Where could I find out about...

Furanui Kenjutsu or Shiranui-ryu (if they are real) and can I learn them, or are they a lost art?

http://www.geocities.co.jp/HeartLand/4618/sakuma-syozan.html

''Kawakami used Iai (=quick draw) often. In his later years he called it Gensai-ryu but it is what he masterd all by himself.
Drawing a sword with one hand, with right knee in front and slightly bent, with left leg extended backward so straight that the left knee almost touches the ground. As soon as drawing he attacked in extremely low posture''...

according to above website there was Kawakami Gensai (1834-1871) who called his craft Gensai-ryu, and another website states Shiranui-ryu is a nickname of Gensai-ryu).
But it seems Gensai-ryu was Kawakami's original style,
and he was executed in 1971.

Considering he used his craft for assassination and
finally got himself executed, I think there is no one who managed to succeed Gensai-ryu... my search on the interenet did not hit any dojo either.
But you may be able to find an Iaido dojo with more ease, and many of them do teach great drawing techniques.

However, for those dreamers, I am pointing the fact that some old martial arts reveal its name only to those who mastered the craft. Some do so because they don't want weak students to succeed the name even by accident. Others do for political reasons: one example is Komagawa-Kaishinryu kenjutsu, which is now famous but used to disguise themselves as Shinkage-ryu because one of Kaishinryu's student was involved in assassination and he was punished by the Shogunate.
Assuming Kawakami Gensai had a student who happened to aquire Gensai's drawing skills, the successor might have passed Gensai-ryu on to someone else until today... although it would have been almost impossible for the first master to open a dojo and teach, as it must have been regarded as ''an assassin's skill''.

I can't read it. I can only read English.

That's why I added translations of important part in the URL.

Shortest reply to your question is, the Shiranui-ryu is lost and there's no one teaching this style.

well, macnil or whatever your name is, i just happened to cross your question about sword craft, and though all i know about them is that i want to know them, i can still tell you something about Gensai and his craft. personally, i read that gensai developed this style by himself based on some very, VERY old swordstyles. naturally he wouldn't pass it on, since he was executed. but talk about a WASTE. i wish i could have lived back then and learned it. it would have taken care of all the people on my hitlist. heh...

i have the information on the man that was the manslayer of fuedal japan, if u email me just put "sword" as yr subject title
Komori Genjiro, he changed his name into Kawakami Gensai(Hitokiri-Gensai). He changed his name further into Takada Genbe He was short, his jaw and cheekbone was sharp. He was always calm and he was unyielding. And, he was very gentle Though He was born in Komori Family in Kumamoto, he became a foster-child of Kawakami Family, and became a Buddhist priest. (When there was a big earthquake and all people were running away, he extinguished the fire of a brazier, and he was accepted by many people. It was said that it was regrettable that He's a Buddhist. Buddhist priest's position was convenient to study. Then, a study of the soldier was learned by Miyabe Teizo, and literature and swordsmanship were learned by Todoroki Muhe. He didn't get the permission of his clan though he tried to do overseas inspection to know the circumstance of foreign countries. If a foreign circumstance can't be known, he thought that he should exile a foreigner from Japan, and he recommended the thought of "Sonno-jyoi(Reverence for the Emperor and expulsion of the foreigner)". Then, he fought to overthrow the shogunate together with "shishi of kinno" which his mind was suitable for. Though he killed many people, a clear record about his assassination does not exist.(The incident that a Sakuma Syouzan was assassinated at midday is famous.) Then, many battles were finished, and He succeeded in overthrowing the shogunate admirably. However, he became bothering existence for new government because his thought wasn't changed after the Restoration.(The government completely changed a policy suddenly.) Then, he was killed by the follower of "Kido Takayoshi" who was gensai's company. At this time, he didn't have the crime which was worth the death penalty.

Before I'd believe someone that spoke of knowing of a lost art's whereabouts, I'd like more than just a bold exclamation in all caps.

Kawakami's 'lightning-fast' Furanui style or also known as Shiranui-ryu was developed during a period of great political change and hostility as my own studying shows.

If in some chance it was passed down and let's say technically this/these indiviual/s passed it on to the current time it would be rather slim.

As has been said, he was 'hitokiri' and most likely would not have had time to train any one to the full extent needed to master it. (Even if he did I greatly doubt a master of any thought lost art would openly reveal themself to anyone.)

The samurai were not seen as of use anymore and a danger if anything then, ultimately with his death the style was lost.

Most likely now 'Kawakami' you've been fooled by some con-artist or are simply lieing to us.

I been to many sites and they all say the same thing. I never knew the above. but one of the sites said that he created his sword style by combining a bunch of styles.

i was searchin google images. I typed in Kawakami Gensai and i found a picture that i think may be him

http://g1342122.at.infoseek.co.jp/imgj/imgzzz/k_kawakami_gensai_1.jpg

I there somebody knows, where is the sword? It must be somewhere no ??? when he was arrested, the sword was taken so if you are an answer, send to my email address thanks...

