Iwata Norikazu Sensei of The Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu

An Interview

Grateful thanks to Iwata Sensei, and to Mrs. Yuriko Terao, who made this interview possible. It is from questions during the Eikoku Roshukai seminar in Ozu, Ehime province, Shikoku in November 2001 and May 2002, and further clarified in England in August 2002." He was interviewed by Neil Kemp Sensei of Eikoku Roshukai The questions were set out by Pasi Hellsten of the Finland Iaido Federation.

First some questions about Sensei's background:

Q1. What is Sensei's full name?
Iwata Sensei: My name is Iwata Norikazu, but some people call me Iwata Kenichi because of the way the kanji in my name can be read. When I was young, I was not very healthy, so my family called me Shohei. Later when I was stronger they called me Norikazu. This was when I was about 20 years old.

Q2. How old are you now?
I.S.: I was born in Kagawa ken on the 16th of September in 1913 (Taisho 2), so I am actually 89 years old, however, by the old Japanese system I am in my 90th year, and I hope I will go on being able to practice and teach iaido. Since I was able, I went to England to teach again in August 2002. I entered a former junior high school in 1927, and started learning kendo. I got my 3rd dan in August 1933, and I taught kendo as an assistant teacher for 4 months at the junior high school. In December 1933 I joined the army in Manchuria. I became a military policeman in 1935, and started to educate military policemen in April 1936. I kept teaching until August 1945. Since Japan was the defeated nation of the Pacific War, I became a prisoner in Russia in 1945. I only came back to Japan in December 1949.Initially, before joining the army, I learnt only Seiza No Bu iaido. I started practicing Iaido very hard in 1957 when I was 43 years old.

Q3. Are you a professional budo teacher or do you have a "civil occupation"?
I.S: I am now retired, but I study iaido full time. So in essence I now concentrate on budo and calligraphy, but I would not say I am a professional budo teacher. I will tell you a little later about my time in the army and the war. Early in my career I was secretary of a company making agricultural machinery. Later in life I was the secretary to the Prime Minister of Japan.

Q4. What style of Iai is Sensei teaching?
I.S.: Now I teach only Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu as I was initially taught in Kochi. I no longer teach anyone the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Seitei Gata Iaido.

Q5. Your present rank in Iai?
I.S.: I am Hanshi Hachidan as specified by the Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei. I achieved Hachidan in 1976 and gained Hanshi status in 1983. The other ranks you will be aware of are Kyoshi Nanadan, and Renshi Rokudan. There are no additional examinations for these teaching titles but there are certain requirements, characteristics, e.g. good standing in the community, well respected within Iaido, no criminal record etc.

Q6. Your dojo name, where is it (are they)?
I.S.: My dojo name is Hounan Juku, Mitoyo Gun, Kagawa Ken, Japan.

Q7. What is the average number of members in your dojo?
I.S.: I cannot give an average number. I have had many students over the years, more than 200 –
300 from Japan and also some students from England and Canada. I have some long-standing students that come to my dojo on a regular basis and some local students from Kagawa. I also get requests from people of different schools across Japan that have read my articles in the Nippon Kendo magazine, or have seen the videos I have made on Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu for the same magazine, or have read my books. I also teach all over Japan at locations where there are students that belong to Roshu Kai and other places where people are interested in learning traditional iaido/iaijutsu.

Q8. How often do you have training in your dojo?
I.S.: When people come I teach them. There are no fixed times, I can be flexible to meet other people’s needs if it fits with my other commitments

Q9. Do you have any special seminars (in weekends)?
I.S.: Yes we have Japanese Roshu Kai seminars and for the last 4-5 years I have been teaching students from England that come to Japan to learn directly from me. These seminars can run for long weekends for Japanese students, or 7 to 10 days for the English students. I have to think very carefully about what I want to teach at these seminars, especially the long seminars for the English students. They have to travel a long way and have so much to learn that they need this extended period.

Q10. Organization where your dojo belongs? (Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei, Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei?)
I.S.: Most of the dojos and people in Roshu Kai belong to the ZNKR. I do not take much interest in this anymore, I am happy to teach anyone who is serious about learning traditional iaido. I can accept people from any groups.

Q11. When and where did Sensei start his study of iai?
IS.: I initially learnt Seiza no Bu iaido locally in Kagawa in the 1940’s. However, I started to learn seriously in 1957 in Kochi. It took the Kochi Sensei's - Fukui Harumasa Sensei, who was the 19th Soke of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu, Yamamoto Takuji Sensei and Shimazaki Teruyuki San three months to reply to my request to learn. I was very pleased when they confirmed that I could learn. They were very strict with me initially, and tried to put me off in the beginning, but I worked hard and they gradually accepted me. I used to travel by train from Kagawa to Kochi each Sunday, a journey of about 4 hours, and practiced for several hours with only very little breaks. It was very hard work but very rewarding. After a few years they said they had taught me enough and I could go, but I said I wanted to learn more (I was not going to let them off so lightly) so they agreed to continue to teach me. This training was a solid foundation for my iaido and I thank my sensei's very much for all their help and their teaching. months to reply to my request to learn. I was very pleased when they confirmed that I could learn. They were very strict with me initially, and tried to put me off in the beginning, but I worked hard and they gradually accepted me. I used to travel by train from Kagawa to Kochi each Sunday, a journey of about four hours, and practiced for several hours with only very little breaks. It was very hard work but very rewarding. After a few years they said they had taught me enough and I could go, but I said I wanted to learn more (I was not going to let them off so lightly) so they agreed to continue to teach me. This training was a solid foundation for my iaido and I thank my sensei's very much for all their help and their teaching.

Q11b When was Fukui Harumasa chosen to be the 19th Soke? When one of the menkyo kaiden students is chosen Soke, is there a special ceremony?
IS.: If you look in my book, you will see the dates for all the Soke. Yes, there is a special ceremony in front of the Shinzen (Shinto Shrine) and the next Soke usually gets a sword the same day.

Q12. What led Sensei to study the martial arts?
I.S.: When I was young, I was not too healthy, so I studied and practiced martial arts to build up my strength and character. I believe this is quite a common reason for starting martial arts. My father was a judo teacher (with a menkyo kaiden) but he didn’t think I was strong enough then to learn judo, so he told me I should take up kendo. I did and I have never regretted it, it has been an important element in my life.

Q12b Sensei’s father was a judoka. Are there other members of the family who practice budo arts?
IS.: No, only my father and myself.
Q12c Was Sensei’s father menkyo kaiden in judo or some old school of jujutsu? I thought there were no more makimono in judo?
IS.: My father’s school was Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu. At that time there were still menkyo kaiden in judo.