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<P><FONT face="Verdana,Helvetica" size="2" color="red"><b>Why Long
Handles?</b></FONT></P>
<P><font size="2">?/font></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Exceprts from John Rogers"
translation of "Honcho Bugei Shoden" (written in 1714) in Monumenta Nipponica
(46:2)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana,Helvetica" size="2" color="blue">"Hayashizaki Jinsuke
Shigenobu"</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Hayashizaki Jinsuke
Shigenobu was from Michinoku. He prayed to the deity Myojin of Hayashizaki and
was enlightened regarding the intricacies of swordsmanship. He is the swordsman
who was responsible for the rebirth of iai.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">In "Hojo Godaiki" it is
written " The use of swords with unusually long hilts began when the deity
Myojin appeared to Hayashizaki Kansuke Katsuyoshi in the form of an old man and
taught him the value of using a long grip."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">I believe that the name
Katsuyoshi is a copyist"s error. In the "Hojo Godaiki", the name is Katsuyoshi
and in the writings handed down in the school, it appears as
Shigenobu."</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" color="blue">In the "Hojo Sounki" it is
written:</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">It was Katsuyoshi who
began to wear swords with a long hilt and Tamiya Heibei Narimasa who taught him
this. Narimasa wore swords with long hilts and went throughout the provinces
training in swordsmanship. he often said that a difference of eight sun in the
length of the hilt creates a three fold advantage when swords are crossed. Ever
since he taught this profound and secret principle to others, all have come to
wear swords with longer hilts.</FONT> |
