The Yagyu clan stands out among Japan’s countless medieval warrior clans as a clan renowned for its mastery of the art of swordsmanship. This first full Yagyu history in the English language recounts how, through a string of misfortunes beyond their control, the Yagyu clan first lost its independence, then its castle and domains, until finally its members were thrown upon the mercy of a local temple. Yet it was in the very depth of those bleak and desperate years, that its leader, Yagyu Muneyoshi, discovered his true strength and began his clan’s remarkable reco-very-a recovery crowned with the ascendancy of his son, Munenori, to the exalted rank of daimyo.

It is perhaps no coincidence that the two Chinese characters that make up the name of Yagyu stand for the willow tree and life, or the giving of birth, for both seem to sum up perfectly the particular characteristics that helped propel this ancient clan to such unprecedented heights. Like the pliable willow tree, it was their resilience in the face of irresistible forces that enabled the Yagyu to outweather the raging storms of fortune and remain standing, alive and well, their spirit intact. In doing so, the Yagyu gave birth to an art of fencing that has survived for more than five centuries. Among the countless schools of swordsmanship brought forth by Japan’s feudal era, the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu still stands out for its sheer continuity.