News

Happy New Year.  It will be the Year of the Wood Dragon.  Our North American dojo group has continued to make great strides in the past year. We have 1 person that is a Mokuroku and a Shidoin (equivalent as Teacher in Training so to speak) and also a number of students that have traveled to Japan to train. The sense of community and of genuine, committed, hardworking practitioners is palpable and real.

 

Recently there have been developments at Otake-Risuke-sensei's former dojo, Shinbukan, that are not in keeping with his vision, character, and the spirit of the ryu.  Therefore, Marishiten-kai, as of November of 2023 (for now), is independent as we do not condone what is happening there.  One should do one's research into the character of the art if wanting to study this art.  One's teacher should exemplify as best possible, that character.  We maintain the integrity to endeavor to work in the example of the Founder and Otake Risuke-sensei.   

There sadly continues to be a sense of commercialization with certain representatives of the art treating it like a business and treating their potential students or current students like customers/clients. They state on their website "We are expanding globally!" or give "A month of free training and a bokken if you join!".  They post on social media, what are essentially ads, saying "Join Us Now!" or in a manner that says "look at us".  This is far far and away removed from the spirit of a Koryu in general and Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto-ryu specifically. We do not treat students as customers or clients. A person studies this art to learn, grow and be a part of a tradition with a rich and long standing history. It's meant to enrich one's life by connecting with the past in a significant living manner in the present. Students of our dojo are just that, students. Not customers or clients. 

Regarding the "politics" of the ryu. We, Marishiten-kai, train in Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto-ryu as taught and practiced by Otake Risuke-sensei. Otake-sensei was an exemplary Headmaster. He was the face of Katori Shinto-ryu for decades. We also acknowledge and respect Soke and the Iisaza family as the actual family line of the tradition and of the area.  The 20th Soke, as the head of the family/house, had made his decision as to who should be the next Shihan of the ryu.  Otake-sensei had also made a decision that was different.  The situation got convoluted and tangled.  

Politics unfortunately get messy, and the situation is such that we are independent for now.  We still do maintain ties and friendships with our fellow practitioners in Japan whom we will continue to go and visit and train with.  The tie to Japan is crucial.    

It is important to be honest about all of this and to realize that, more importantly, it is earnest training, execution and character development that lie at the heart of being in a tradition such as this. 

The story is complicated with many layers, and it would be easy to oversimplify it as some continue to do. Unless one has been intimately involved, as some of us have been, one should not try to speculate on the matter. Marishiten-kai stands as we do and try to follow the Founder's example.