Genko Nito Ryu

Genko Nito-ryu is a style recompiled from Yamaguchi-ryu, which was established in the 6th year of Genna (1620). Yamaguchi-ryu is a style founded by Yamaguchi Umanosuke Ietoshi (His “go” was Bokushinsai) who was born (1582) 2 years earlier than Miyamoto Musashi (1584).The style was transmitted down through the Toyama-han, which was a branch of the Maeda-han.

The founder of Mugairyu, Tsuji Gettan, opened a dojo in Edo as a recipient of menkyo-kaiden in Yamaguchi-ryu, but as a swordsman from the countryside he was not popular and did not have many students. After an extensive period of zazen for twenty years, Gettan revised his Yamaguchi-ryu teachings into Mugairyu (in 1693 at 45 years of age).

After thoroughly studying Mugairyu, we researched Mugairyu’s origins (specifically Yamaguchi-ryu) and arrived at the nito-ryu (two sword style) established in those times. Currently there are ten iaido kata and forty-five kenjutsu kata that are the foundation of our practice.
The main principles are
A) Cutting with closest and quickest movements, and
B) Cutting without any wasteful movements.

Technically, nito-ryu is a style which typically utilizes both long and short swords at the same time in both hands. Nito-ryu is more advantageous than ito-ryu (single sword styles which typically only use the long sword). Even Miyamoto Musashi said, “If you can use both your left and right hands equally well, then two swords are clearly more advantageous than one sword.” Through nito-ryu training, this advantage becomes extremely obvious.

Genkoh Nitoh Ryu