An Afternoon of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu with Sensei Tong

Shinkage Ryu was originally created out of a fusion of Katori Shinto Ryu and Kage Ryu in the 16th century by a master swordsman named Kamiizuma Nobutsuna. He was responsible for creating a new style of kenjutsu, one in which the focus was “not from the needless taking of life, but from the true courage to avoid unnecessary conflict”. This was a very different approach in a time that focused on techniques to kill your opponent.

He was also responsible for creating a revolutionary new training tool- the Fukuro shinai, a bamboo sword covered by a leather sheath. This is the tool predominantly used within the school today.

Along his many travels he encountered a talented swordsman that became his disciple, Yagyu Munetoshi. He started the family line of what became known as Yagyu Shinkage Ryu and went on to have his son, Yagyu Munenori, become the official instructor of swordsmanship to the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In Yagyu Shinkage Ryu there is more attention to the philosophical, spiritual, and moral concepts in swordsmanship and a long history of influence from Zen Buddhism.

Today, Sensei Tong and his study group are the first and only official group to study this long practiced school in Canada.