Toshishiro Obata

Toshishiro Obata was born in 1948 in Gunma prefecture, Japan, and is the founder of the International Shinkendo Federation.

He has studied under Shioda Gozo in the Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo and has studied the sword arts of Nakamura Ryu, Ioriken Battojutsu, Toyama Ryu, Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, Kashima Shin ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo, etc. He is famous in Japan as a tameshigiri champion for several years in a row and being an authorized shitoka (sword tester).

He moved to America in 1980 to start teaching and develop his own sword art based on his extensive experience. In 1991, the International Shinkendo federation was officially established. The federation has grown to AbOUT 60 dojo internationally and continues to expand. Toshishiro Obata, as the founder of the school, is referred to as Obata Kaiso by his students, and continues to travel across the globe to hold seminars for his students around the world.

Family Line

The Obata family originally descended from the Heike clan's stream. Of samurai family lineage, Obata Toshishiro is a direct descendant of Obata Masamori, who served as a general and strategist (one of The Famous 24 strategists) for the Takeda family during the civil war, Sengoku era. Obata Masamori would become the lord of Kaizu Jo (castle) in Shin Shu (Nagano) province. Obata Masamori's son, Obata Kagenori (1570-1644), became a page and companion to Japan’s second Tokugawa Shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada. During this time in Kagenori's youth, he would study Kenjutsu and general scholarship with Tokugawa Hidetada. Later, during the Osaka winter campaign, Obata Kagenori was directed by the Tokugawa family to infiltrate and join the Toyotomi camps for the purpose of gathering intelligence. Before the Summer campaign began, Obata Kagenori returned to the side of the Tokugawa family and later completed the famous "Takeda-ryu Koyo Gunkan-sho" book. This work was the foundation of the "Heiho Okugi-sho", a secret book of strategy. During his lifetime, Obata Kagenori became known as the father of "Koshu-ryu Gungaku", also referred to as "Takeda-ryu".

Childhood

Known stories of his youth:

  • Spent nights alone in the mountains near his home
  • Grandmother tossed hot coals at his feet, forced him to learn footwork
  • Trained himself to be ambidextrous

Beginnings in Martial Arts

Yoshinkan Aikido

In 1966 the 18 year old Obata left his small rural hometown, and headed for Tokyo to begin a career in Martial Arts. He soon found himself at Yoshinkan Honbu Dojo, the birthplace of Aikido, where he became Uchi-deshi, live-in student, under headmaster Shioda Gozo. Obata stayed at Yoshinkan for seven years as a student and instructor, eventually teaching the Tokyo Metropolitan Riot Police course. It was during this time that Obata was introduced to Japanese swordsmanship, when he observed several demonstrations by Nakamura Taizoboru, headmaster of Nakamura Ryu.

Swordsmanship

Obata Sensei left Yoshinkan in 1973 to pursue swordsmanship full-time. He studied and achieved high ranking in many famous Japanese schools, including Nakamura Ryu, Ioriken Battojutsu, Toyama Ryu, Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, Kashima Shin ryu, Ryukyu Kobudo, and others. He also joined the Tokyo Wakakoma, Japan’s elite group of stuntmen and fight choreographers, and was responsible for the introduction and increasing popularity of Aikido into Japanese TV and films in that period. During this time Obata Sensei also won seven consecutive All-Japan target-[...] championships.

Martial Arts Development

The Development of Shinkendo

In all of his studies it became clear to Obata that although each school had its particular strengths, none of them taught a complete, comprehensive sword system. The traditional schools in Japan are not allowed to change or expand upon their original curriculum. They are considered to be living, breathing historical treasures and must be preserved as faithfully and precisely as possible. The inheritor of a traditional school is therefore duty-bound to teach techniques, training methods, and ideals exactly as he learned them. To change or add anything would be seen as terribly disrespectful to the original founder of the school. It was for this reason that Obata Sensei at age 32, having mastered many of the old schools in Japan, came to America in 1980 to start a new, comprehensive system of study: Shinkendo Japanese Swordsmanship.

Obata spent 10 years refining his art before unveiling it to the world officially in 1991. He met with immediate success, and the International Shinkendo Federation was established a short 3 years later. As the creator of an entirely new system of sword study, he assumed the title of Kaiso (Founder), and started teaching seminars and opening branches all across the world. At the present time, there are over 70 branches of the ISF worldwide.

Nito-Ken Techniques

In 2004 a new aspect of Shinkendo training was formalized – the study of Nitoken, or Two-Sword training. The techniques he created are based on his wide knowledge of different sword arts. During class, it is common to use two full length swords for training. The techniques can be interchanged with the use of a daisho, the short and long sword set.

Books

Obata Kaiso has published several books, most notably “Shinkendo, Japanese Swordsmanship” – the core textbook of his art, and “Tameshigiri”, dedicated to the safe and effective practice of target [...] within the study of Shinkendo. Kaiso is still working on several more books, including a treatise on the philosophy of Shinkendo, deeper studies into each aspect of swordsmanship, and a historical view of Toyama Ryu.

  • Shinkendo - Japanese Swordsmanship
  • Tameshigiri

References

  • Shinkendo - Japanese Swordsmanship ISBN 096686770X
  • Tameshigiri ISBN 0966867750

fr:Toshirō Obata ko:오바타 도시로 it:Toshishiro Obata ja:小畑敏四郎