THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN

 by Phillip Starr

Kuroda Tetsuzan. They call him the “best swordsman in Japan” and I can believe it. I was most fortunate in meeting him when I visited Japan in 2016. My student, Hiro Misawa, wrote a very formal letter to him asking if we could observe a class and Kuroda sensei agreed. What we witnessed was, in my opinion, one of the finest demonstrations of supreme martial arts skill that I have ever seen, bar none.

Class that day was held in a community center in a small town outside of Tokyo. Not sure of its exact location, we followed a young couple who had sword bags slung over their shoulders. Outside the door to his dojo area, a lone student sat quietly in seiza with his sword beside him. He bowed to us but spoke not a word. We'd arrived a bit early and little by little, more students arrived to sit in rows on either side of the door. There was no talking or socializing at all. After a short time, Master Kuroda arrived and greeted us warmly with a big smile.

Inside the dojo, we seated ourselves and focused on the various groups (beginning, intermediate, and advanced pupils). At one point, Kuroda sensei was trying to teach a student the fundamentals of what he calls the “disappearing body” technique. He had a student raise his bokken (oak sword) overhead as he faced him with his sword held in the lower “waki kamae” posture (the sword is held diagonally downward and to the rear). He told his student to strike him at the instant he perceived the slightest movement. The student agreed. And then Kuroda sensei DISAPPEARED!

He reappeared to one side and a bit behind his student, having figuratively gutted him. It was as if someone had cut 4-5 frames out of a movie video. He literally vanished and I turned to Hiro and asked him what he saw. His wide-open eyes told me just before he shook his head and replied, “he just disappeared!” The student was equally amazed and Kuroda sensei laughed and told him they'd do it again. Hiro and I really focused in on the action this time...

The Master faced his student again. And then...he did it AGAIN! He simply seemed to vaporize instantly! I couldn't believe it! My eyes may not be what they used to be, but surely I could see a man move, couldn't I? To make things even more incredible, he did it four more times!!! And each time, he simply disappeared. To this day, I have no idea what happened.

Kuroda sensei learned a family martial art system from his grandfather. It is said that he has since acquired greater skill than his teacher. His art includes the use of various weapons (with emphasis being on the sword) as well as jujutsu/aikijutsu and other specialties. He sometimes demonstrates his skill by arm-wrestling with rather buff Westerners who come to visit. He allows them to grasp his little finger...and as they strain and turn red in the face trying to bring his arm down, he smiles and easily forces their arms down to the table top!

I think his skill is easily comparable to that of the legendary O-Sensei, Morihei Uyeshiba (founder of aikido). Kuroda sensei prefers to stay out of the limelight; although his name is known in Japan (in fact, a photographer and writer from Japan's leading martial arts magazine visited him while we were there, to do another article on him...he writes regular columns for them), he's not necessarily so well-known in Europe and the U.S. One hefty New Zealand karateka offered to test his skill, thinking he could snap out his backfist faster than Kuroda could draw his sword. Go ahead, fire off your fastest backfist and see how quick it is. Kuroda was seated on the floor but before the lad had his fist even halfway to the target, Kuroda's sword had left the scabbard and the tip was at the young man's throat! He tried another couple of times but the result was always the same... And in demonstrating bare-handed techniques against random forms of attack, he tosses his opponents around like so many rag dolls!

He is truly the embodiment of the word “Master” and I was greatly honored to meet him and see his skill firsthand.

*Sadly, Kuroda sensei passed away in late 2023 as the result of a burst brain aneurysm. His son, who I believe will equal his father's legendary skill, now manages the dojo.