THE ORIGIN OF THE RYU-HA
The origin of the school can be traced back to Hakugen-ryu founded in 931 A.D. by Jigensai Kazutou Jiichibou (自源齋一任自一坊) during the second year of Jouhei (931 – 938). Hakugen-ryu derives from “Kashima no Tachi Shinmyoken” founded by “Kunima Masato” in the early 400s A.D. and regarded as the first sword school in Japan.
Hakugen-ryu was inherited by the Minamoto clan who embedded the secrets of the ryu into two scrolls called “Ryuko Nikan-no Hidensho” (龍虎ニ巻之秘伝書) and then inherited to Minamoto no Yoshiie (源義家, 1039 - 1106) who decoded the secrets and created a system based on them which he called “Ten Chi Jin In Yo Godan no Houkei” (天地人陰陽五段之形).
The scrolls and secrets were then passed down to the Oide clan, then the Urabe clan and finally to Yaobettoh Kaneyuki / Kenko (八尾別当顕幸), by Shunjobu Jugen (俊乗坊重源).
Yaobettoh wrote a scroll named “Jiken-ryu Ryuko no Kan” (自顕流龍虎之巻), and called the system he had created as “Jiken-ryu” (自顕流).
From right to left: Saikashutenshin no Maki, and Katori no Shinryo Seirei Densho