Kashima Shintō-ryū

Not to be confused with Kashima Shin-ryū or Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū.

Kashima Shintō-ryū (鹿島新當流) is a traditional (koryū) school of Japanese martial arts founded by Tsukahara Bokuden in the Muromachi period (c.1530).^[1][2]

Kashima Shintō-ryū (鹿島新當流)
Ko-ryū
Foundation
Founder	Tsukahara Bokuden (塚原 卜伝)
Date founded	c.1530
Period founded	Late Muromachi period
Current information
Current headmaster	Yoshikawa Tsuenetaka
Arts taught
Art	Description
Kenjutsu - ōdachi, kodachi	Sword art - long and short sword
Bōjutsu	Staff art
Sōjutsu	Spear art
Naginatajutsu	Glaive art
Ancestor schools
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū
Descendant schools
Yamaguchi-ryū ; Tennen Rishin-ryū

History

Due to its formation during the tumultuous Sengoku Jidai, a time of feudal war, the school's techniques are based on battlefield experience and revolve around finding weak points in the opponent's armor. The sword (katana), spear (yari) and glaive (naginata) are some of the weapons used by the school. The current headmaster of the school is Yoshikawa Tsuenetaka.

Kashima Shintō-ryū formerly had a series of iaijutsu techniques in its curriculum, but these were lost over time.^[3]