The Way of Mugai Ryu Iaido: The Teachings of Sensei Motoyama Shodo

Mugai Ryu Iaido was founded by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi in the late 1600's. It is considered one of Japan's koryū, or traditional arts. Koryū are schools of martial arts that originated in Japan, and were founded prior to 1876, when the act prohibiting the wearing of swords (Haitōrei) came into effect after the Meiji Restoration. Today it is considered a way of refining one's spirit and as such, it is considered a spiritual art as much as a practical method of Japanese swordsmanship. In this book, the author takes you through the training he received while a student of the late Sensei Motoyama Shodo of Okinawa and details the 10 kneeling and 10 standing forms of the Mugai Ryu as well as the 5 forms that comprise the Renmai No Kata of the All Japan Iaido Association.