No don't just email him! Post it here as well.

I have a thought for all those who desperately seek to learn Gensai-sama's style. While having the master himself teach you would be a wonderful oppurtunity, it has been mentioned several times that Gensai-sama developed this style either by combining old styles or making it up by himself. If you truly wish to learn lightning fast drawing techniques, attend a modern Iaido (Way of Drawing the Sword) class. Learn the basics and then practice until you are proficient. Even though Gensai-sama lived in an era that required he become a hitokiri and obviously he had more incentive to develope his assasin's technique, there's nothing to hold modern students of the sword back from developing it themselves. It would be quite an undertaking but after completing the training, you would be a nigh-unstoppable swordmaster.
Just a little food for though :P

I know the person who has mastered this ancient and powerfull style. He can be found in Japan, Kyoto. However he doesn't want to pass his style... Komendasai.

i have learned gensai-ryu but am far from a master i learned in colorado.it has taken 2 years and i still am not master

Hey umm if any of you know this style please e-mail me at doomsday_fan@yahoo.com I would be very glad if you would, because I wish to devote the rest of my life to learning this particular style of swordsmanship I hope that I am not asking to much.

Hi Idont realy know but I to am trying to findout if they exist or not.But it would be realy great if you shared your information with me at Yugimania2@AOL.com

If anyone wants to train in the art closest to Gensai's art then you need to find a school that teaches battojutsu (this may or may not include kenjutsu). Modern versions of swordsmanship(kendo and iaido) are concerned with either getting points in sport matches(kendo) or just the technique (iaido). Battojutsu is concerned mianly with cutting. It teaches you how to properly cut something (hopefully just mats) from a strike or a draw. Battojutsu is the "real" form of iaido. Also, if you're going to do battojutsu, make sure they teach kenjutsu(striking) as well or else all you'll know is how to draw a sword.

It takes many thousands of hours to learn how to properly use the sword. You will likely do the same downward cut 10,000 times and only do it properly 10 or at best 100 times when you first begin. Mastery of the sword takes decades if not a life time and there is ALWAYS more to learn.
Gensai was a master not because he knew techniques, but because he could stay calm when in mortal danger and kept his mind "empty".

Here's a website for a Battojutsu school, but remember, swordmanship is used for killing and that's it. http://www.kobushinryu.net/

Ok.. I've got a few things to say hear... first of all, what I see hear are a group of book worm nerds stuck in a fantasy world.. In this day and age sword tecniques are, sadly, obsolete as self defence applications. So those of you hoping to "protect the inoccent" will be disappointed.. next, you cannot "master" a martial art, or even a single tequnique, in two years.. so DUH to the guy who posted that.. I did Aikido for two years, and only reached eighth kyu, which is the third lowest rank there is. Although I've been searching for more information about Gensai and his style of swordsmanship, and am not claiming to be an expert on him by any means, I believe what you are searching for would not befound for several reasons. First off, your right, the chances of Kawakami haveing/taking the time or the risk of sharing his technique(s) with a student is unlikely, and a very short time after the chaos of the revolution he wa executed, leaving him very few years to train anyone. Secondly, it is EXTREMLY rare for a a style to remain unchainced for even a few generations. succesors keep what they want to, develop their own tecniques, or even their own styles just as Kawakami did. His personal style most likely died out long long ago. If however, you want to try and follow in Gensai's footsteps and learn the basics of Japanese sword drawing, like Shin'Oku said, find an Iaido dojo. Iaido is "the art of drawing the sword" it is an alternate pronunciation (later term) of Battojutsu. be esspesially careful whe finding a dojo to train at, their are a lot of hokey fakes out their, make sure they're part of the All United States Kendo Federation (AUSKF). Lastly, to Ronan Swordsmanship is not just for killing, that was one result, in the era of Samurai the art of swordsmanship created disciplined individuals with a strict moral code, built determination and self-esteem, as well as remakable warriors. very few warriors are brutes, most are truely remarkeble people as well. if you have anything to say to me, hit my up themick_1414@hotmail.com k?

KendoBoy is Right. In this day and age Swordtechniques dont mean anything because of the good old pistols but people still study The arts for personal purposes and a little advise Wikipedia.com is a good website for info it kawakami Gensai probably only intrests half of you because of the stupid cartoon
He was a real person and he wasn't a nice man like the cartoon/anime or watever
It clearly sais on wikipedia what dicipline he uses.

Furanui Kenjutsu (also known as the Shiranui-ryu) was a style of swordsmanship which hitokiri Kawakami Gensai created. He learned some of the sword from Todoroki Muhe and learned bushido from Miyabe Teizo. Furanui Kenjutsu is not to be confused with Himura Kenshin's Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu style, which is fictional. There is no information that Hitokiri Gensai favored a fast draw technique but it is said that assassins in general favored this method of swordsmanship. While he never favored the battôjutsu (quick draw) as mentioned above, he did implement it into his style on occasion, and his peculiar battôjutsu stance once again lent itself to fictional anime character Himura Kenshin.