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Hoki ryu was founded by Katayama Hoki no Kami Fujiwara Hisayasu (born Tensho 3, 1576), one of Hayashizaki’s senior students. Katayama Hisayasu also inherited some additional teachings (perhaps pronounced Iai Juhatto) from his uncle, Shoan. Katayama Hisayasu was called before Kampaku Toyotomi Hidetsugu and came to serve the Toyotomi family as a martial arts instructor to Toyotomi Hideyori (Hideyoshi’s son). The Osaka Summer Campaign of 1615, an attack on Osaka castle, brought an end to the Toyotomi family and helped secure Tokugawa power in Japan with the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s son, Hideyori, who was a rallying point for anti-Tokugawa warriors. In Keicho 15 (1610) Hisayasu was asked to demonstrate his sword techniques for the Emperor Goyozei. He presented the secret teachings of Iso no Nami, for which he received the court rank Jugoige Hoki no Kami. After the destruction of Osaka castle, Hisayasu traveled to various places in Southern Japan, such as Shikoku, and Suo and Aki provinces, while spreading his art. He was a guest of the Kitsukawa family who supplied him with a stipend for 10 people. Eventually Hisayasu settled the Katayama family in Iwakuni, in Suo province. He died in 1650 at the age of 76. One of his sons, Hisataka inherited the ryu while another, Hisakatsu, traveled to Edo and founded his own ryu. One interesting side note in the life of Katayama Hisayasu is the possibility that he was in fact the younger brother of the founder of Takenouchi ryu, Takenouchi Hisamori. While this is not a fact known for sure, there are various sources suggesting that they may have been brothers. The famous researcher Watatani Kiyoshi (of Bugei Ryuha Daijiten fame) states in the first line on his entry on Katayama Hisayasu in “Shin Nihon Kengo 100 Sen“ that they were in fact brothers. He later relates a story of the two having a discussion on whether Hisayasu could actually effectively draw his huge three shaku three sun sword (Hisamori felt it was too long to be effective) and an en
