Interview with the Last Swordsman

Yoshio Sugino (suit) on the set of Yojimbo with Mifune and Kurosawa

Thank you to Garrett Clark on providing the link for this article.

    Please read HERE for a 1961 interview with Yoshio Sugino of Katori-Shinto ryu.  For those of you (including me) who didn't know his name, here a quick list of his many accomplishments.

• He was a Judo student of Kano Jigoro at the Kodokan,  
• He was an instructor of Katori Shinto-ryu, the oldest continuous koryu in Japan.
• He was an Aikido student of Ueshiba Morihei at the Hombu dojo
• opened up the second ever Aikido dojo in Kawasaki.  
• He was also the sword choreographer for both The Seven Samurai films and Yojimbo.

  In the article, he describes the importance of kata and how sport martial arts are not Budo.  It seems funny to me how his arguments and ideas are the same as the ones we're still having today.  However, it is a very good article, and definitely worth the time to read it.