Shinobi - Ninja - Ninjutsu - Taijutsu

Ninjutsu , also called shinobi no jutsu , is a collection of techniques originally practiced for espionage purposes. It includes methods of gathering information, non-detection, avoidance, and misdirection techniques. Ninjutsu can also involve training in disguise, escape, concealment, archery, medicine, and explosives.

Practitioners of ninjutsu have been seen as assassins for hire, and have been associated in the public imagination with other activities which are considered criminal by modern standards. Even though it was influenced by Chinese spying techniques and the strategic principles of Sun Tzu, ninjutsu is believed by its adherents to be of origin. One version is that the basis of ninjutsu was taught to a Japanese household who fled to the mountains after losing a battle. There they came across Chinese warrior monks who had fled China. Later, the skills were developed over 300 years to create ninjutsu.

Although the popular view is that ninjutsu is the art of secrecy or stealth, actual practitioners consider it to mean the art of enduring - enduring all of life's hardships. The character nin 忍 carries both these meanings, and others.

In the modern world the word ninjutsu usually refers to a certain system (Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu) of self defense, and its offshoots. It is true that ninjutsu has a long and myth-filled history, but today almost anyone is allowed to practice modern ninjutsu. As one makes progress in ninjutsu the system gets more sophisticated, and one might realize that the system contains more than fighting skills. To avoid misunderstandings, "ninjutsu" should just refer to a specific branch of Japanese martial arts, unless it is being used in a historical sense.

The Historical Ninja By Soke Masaaki Hatsumi

There are many theories as to the beginnings of what we know as the art of ninjutsu today. Each Japanese historian has his or her own set of facts and beliefs, and it is difficult pinpointing a specific place, person, time, or set of circumstances that would be acceptable to all as the birth of the art. In all truthfulness, ninjutsu did not come into being as a specific well-defined art in the first place, and many centuries passed before ninjutsu was established as an independent system of knowledge in its own right. The people who were later referred to as ninja did not originally use that label for themselves.

They considered themselves to be merely practitioners of political, religious, and military strategies that were cultural opposites of the conventional outlooks of the times. Ninjutsu developed as a highly illegal counter culture to the ruling samurai elite, and for this reason alone, the origins of the art were shrouded by centuries of mystery, concealment, and deliberate confusion of history.

In the legends of the founding of Japan’s Imperial Family, passed on by word of mouth through the generations before recorded history, two ninja-like characters are credited with assisting the first emperor, Jimmu, in attaining a decisive victory. Jimmu was in combat against the troops of Iso Castle, and the battle was going against him. One night in a dream, the future emperor had a vision in which he was told to take the clay from Mt. Amakaga and mold it into a sacred vessel.

Mt. Amakaga was a holy mountain that lay in the middle of the territory held by the Iso forces. Obtaining the raw clay became the symbol of Jimmu’s intention and resolve towards succeeding in the conquest of Iso Castle. Shinetsuhiko and Otokashi served their lord Jimmu by disguising themselves as an old peasant and his wife, and the two successfully slipped into the enemy territory, packed the clay, and returned safely. Jimmu then molded and fired a platter and bowl set from clay, offered them to the gods of fortune and went on to attain the victory he so strongly believed to be his destiny. The skills of ninjutsu were said to have been passed thereafter to Tennin Nichimei, Okume Mei, and Otomo Uji for further development and expansion.

Among the ancient ninjutsu documents that I inherited from my teacher are several scrolls that tell of Chinese ex-patriots who fled their native land to seek sanctuary in the islands of Japan. Chinese warriors, scholars, and monks alike made the journey to find new lives in the wilderness of Ise and Kii south of the capitals in Nara and then Kyoto. Taoist sages like Gamon, Garyu, Kain, and Unryu, and generals from T’ang China such as Cho Gyokko, Ikai, and Cho Busho brought with them the knowledge that had accumulated over the centuries in their native land.

Military strategies, religious philosophies, folklore, cultural concepts, medical practices, and a generally wide scope of perspective that blended the wisdom of China with that of India, Tibet, Eastern Europe, and south-east Asia were their gifts to their newly-found followers in Japan. Remote and far flung from the Emperor’s court in the capital, the cultural ancestors of the ninja lived their lives as naturalists and mystics, while the main-stream of society became increasingly structured, ranked, stylised, and eventually tightly controlled.

As the passage of time continued to unfold the fabric of Japan’s history, the ninja and their ways of accomplishment, known as Ninjutsu, were always present behind the scenes of all the eras to ensure the survival and independence of their families and lands. In the regions of Iga and Koga, Ninjutsu became a special skill, refined and perfected by over seventy families, each with their own unique methods, motivations, and ideals. Japanese history books, however, are curiously limited in their coverage and acknowledgment of the shadowy figures known as ninja.

In textbooks even as recent as one generation ago, Hanzo Hattori, the head of one of the most influential ninja families in Iga and Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa’s director of ninja, was referred to as "a bushi (samurai) from the remote province of Iga". This hesitancy to openly acknowledge the ninja’s role in the forging of modern Japan stems perhaps from the glorification of the samurai concept and ethic that became very popular after the Meiji Restoration (1868). The Meiji Restoration abolished the samurai class and gave all citizens the right to affect social trappings that had once been reserved for samurai only.

With this clouding of significant historical events and people, it is difficult for today’s Japanese people to understand the true purpose and ideals of the ninja. Exaggerated legends left over from the Tokugawa era, in which the Shogun’s ninja secret police were given supernatural powers such as the ability to disappear, walk across water, and read minds , confuse the story even more. As the world became more and more interested in the culture and then the martial arts of Japan, the distorted stories of the ninja found new audiences in the Western world over the past three decades.

It is easy to at least discuss being in control of one’s body, and it has become quite fashionable in the West to discuss personal responsibility in the control of one’s mind and emotions, but being in control of one’s perception of right and wrong, or what is appropriate, is a more difficult matter. To be in control of one’s perception of appropriateness is to be able to rely on one’s "sixth sense" and to have a working knowledge of one’s sub-conscious level of thinking. This broader perception of reality being based on one’s own unique viewpoint is what set the ninja apart from the conventional military tacticians during the warring states and feudal eras of Japan.

Essence of Ninjutsu - Words from the 34th Grandmaster

I believe that ninpo, the higher order of ninjutsu, should be offered to the world as a guiding influence for all martial artists. The physical and spiritual survival methods eventually immortalised by japan's ninja were in fact one of the sources of Japanese martial arts. Without complete and total training in all aspects of the combative arts, today's martial artist cannot hope to progress any further than mere proficiency in the limited set of muscular skills that make up his or her training system.

Personal enlightenment can only come about through total immersion in the martial tradition as a way of living. By experiencing the confrontation of danger, the transcendence of fear or injury or death and a working knowledge of individual personal powers and limitations. The practitioner of ninjutsu can gain the strength and invincibility that permit enjoyment of the flowers moving in the wind, appreciation of the love of others and the contentment with the presence of peace in society.

