On Fri, 26 Jun 1998, Peter Kim <[log in to unmask]> wrote with respect to
Kashima Shinto Ryu and Kashima Shinryu:

>What is the relationship between these two ryu? I have alternately seen
>evidence that they are very similar or even identical --- references to
>both being early influences on aikido --- as well as that they are
>completely distinct. In particular, what, if any, are the
>sword-pertinent differences?

This question came up in a query in Aikido Journal's (#110) LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR from Mr. Joe Mendez, "Anyone heard of Dr. [Karl] Friday?" in 1997.
My response was not printed in full in AJ; below is an excerpt of that reply
sent to Mr. Mendez with a comment by Prof. Friday on my reply to AJ:

>On Sun, 2 Mar 1997, I replied to AJ and CC'd Karl Friday
<snip>
>>As for the differences between Kashima Shinto-Ryu and Kashima Shinryu (this
>>is the preferred spelling of the Kashima Shinryu Federation of North
>>America, or KSR/NA, of which Prof. Friday is cofounder and VP at present), I
>>have not seen anything definitive, just bits and pieces.  I have seen in
>>"Kim's Big Book of Iaido," Volume 4 of the Seidokai Iaido manuals,
>>privately published by Mr. Kimberly A. C. C. Taylor, Godan Iaido and
>>Shodan Aikido, of the University of Guelph, that both Ryuha were founded
>>at about the same time, the former in 1527 by Bokuden Tsukahara (1490-1571)
>>and the latter by Matsumoto Masanobu (1468-1524), and both are derived
>>from Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.  Bokuden studied TSKSR with his
>>father (a Kashima priest), father-in-law (not named) and/or brother, and
>>possibly Kage-Ryu later with Hidetsuna Kamiizumi; Matsumoto studied with
>>the founder of TSKSR, Iizasa Choiisai Ienao (1386/7 - 1487/8/9).
>>Information from Prof. Friday gives two names for the creation of Kashima
>>Shinryu: Kunii Genpachirou Kagetsugu, and Matsumoto Bizen no Kami Ki no
>>Masamoto (Matsumoto Masanobu above).
>>
>>From Mr. Meik Skoss' [AJ] article on the former and notes from Prof. Friday on
>>the curriculum of the latter, both Ryuha are composite arts, containing
>>Kenjutsu, Sojutsu, Naginatajutsu, and Battojutsu/Iaijutsu.  Also the
>>latter has a Jujutsu component which is not unlike Aikido; I don't know
>>about the former.  Finally, the basis of latter is the Kesa-giri; it is
>>quite evident in the Sojutsu, Naginatajutsu and Jujutsu practices, as well
>>as in the Kenjutsu.  I don't know if the former has such a central point
>>of focus.
>
>>There is a demonstration of the former, Kashima Shinto-Ryu, on the Aiki
>>News videotape of the "3rd Friendship Demonstration" (1988); it is
>>definitely different from those parts of the latter, Kashima Shinryu, that
>>I have seen demonstrated, but I don't know enough about the particulars of
>>either to be able to describe those differences in meaningful terms.  It
>>is interesting to note that the Reishiki before and after the Omote-no-
>>Tachi is basically the same for both Kashima Shinto-Ryu as demonstrated on
>>the tape, and Katori Shinto Ryu as shown in the three volume set, "The
>>Deity and the Sword," by Mr. Risuke Otake.  (The Reishiki for the Kihon
>>Tachi of Kashima Shinryu is more like that for Kendo-no-Kata in that both
>>sink into Sonkyo with Bokuto/Bokken drawn; in Kashima Shinryu, both people
>>then place the Bokuto on the ground with the right hand while squatting,
>>and bow without releasing the right hand grips).  There is also a strong
>>resemblance between the Waza in the Kata in the Omote-no-Tachi of Katori
>>Shinto-Ryu and in the Omote-no-Tachi of Kashima Shinto-Ryu.  By the way,
>>both use the same kind of Bokuto -- thick and straight with no Tsuba.  On
>>the other hand, Kashima Shinryu uses this same type of Bokuto, thick and
>>straight, except that it also has a thick wooden Tsuba.
>>
>>I have also studied Aiki-ken, which, according to Mr. Stan Pranin in "The
>>Aiki News Encyclopedia of Aikido," is derived from and closely resembles
>>Kashima Shinto-Ryu in part; during the "3rd Friendship Demonstration," the
>>64th headmaster of Kashima Shinto-Ryu, the late Mr. Koichiro Yoshikawa,
>>said that he believed the Ueshiba O-sensei studied only the Omote-no-Tachi,
>>the first of three major groups of Kenjutsu Kata, of Kashima Shinto-Ryu.
>>My experience has been that the Suburi and Kumitachi of Aiki-ken are very
>>different from the Kihon Waza of Kashima Shinryu.  And I must agree with
>>Inaba-sensei [8th dan, Aikikai] that Kashima Shin-Ryu Kenjutsu is
>>definitely the sword art more closely aligned with the principles of
>>Aikido; this has certainly been my personal experience, having studied
>>both Aiki-ken and Kashima Shin-Ryu/Shinryu Kenjutsu.
>
>On Tue, 4 Mar 1997, Karl Friday responded
>
>>Good to hear from you--and thanks for the kind words in reply to the Aikido
>>News letter.  As you noted there, the relationship between Kashima-Shinryu
>>and Kashima Shinto-ryu is distant--going back to the first generation and
>>splitting off thereafter--and murky at best.  It's very difficult to
>>determine what relationship held between Matsumoto Bizen-no-kami Masanobu,
>>Tsukuhara Bokuden and Kamiizumi Ise-no-kami Hidetsugu; various texts and
>>ryuha traditions claim various things about who taught who.  About the only
>>thing that is clear is that the three probably all had some direct or
>>indirect influence on one another.  Probably the simplest way to summarize
>>the differences between KSR and KSTR is that the latter is very closely
>>related to the Katori Shinto-ryu tradition and lineage (historically,
>>geographically--both being carried out in the same region--and--as you
>>noted--in terms of technique) while the former is essentially a member of
>>the Shinkage-ryu family of ryuha.
>
>So there you have it; nothing fancy, just your typical historical muddle.
>Thanks for asking the question -- I needed to answer that one for myself too
>and this was just the motivation I needed to get some answers.

I have written about my experiences with "Inaba-ha Aiki-Ken-do (Kashima-
Shinryu Kenjutsu derivative)" [my terminology] and Aikido in the Journal of
Japanese Sword Arts #85 entitled "`Inaba-ha' Kashima Shin-Ryu Kenjutsu and
Aikido - A Study of Internal Principles" [Vol. 9, No. 10, pp. 9-17, Oct
1997], and available from <ftp://foxsun.nscl.msu.edu/pub/iaido/TIN85>.

 ===========================================================================
Raymond Sosnowski                            NEW:  [log in to unmask]
                                             OLD: [log in to unmask]
   Northeast Naginata Dokokai [at] Northeast Aikikai, Chelmsford, MA;
   Doshikai Kendo & Iaido Dojo, Acton, MA; Seidokai, U. of Guelph, Ontario;
   Ryuko Kyudojo, Boulder, CO; [Nashua (NH) YWCA Aikido Club in-exile].
member of AAA, JAA(USA), AUSKF, CKF, ECNF/USNF, USFA(NC), Japan Society of
   Boston, Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Assoc., Hwayue Internal Arts Assoc.
 ===========================================================================