TOYAMA RYU USA BRANCH
Toyama Ryū refers to the sword curriculum that was taught at the Kenjutsu Department of the Toyama Army Academy (Rikugun Toyama Gakkō) during the Taishō and Shōwa eras.
Starting in 1925, the military sword methodology (guntō sōhō) of the Toyama Academy was created in response to concerns that officers would not be able to effectively draw and employ their sword should the need arise while operating in hostile environments. The famous swordsman Nakayama Hakudo was invited to this 1925 committee on army sword instruction, and is credited with creating the first five kata that were taught to the officers who attended the Toyama Army Academy. During the following decades of war, further instruction and training drills were added to the Academy’s sword curriculum by Kenjutsu Department Director Morinaga Kiyoshi as it was expanded to meet the demands and realities of the battlefield.
Toyama Ryū Iai is a “standing Iai” or “battlefield Iai”, which teaches the powerful technique of Ittō-ryōdan or the “One Decisive Cleaving Cut”. Tameshigiri, or test cutting, is one of Toyama Ryū’s distinctive training methods. It has also been referred to as “the last Iai”, since if peace continues it will have been the last Iai used on a battlefield in Japanese history.
Morinaga sensei, with his roots in traditional Japanese swordsmanship, helped to further develop and refine the sword curriculum of the Toyama Army Academy for battlefield application, and was directly responsible for the 1940 army booklet “Military Sword Methodology and Test Cutting” (“Guntō no Sōhō oyobi Tameshigiri”) as the Director of Toyama’s Kenjutsu Department.
In 1945, The National Defense Martial Arts Association (Kokubō Budō Kyōkai) combined his “Military Sword Methodology” booklet with his 1942 publication, “Short Intensive Training for Military Sword (One Cut Certain Kill) Drill Outline”, and published the two booklets as one book. This publication officially organized all the Toyama sword curriculum in one place, and marked its beginnings as a recognized martial art.
After the war ended, and the Allied Occupation’s restrictions on Japanese martial arts were lifted, Morinaga sensei started teaching from his home dōjō in Kyōtanabe. Morinaga sensei wanted his martial art to not only preserve the practical Iai sword and spirit of the Taishō and Shōwa battlefields, but also to organize an Iaidō school for the new era of peace that would be accessible to men and women, young and old.
Morinaga sensei worked hard to elevate the practical battlefield sword method of Toyama Ryū Iai into the budō Toyama Ryū Iaidō, a cultural heritage of the Taishō and Shōwa eras.
For advanced students, he added the ultimate cutting kata, Oku Iai Happō Nuki. His iaidō school continues today as the Toyama Ryū Iaidō Kai.
Timeline
1920
The Army decided to provide officers with Japanese swords, having previously witnessed their officers struggling with western swords in the Russo-Japanese War, and began recruiting officers with significant experience in traditional Japanese sword styles.
1925
As Director of the Kenjutsu Kenkyu Kai, or the Army’s Sword Technique Research Committee, and as a First Lieutenant, Morinaga sensei commissioned the help of renowned swordsmen such as Zenya Kunii (Kashima Shintō Ryū) and Nakayama Hakudō (Musō Jikiden Eishin Ryū) in developing an effective style of swordsmanship that could be used on the modern battlefield. This new practical sword curriculum was called Guntō no Sōhō, or the Military Sword Method, and consisted of five standing kata and tameshigiri.
1939
Morinaga sensei was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and named Toyama Army Academy’s Director of the Kenjutsu Department, or Kenjutsuka-kachō. During this time, Morinaga sensei removed kata #5 from the Toyama sword curriculum—it had proved itself to be unsuccessful and dangerous in real combat—and added three more kata, bringing the number up to seven.
1942
The article “Short Intensive Training for Military Sword (One Cut Certain Kill) Drill Outline” [“Tanki Sokusei Kyōiku Guntō (Ichi Geki Hissatsu) Kunren Yōryō”] was published.
1964
Morinaga sensei moved to Kyōtanabe and started teaching Japanese sword.
1975
Morinaga sensei wrote the first textbook, “Toyama Ryū Iai”.
1979
Morinaga sensei wrote textbook number 2, “Toyama Ryū Iaidō”.
