Kodokan Kendo Dojo

To try to win is empty….

To try to avoid defeat is essential.

The Philosophy of Ito Ittosai Kagehisa

The One Sword
One of the most successful styles to have survived to this day is Itto Ryu. In Japanese, it means literally: “one sword”. The exact date of the formulation of the style is difficult, but it can be traced to sometime in the middle of the 16th century.
The History
The founder of this style was a man named Yagoro. At age fourteen, Yagoro arrived in the little seaside village named Ito. How he got there is speculation. According to legend, he floated across the narrow Sea of Sagami from the island of Oshima on a piece of wood. Villages were closed societies in that time and hostile to strangers. However the young Yagoro soon earned the friendship of the inhabitants, when he drove away six bandits who attacked the village one day. He ended up remaining there for some years. The villagers then saved up money for him to travel to seek out a master, since he had expressed the wish to become a great swordsman. He went to Kamakura to the famous Hachiman Shrine to pray to the gods. He stayed there for six nights, practicing and praying, on the seventh night, he was attacked from behind by some unknown assailant. Somehow he sensed the attack, drew his sword, turned and cut the man down in one stroke. His technique was spontaneous and done without any thought. He did not understand the meaning of the technique he had used that night until many years later, when it would become the fundamental technique and philosophy of the style he would eventually create. He would also change his name to Ito Ittosai Kagehisa.
Major Figures & Influences
Itto Ryu has proven to be one of the most studied styles of swordsmanship. Many superior swordsmen have graduated from this school over the centuries. The most notable is:
Ono Tadaaki who became the successor to the Itto style when Ito Kagehisa mysteriously disappeared from the field of Koganegahara where Tadaaki and a would be successor, Zenki, fought a duel to decide who would succeed Ittosai as the next master of the style. He was reputed to be an excellent swordsman, even superior to Yagyu Munenori, but his cold and stern character earned him less respect and admiration than his contemporary Munenori. Along with Munenori, he was also designated as an official teacher of swordsmanship to the Tokugawa Shogunate. There is some speculation that one of the famous treatises on Zen and swordsmanship, “the Sword of Taia” written by Soho Takuan, was addressed specifically to Ono Tadaaki. If this was indeed the case, then it lends credibility to the speculation that Itto Ryu became influenced by Zen at a much earlier stage, under Tadaaki. Tadaaki’s son Tadatsune, an excellent swordsman in his own right, founded the Ono branch of Itto Ryu.
The Significance
Of all the major styles, Itto Ryu stands out as being one whose philosophy is the most pragmatic. The style concentrates solely on the art of wielding the sword. While other styles sought to discover religious and spiritual meanings in swordsmanship, Itto Ryu did not. It did only seek technical superiority in swordsmanship and in this, it was very successful.
The supreme philosophy of this school is to defeat the opponent with one stroke, hence the name “itto” (which can be translated as “one sword” or “one stroke”). This simple yet fundamental principle continues, not surprisingly, to this day.
There is speculation that Itto Ryu became influenced by Zen under Ono Tadaaki due to his association with the priest Takuan. In the Ono style, much of the philosophy that there is, can be seen to be Zen based. Later branches of Itto Ryu such as Nakanishi Ryu ha Hokushin Itto Ryu and Muto Ryu under Yamaoka Tesshu openly incorporated Zen into the art. Many concepts common in Zen can be seen in the techniques used in these schools: techniques which stress simplicity and directness. The nature of the style and the one mindedness of its philosophy indicate a strong foundation in Zen thought.
From a technical viewpoint, Itto Ryu strives for simplicity in all actions and movements. It is the hallmark. Much of modern kendo originates from Itto Ryu and more recent figures include: Takano Sasaburo and Sasamori Junzo. Many of the principles can be found in the techniques used in kendo, particularly the focus on simplicity.

Further reading on the relationship between swordsmanship in Japan and the philosophy of Zen can be found here or in the book The Sword and The Mind.

Page courtesy of Tokumeikan.

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paul.budden@kodokankendo.org.uk