Meifu Shinkage-ryu
Meifu Shinkage-ryū (明府真影流) is a modern Shurikenjutsu school, which was founded in the 1970s by Someya Chikatoshi (染谷親俊). Its roots could mainly be found in the Shurikenjutsu of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū (天真正伝香取神道流).
Someya sensei was a student of Sugino Yoshio of the Katori Shintō-ryū, although the throwing style used in Meifu Shinkage-ryū is different. Someya sensei refined the Katori style of throwing, making it shorter, faster and more concealed.
The Meifu Shinkage-ryū is a small school of about 30 students who train in Tokyo, Japan under the instruction of the present Sōke, Ōtsuka Yasuyuki. This school is almost entirely composed of students of other martial arts schools. Ōtsuka sensei welcomes students from any art or country. He calls himself a "shuriken teacher and researcher." There is a specific kind of shuriken called a Meifu Shinkage-ryū shuriken, but Ōtsuka sensei teaches and students will often practice throwing shuriken from many different schools, most of which are now extinct.
All text adapted from Wikipedia.
Image © Ōtsuka Yasuyuki
All content © Andrew K Jones 2010-2012 (except where noted)