The attainment of this enlightenment is characterised by the development of the jihi no kokoro or "benevolent heart." Stronger than love itself, the benevolent heart is capable of encompassing all that constitutes universal justice and all that finds expression in unfolding of the universal scheme. Born of the insight attained from repeated exposure to the very brink between life and death, ninpo's benevolent heart is the key to finding harmony and understanding in the realms of the spiritual and natural material worlds.

After so many generations of obscurity in the shadowy recesses of history, the life philosophy of the ninja is now once again emerging, because once again, it is the time in human destiny in which ninpo is needed. May peace prevail so that mankind may continue to grow and evolve into the next great plateau.

By Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi

Essence of Ninjutsu - Words from the 33rd Grandmaster

The essence of all Martial Arts and military strategies is self protection and the prevention of danger. Ninjutsu epitomizes the fullest concept of self-protection through martial training in that the Ninja art deals with the protection of not only the physical body, but the mind and spirit as well. The way of the Ninja is the way of enduring, surviving, and prevailing over all that would destroy one. More than merely delivering strikes and slashes, and deeper in significance than the simple out-witting of an enemy; Ninjutsu is the way off attaining that which we need while making the world a better place.

The skill of the Ninja is the art of winning. In the beginning study of any combative art, proper motivation is crucial.Without the proper frame of mind, continuos exposure to fighting techniques can lead to ruin instead of self-development. But this fact is not different from any other beneficial practice in life carried to extremes.

Medical science is dedicated to the betterment of health and the relief of suffering, and yet the misuse of drugs and the exultation of the physician's skills can lead people to a state where an individual's health is no longer within his or her personal control. A nutritious well-balanced diet works to keep a person alive, vital, and healthy, but grossly over-eating, over-drinking, or taking in too many chemicals is a sure way to poison the body.

Governments are established to oversee the harmonious inter-working of all parts of society, but when the rulers become greedy, hungry for power, or lacking in wisdom, the country is subjected to needless wars, disorder or civil and economic chaos.

A religion, when based on faith developed through experience, a broad and questing mind,and unflagging pursuit of universal understanding, is of inspiration and comfort to people. Once a religion loses its original focus, however, it becomes a deadly thing with which to deceive, control and tax the people through the manipulation of their beliefs and fears.

It is the same with the martial arts. The skills of self- protection, which should provide a feeling of inner peace and security for the martial artist, so often develop without a balance in the personality and lead the lesser martial artist into warped realms of unceasing conflict and competition which eventually consume him.

If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of Ninjutsu, devoid of the influence of the ego's desires, the student will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming invincible - the attainment of the "mind and eyes of god". The combatant who would win must be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and must be guided by an intuitive knowledge of the playing out of fate.

In tune with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the Ninja captures the insight that will guide him successfully into battle when he must conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility when he must acquiesce.

The vast universe,beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality, contains all that we call good or bad, all the answers for all the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his mind, the Ninja can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting always, so that in the end there is no such thing as a surprise for the Ninja.

By Toshitsugu Takamatsu

About the Grandmaster (Soke) Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi

Masaaki Hatsumi (Hatsumi Masaaki, born December 2, 1931) is the founder and current head of the Bujinkan Dojo martial arts organization.

Beginning in childhood, Masaaki Hatsumi studied many of the more popular martial arts, including judo, karate and western boxing. While instructing American soldiers in the art of judo, he noticed that because of their superior size and strength, the Americans were learning in months what typically took a Japanese practitioner years to master. As a result, he began to question the legitimacy of modern martial arts training. It was after this time, while studying ancient Japanese weaponry, that he learnt of a martial artist named Toshitsugu Takamatsu.

In 1957 he began making regular trips to train with his new teacher (who resided at the time in Kashiwabara, in Nara), taking a train ride that would last some 15 hours from his hometown of Noda in Chiba. This man-to-man training continued for 15 years until the passing of Toshitsugu Takamatsu in 1972.

From his teacher he inherited the position of sōke (headmaster) of 9 ryū (schools of martial arts).

Unlike many martial arts and their instructors, Masaaki Hatsumi focuses the training of the Bujinkan on what he terms the 'feeling' of technique, or perhaps more accurately, the feeling of real situations. While technical knowledge of an art is considered important, the direction of this feeling based approach guides the practitioner towards a natural understanding of what links various martial lineages as well as what is most effective in real situations.

Flowing on from this approach, Masaaki Hatsumi's many experiences include holding training seminars for various law enforcement organisations, including the FBI, CIA, the Mossad and for police in Britain, France and Germany. Until recently, he conducted bi-annual training seminars throughout North and South America, Europe, Oceania and Africa. He has also served as a martial arts advisor to various films and television productions, including the James Bond thriller "You Only Live Twice" and the highly popular Japanese movie "Shinobi no Mono". Among the many awards he has received are the 1999 Japan Culture Promoting Association's Grand Prize, the 2000 World Culture Grand Prize as well as being the first martial artist to receive an Apostolic Blessing from the Pope (2001).

The Bujinkan Organization is headed by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi. Born in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, on Dec 2nd 1931. Dr. Hatsumi graduated from Mieji University of medicine in Tokyo Japan as an Ortopedic Doctor. He is respected as an accomplished artist, author, actor, musician, as well as a martial arts pioneer. He became Soke ( Grandmaster ) of the nine schools of the Bujinkan at the age of 27. Passed down to him from Toshitsugu Takamatsu, 33rd Grandmaster Togakure Ryu Ninpo. Dr. Hatsumi has recieved countless awards and commendations for his works and accomplishments. He cuurently does not teach outside of Japan anymore but practitioners can still travel to Japan to train with Hatsumi Sensei.

The nine schools of the Bujinkan are:

Togakure Ryu Ninpo, 34th Soke, Hidden Door School

Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu, 28th Soke, Jeweled Tiger School

Koto Ryu Koppojutsu, 18th Soke, Tiger Knocking Down School

Shinden Fudo Ryu Jutaijutsu Dakentaijutsu, 26th Soke, Immovable Heart School

Kukishinden Ryu Taijutsu, 28th Soke, Nine Demons School

Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu, 17th Soke, High Tree, Raised Heart School

Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo, 14th Soke, Hiding In The Clouds School

Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo, 21st Soke, Jeweled Heart School

Gikan Ryu Ninjutsu, 15th Soke, Truth Loyalty and Justice School

These schools incorporate spiritual, intelectual and physical elements for personal growth and development.  Learning to fight is a waste of time, One should learn to live and protect Justice and the innocent. Just learning to wrestle and punch creates ego and may make someone feel good in the short term and feed the ego. Feeding the heart and spirit has much longer lasting results.

Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu “School of the Hiding Door”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 34th Soke. It is the second oldest of the Bujinkan schools. During the 16th century, at the height of the historical ninja period, the clan’s ninja operatives were trained in the following Eighteen Fundamental Skills

Seishin Teki Kyoyo - Spiritual Refinement

Tai-Jutsu - Unarmed Combat

Ninja Ken - Ninja Sword

Bo-Jutsu - Stick and Staff Fighting

Shuriken-Jutsu - Throwing Blades

Yari-Jutsu - Spear Fighting

Naginata-Jutsu - Halberd Fighting

Kusari-Gama - Chain and Sickle Weapon

Kayaku-Jutsu - Fire and Explosives

Henso-Jutsu - Disguise and Impersonation

Shinobi-Iri - Stealth and Entering Methods

Ba-Jutsu - Horsemanship

Sui-Ren - Water Training

Bo-Ryaku - Strategy

Cho Ho - Espionage

Inton-Jutsu - Escape and Concealment

Ten-Mon - Meteorology

Chi-Mon - Geography

Characteristics

This is the only school of ninjutsu that has been taught openly by Soke Hatsumi. It is a distant branch of Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu, but a school in its own right. The Ryu is based on low, wide body positions or kamae, and powerful strikes. It is a complete fighting system consisting of many punching and kicking techniques, techniques with sword, spear, kusarigama, and a secret weapon called Sanpo Hiden, which was characteristic only for this school. When necessary the emphasis was on escape and spying involving the use of little gadgets, espionage, concealment, sabotage, breaking in and escaping, etc. Togakure ryu used a lot of techniques that incapacitate, sometimes brutally and in times of conflict could be very deceptive. The Sakki Test comes from Togakure Ryu. The school is famous for it’s different ninjutsu weapons such as shuko and ashiko, shinodake, senban shuriken and kyoketsu shoge.

Brief History

After a lost battle, a samurai, Nishina Yukihiro found refuge in the mountains of Iga. In a village called Togakushi on the Togakure Mountain he met a priest, So-o, who was practicing Shugendo, a religion based on magic. There, Yukihiro learned Shugendo and ninjutsu. His son, Daisuke, changed his name to Daisuke Togakure and, in 1161, created Togakure Ryu. He became its first Soke. Except for a relatively short period of notoriety prior to the reign of the Tokugawas, the art lived quietly in the hearts of just a few people.

"To Hide is the Defence"

The History of Togakure Ryu Ninpo

So-o was the name of a monk at a monastery on Mount Hiei-zan. As was a custom in those times he left his home to live for three years in a cave, subjecting himself to the hardship of nature in order to discover truth and enlightenment. It was after a mysterious dream that he formed the Tendai Shugendo sect of Buddhism, and established the headquarters of the Tendai monastery at Hiei-zan. These monks still exist today and some are still engaged in Shugendo, or mountain asceticism: purifying one's self by trial and hardship. Near to Hiei-zan was a small village called Togakure, in the prefecture of Shinano. Here in approximately 1161, Daisuke Nishina was born into a Samurai family. Sometime during his early life, he studied at the Tendai monastery on Togakure Mountain (Mount Hiei-zan) near his village. These early experiences were to play an important role later when Daisuke was to establish a system of fighting, survival and infiltration.

It is important to understand the events leading up to the creation of Togakure Ryu Ninpo. Daisuke Nishina's father was Yukihiro Nishina, who was a highly ranked samurai in the service of Lord Yoshinaka Minamoto, the cousin of the first Shogun of Japan. When Yoshinaka Minamoto was only an infant, a samurai was sent from a rival family to kill him and his mother. Yoshinaka's mother escaped with him and went secretly to the home of a farmer who was loyal to their family. Yoshinaka was later brought to Kiso village in Shinano, not far from Togakure village. It was possibly because of this movement that Yukihiro Nishina of Togakure came into his service. Years later, Yoshinaka's family had defeated their rivals and became rulers of Japan. But they saw Yoshinaka as a threat to their leadership, and they turned on him. Yoshinaka Minamoto changed his name to Yoshinaka Kiso, taking the name of the village where he lived, which was a common practice at the time. In 1184, Yoshinaka was attacked by the army of his half-brother... sixty thousand warriors descended quickly upon Yoshinaka's army near Kyoto. The battle was called Awaza no Kassan, and Yoshinaka Kiso was killed by an arrow in his eye. On his side had fought Yukihiro Nishina of Togakure, who was also killed, and his son Daisuke Nishina, who survived.

Daisuke, being on the losing side of this battle, was forced to flee into far-away Iga to escape persecution. There he fled into the remote villages, hidden in the mists of a land of high mountains and thick forests. He changed his name to Daisuke Togakure, after the village of his birth. While he was in Iga, Daisuke was found by Kagakure Doshi. Kagakure Doshi was a shinobi, and the third soke of Hakuun Ryu, which was one of the original ninjutsu systems developed from the teachings of Ikai (Yi Gai, who brought the roots of koshijutsu from China). It is also possible that Doshi was Daisuke's uncle, and that Daisuke fled to Iga with the intention of finding him. Daisuke Togakure learned Doshi's warrior teachings, and added them to his own Shugendo beliefs, and the beginnings of Togakure Ryu where forged. But Daisuke was not alone studying under Kagakure Doshi. With him was Shima Kosanta Minamoto no Kanesada. He was a high level samurai retainer who had also fought at the battle of Awaza no Kassan, where he had become a friend to Daisuke and his father. Shima was wounded in the fighting, and was taken by Daisuke to Iga. Shima was to become the second soke of Togakure Ryu. He took the name Daisuke Togakure II after Daisuke's death. His son Goro Togakure, the third soke, is recognized as being the person who actually formed the teachings of Togakure into the Ninjutsu system that we learn today. The 11th, 12th and 13th Soke of the Ryu are named after the main town of Iga, Ueno. Again, it was common in those days to be named after the town or village from which one came. It is therefore likely that the Togakure Ryu was based at or near Ueno at that time. Ueno is in north Iga, but Togakure Ryu mainly operated out of southern central Iga during most of its history.

It is told that members of the Hattori clan trained in Togakure Ryu. Hattori Hanzo is the most famous of all Ninja. Also members of the Momochi family also trained in this system, and the 21st Soke of Togakure Ryu was Momochi Kobei, a descendant of Momochi Sandayu, the second most famous ninja and a leading figure of the Iga region. As with most martial traditions in earlier days, control of the system stayed within the family that founded it, and control of the style passed from father to son. With Togakure Ryu, it continued in this way for the most part until the 1600's. When the immediate family died out, most senior member of the system was Nobutsuna Toda, who was given leadership and became the 24th Soke. When the Toda family took control in approximately 1625, they added their own ninjutsu system of Kumogakure Ryu to it. They also controlled Gyokko Ryu and Koto Ryu, and from that time on, all those martial arts systems were then passed down together.

