Oe Masamichi Sensei
OE Sensei, was also known as Roshu, Hence the name Roshukai. Oe Sensei organized the Hasegawa Eishin Ryu, the Omori Ryu and the Kochi Iaijutsu (Tanimura-Ha) forms into the 43 forms or waza that we practice today. His methods were greatly influenced by real combat based on his experiences in one of the last sword based wars in Japan. The Hamaguri Gomonno Ikusa (The Clam Gate War) was fought at the very end of the Tokugawa Era between 1865 and 1867, at the Imperial palace in Kyoto. This political war greatly influenced Oe sensei in developing meaningful iai techniques.
Oe Sensei brought together the Hasegawa Eishin Ryu and the Omori Ryu and combined it with the Tanimura-Ha which is now known as Seito Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. Oe Sensei was of strong character and clearly defined the requirements for training in the Ryu. Oe Masamichi Sensei was a great swordsman and teacher and produced many students who became accomplished swordsman in their own right. Some of these students became Soke for the Ryu and others developed their “own” style and interpretation of the techniques thus creating “HA” or branches deviating in varying degrees from Oe sensei’s teachings. After Oe Sensei’s death many Jikiden teachers changed the formst o be more grading/competition friendly. There were students who did not change the original teachings of the school, Mori Shigeki, Yamamoto Takuji were DESHI or disciples of Oe Sensei and were regarded as the ones most assiduous in following OE sensei’s style and teaching. Iwata Sensei trained directly under both men for many years and we as Roshukai students are very lucky to study and learn from some of the teachers that stuck to the “true path”.