---
title: "Shinden-fudo-Ryū"
priority: 735
date: 2006-04-02T15:10:00+02:00
author: "Stefan Imhoff"
excerpt: "Shinden-fudo-Ryū daken taijutsu - The School of the Unmoved Heart, founded in the mid-12th century, closely connected with nature."
translationKey: "shindenFudoRyuPage"
categories:
  - history
  - schools
---

## The School of the Unmoved Heart

The Shinden-fudo-Ryū was founded by Genpachiro Temeyoshi in the mid-12th century. One can trace the trail back to the _koshi jutsu_ introduced by Izumo Kanja Yoshitero. It is not clear if he is the same person as the Kukishinden-Ryū’s Izumo.

The basis of the teaching is the knowledge of nature. Training begins by using nature to strengthen your body. First the legs and hips, then the fists.

In this Ryū, you didn’t build a Dōjō or tinker with training tools but stayed in nature during training. They practiced hitting and breaking on trees. Then you practiced hardening your forehead against trees. Kicking the unique kicks of the Shinden-fudo-Ryū was practiced in the bamboo forests. People practiced tearing the bark off trees, which is very similar to tearing the skin off.

This school specializes in jūjutsu and _iainuki_ (swift swords). The _katana_ in the Shinden-fudo-Ryū is much longer and heavier than a normal _katana_, making it very difficult to draw such a sword. But later you were able to draw normal swords much faster.

Izumo is said to have been taught how to use the _yari_ by _tengū_, and these techniques remain a secret to this day. Various _yari_ were used in this Ryū, the _ono_ (war ax), _otsuchi_ (war hammer), and the _naginata_.

The _hōjō jutsu_ (The Art of Binding) was also used in this Ryū. You could smash through Samurai armor with the big war axes, and smash through doors and barricades with the war hammer. The _naginata_ was primarily used by foot soldiers against horsemen.

There are no _kamae_ in Shinden-fudo, the _shizen no kamae_ is the identifying mark of this Ryū.

It was extremely important to always land on your feet when thrown because in Shinden-fudo-Ryū you always wore the _daishō_. A fall with swords was very dangerous and could even be fatal with wooden swords.

There is a saying that to be able to learn more than the basic techniques, you have to be able to perform a one-finger flip.

Takamatsu was only thrown around the first year when he learned the Shinden-fudo-Ryū from his grandfather Toda before he was allowed to learn a _kata_ for the first time.

## Sōke of the Shinden-fudo-Ryū

1. Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru (Kumano)
2. Minamoto Hachiman Tamenari
3. Minamoto Hachiro Tameyoshi
4. Mizuhara Kuro Yoshinari
5. Mugaibo Shinnen
6. Ohkuni Zenhachiro Yoshinobu
7. Hata Saburo Sasukeyasu
8. Kotani Yuhachiro Nobuchika
9. Kaneko Jinsuke Yoshikiyo
10. Tajima Genkoro Nariyoshi
11. Kammon Kokanja Yoshikane
12. Kimura Hozen
13. Ibuki Yoshihaha
14. Otsuka Hakushi Nyudo Tadamori
15. Otsuka Daikuro Tadahide
16. Abe Muga
17. Koga Taro Kyokokaku
18. Katayama Hokinokami Mori Hisayasu
19. Shindo Unsai
20. Odagiri Tohyoe Yoshihiso
21. Iida Jubee Tameyoshi
22. Mori Genroku Masahide
23. Toyota Jubei Mitsuyoshi
24. Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu
25. Takamatsu Toshitsugu
26. Hatsumi Masaaki

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