Before long, Tadatsune SHIMAZU came to hear about Togo's reputation and, in 1640, Togo won the competition against the grand master of the Taisha School of swordsmanship performed before Tadatsune whereby becoming the grand master of the art of warfare for the Shimazu family.
やがてその名声が島津忠恒に聞こえるところとなり、慶長9年（1604年）、忠恒の御前試合でタイ捨流の剣術師範を破り、島津家兵法師範となる。