The 32nd Soke of Togakure Ryu, Shinryuken Masamitsu Toda, was the sword instructor for the Tokugawa Shogunate in the mid 19th century. He resigned his post when he learned that he was teaching men who were then forced to kill other Japanese people. This went against the Law of Togakure Ryu. The 33rd Soke, Toshitsugu Takamatsu, was the last member of the Toda family to control the Togakure Ryu. Within the Tendai Shugendo sect, nearly a millennium after its founding by the monk So-o, the 33rd Soke of Togakure Ryu Toshitsugu Takamatsu was ordained on Mount Hiei-zan.

"Violence is to be avoided, and Ninpo is Bujutsu"

"The sword is to be used for peace and to protect family, country and nature"

Gyokko Ryû Koshijutsu “School of the Jewel Tiger”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 28th Soke. It is the oldest of the Bujinkan schools. The Nine Rules of the Gyokko Ryu:

1. The character NIN means to guard the nation even with one's life.

2. Forget self, be patient, fear not dying.

3. In danger say or show nothing.

4. As a strong enemy comes at you, keep indomitable.

5. Serve and protect the master, as you must your parents.

6. Vices dissipate your proficiency.

7. Being drunk affects your judgment.

8. Destroy the enemy’s power but leave his life.

9. To others teach not without the master's permission.

Characteristics

The school specializes in Kosshijutsu (attacks against muscles) and Shitojutsu (use of thumbs and fingers) using circular and fast movements based on the attack to the opponent's vital points, Koshijutsu Atemi Waza. Although Kosshijutsu means to be able to knock down an enemy with a finger, it is considered that it rather denotes “the backbone” (koshi) of martial arts. It is a complete fighting method that combines techniques of unarmed combat with all kinds of weapons, such as sword, spear and other long weapons. Powerful blocks and balance taking are typical of the school. They preferred to block by striking with the knuckles to the muscle areas. The Muto Dori, or evasion techniques, of the school are the Ge Ryaku no Maki, which involve techniques against swords and spears. These are the most difficult and advanced within the school. Sanshin no Kata, Kihon Happo and Muto Taihenjutsu come from this school.

Brief History

Gyokko Ryu was developed in China during the T’ang Dynasty. It is believed that a person of small stature created this system and that it was developed based on Chinese Kempo. Some claim it was the Chinese Princess of the time or maybe a smaller guard at the palace. It’s uncertain by whom these techniques were introduced to Japan. According to Dr. Hatsumi that person could also be somebody from a foreign country. Some say it was a Chinese priest called Cho Gyokko, others that it was a Chinese named Ibou in the 8th century. This Ryu later became the basis for various martial arts in the Iga region of Japan. Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu is a distant branch of the Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu. The first Soke was Tozawa Hakuunsai in 1156, but the first to organize it as a Ryu was Sakagami Tari Kunishuge. He developed and used it between 1532 and 1555. The school was then given to Momochi Sandayu, a very famous ninja of his time. The Momochi family passed it to the Toda family. Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu gave it to his grandson Toshitsugu Takamatsu, and he, in turn, gave it to his student Masaaki Hatsumi.

"Bushigokorro wo motte totosho no nasu" - 'the warriors heart is precious, and essential'

The History of Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu

Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu is the oldest of the nine martial art traditions that make up the Bujinkan System, and it is safe to say that it is the core style of the majority of our arts. Hatsumi Sensei has stated that the koshijutsu forms the basis of the following systems: Togakure, Koto, Gikan, Shinden Fudo, Gyokushin, and Kumogakure. The name "Gyokko" means Jeweled Tiger, or Tiger Jewel, and may refer to the eye of the tiger. The method of movement and basic principles were developed in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). It is thought to be developed by either a smaller man or a woman, based on the movement. It is known that there was a woman in the court of Chan'an (the capitol of the Tang Dynasty) very well known for her martial arts abilities. When the Tang Dynasty fell in 907, many of the Chinese nobility escaped into Japan. The names Yo Gyokko (Yao Yu Hu) and Cho Gyokko are associated with the art leaving China and arriving in Japan. (They possibly were the same person). General Ikai (or Ibou) is also associated with the origin of Gyokko Ryu. According to Hatsumi Sensei that person could also be somebody (bou) from foreign (I) country.

The first actual Soke of what we would call "official Gyokko Ryu" was Tozawa Hakuunsai. His name suggests a connection with Hakuun Ryu Ninjutsu, which no longer exists. This was in the Hogen Era (1156-1159), which makes Gyokko Ryu one of the oldest documented martial art systems in Japan. Hatsumi Sensei has said in fact that koshijutsu is the basis of martial arts in Japan, and that it forms the backbone (koshi) of the fighting systems in the Iga Region (referring to all ninjutsu clans). The Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten refers to the Gyokko Ryu as "Kosshijutsu, Shitojutsu, Ninpo". Koshijutsu means "to knock down an enemy with one finger." Therefore, intense striking training was involved, mostly to the fingers, toes and knuckles, but also with all parts of the body. The style is characterized by powerful blocks with the knuckles that destroy the muscles of the opponent, ripping, piercing and tearing techniques with the fingers and toes, powerful stomping kicks, and close grappling with locks and throws. It was taught in the Gyokko Ryu to only use as much strength as needed to defeat the opponent. They were also known for their skill with the sword, 6-foot staff and knife.

Koto Ryu Koppojutsu “Tiger Knocking Down School”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 18th Soke.

Characteristics

This school is most famous in the Bujinkan for its koppojutsu (unarmed techniques that attack the body’s structure). It is based on precise and effective punches and kicks and uses short distances with fast and direct strikes - koppo - which break the opponents' bones. It teaches an unusual and unique biken (sword) style of fighting as well as Muto dori. It has strong historical connections with Gyokko Ryu. These schools complement each other: Koto Ryu using short distances and Gyokko Ruy using long distances. Koto Ryu techniques are quick and straight to the point - Gyokko Ryu techniques are more complex. Koto Ryu concentrates on striking - Gyokko Ryu on locks and throws.

Brief History

The teachings of this ryu originated in China and were brought to Japan through Korea by a Chinese warrior, Chan Busho. It became a school in the mid 1500s and was founded by Sakagami Taro Kunishige. A Soke of Gyokko Ryu, Sogyokkan Ritsushi, became Soke of Koto Ryu and since then, the schools have been passed down together. However they continued to be taught separately with the Densho (secret scripts) being given separately also.

"Becoming free from power"

The History of Koto Ryu Koppojutsu

It is thought that the Koto Ryu came from China via Korea, brought by Chan Busho, a Chinese warrior, in the form similar to koshijutsu. Yet it would be many hundreds of years before the style was shaped into Koto Ryu koppojutsu. The exact origin of the style is not known, but the techniques of this Ryu were organized and formulated into a proper Ryuha by Sakagami Taro Kunishige in 1542. He was also a Soke of Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu. The two systems share many similarities, including the Sanpo Gassho (Gassho Kuji Kiri in Gyokko Ryu).

