is a Japanese sword art school and one of the most widely practiced schools of iai in the world. Often referred to simply as "Eishin-ryū," it claims an unbroken lineage dating back from the sixteenth century to the early 20th century. 17th undisputed headmaster, Oe Masaji, awarded at least 16 licenses of full transmission, resulting in the school fracturing into multiple legitimate branches. The school takes its name from its seventh headmaster, Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Hidenobu (長谷川主税助英信), who had founded Hasegawa Eishin-ryū. ‘Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū’ means ‘peerless, directly transmitted school of Eishin.’ ‘Eishin’ is an alternative pronunciation of ‘Hidenobu.’ History The founder of the earlier school Eishin-ryū was Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu (林崎甚助源の重信). Hayashizaki was born in Dewa Province, Ōshū (present-day Yamagata Prefecture). He lived c. 1546–1621 in what is present-day Kanagawa Prefecture. Many of the historical details of Hayashizaki's life are suspect, since, like most famous martial artists in Japan, his story has been widely fictionalized. It seems that he grew up during a time of constant warfare in Japan and was exposed to sword-fighting methods from an early age. According to legend, Hayashizaki's father was killed and to take revenge he began training in earnest. He went to the Hayashizaki Meijin shrine to pray for guidance and received divine inspiration for a new technique of drawing the sword and attacking in one movement. Legend says that he eventually defeated his father's killer. Following this, Hayashizaki continued on his martial arts pilgrimage, training with renowned swordsmen and attracting students of his own (such as Tamiya Heibei, founder of Tamiya-ryū (Tsumaki)). Hayashizaki established his own style of swordsmanship, calling it Shinmei Musō-ryū (神明無双流). Hayashizaki's art has had many names since it was established, such as Hayashizaki-ryū (林崎流) or Jūshin ryu (重信流). It is considered the foundation for many of the major styles of iai practised today, in particular Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū and Musō Shinden-ryū. The seventh generation sōke of Hayashizaki's school, Hasegawa Chikaranosuke Hidenobu (Eishin), was one of its most important headmasters. He had a major influence on the school. In particular, he adapted techniques originally developed for the tachi to use the contemporary katana. He devised many new techniques, some of which now form the Tatehiza no Bu (Chūden) set. Hasegawa's influence and adaptation led to the style being named Hasegawa Eishin-ryū. It was also referred to as Hasegawa-ryū or simply Eishin-ryū. Some regard Hasegawa as the primary founder