As a teenager, Shingorō developed a passion for swordsmanship, and studied from Nomura Tetsuya, the last headmaster of Nagaoka Han Den branch of Shindō Munen-ryū.
In 1863 Shingorō took a temporary leave of absence from the clan in order to study Shindō Munen-ryū at the Renpeikan (練兵館) dojo in Edo (modern day Tokyo).
On 15 September 1868 he was severely wounded during the counter-attack by Meiji Army, that routed the forces of Ainu and Nagaoka.
In 1888 he was employed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force to teach Keshi-cho Ryu Kitachi/Iai and Gekiken to the Emperor's Royal Guard Detachment at Saineikan Dojo.
[2] Following his notoriety from winning a number of high-profile bouts, in 1912 he was asked by Dai Nippon Butoku Kai to join the committee responsible for creation of Dai Nippon Teikoku Kendo Kata, a precursor to modern Kendo-no-Kata.