There were a large amount of ninja, and some samurai, who were trained in the methods of the Koto Ryu. Momochi Sandayu is one of the most famous of all ninja (after Hattori Hanzo), and he taught ninjutsu to Ishikawa Goemon, the infamous ninja who spent most of his life as a criminal. Momochi always denied that Goemon was a member/ex-member of his school. Goemon was thought to have attempted an assasination on Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but this was in fact attempted by Hideyoshi's general, Akechi. Goemon, the 'ninja Robin Hood', was eventually caught and boiled to death in a cauldron of oil. Some historians, including Toshitsugu Takamatsu, believe that he was not caught, and the Shogunate was too shamed to admit it. In some cases, history handed down through generations can be more reliable that the written word.

Koto Ryu contains one of the complete Kyusho (pressure point) scrolls of the Bujinkan System - the other coming from the Takagi Yoshin Ryu.

Koto Ryu had a unique and unorthodox method of kenjutsu, handling the sword in a way that gave the observer the impression that the swordsman was unskilled, changing the gripping method and stance at will. They also have a kamae, unique to the Koto Ryu, called 'Mangetsu no Kamae', in which the sword is held above the head and the blade is used to reflect sunlight into the eyes of the opponent. Alternately, if it was raining, the blood groove (hi) was used to catch the rain water, which was then flicked at the eyes of the enemy.

Shinden Fudo Ryu "Tradition of the immovable god school"

Dr. Hatsumi is the 26th Soke. It was the first ever martial art Takamatsu-Sensei studied. The Shinden Fudo Ryu is divided into two sub-disciplines. Each one was taught separately and not everyone learned both.

- Jutaijutsu (the old name for jujutsu, or grappling methods)

- Dakentaijutsu (Striking methods)

Characteristics

This is a school of dakentaijutsu and jutaijutsu. Dakentaijutsu has throws, strikes, locks, and kicks done in a fairly straightforward manner. It uses the body as a striking weapon and often appears "hard" in application. The shinden fudo ryu was known for its use of nature as an ally, and techniques are often very casual looking. It has many body conditioning methods using items found in nature. There are no formal postures in the school, the kamae are held in your heart. However most of the techniques start from the natural postures: shizen and fudoza. The school teaches Ono (great-axe), O-tsuchi (great-hammer), and O-dachi (great-sword). Literally translated: "divine transmission of immovability", "hard weapon body art".

Brief History

The founder of this Ryu was Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru, who was also it's first Soke. He studied Chinese Kempo Boxing in the beginning. Some of those techniques can still be seen in this Ryu. The same person was also Soke of Kukishinden Ryu.

"Foundation of Nature, Subtle Origin in the Interplay of Emptiness and Being"

The History of Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu

The founder of this school, Izumo, learned Chinese Kempo boxing. Today, some of this is still noticeable within the techniques. The second soke, Minamoto Hachiman Tamenari, is credited as being the official founder. At some point in his life he fled to Iga. This was possibly a result of being on the losing side at the end of a battle. One of the secret attributes of the Shinden Fudo Ryu is the "Principle of Nature". The school has two styles of taijutsu: Dakentaijutsu and Jutaijutsu, each with its own sets of techniques. In the Dakentaijutsu, there are no stances - Shizen no kamae represents the 'natural posture' and holds no fixed form. Hojojutsu, the art of tying someone with a length of rope, is also taught in this Ryu-ha. Also taught are several different types of yari (spear), Ono (war axe), O-Tsuchi (war hammer), and naginata. Kuki Takei from the Kuki family of Kukishin Ryu was also from the Shinden Fudo Ryu. Takenaka Tetsunoke, senior student of Jigano Kano, the founder of Judo, was at one time a student at the Shinden Fudo Ryu dojo. The Bugei Ryuha Daijiten lists the soke slightly differently from below, which is the list provided by Hatsumi Sensei, and is missing the 17th and 18th soke. Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu, the 24th soke, was a samurai, and a master in the Bikenshin Ryu. He was also a sword instructor to the Tokugawa Shogunate. He was Takamatsu Sensei's grandfather, and operated a dojo that had a plaque above the door which read: "Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu". This was the first style that Takamatsu Sensei learned from Toda Sensei.

"The practitioner must work to cultivate an immovable spirit."

Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu “School of the Nine Demon Gods”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 28th Soke.

Characteristics

This school is most famous in the Bujinkan for its many different weapon techniques. It is a complete fighting system and battlefield art based on unarmed fighting, bo, hanbo, yari and naginata techniques as well as techniques for throwing projectiles. Techniques are done assuming the combatants are wearing armor, and the movements reflect this. This system may have been used as a naval art, and consequently the movements are designed to be used on a ship that is slippery and rocking. Bo ryaku, or special strategy, was also taught, as was Sui & Ka ren, (use of fire and water), Onshinjutsu (disguise and invisibility techniques). Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of aikido, studied Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu, under Kuki clan, and later he created a new system, called Kukishin aikido. There are several ryuha (schools), but only a few of them kept the ninja tradition, the rest of them lost or changed that aspect.

Literally translated: "nine demons' divine transmission", "eight secret weapons arts".

Brief History

This school was founded in the mid 1300’s by Izumo Kanja Yoshitero. It is believed that this Ryu came from China and although first written materials date from the Kamakura period, it's considered to be older. The emperor Go-Daigo gave the name "Kuki" to the Samurai Yasushimaru Takazaneu, who helped him in a battle, saying that he fought like nine demons (Kuki). Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru organized the Ryu with all it's specialties. The fourth generation, under the leadership of Kuki Nagato, formalised Kukishin Ryu completely.

