Kenjutsu
Kashima Shin Ryu (jap. 鹿島神流) is one of the traditional japanese martial schools.
Legendary roots of the school go back to the Asuka era (about 645 AD), when Kuninazu no Mahito – monk from the Great Shrine of Kashima, had a revelation in which Takemikazuchi no Mikoto (deity of thunder and sword worshiped in this shrine) appeared and made him possible to enable from Kashima no Tachi (jap. 鹿島之太刀), the art of spiritual development, consisting of polishing by making forms with the sword harai no tachi, set of martial techniques against opponent. In the XV century Matsumoto Bizen no Kami, who was an officer in the Great Shrine of Kashima, in cooperation with Kunii Genpachiro Minamoto no Kagetsugu, created a formal line of transmission of the school. It was further developed in Kunii’s clan. Kunii Zen’ya Minamoto no Michiyuki was the 18th master of the school and Minoru Inaba sensei was his favourite disciple.
Inaba sensei restored the name of Kashima no Tachi (jap. 鹿島之太刀). He teaches in Meiji Jingu Shiseikan Budojo (明治神宮至誠館武道場) – dojo, which was founded at the shintoist shrine Meiji in Tokyo in 1973 to promote ethical attitude through training of japanese Budo. He was director of Shiseikan between 1994 and 2009. In addition to the trainings of arts that compose the school of Kashima (jap. 鹿島), such as primarily kenjutsu (jap. 剣術) – martial techniques of japanese sword and taijutsu (jap. 体術) – martial techniques without weapons, but also batto jutsu (jap. 抜刀術) – techniques performed with a sharp sword, sojutsu (jap. 槍術) – techniques of spear, jojutsu (jap. 杖術) – techniques of stick, naginata jutsu (jap. 長刀術) – techniques of glaive, a long stick with a blade set at the end upright, kyudo (jap. 弓道), kendo (jap. 剣道), aikido (jap. 合気道) and judo (jap. 柔道) are held.
Kashima school is based on sword techniques. Techniques used during the fight with other weapons, are based on techniques used during sword fight. Kenjutsu according school of Kashima includes the study of fourty forms (kata) included in five series: kihon dachi (jap. 基本太刀) – basic forms, ura dachi (jap. 裏太刀) – forms which let go out victorious from lost situation, aishin kumi tachi (jap. 相心組太刀) – forms breaking synchronisation of attack and defence (mirror forms), jissen kumi tachi (jap. 実戦組太刀) – forms of direct fight in a short distance (duel) and kassen dachi (jap. 合戦太刀) – forms of fight in a suddenly lessening distance (battlefield).
