Swordsman? I was under the impression that he had very little if any martial arts training. Edit: ah it turns out he did study for a while under Sugino Yoshio. Not sure how long or to what level though.
Oh? My impression from reading about him was that he had achieved a senior rank and was recognised as an accomplished practitioner. I'm working from memories of reading pre-internet material. A look online reveals various conflicting statements: He had no MA experience other than learning choreography for films. His father was an MA instructor and he grew up immersed in MA. He held Dan grades in 3 disciplines. He trained with Sugino Yoshiro (verified by Patrick McCarthy). He held a 7th Dan in Kendo. He held a 2nd Dan in Iaido. Take your pick!
