After studying swordsmanship he went to Kyoto, where, according to most authorities, he was employed in his youth by the eighth Muromachi shōgun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490), a devotee of the martial arts. Iizasa was later known as Yamashiro no Kami (governor of Yamashiro Province) in accordance with a practice of Muromachi times, whereby noted warriors took old court titles. Later on in his life, Iizasa became a Buddhist lay monk and was known as Chōi-sai, "sai" being a character that many noted swordsmen chose for their martial name.