1981
Morinaga sensei organized and held the first Annual Toyama Ryū Iaidō Rensei Taikai competition, which is still held every year.
On September 25th, Morinaga sensei passed away.
Textbook number 3, “Dai Nippon Toyama Ryū Iaidō”, written by Morinaga sensei before he passed, was published.
1997 - 2000
Imase Yoshio, the organization’s 4th President, re-emphasized the essential practice of tameshigiri and the powerful technique of ittō-ryōdan, holding regular tameshigiri workshop trainings.
Imase sensei also published the organization’s fourth textbook, “Toyama Ryū Iaidō”, to help maintain a “unity of technique”.
2012 - 2019
Hayashi Toshikazu, the organization’s 7th President, taught that the practice of Iaidō can strengthen the bonds between people, and continued with great efforts to preserve Toyama Ryū as a cultural heritage for future generations.
2022
Norio Inagaki sensei is named 9th President. Toyama Ryu USA held it's first taikai competition in Provo, Utah.
1874
The Toyama Army Academy, or Rikugun Toyama Gakkō, was established outside of Tokyo to train the officers of the Imperial Japan Army.
1921-1922
Morinaga Kiyoshi (1895-1981) attended, and graduated, from the Toyama Army Academy. Before entering, Morinaga sensei already had an extensive sword background in the sword styles of Mugai Ryu, Omori Ryu, and Musō Shinden Ryu (founded by Nakayama Hakudō).
1931
The Japanese Army invaded Manchuria with officers carrying guntō, or military swords, and the guntō no sōhō techniques began extensive real-life testing. Morinaga sensei continued to develop and change things as field-testing and real battlefield experience showed which traditional sword practices worked and which ones did not.
1940
The “Military Sword Methodology and Test Cutting” (“Guntō no Sōhō oyobi Tameshigiri”), a booklet for officers, was published.
1945
The “Military Sword Methodology” and “Short Intensive Training” booklets were combined into one book and republished by the National Defense Martial Arts Association (Kokubō Budō Kyōkai) as “Guntō no Sōhō oyobi Tameshigiri”.
The Allies won the WWII, the Toyama Army Academy was closed, and restrictions were placed on all Japanese martial arts for several years.
1971
From his home dōjō, Yamashiro Budō Kai, Morinaga sensei taught Toyama Ryū Iaidō, Kendō, and Jūkendō (bayonet). He traveled the country, promoting Toyama Ryū Iaidō as a Cultural Heritage of the Shōwa (1926 - 1989) and Taishō eras (1912 - 1926).
1976
Morinaga sensei founded the Toyama Ryū Iaidō Promotion Association as its first chairman, and codified kata #8 of the Hon Iai kata series.
1980
Prince Kan’in Sumihito became an honorary advisor of the organization, which Morinaga sensei then renamed as the Dai Nippon Toyama Ryū Iaidō Kai. Morinaga sensei also served as a Vice Chairman of the Dai Nippon Butokukai during this time, and was on the board of directors for the Zen Nippon Jukendō Renmei, serving as an advisor. The Jukendō kata, which were devised while he was head instructor at the Toyama Army Academy, were adopted and are still used to this day.
1990 - 1995
Under the style’s 3rd President, Murai Hiroshi, the organization was renamed as the Toyama Ryū Iaidō Kai. Murai sensei also emphasized tameshigiri as essential training, and taught such sword philosophy as “muga” (self-effacement), “wa” (peace), and “saya-uchi no ken” (the sword inside the sheath concept).
2002
Tim Shiomi sensei met Toyoo Inoue sensei and was introduced to Toyama Ryū. Upon returning to the states, he started training and teaching, eventually becoming the 1st USA Director of the Toyama Ryū Iaidō Kai, spending decades promoting and teaching Toyama Ryū from the USA honbu in California.
2020
Toyoo Inoue sensei is named 8th President.
Jake Sorensen Sensei named 2nd USA Director of Toyama Ryū Iaido Kai. Tim Shiomi Sensei joins advisory board to help support the growth of Toyama Ryu's global footprint. The USA Branch held it's 1st taikai on Nov. 5, 2022.
2024
Toyama Ryu USA holds 2nd Taikai competition which becomes an annual event. Official USA handbook and website are available to help promote style.
歴史的年表