"A Grasp of Space Transcending Time"

The Traditions of the Nine Demon Gods (Sometimes written Kukishin Ryu in english)

The techniques in Kukishinden ryu are said to have come from China and the land beyond China. The Kukishinden ryu was developed in the Kumano prefecture. During the life of the school it was employed by Japanese seamen to help protect them. This greatly influenced the schools techniques and weapons. Warriors of the Kukishinden ryu are said to have used masts and rigging during combat. In 1330 the Japanese Emperor Go Daigo was held under house arrest at the Kazan-in, the Royal Summer Palace on Yoshino mountain, be the Shogun Ashikaga Takauji. It was Kusunoki Masashige, a high ranking samurai loyal to the Emperor who was ordered to effect a rescue attempt. Masashige had in his employment a young sixteen year old Gyoja (mountain ascetic) from Kishu, south of Nara, named Yasushimaru Kurando. Kurando was well known to be skilled in Ninjutsu and other Bujutsu arts and so was given the task of rescuing the Emperor. Aided by another samurai named Kagoshima, Kurando managed to infiltrate the Kazan in, and upon reaching the emperor disguised him [the Emperor] as a woman. Unfortunately the Ashikaga samurai were alerted when Kurando attempted to croos the "Hizume corridor" with the emperor on his back. This wooden corridor was specially designed to make loud sound as was walked on, thus alerting the guards. Kurando and the emperor were surrounded, placing the Emperor with his back against a nearby tree, Kurando faced his oncoming adversaries armed with his Naginata (halberd). One by one they attacked him, and he cut them down with his Naginata, until only their samurai officer was left. This man was a highly skilled martial artist, and as Kurando cur at him with the Naginata he retaliated by cutting the blade of the Naginata cleanly away from the shaft. Now armed only with a wooden pole, Kurando defended himself and the Emperor with a secret Rokushakubo (6th staff) technique called "Gyaku Kuji". Upon defeating the samurai officer Kurando and the Emperor Go Daigo made good their escape, and then with Kagishima he escorted the Emperor back to the capital Kyoto.

In recognition for this brave act the emperor gave Kurando permission to use the "Kuki" of Kukishinden Ryu, which suggests that he fought like "Nine Demons". Although formalised at this time, the Kukishinden Ryu has a history stretching back to the Kamakura Era (1180's), with techniques that are said to originate in China and the Lands beyond.

Kukishinden ryu hanbojutso is the main weapon taught to students of ninjutsu in the world today and is the third school in Bujinkan.

Sensei Ueshiba the founder of modern Aikido, in his youth studied the art of Kukishinden ryu Happo Hiken jutsu from the Kuki family.

Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu “High Tree, Raised Heart School”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 17th Soke.

Characteristics

Most famous in the Bujinkan as a "Bodyguard School" with fast and effective jujutsu techniques, and daishosabaki (jujutsu while wearing both swords in the belt). Other techniques are based around bojutsu. It has been mixed with sumo techniques, Takenouchi Ryu jujutsu and others. Takagi Yoshin Ryu has been handed down together with Kukishinden Ryu for generations. The Takagi Yoshin Ryu uses many techniques that appear similar to judo or aikido, but goes further in that when the techniques are applied it's made difficult for the opponent to escape by rolling or breakfalling.

These are very close quarter techniques with the opponent held close - a result of the techniques being developed in buildings. Students are taught to use speed, look the opponent in the eyes and use their impulse and weight.

Also translated as "Heart of the Willow Tree School".

Brief History

The school was founded in the beginning of the 1600s by Takagi Oriuemon Shigenobu. He was chief instructor of swordsmanship at Shiraishi castle in Oshu (present day Tohoku region), having mastered Takenouchi Ryu Jujutsu, Yoshin Ryu Kodachi, and Kenko Ryu Sojutsu. Takagi Oriuemon also founded Hontai Yoshin Ryu and both can trace their origins back for 18 generations.

"In Takagi Yoshin Ryu, look at the eyes and use speed."

The History of Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu

In 1569, during the Yeiroku Era (1568-1579), in the Funagata Yama area of Miyagi, lived a mountain priest from the Abe family called Unryu (Cloud Dragon). The Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten gives his name as Sounryu. He was an expert in shuriken, bojutsu, yari, naginata and taijutsu from the Amatsu Tatara Rinpo Hiden Makimono. The Amatsu Tatara scroll was kept by the Abe, Nakatomi, Otomo, and Monobe families. Takamatsu Sensei's family also posessed a copy, through their blood relation with the Kuki family. Unryu taught his system to Ito Sukesada, a famous martial artist in his day (1570). He was a samurai from Katakura Kojuro in the Fukushima Province. He added hanbo, kenjutsu and kodachi to the teachings of Unryu. He taught the techniques that would later become Takagi Yoshin Ryu to Takagi Oriuemon Shigenobu, a young samurai from the Tohoku-Shiroishi Han in Oku (a northern part of Japan). He was born on April 2nd, 1625, and died on October 7th, 1711. He was given menkyo kaiden when he was just 20 years old. On the 15th of August, 1695, he was made a shihan of up to six different martial arts of the Imperial bodyguard by the Emperor Higashiyama.

He revised, improved and expanded the techniques that he learned from Ito, and put them together into what he called Takagi Yoshin Ryu, naming it after himself. He studied hard to improve himself for the purpose of avenging his father's murder. His father had gifted him with the teaching "A willow is flexible, but a high tree is breakable". The style has been called many things throughout its history, including Jutaijutsu, Jujutsu, and Dakentaijutsu. It has been heavily influenced by Takenouchi Ryu Jujutsu, and Kukishin Ryu. In the 17th century, the soke of Takagi Yoshin Ryu, Takagi Gennoshin Hideshige, and the soke of Kukishin Ryu, Ohkuni Kihei Shigenobu, fought a friendly match, and became close friends. The two systems exchanged information, and even became restructured as a result. The two systems passed down through history very close to each other.

The style came to Toshitsugu Takamatsu through Yoshitaro Tadefusa Mizuta in August of 1908, and to Masaaki Hatsumi in May of 1959. When applied, the techniques of Takagi Yoshin Ryu go farther than those of Judo or Aikido, making it impossible to roll or breakfall. The throws are intended to break the shoulder or neck of the opponent.

"Soft like cotton, hard like lightning; courage to win against ten thousand men"

"A willow is flexible, but a high tree is breakable".

Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu “Hiding in the Clouds School”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 14th Soke.

Characteristics

This is one of the three ninpo ryuha in the Bujinkan and is known for its tobi (jumping techniques) and kamayari (sickled spear). The kamayari and another special weapon, Ippon Sugi Noburi (a 25cm long metal tube with three spikes, and a long chain with hooks at its ends throught it) were used for combat and for climbing - often on ships. It is said that the phrase "Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo" comes from this ryu and reflects both Buddhist and Shinto attitudes. This Ryu is famous for its Demon Masks that were worn to play on the myth surounding ninja and scare the enemy. A technique rarely if ever seen in other systems was kikaku ken - deamon horn strike (head butt). When going into battle, ninja of this ryu wore armoured sleves to protect themselves. Kumogakure Ryu also taught various survival techniques such as making fire in wet weather. This school is scarcely seen today and some believe that very little of it has survived to the present day.

Brief History

Kumogakure Ryu Ninjutsu was founded in the mid 1500's by Iga Heinaizaemon No Jo Ienaga who was said to have changed his name to Kumogakure Hoshi. It may have originated as a school of thought based on non-violence.

