Our Syllabus

Shoden

(Omori-Ryu – 大森流 - 初伝)
A significant koryu (traditional school of sword-drawing) founded by Omori Rokurozaemon Masamitsu in the late 17th century. It is most recognised for introducing formal, seated (seiza) techniques to sword-drawing, which were later adopted as the beginning, or Shoden, level for major modern iaijutsu schools.

Chuden

(Hasegawa Eshin-Ryu – 長谷川英信流 - 中伝)
The "Chuden" (middle-level) set of techniques is a critical part of this curriculum, traditionally attributed to Hasegawa Eishin's developments.

"Eishin-ryu" is named after the 7th headmaster, Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Hidenobu (Eishin), who modified techniques for greater practicality, such as wearing the sword in the belt (obi) edge-up (buke-zukuri).

Oe Sensei consolidated the various Eishin-ryu traditions in Tosa (Kochi) into the modern curriculum and developed techniques focusing on Tatehiza (sitting on the left leg with the right knee raised) for close-quarters combat. He structured the school into the three main levels.

Okuden

(Hasegawa Eshin-Ryu – 長谷川英信流 - 奥伝)

Okuden (奥伝), or "inner transmission," represents the advanced, secret-level techniques within the Muso Jikiden Hasegawa Eishin-Ryu (MJER) Iaijutsu curriculum. Historically, these forms were kept confidential, reserved for advanced students, and rarely exposed to outsiders, focusing on real-life, high-stakes combat situations.

While the origins of MJER trace back to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542-1621), the systematic organisation of the school's curriculum into Shoden (beginning), Chuden (middle), and Okuden (inner) is attributed to the 7th headmaster, Hasegawa Chikara-no-Suke Hidenobu (Eishin).

Okuden is traditionally divided into two main categories:

Okuiai Iwaza no bu (Seated)
Okuiai Tachiwaza no bu (Standing)

Kumitachi (組太刀)

Foundational paired sword forms, teaching basic sword interactions, distance, and timing from standing positions, with roots extending back to samurai combat but solidified in the Edo period for Iaido training alongside solo forms.

Tachi Uchi no Kata:

The 17th headmaster, Oe Masaji, revised the set, teaching a simplified version of 7 techniques, which became common, from the original Koden version.

Tachi Uchi no Kurai:

Koden (The old transmission): The original Tachi Uchi no Kurai – 太刀打之位 –consisted of 10 paired techniques, representing an older transmission within Hasegawa Eishin Ryu. Adachikai teaches both.

Tsume Ai no Kurai:

Another paired set, but performed from kneeling (Tatehiza) and standing.

Bangai no Bu (番外之部)

The Bangai no Bu sets were created in the early 20th century by Oe Masaji, a key figure in modern MJER curriculum development. He reorganised and distilled the historical Tosa Eishin-Ryu techniques into a more structured syllabus. In doing so he added these extra standing waza as a complement to the traditional solo sets.

To-ho (刀法)

Toho is a set of five standardised sword techniques (kata) established in 1956 by the All Japan Iaido Federation (ZNIR) to create a common standard for practitioners from different traditional styles. It consists of five forms representing major ryuha.

These forms were created by Kono Hyakuren Sensei

Mae-giri (Front cut) – Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu
Zengo-giri (Front and back cut) – Mugai-Ryu
Kiri-age (Upward cut) – Shindo Munen-Ryu
Shihō-giri (Four-direction cut) – Suio-Ryu
Kissaki-gaeshi (Point-turning cut) – Hoki-Ryu

Keshi-Ryu (警視流)

Keshi-Ryu has a relatively modern and very practical origin compared with most classical (koryu) sword traditions. It developed during Japan’s transition from the samurai era into the modern police system.

Created in the late 19th century, shortly after the Meiji Restoration (1868). During this period Japan rapidly modernised, and the samurai class was abolished, meaning traditional martial arts suddenly lost their formal social role.
However, many highly skilled swordsmen were still active, and the newly formed Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (Keishicho) recognised that traditional sword skills could still be useful for law enforcement training, discipline, and physical education. As a result, senior martial artists were invited to help design a practical fencing system for police officers.

Batto-Ryu (抜刀流)

Kono Hyakuren, a 20th-century master from Tosa, developed the Batto-ho standing kata as part of a broader effort to modernise and preserve the tradition. Created during a period of rapid social and educational change, Batto-ho provides structured standing draw techniques that bridge classical iai kata with more direct combative application. While considered a modern addition rather than part of the original koryu syllabus, Batto-ho remains deeply rooted in MJER technical and philosophical principles and continues to play an important role in many lineages today.

Kumiuchi sets (組討)

Additional sets of kumiuchi are included in the curriculum, for example;
Daisho Tsume, Daikentori and others. These are not sword to sword sets, but close quarter disarming and disabling sets that formed an important aspect and neccessary study for samurai at times of non-combat. They are rarely seen or practised and involve short and long sword use and also unarmed disarming skills.