Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu — Evolution and Adaptation

Our training with Nicklaus Suino Sensei of the Japanese Martial Arts Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is our third attempt to train in Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu (MJER) Iaido (the earlier attempts were in the first decade of this century). Until recently, despite the extent of our previous experience, I would have referred to Eishin-ryu as “the art of drawing the sword to an immediate, defensive technique,” but that is an incomplete understanding. As I’ve learned, the longer phrase that is the reference for the term iai is “Tsune ni ite, kyu ni awasu” (常に居て、急に合わす). This translates roughly as, “Being constantly in the moment, and swiftly adapting to respond.” That philosophy serves as the foundational concept for Eishin-ryu, representing a deep state of mental awareness and the capacity for instant physical reaction. Iaido is training to become fully present in every moment and provides physical and mental tools to restore harmony in the face of disruptions. The art in its earlier forms was a sogo-bujutsu, a comprehensive warrior art intended to ensure samurai of the Tosa domain would prevail in the face of adversity.

The samurai of the Tosa domain (present-day Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku) stood among Japan’s most formidable warriors, renowned for their fierce independence, rigorous martial discipline, and unyielding loyalty to both clan and Emperor. As a strategically vital domain with a proud history of resistance and reform, Tosa cultivated a warrior class that prized practical combative excellence over mere ceremony. Within this environment, Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu flourished as a quintessential otome ryu—a closely guarded, domain-affiliated transmission reserved primarily for trusted retainers and inner-circle practitioners. This comprehensive bujutsu system, deeply rooted in Tosa soil through the pivotal influence of the 7th headmaster Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Eishin and later refined by Oe Masaji, equipped Tosa samurai with far more than elegant solo drawing and cutting forms. Its full curriculum integrated precise iaijutsu, powerful paired kumitachi, and auxiliary grappling traditions. Together, these elements forged warriors capable of seamless transitions from drawing the blade to close-quarters combat, grappling, disarms, and decisive resolution—skills honed for real battlefield efficacy while nurturing the profound mental discipline that defined classical Tosa swordsmanship.

Read more by downloading the July issue of Sword and Spirit at https://www.ittendojo.org/.../down.../swordandspirit/pdf/105