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Secondary sourcePhotograph8 October 2006

Sassen Kata, First Niten Ichi Ryu Form

Instituto Niten · 8 October 2006

A photograph of a modern demonstration of Sassen, the first kata of Niten Ichi Ryu, the martial school founded by Miyamoto Musashi.

Shows the first kata of Musashi's school, illustrating how his martial teaching method survives today.

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Two men in dark blue hakama and keikogi demonstrate a paired kendo-style sword form with long wooden bokken on a wooden gym floor. A man in a blue keikogi on the right holds his bokken extended toward the other. Behind them, a line of students in dark uniforms stands watching, and a banner reads Instituto Niten Metodo Kiai.
Instituto Niten, Sassen, first kata of Niten Ichi Ryu, 8 October 2006.

About this source

What it is

Taken in 2006 by the Instituto Niten, this photograph shows two practitioners performing Sassen, the first kata (set form) of Niten Ichi Ryu, using long wooden swords in front of watching students.

Why it matters

Kata are structured sequences used to teach and preserve martial techniques. Sassen, as the first kata of the school, represents foundational instruction within the tradition founded by Miyamoto Musashi.

This image shows the ongoing transmission of his teachings through formal practice, led here by instructors such as Sensei Jorge Kishikawa, centuries after Musashi's own lifetime.

Look closer

  • Why might a school start its training with a specific, standardized first form?
  • What does the presence of watching students suggest about how this knowledge is passed on?
  • What is lost or changed when a martial technique is taught generation after generation?

This photograph is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Musashi Miyamoto on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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