For the 12th generation head and master instructor of the legitimate lineage of Hyōhō Niten Ichi ryū Yoshimochi Kiyoshi
The martial art of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu encompasses the sword techniques that the revered swordsman Miyamoto Musashi developed through a lifetime of victories in over sixty duels, as well as his idealized swordsmanship. While the general public often associates Musashi with the use of two swords, his repertoire includes twelve techniques with a single long sword, seven techniques with a short sword, and five techniques with two swords (known as the "Five Directions"), each derived from practical experiences in real combat. These techniques, totaling forty-four, collectively constitute the comprehensive art of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, passed down in an unbroken line to the legitimate head of the school.
Musashi, along with documenting these techniques in his work "Gorin no Sho" (The Book of Five Rings), emphasized the importance of mental cultivation and included profound phrases such as "Manri Ikku" (Ten Thousand Truths, One Emptiness). This particular phrase is often interpreted as urging individuals to dedicate themselves continuously to a single truth or purpose, striving without losing sight of their goals. In my own interpretation, borrowing from literary language, it could be expressed as follows: "Engage in daily practice and training, master the techniques, and, through consistent training, sharpen the 'eyes'—the visual perspective that sees things as they are. Through observation and feeling with these 'eyes,' polish the ability to discern the essence of things. In the clarity beyond confusion lies the state of enlightenment, the 'emptiness.' In other words, eliminate doubt in one's own sword principles, cultivate an undisturbed mind, and develop an unshakeable spirit, fitting the realm of 'Jissou Enman,' the harmonious reality."
Musashi achieved fame as an undefeated swordsman in over sixty matches, including the legendary duel on Ganryu Island with Sasaki Kojiro from the age of thirteen to twenty-nine. However, as expressed in his writings, he lived a life without respite, always adhering to the way of strategy. In his later years in Kumamoto, guided by the Zen teachings of Abbot Shunzan of Taishouji, a temple associated with the Hosokawa clan, Musashi finally found peace of mind. This led him to the state of "Manri Ikku," the harmonious integration of swordsmanship and Zen, embodying the heart and technique of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu that has been passed down to this day. Musashi himself stated, "Regarding the place of 'Manri Ikku,' it is challenging to express in writing; one must devise it for oneself."
Although I received instruction in kenjutsu and iaido from my father, Goso Motoharu, since childhood, the challenge remains to maintain a calm mind when thoughts like "Let's strike decisively and perform skillfully" arise. Achieving the unity of mind and technique is still a distant goal.
To explain why the legitimate lineage of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, which should be in Kumamoto, is located in Utsu, Oita Prefecture, it is necessary to delve into the history of the 8th Soke, Mr. Aoki Kikuo. Born in 1886, Mr. Aoki encountered Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu in his youth and received instruction from the 7th Soke, Yamada Seibu. He served in the Satsuma Army during the Southwest War, and, after graduating from Kumamoto Commercial School, he became a teacher. Due to various circumstances, he later moved to Taiwan.
In 1937, the 9th Soke, Kiyonao, enlisted in the Taiwanese military. In 1938, when he won a kendo competition in Taichung, he was informed by a participant about the existence of Mr. Aoki, a teacher at Taichung Commercial School and the 8th Soke of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, as well as the 14th Soke of the Sekiguchi-ryu Battojutsu. After the war, having become a teacher in his hometown of Usa, Oita, Kiyonao invited my father, Motoharu, also a teacher, to visit Mr. Aoki in Kumamoto, who had returned from Taiwan. As a direct disciple, my father diligently practiced every weekend in Kumamoto.
Later, Mr. Aoki began visiting Usa for guidance, sometimes accompanied by his wife, offering dedicated instruction to swordsmen in Usa, including my father. I recall feeling elevated and proud when Mr. Aoki stayed at our home during these visits. Perhaps as a gesture of gratitude for our hospitality, he bestowed several invaluable calligraphies, numbering more than ten in total, which we treasure as family heirlooms.
In 1958, amid post-war chaos, the red oak sword—proof of the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu's legitimate succession created by Musashi himself, with carvings of "Jissou Enman no Hyoho" on one side and "Kanryu Taigetsu Sumi Gotoku Kagami" on the other—was returned to Mr. Aoki from an acquaintance in Taiwan. To commemorate the return of the sword, a ceremony was held on December 8th, including a kendo tournament in Usa. I participated in this event and appear in the commemorative photo.
In 1967, recognizing the importance of preserving both the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu and the Sekiguchi-ryu Battojutsu, Mr. Aoki passed on all techniques to Kiyonao and my father, risking his life. He designated Kiyonao as the 9th Soke of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu and my father as the representative of the 8th Soke. In the same year, a monument bearing the inscription "Miyamoto Musashi 'Seishin Chokudo'" by Mr. Aoki was erected in the precincts of Usa Shrine, where a transmission ceremony took place. This marked the transfer of the legitimate lineage of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu from Kumamoto to Usa.
The red oak sword, a symbol of the family transmission, is currently kept within Usa Shrine, as decided by the 10th Soke Imai Masanori. Over the years, Kiyonao's skills and teachings were passed down to his son, the 11th Soke, Motoya. With the guidance of Mr. Aoki, the two lineages were unified, and I, as the 12th Soke, carry the responsibility of preserving all the techniques I have mastered, fostering successors, and striving for improvement each day, together with my students.
In the same year, a monument bearing the handwritten inscription "Miyamoto Musashi 'Seishin Jikido'" by the 8th-generation head of the Aoki family was erected within the precincts of Usa Shrine in Utsu. A transmission ceremony was conducted in front of this monument. This marked the transfer of the legitimate tradition of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, which had been handed down in an unbroken line from the founder, Miyamoto Musashi Genshin Sensei, from Kumamoto to Usa.
Furthermore, the red oak bokuto, the symbol of the family tradition, was entrusted to the care of Usa Shrine, according to the will of the 10th-generation head, Imai Masayuki Sensei.
As time passed, the spiritual and technical prowess of Kiyonaga Tadanao was passed down to his son, Kiyonaga Fumiya, who became the 11th-generation head. Under the 12th-generation head, along with disciples of Kiyonaga and Goso, the school has become unified.
Every time I see the vigorous calligraphy of phrases like "Banri Ikku" and "Kanryu Taimetsu Sumika Kagami," which I received from Aoki Sensei, despite his advanced age, I sense the strong determination of Aoki Sensei, who moved the legitimate head of the school from Kumamoto to Usa in order to protect the techniques of the school's founder, Miyamoto Musashi. Recently, not only domestically but also from distant countries (Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, France, Switzerland, and the United States), many new students have joined, and with the kind support of the local chief priest, we have even been able to establish a dedicated dojo.
With pride in being the only dojo to inherit the legitimate techniques, I, as the 12th-generation head, bear the responsibility of preserving all the techniques I have acquired for future generations, while nurturing successors and striving daily with my disciples.
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