This school was originated by Tukahara Bokuden Takamoto (1498-1571), whose nephew Ishii Bokuoki was the founder of the school, and was handed down to Ishihara Ichibei Yoshiie, a Ten-ryu master, who called it the Bokuden school and passed it down from generation to generation. Eventually, Tojutsu (Kenjutsu), Kodachijutsu, Nitojutsu, Koshinomawari Iaijutsu (Iaijutsu), Sojutsu, Bojutsu, Kusarigamajutsu, Toritejutsu, Jujutsu, etc. were transmitted to the Matsushiro Domain (present Nagano Prefecture), and Aoyama (Daigaku) Banryuken Narishige, the founder of the school, mainly passed on the techniques of traditional general martial arts by combining Sekiguchi-ryu Jujutsu with Bokuden-ryu Koshinomawari Iai and Jujutsu. Master Kai Kuniyuki was introduced to Master Kaminaga Shigemi, the Dai Nijudai Soke, practicing at his dojo in Funabashi, Chiba once a month for 15 years, and in May 2002, he succeeded as the Dai Nijuichidai Soke of Bokuden-ryu Jujutsu koshinomawari Iai Heiho.

Nakasone Tomonari, the Nidaime Kancho of Tendokan, started learning Bokuden-ryu Jujutsu Koshinomawari Iai Heiho in 2013, studying under Master Kai Kuniyuki, the Shodai Kancho. He received his kaiden (certificate of approval) in August 2018, and letters of succession as the Dai Nijunidai Shike (Shihanke) in August 2020, and as the Dai Nijunidai Soke in July 2021.

There are currently two remaining styles of the Matsushiro clan’s Bokuden-ryu: Koshinomawari Iai and Jujutsu. “Koshinomawari Iai” is ‘a two-handed slash in which the left hand is positioned below the right elbow while the right armpit is tightened,’ and “a sudden slash and thrust against an opponent while stepping back and forth as if jumping from one foot to the other.” In Jujutsu, the two main features are “techniques while wearing a daito (large sword, uchitachi) and a shoto (small sword, wakizashi)” as well as not only atemiwaza (contact techniques) (thrusting, kicking, striking), kansetsuwaza (joint techniques), newaza (groundwork techniques), shimewaza (stranglehold techniques), nagewaza (throw techniques), and katamewaza (grappling techniques), but also slashing and thrusting an opponent with a large or small sword that one is wearing or the opponent is wearing.