About Shōdō-ryu

　Thank you for visiting the official website of our dōjō.

　Shōdō-ryu was founded by Matsumoto Mitsugu Kanehisa (hereafter referred to as the Great Master), based on the teachings he received from Takeishi Kensō (hereafter referred to as Master Kensō), inheritor of the Muhi-ryū, asayamaichidenryu, and Kensō-ryū traditions.

　Our dōjō’s purpose is to promote health, cultivate a sound and balanced spirit, and apply the philosophy of classical martial arts to daily life.

　Through revisiting and refining traditional Japanese tai-sabaki (body movements), we provide a space for discovering the issues within one’s own body and mind, and for engaging in dialogue with the spiritual heritage of Japan.

About Shōdō-ryu

The full name of our dōjō is Shōdō-ryu Goshin Budō (“Shōdō-ryu Dōjō of Self-Defense Martial Arts”).

　The tradition was founded by Matsumoto Mitsugu Kanehisa, who established the Shōbukan Dōjō as the headquarters of Shōdō-ryu.

　Our remote ancestors are Sasaki Tessai Tokuhisa of the Muhi-ryū and Asayama Ichidensai Shigetatsu of the Asayama Ichiden-ryū, while our more recent predecessor is Takeishi Kensō.

　The principal kata transmitted within our dōjō are jō (staff techniques), jū jyutsu(grappling techniques), and ken (sword techniques).

　In addition, the tradition preserves the use of the kama (sickle), the hayabusa-jō (falcon staff), and various concealed weapons.

　The techniques transmitted within our dōjō emphasize vertical body movement (tate-gata tai-sabaki) and methods that make full use of the tanden (the body’s energy center).

　They also include systems of self-protection designed for those often regarded as the weak — the elderly, women, and children — encompassing practical methods of survival and preservation (sube) for all practitioners.

　Our dōjō kun (training motto) includes a passage left to us by the Great Master:

　“Do not display the techniques you have learned without reason — reserve them for the moment when your life is truly at stake.”

　As a tradition, we refrain from unnecessary public exposure and continue our training with humility and discipline,

　seeking to apply the mind, technique, and body (shin–gi–tai) we have cultivated to practical study, society, and daily life.

　Following the Great Master, his eldest son Matsumoto Yasuo Takehisa succeeded as both headmaster (sōke) and director of the dōjō.

　In his later years, Takehisa conferred upon Nogawa Eiichi, a direct disciple of the Great Master, the bugō (martial name) Tomohisa as a mark of formal transmission (inka).

　Six years later, in the presence of the Matsumoto family heir, Takehisa officially entrusted the headmastership of Shōdō-ryu to Tomohisa, thereby continuing the legitimate line of succession.

　　At present, within our dōjō, Tomohisa is joined by Tomita, a disciple of the Great Master who received his bugō (martial name) from Takehisa, and Aoyama, a disciple from the Great Master’s final years who was granted his bugō by Tomohisa.　

How to Join Shōdō-ryu

The former headquarters dōjō, Shōbukan, was originally a small country dōjō with a warm and friendly atmosphere.

In those days—before the internet—local residents who happened to notice the training would stop by to observe, and if they felt inspired, they would ask to join. That was the way of things back then.

However, with each new boom of interest in kobudō , many people came and went like images in a revolving lantern. Some divided and interpreted our teachings and kata as they pleased, taking away only fragments of the tradition.

In accordance with the teachings of our recent predecessors and the Great Master, and having learned from these past experiences, Shōeikan now accepts new students only through the following two paths:

1-Introduction by an existing member

2-Observation during training

If you are interested but have not yet had a connection with our dōjō, please first contact us through the inquiry form below.

When making an inquiry, we kindly ask that you include a brief self-introduction, as well as information regarding any prior experience in martial arts or sports, and any relevant medical conditions.