The Jikishin Kage-ryū Kenjutsu comes from a previous school, Kage-ryū Kenjutsu. A samurai (侍) called Aisu Iko founded Kage-ryū in 1490. He perfected, and taught his style around Japan. There are evidence from 1525, that another samurai, Kamiizumi Ise-no-Kami Nobutsuna (1508–1548) is teaching his own style, a form of Kage-ryū kenjutsu. He called it Shinkage-ryū (the school of the new shadow). Jikishin Kage-ryū means 'the newest school of the ancient shadow'. He was denoting with the name, to the ancestors, and expressing respect to his former masters. Matsumoto Bizen no Kami Naokatsu was a famous master of this school, he also founded his own school first called Kashima Shin-ryū, then Kashima Shinden Jiki Shinkage-ryū. These schools can be found even today all around the world. There are more variations like Jikishin Kage-ryū, Seito Shinkage-ryū, etc.