林崎甚助重信

Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1542–1621) is revered as the founder of iaijutsu, the Japanese art of sword drawing. After his father was killed when he was seven, he vowed revenge and undertook ascetic training at Kashima Shrine. Following a divine revelation during a 200-day retreat at age eighteen, he developed the principles of drawing and cutting in a single fluid motion — the foundation of what became Shinkage Hayashizaki-ryu. He later avenged his father and spent decades traveling Japan teaching his revolutionary technique. His system — which treated the sword and scabbard as integrated weapons — gave birth to many derivative schools including Tamiya-ryu, Muso Shinden-ryu, and Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu, which together define modern iaido practiced by millions worldwide.