* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Marume Kurandosuke Nagayoshi
丸目蔵人佐長恵
Founder of Taisha-ryū and Disciple of Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Description
Meeting with Kamiizumi Nobutsuna
Born in Tenmon 9 (1540) in Higo Province (present-day Kumamoto Prefecture), Marume Kurandosuke Nagayoshi was a master swordsman who greatly contributed to the establishment of sword culture in Kyushu as one of the finest disciples of Kamiizumi Ise no Kami Nobutsuna, founder of Shinkage-ryū. Nagayoshi entered under Kamiizumi Nobutsuna during the Eiroku era (1558–1570), and, studying under Nobutsuna in Kyoto, received direct transmission of the mysteries of Shinkage-ryū. Kamiizumi Nobutsuna was one of the foremost swordsmen of his time, who demonstrated his art before the shogun Ashikaga Yoshiteru, and Nagayoshi, having received this teaching directly, possessed unquestionable technical mastery.
Founding of Taisha-ryū
After receiving full transmission of Shinkage-ryū from Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, Nagayoshi founded "Taisha-ryū" by adding his own unique sword principles based on those techniques. There are various interpretations of the characters "Taishi" (捨), but it is most commonly understood to express a state of selflessness in which one "abandons the body, abandons the mind, and entrusts all to the sword." Alternatively, it can be interpreted as the sword philosophy expressing "Taisuru" (対捨)—casting aside the opponent—meaning to transcend the very concept of an adversary. In either interpretation, at the heart of Taisha-ryū flows a spirituality of swordsmanship that transcends the distinction between self and other, which can be said to inherit the Zen-like spirituality inherent in the Shinkage-ryū of his teacher, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna.
Propagation of Swordsmanship in Kyushu
After returning to his native Higo Province, Nagayoshi undertook vigorous efforts to spread Taisha-ryū throughout Kyushu. Not only members of the Sagara household but also warriors of other houses, such as Kamachi Akihiro and Tachibana Muneshige, came to study the sword techniques of Taisha-ryū under Nagayoshi. Particularly in Higo Province, Nagayoshi's influence was profound, and he came to be known throughout later generations as a "Higo swordmaster," forming the foundation of the region's sword culture. Throughout the Edo period, Taisha-ryū flourished in the Hitoyoshi domain of Higo and across Hizen, developing into a major school of Kyushu swordsmanship.
Combat Experience
Nagayoshi's swordsmanship was not merely the product of ascetic training but a practical martial art honed through actual combat experience during the Sengoku period. The Sengoku age in Kyushu was an era of fierce conflict among the three powers of Shimazu, Ōtomo, and Ryūzōji, and Nagayoshi refined his sword amid this turmoil.
Longevity and the Ultimate Principle of the Sword
Nagayoshi passed away in Kan'ei 6 (1629), at the remarkable age of eighty-nine. This can be said to testify to how Nagayoshi practiced sword training not merely as the refinement of a fighting technique but as a method of health that unified mind and body. In the training of Taisha-ryū, maintaining spiritual tranquility alongside vigorous practice was emphasized. Nagayoshi's life embodied the essence of Japanese sword philosophy—that swordsmanship is not a technique for killing people, but a way of enabling people to live more richly.