Shūsaku Narimasa Chiba

Chiba Shūsaku Taira no Narimasa (千葉 周作 成政, 1792, Kesen Village (now part of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture), Japan – January 17, 1855) was the founder of the Hokushin Ittō-ryū Hyōhō (北辰一刀流兵法) and one of the last masters who was called a Kensei (sword saint).

His father Chūzaemon studied Kenjutsu under Chiba Kōemon Narikatsu (founder of the Hokushin Musō-ryū).

Shūsaku’s father Chūzaemon had moved his family to Mito, Chiba prefecture, and demonstrated his swordsmanship skill at the end of the 19th century.

In Matsudo Shūsaku studied the Ittō-ryū under Asari Yoshinobu Matashichiro and Nakanishi Chubei Tanemasa.

After a falling out with his father-in-law, Shūsaku changed his name back to Chiba and began his Musha shugyō, visiting many Dōjō and dueled many famous swordsmen of ryūha like the Shinto Munen-ryū, Jikishinkage-ryū, Maniwa Nen-ryū, different Ittō-ryū lines and many other.