Authentic Japanese martial arts
Mugai Ryu is an old, authentic martial art trained by the samurai. It was founded in 1693 by Tsuji Gettan Sukeshige and has been passed down from generation to generation ever since. All schools listed on our website teach Mugai Ryu Meishi Ha under Niina Toyoaki Gyokusou Soke. The same is true for our online course.
A deep connection to Zen and an unadorned beauty create the characteristic calm and sharp focus of this style. The aim is purism: no unnecessary movements with the sword or body. It allows the student to learn application-related effectiveness. Therefore, all techniques must be able to cut as well as be effective in combat, they are “cutting Iai.“
As one of the first liberalized sword fighting styles in Japan, it represents the unconditional opening of Iaido to non-Japanese, women and disabled people of all religions. The training in our dojos takes place in a meditative, respectful and calm atmosphere. Our students are introduced step by step to Bushido as a path of Zen Buddhism. Mugai Ryu is Zen in motion.
The Japanese word “Iaido” consists of two parts: „Iai,“ which can be translated as “mental presence” and “immediate reaction“ and „Do,“ which means “the way” in English. Combining this gives “the way of full concentration and immediate reaction”. When directly talking about sword fighting, the equivalent translation “the way of drawing the sword” is also common.
Mugai Ru Iaihyodo
Strictly speaking, Mugai Ryu Iaido is a style called Jikkyoryu. However, because its practitioners were teaching Jikkyoryu, this form of iaido gets generally referred to simply as Mugai Ryu. This style was founded by Tsuji Gettan who learned Jikkyoryu from its founder, Taga Jikkyoken Morimasa. As such, all successive generations of the Tsuji family learned Jikkyoryu from the subsequent soke (head master) of Jikkyoryu directly.
Many generations later, the Takahashi brothers incorporated Jikkyoryu into their teachings. Both Takahashi Yasuke Mitsuaki and his brother Hidezo were taught Jikkyoryu by the 5th generation soke, Yamamura Masashige. Takahashi Yasuke Mitsuaki then became the 6th generation soke.
Jikkyoryu was officially inherited by the Mugai Ryu practitioners when it got clear that there would be no successor in Jikkyoryu beyond Takahashi soke. Thus, contemporary Mugai Ryu is comprised of Jikkyoryu Iaido taught in conjunction with classical swordsmanship. Nakagawa Shiryu Shinichi, the 11th soke of Mugai Ryu, is credited as the driving force behind both styles reformation. He compiled the iaido forms into the 20 primary and 3 naiden forms familiar to Mugai Ryu practitioners today. For this, he is known as the master who reinvented the art, which he christened “Mugai Ryu Iaihyodo”.
Contemporary practitioners of Mugai Ryu (Iaihyodo) are students of the style as it was recompiled by Nakagawa Shiryu Shinichi.
Mugai Ryu Lineage
First Generation Founder Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi 1648-1727 Edo
Second Generation Tsuji Uheita ~1742 Edo
Third Generation Tsuji Kimata Sukefusa ~1761 Edo
Fourth Generation Tsuji Bunzaemon Suke kata ~1787 Edo
Fifth Generation Tsuji Kimata Sukeyuki ~1812 Edo
Sixth Generation Takahashi Hachisuke Mitsuaki 1750~1809 Himeji
Seventh Generation Takahashi Tatsuzo Mitsuharu 1784~1835 Himeji
Eighth Generation Takahashi Hachisuke Nariyuki 1816~1880 Himeji
Ninth Generation Takahashi Tetsuo Takenari 1830~1876 Himeji
Tenth Generation Takahashi Kyutaro Ko-un 1859~1940 Dai Nippon Budokai
Eleventh Generation Nakagawa Shiryu Shinichi 1896~1981 The Iaido Federation
Menkyo Kaiden Nakatani Toshiyuki
Menkyo Kaiden Shirai Ryotaro
Menkyo Kaiden Toda Seiju
Menkyo Kaiden Okamoto Yoshiharu
Menkyo Kaiden Konishi Misakazu
Menkyo Kaiden Nagasawa Masao
Nakagawa sensei appointed Ishii Gogetsu as the 12th soke of Mugai Ryu. Due to various circumstances, Ishii subsequently separated himself from Nakagawa leaving the art without a successor. Nakagawa passed away before he could appoint another student to the position of soke. As a result, many of Nakagawa’s students who were recipients of both menkyo (license) and menkyo kaiden (full transmission license) began referring to themselves as successive soke. However, none of these were simultaneously recognized by each independent branch of Mugai Ryu, the All Japan Kendo Federation, the All Japan Iaido Federation or the Iaido Federation of Japan. Each soke should be correctly referred to as the soke of their particular branch of Mugai Ryu.