Matthew Whittle

Kade, If you are looking to buy an iaito in Tokyo, I recommend that you visit Sakuraya which is located in Kudanshita (not far from Yasukuni Shrine). See: http://www.sakuraya.org/english/sakurayaframeeng.htm. I believe the store owner speaks a little English. Regards, Matthew

Hi Simon, I'm sorry I can only be brief as I'm about to leave for the airport. I think I may have mentioned that I study Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and Toda-ha Buko Ryu (which also includes sword work but focuses on the naginata). As you know, MJER is a very big school so there is a rather wide variety of preferences, not only with respect to swords but also with respect to executing techniques. Nevertheless, it is generally important to match your sword length to your height (or arm length) so that the MJER nukitsuke (drawing of the sword) can be performed correctly. If your sword is too short it will fly out of the saya, if it is too long you will have to do contortions to get it out. Some people check the length of a sword by holding it loosely in their right hand with their arm relaxed at their side - the tip of the sword should just touch the ground in front of your feet. I know I haven't really answered your question about schools that favour short swords. However, if you ever want to give MJER a try, I am happy to take you to my dojo in the Jiyugaoka area of Tokyo (several of the guys there are sword collectors so you should feel at home). Cheers, Matthew

Sorry Ken, I only just noticed from your signature that you study MJER (as do I) and SMR jodo so you are naturally familiar with the background info. On the more specific issue, I have never seen a comparison of the different ryu-ha and the sword sizes/shapes they favour. I am really only familiar with the styles I practice. As an aside, I have read that Musashi's sword (in Shimada Museum) is slightly longer than average and has a very shallow sori. Oh yes, and then there are those folks who do Kage-ryu with their monster swords: http://www.hyoho.com/Nkage2.html Apologies for the interruption - I will return to my lurking and attempts to learn more from you all about nihonto. Cheers, Matthew

This is a subject of debate and unfortunately there is no definitive data. Very roughly speaking, formalised schools (ryu-ha) for using the sword began to develop from around the middle of the Muromachi period (ca 1480). Famous examples of these early kenjutsu ryu include the Chujo-ryu and Katori Shinto-ryu. However, as Rich noted, the real proliferation in kenjutsu ryu really began from the beginning of the Edo period. For an introduction to this topic, it is worth reading the following article: http://www.koryu.com/library/mskoss2.html Cheers, Matthew