Iwami Toshio Harukatsu, Iwami Soke was born in 1948 in Fukuoka Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu, Japan. As a boy, he loved sports - both baseball and Karate. In his highschool days, he began to pursue the dream of becoming a Karate-ka and so he trained very seriously in Okawa style Karate. |
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After graduation, he become a firefighter at the Kokura Fire station in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka. He continued training in Karate until, due to serious knee injuries, he had to stop training in Karate, and redirected his energies to study Iai-do.
During this period, Iwami Soke was intruduced to Imai Masayuki the 10th Soke of the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu style of Kenjutsu by Miyamoto Nobuo, a direct descendant of Miyamoto Musashi's adopted son Iori. He then began training under Imai Soke.
In 2001, he received from Imai Soke the "Menkyo Kaiden" (initiation in the all mysteries and secret of an art). Then, in 2003, he succeeded to the headship and became the 11th Soke of Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu. His dojo "Doku-Gyo-An" (see photos) is in Kokura, Kitakyushu, Japan. (see map)
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