A wood block print of Miyamoto Musashi's famous duel against Sasaki Kojiro