Shin Muso Hayashizaki Ryu

Japanese:神夢想林崎流
Type: Battojutsu
Founder: Hayashizaki Jinsuke 林崎甚助 or Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu
Era: Late 1500s

According to legend, Shigenobu's father was murdered while Shigenobu was still young. Swearing revenge, he took to either the Shinmei or Hiyoshi Shinto jinja where he prayed and meditated for many days. After an extended period of prayer and meditation he was struck with a divine dream wherein he was imparted with the techniques of battojutsu.

After his death in 1621, the tradition of the Shin Muso Hayashizaki Ryu was carried on by Tamiya Taira-no-Hyoe Narimasa who, is believed to be the teacher of Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hidetada and Iemitsu. If this is true then it would certainly contribute to the popularity of this style.

Lineage after Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu

Tamiya Narimasa/Tamiya Heibei Narimasa 田宮平兵衛重正 – Founder of Tamiya Ryu
Nagana Muraku Kinrosai/Nagano Murakusai Kinro 長野無楽入道 – Student of both Hayashizaki and Tamiya. Founder of Muraku Ryu
Momo Gembei Mitsushige 百々軍兵衛重
Arikawa Shozaemon Munetsugu 蟻川正左ヱ門宗
Banno Danemon no ju Nobusada/Manno Danuemon Nobusada 万野団右ヱ門信定 – Often regarded as the most important influence on subsequent soke.
Hasegawa Chikara no Suke Eishin 長谷川主税助英信 – Studied under Nobusada in Edo and was known as a highly skilled swordsman and is said to have altered the techniques to have the sword worn edge up in the obi. Responsible for devising Hasegawa Eishin Ryu and later, after the split in the style, his name was the inspiration for Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. He moved to Tosa province.
Arai Seitetsu Kiyonobu 荒井勢哲清信 – Taught in Edo after the departure of Hasegawa. It is rumored that he was, at one time, a ronin.
Hayashi Rokudayû Morimasa 林六太夫守政 (1661 – 1732) – A vassal of Yamanochi Toyomasa. He studied under Omori Rokurazaemon Masamitsu and learned a set of forms beginning from seiza (formal sitting position). These techniques became the basis for Omori Ryu and the shoden set of Shin Muso Hayashizaki Ryu.
Hayashi Yasudayû Masanobu 林安太夫政信 (died 1776) – The adopted son of Morimasa.
Oguro Motoemon Kiyokatsu 大黒元右ヱ門清勝 (died 1790) - This man had two highly skilled students who developed their own styles. After his death the ryu split into two ha or branches named after these men. The first of these men, Tanimura, was more closely associated with the Tosa branch and became Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. The other man was known as Shimomura who introduced considerable changes, whose branch later became Muso Shinden Ryu.

Tanimura ha

Hayashi Masu Masamori 林益之丞政 (died 1818) – The great-grandson of Hayashi Morimasa.
Yoda Manzai Yorikatsu 依田万蔵勝 (died 1809)
Hayashi Yadayu Seiki Masayori 林弥太夫 (died 1823)
Tanimura Kame no jo Yorikatsu 谷村 (died 1862) – Developer of the Tanimura ha.
Goto Magobei Masasuke 五藤 (died 1898) – Made significant changes in the branch along with Oe Masamichi.
Oe Masamichi 大江正路 (1852 - 1927) - Oe Sensei learned both the Tanimura and the Shimomura ha. He was, for a time, the 15th generation soke of the Shomomura ha while being the 17th generation soke of the Tanimura ha. Supposedly there were many differences of opinion between him and Nakayama Hakudo, and as a result another person is listed. Oe officially named the Tanimura branch Muso Jikiden Eishen Ryu (無雙直傳英信流) and incorporated Omori Ryu and Eishin Ryu with the existing forms. After his death there was a dispute about who should become the next soke. This dispute has lead to much confusion and variation in the practice of Muso Jikiden Eishen Ryu with other ha being formed.

Shimomura ha

Matsuyoshi Teisuke (Shinsuke) Hisanari 松吉貞助久成
Yamakawa Kyuzo Yukikatsu (Yukio) 山川久蔵幸雄
Shimomura (Tsubouchi) Moichi (Seisure) Sadamasa 下村茂市定政
Hosokawa (Gisho) Yoshimasa (Yoshiuma) 細川義昌
Nakayama Hakudo 中山博道 (1869? – 1958) – Studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu in Tosa province under Hosokawa Yoshimasa as well as the teachings of the Tanimura ha under Morimoto Tokumi. He officially changed the name of the branch to Muso Shinden Ryu (夢想神伝流) in 1933.

References

Nihon Densho Bugei Ryuha Dokuhon(日本伝承武芸流派読本) Shinjinbutsu Orai sha 1994