Mugairyu Iaido Association India

The Mugai Ryu Iaido Association India, established in 2003, is a member of the International Mugai Ryu Association Japan, founded by Kazo Inoue member of the Japan Kendo Renmei. The System taught in the association is Mugai-ryū Iaido/Kenjutsu Nichiryu-Kai, Nichiryu (Dragon) being the warrior name of the founder Kazo Inoue.

Currently MIAI is the only licensed body teaching and promoting Iaido in India under Mehul Vora, founding president and chief instructor of The Mugai Ryu Iaido Association of India.

Mugai-ryū

The Mugai Ryu Iaido system is unique because it falls under both Iaido and Kenjutsu schools of Japanese fencing.

Mugai Ryu Iai was founded by Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi of the Omi province. He was born in 1649 and started studying Kenjutsu with Yamaguchi Bokushinsai at the age of 13. He later received Menkyo Kaiden and opened a Dojo in Edo (Tokyo) when he was 26. Apart from his studies of Kenjutsu he also studied Zen and classical Chinese literature as a disciple of Master Sekitan Zenshi. When he was 45 years of age (1694) he experienced "Satori" ("enlightenment") and named his school "Mugai Ryu" after a sequence in a poem by his master where the word "Mugai" is found. He never married or had children of his own, but adopted a boy (Tsuji Kimata Sukehide) who later became the second Soke of Mugai Ryu Iai Heido. The founder died in 1728 at 79 years of age. Gettan had many students (probably more than 1100) and counted among them several Daimyo including: Ogasawara Sadonokami Nagashige, the lord of Himeji castle, Sakai Kageyu Tadaki, and the governor of Tosa province, Yamanouchi Toyomasa. Today, three main lines of Mugai Ryu exist: Edo, Tosa and Himeji.

Although there are only few similarities between Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and Gettan’s Mugai Ryu, his lineage can be traced back to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu through Jikyo Ryu and Tamiya Ryu. The lineage from Hayashizaki Jinsuke is as follows: Tamiya Heibei Shigemasa (2nd soke of Muso Ryu and founder of Tamiya Ryu) - Miwa Gempei - Yamamoto Matabei - Asahina Mudo - Wada Heisuke Masakatsu (Founder of Shin Tamiya Ryu) - Taga Jikyoken Morimasa (Founder of Jikyo Ryu) - Tsuji Gettan Sukemochi.

Characteristic moves of Mugai Ryu include: Drawing and cutting in the form of Kiri-Age, stabbing where the cutting edge is turned up and with one hand on the hilt and one hand supporting the blade closer to Kissaki, one-handed stabs to the rear. The movements tend to be relatively small and compact, especially the seated techniques. Beyond Kihon Kata, the techniques are divided into five groups: Go-Yo (5), Go-Ka (5), Tachiwaza Go-O (5), Hashiri Gakari (5) and Naiden (3). Other techniques have been added by the 14th and 15th Soke. The Naiden group is considered to be the "okuden" level and is said to represent the ideal of "Fusatsu no Toho" ("non-killing sword"). This level is not taught until one has received the Menkyo level certificate. Mugai Ryu also has Kumitachi techniques where one is facing a partner. There are five Kata for the long sword and five Kata for the short sword (Wakizashi).

The incumbent 15th Soke, Shiokawa Hosho, has appointed four successors who will all bear the title of "Ju-Roku-Dai Soke" (16th Soke), each of them in their own region of Japan.