Writing by Mark Raugas (opens in a new tab) on some of the philosophical and technical topics related to the practice of Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu. I have several longer works (opens in a new tab) on Jikishinkage-ryū and Shinkage-ryū history and philosophy available in print.
Articles
- Comparing the Heihō Zakki (1708) to the Mokuroku Kudensho (1764): Summarizing Karukome’s analysis of the content of two Edo period Jikishinkage-ryū transmission documents. July 2026
- Analysis of Jikishinkage-ryū Densho Commentary: Using NDL cursive OCR models Waseda University Jikishinkage-ryū densho holdings allows us to better gloss commentaries in cursive script as well as small block character notes. July 2026
- Fixed measurement and the three accordances: Sōjaku-no-koto (相尺之事; mutual distance or measure) is one of the formal matters listed in historical mokuroku of Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu. We examine its relationship to Sino-Japanese philosophical concepts. June 2026
- Eight Phases and Eight Extremes: Detail of Hassō Happa from the 1800 Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Hōjō densho of Naganuma Tadasato, copied by Ogawa Yashichi, its place in Hōjō swordsmanship, and how the eight phases may relate to the eight extremes of Daoist Huainanzi geography. June 2026
- Kodachi: The ura of Hōjō: Discussion of kodachi and habiki practice in Jikishinkage-ryū Seito-ha as informed by an examination of Saitō Akinobu (1901) Gokui Kyōju Zukai, explaining brief oral teachings. May 2026
- A-Un, Gogyō, Godai and Beyond: A brief discussion of the seasonal mappings of kata in Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu and how those relate to Daoist complementarity, five phase theory, and partially to Mikkyō concepts. May 2026
- Sente, Kuzushi and Marobashi: Reading the kata of Jikishinkage-ryū through kuzushi — from the hidden order of initiative in tō-no-kata, through the turning point at its capstone, to the close-quarter application of kodachi — framed by the triad of heaven, earth, and man. June 2025
- Hōjō ken Kokoro-e sho: Text on Jikishinkage-ryū Hōjō (foundational) swordsmanship, provided for reference based on Jikishinkage-ryū Sōhonbu and Hōbyōkan material. This is typically chanted or recited before performance of the Hōjō kata of Jikishinkage-ryū. December 2024