History of Kumogakure Ninpo

The taijutsu of Kumogakure Ryu is very similar to Togakure Ryu. The Kumogakure Ryu may have been created by the Toda family (also of Togkakure Ryu) in the 1600's, as a ninjutsu school of thought- centering it's techniques on the non-violent side of Ninpo. (The Togakure Ryu teaches that violence is to be avoided). The ninja of Kumogakure Ryu went into combat wearing armored sleeves to protect themselves. Another interesting feature of the ryu was the Demon Mask, sometimes worn by members of the system. Kikaku-ken (Demon Horn Fist, or head butt) gives rise to another theory of the Demon Mask. One of the special weapons of the style is the kamayari, or hooked spear. Used in combat against swordsmen, the hooks were used to parry and trap the incoming blades. It was also used to hook opponents from above. The Kumogakure Ryu densho mentions a ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke, who used the kamayari when leaping from tree to tree, hooking it onto the branches.

Another Kumogakure Ryu speciality involved survival training, and being able to light fires under all conditions.

Iga Heinaizaemon had a son, Kami Hattori Heitaro Koreyuki, who was the ancestor of Hattori Hanzo, the famous ninja.

Gyokushin Ryû Ninpo Taijutsu “School of the Jeweled Heart”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 21st Soke.

Characteristics

Very little of this school has been taught to the western world. Gyokushin Ryu has many sutemi waza techniques, and is more focused on the art and techniques of espionage, rather than fighting. It is believed that the techniques of Gyokushin Ryu are based on those of Gyokko Ryu. The methods of this school were taught in secret and it remained unmixed with other schools until it passed to Toda Nobutsuna.

Brief History

It was founded in the mid 1500s by Sasaki Goemon Teruyoshi who was also the 10th Soke of Gyokko Ryu.

The History of Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo

Gyokkushin Ryu Ninjutsu is a branch of Koshijutsu, and it is believed that its founder, Sasaki Goeman Teruyoshi, was from the Gyokko Ryu. The methods used in Gyokushin Ryu (its blocks, strikes and stances) strongly resemble those of Gyokko Ryu, and they both used the Ichimonji no Kamae in the same way.

Sasaki Gendayu was in the employ of the Daimyo of Kishu, and was paid 200 Koku per year (1 Koku was enough to feed a man for a year), but this was later increased to 400 Koku. It is possible that he, like his father, was highly skilled in Gyokko Ryu. The Gyokushin Ryu was taught in secret in the Kishu and Takeda provinces, and sometime in the 17th century it came into contact with the Togakure Ryu and the Toda family. The exact circumstances are not known, but when the style passed to Toda Nobutsuna, it was not kept as such a close secret from then on.

Not much is known about the fighting style of the Gyokushin Ryu. The system concentrated on more of the espionage skills and abilities of ninjutsu than on hand to hand combat. This is common among ninjutsu systems. Gyokushin Ryu is known for its superior use of the Nagenawa, a lasso. Kano Jigero, the founder of Judo, was a friend of Takamatsu Sensei. It is thought that he taught at the Kodokan school as a guest instructor, and what he taught was Gyokushin Ryu. The style passed by Takamatsu Sensei to Masaaki Hatsumi along with many other styles of kobujutsu.

Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu “School of Truth, Loyalty and Justice”

Dr. Hatsumi is the 15th Soke.

Characteristics

This school is most famous in the Bujinkan for the difficult and odd Kamae's of it's taijutsu. It is specialized in Koppojutsu. Gikan Ryu has many special punches, kicks, and throws, as well as special movement techniques.

Brief History

The founder of this ryu was Uryu Hangan Gikanbo. The 10th Soke, Uryu Gikan, befriended Ishitani Takeoi Masatsugu, Soke of Kukishinden Ryu and Takagi Yoshin Ryu at the time. After training him in Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu, Uryu Gikan presented him with Menkyo Kaiden and made him his successor.

"Bufu ni sente nashi" - 'from this side there is not the first strike'

The History of Gikan Ryu Kopojutsu

Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu was founded by Uryu Hangan Gikanbo (1558-1570), who was the Daimyo (feudal warlord) of Kawachi no Kuni (Kawachi Castle). It is said that Uryu Gikanbo's punch was so powerful that he once broke a sword blade in half. He was also a master of Hichojutsu and Senban Nage.

The 10th Soke Uryu Gikan had been fighting in the battle now known as "Tenchigumi no Ran". This took place on the 17th August 1863. He was fighting for the emperor's army, but was shot in the arm. He still continued to fight with the use of only one arm. When he could he retired to the safety of a nearby temple. It was at this temple that he was met by Ishitani Takeoi Masatsugu, of the Kukishinden Ryu. He told Ishitani that the battle had already finished, so Ishitani then helped him to recover and afterwards escape to Iga. A friendship was then formed, and Ishitani was taught the Gikan Ryu and when he attained the required skill level, Uryu presented him with the Menkyo Kaiden, and he became the next Soke of the Gikan Ryu, adding this lineage to two others that he was already the Soke of. These being Kukishinden Ryu and Tagaki Yoshin Ryu.

Takamatsu Toshitsugu orginally awarded this system to Akimoto Fumio, who became the 14th soke. Akimoto met an untimely death from an illness around 1962, and he left no successor. The system therefore came back to Takamatsu Sensei. He passed the style onto Masaaki Hatsumi, who is the current soke, as listed in the Bugei Ryu-ha Daijiten. It should be said that this Ryu has branched. That happened because Takamatsu also gave Menkyo Kaiden to Sato Kinbei in Gikan Ryu, Kukishinden Ryu and Tagaki Ryu. This man can rightly claim to be the 13th Soke of Gikan Ryu, just as Hatsumi can claim to be the 15th Soke.

One of the special teachings of Gikan Ryu is "Bufu ni sente nashi" (From this side there is not the first strike). This ryu contains many special kicks, punches and throws. We have been told that the makimono scrolls do not contain step by step instructions of techniques. There are no formal kata in the Gikan ryu. The techniques are created based on the skill of the exponent, and are a combination of the body's movement and the methods of kicking and striking from the ryu. The methods are taught orally.

TOSHITSUGU TAKAMATSU (1889 - 1972) AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

My age will be 68 this year the 41st year of showa (1966). Until two or three years ago I had no idea of what my age was this simply because I did not want to know, however I do know that I was born in the twenty third year of showa (1889) I am bewildered by the appearance of my face as it looks now but the reason for this is, I have not looked at myself in the mirror in some thirty years. Even with this bedraggled look I am still what most people would consider an energetic man. If most people were to go for a walk for an hour they would usually cover about four miles however I usually cover that in about half of one hour.

I like to walk and do so naturally with my dogs. We walk together everyday. I am very bad for time, but everyday I am punctually in bed at nine o'clock with my pet cat whom I have appointed the name of Jiro. I awake at half past six in the morning and take a cold friction wash. This is something that I have not missed in the past forty years and is why I have never been sick in bed, this is not to say cold washes alone stop you from being sick. I enjoy painting very much and even now I continue painting as a form of play. I am not very skilful but still I enjoy it, for me its a pleasure. No one possess the knowledge concerning the events of tomorrow, this means we do not know when our life will cease. Due to the impetuousness of youth I made lots of errors regarding my life this was until the age of forty. I learnt my mistakes and now take my cold washes and go for a walk with my dog every morning.

