Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Iai-Do

GRAND MASTER KIMURA HEKIHO MASAKAZU 9TH DAN

Kimura Hekiho Masakazu is the current head of Hokushin Shinoh Ryu So-Honbu Iai-Do and Kenjutsu. He holds the rank of Sei-Shihan 9th Dan (Menkyo-kaiden) and became the Grand Master of Iai-Do, Hokushin Shinoh Ryu So-Honbu in 1976, when Soke Shinoda Ohho Masatsune passed away. Grand Master Kimura Hekiho holds the rank of Kyo-Shi 8th Dan with Zenkoku Iai-Do Renmei (The National Iai-Do Federation of Japan) where he is a member of the panel of judges. He is also a member of the Supreme Council of Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Iai-Do Ohgokai.

Born in Nagoya on November 29, 1926 Kimura Hekiho Masakazu grew up in a family steeped in samurai tradition and with a long history associated with Nagoya Castle. His Great Great Grandfather was a retainer to the Daimyo and it was from this Lord that his family received the name Kimura.

Kimura was thirty years old when he first met Shinoda Ohho Masatsune and he was already an accomplished swordsman, having studied Yagyu Shinkage Ryu under Kazimima, a senior instructor from that school of swordsmanship. It was 1957 and Shinoda had just rebuilt his new dojo in Nagoya when Kimura Hekiho Masakazu joined and consequently became his first student in the new dojo. Shinoda never forgot this fact and bestowed on Kimura, the honour of teaching all new students. Kimura Hekiho got on very well with Soke Shinoda Ohho and recently when he was questioned on whether Shinoda had a favourite waza, he just laughed and said, "Naturally he loved all his waza because he created them". Kimura's favourite movement is Mura Same.

Kimura Hekiho Masakazu made his first visit to Australia in 1982 when he was invited by Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Iai-Do Ohgokai. He was accompanied by two of his students, Nakamura Geppo and Koizumi Kiho. This was the first time Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Iai-Do had ever been displayed outside of Japan by Hon-bu Instructors and the demonstrations held in the cities of Adelaide and Melbourne were a great success. Iai-Do was virtually unheard of in Australia at that time and Grand Master Kimura's demonstrations of Iai-Do generated a considerable amount of interest from the public and the news media. 25 students joined Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Ohgokai immediately after the demonstrations.

Six years later Grand Master Kimura lead a large delegation of members of the Hokushin Shinoh Ryu So-Honbu to participate in "The Grand Masters" 1988 International Martial Arts and Cultural Exhibition which was held at the Adelaide Convention Centre, South Australia.

"THE GRAND MASTERS"
1988 International Ancient Martial Arts and Cultural Exhibition

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We wish to thank Grand Master Kimura Hekiho for sharing this information with us and we look forward to adding more to this page after Shihan Goho Chong's visit to Nagoya, Japan in August 2000.

This information is provided courtesy of Goho Wonho Chong,
Suseki Shihan, Hokushin Shinoh Ryu Heiho Iaido of Nagoya, Japan.

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