The Oldest Kendo Master

by Caleb Morris
(America,Pensylvania,Hallstead)

Who is the oldest known kendo master? What era did he live in and later die in? I do not mean disrespect in any way.

Answer: There are two old schools that are seen as the origin of all the kenjutsu schools, Nen-ryū and Shintō-ryū.

The founder of Nen-ryū was Sōma Shirō Yoshimoto or Jion (1350-?; Nanboku-cho era to Muromachi era).

The founder of Shintō-ryū was Iizasa Chōisai Ienao (1387-1488; Muromachi era).

The years of their birth and death are from Japanese Wikipedia.

It looks like Nen-ryū is the oldest school so we could say that Jion is the oldest. However, he also learned from his teachers so it is hard for us to know who was the oldest.

Hope this helps.