After this I dedicate some time to writing and painting this also is balance. (Exercise, rest, study and pleasure).

Those who are evil minded will always do bad things, even bad intentioned ninja would be banished. This is applicable to any martial system not just ninjutsu.

My teacher of the Koto ryu koppo jutsu and the Togakure ryu ninjutsu was TODA SHINRYKEN MASAMITSU SENSEI. Toda sensei began teaching me first koshi jutsu when I was nine years old. Whilst I was young I had a few too many fights these I have to say were in my own protection. When I was fifteen I had a fight with two masters of Musashi ryu during which my ear drum was ruptured this later stopped me from joining the children's army.

When I was seventeen, my family had a match factory, during this time an elderly man by the name of Ishitani called by the factory using a bokken as a walking stick. He was a very famous martial artist, but as will all other martial artist's he could not earn a living from it during this period. So my family employed him as a guard at the factory. Together with another person we made a dojo at the factory and Ishitani sensei began teaching us Kuki Happo Biken no jutsu as well as other martial arts including a variety of weapons, such as swords, bo, shuriken etc. But above all he trained me in the art of ninjutsu. He was already a very old man and after two years died upon my lap.

I trained in Karate koppojutsu and this training is very difficult. At first you should train the fingers and toes using sand. Next you use small pebbles and then a rock, at first your nails and finger tips will flow with blood, it will be very painful and difficult to persevere. I developed very strong fingers and toes from this practice, however this sort of training is useless nowadays and just a little Makawari training is sufficient. I say this because it is very easy to damage the joints causing problems later on in life.

I started my Ninjutsu training when I was thirteen years of age. I began by using a plank of wood 3cm thick by 4m in length. I started with the plank at 45 degrees and gradually increased it to 60, then 70 until I could run up it at ninety degrees.

Ninjutsu is not only the art of invisibility. The wide ranges of techniques were only named after a long time had passed. The origin goes back to the pre history period of the gods. The exact formation is very difficult as I was not alive then.

The Kuki family kept registers of this period under the title of KUKISHIN RYU HAPPO BIKEN JUTSU and they are part of the most advanced teachings of the YAYU RYU. Within the IGA RYU it is also possible to find the HAPPO BIKEN JUTSU, it is the essence of the NINJUTSU.

These are the Happo Biken Jutsu.

1. Tai Jutsu - Hichyo Jutsu - Nawa Nage

2. Karate Jutsu - koppo Jutsu - Ju tai jutsu

3. So jutsu - Naginata jutsu

4. Bo jutsu - jo Jutsu - Hanbo Jutsu

5. Senban Nage Jutsu - Ken Nage Jutsu

6. Ka Jutsu - Sui Jutsu (Together)

7. Chikujo Gunryakuheiho

8. Onshin Jutsu

Biken is the designation for the group comprising of Ken Jutsu Kodachi Jutsu and Jutte Jutsu. The Jutte Jutsu is the highest of the sword techniques. The offensive and the defensive use of the tessen and the jutte are found in this category.

There is also TOAKO NO JUTSU which enables you to over come an opponent from a distance. There are secret scrolls and books with explanations about this skill but they are hardly intelligible. There are three KIAI used these are:

A - which produces a breaking effect of the opponents Ki

Ka - which produces same effect in his technique

Ei - which breaks body movement.

Any way the most important thing is to keep the essence of a true heart.

In the martial arts there is no need to concentrate only on the aspect of winning when fighting. However not to commit ones self to the fight is not a Martial art - it is simply violence and such a person does not have an honest heart and is antihumanist. Now days their is a sport of Judo which concentrates upon the pleasure of fighting and the building up of their bodies. They only want to win and because of this they bend at their waist when fighting rather than maintaining their bodies upright. When I think of this Judo sport since its birth from real Martial arts l feel ashamed and it gives me a chilling sensation.

A true martial art wins by using the natural movements of the highest quality techniques and if one moves the body according to this theory then one will of course win. In Martial Arts you need three points these are:

1. Body power

2. The learning of techniques

3. The spirit power

With these you can truly win.

After I had finished helping my father in his match making factory I attended an English school by the name George Bundow School. I also attended a Chinese culture school. After this I would train with Ishitani sensei in the art of HONTAI TAKAGI YOSHIN RYU, as well as other arts. Seven generations before his family had been the advisor to the famous Ninja Hattori family.

When I had been training for some time I decided that I wanted to know more about myself and Ninjutsu, so I went to a mountain know as Maya San in Kobe prefecture. At the mountain I lived by a waterfall called Kamenotaki for a period of one year. I stayed in a cottage the size of two tatami mats and lived on beans with no boiled rice. My training partners were the rocks around my cottage. Sometimes I would exercise my finger tips by hitting the rocks. I would jump up onto the rocks with my kiai and then jump off. During this time I developed a special sense, for instance I could stand at the top of the mountain and know how many people were coming up, I could tell if they were men or women or otherwise. I became known as the sennin or tengu of the mountain. I went to China in the CHIN era and travelled through Mongolia and northern China, for a period of about ten years. During this period I met a shorinji boxer named Choshiro, we had a fight and I beat him. We became very close friends, like brothers. This was how I was introduced to the president of the Sino Martial Arts Association.

My memories of these times are a little bit confused especially the exact dates and times but I do recall that I once decapitated someone. On one occasion I faced and fought a group of mounted bandits which happened to be members of the local army division. I used the Ninjutsu on many occasions and was once tried for murder but proved my innocence (Self defence).

I recall that one time I was walking through an area known as Santo Sho, it was pitch black and suddenly I could feel something coming at me from behind. I turned to look and saw a huge dog running straight at me. Before I could move he had lunged at me and his head was next to my left ear. He growled viciously but I did not move a muscle because I knew that if I did he would attack me. After a while he stopped, maybe because he knew this human was not against him. At that instant I hit him right between the eyes with my right fist using my Koppo Jutsu technique. He yelped for a second and then fell to the ground not moving at all.

This experience can also be applied against a human attacker. Always be ready for when your attacker drops his guard, then counter attack, without giving any warning or opportunity for a second chance. This is the way I handle this type of situation. I wait for my opponent to attack me then I just wait for him to drop his guard or make him relax. This is an important point. The Sakki or intent to kill is felt through a system comparable to radar the one who is not able to receive these emissions will not be able to reach a high quality state of a martial artist.

This is what I can guarantee through my experiences, for so many times I have stepped over the line that separates life from death. This with your techniques is the line. I once fought a man who was very skilled in many techniques, after I had beaten him we sat down and talked. He indeed knew many techniques and many ways to stop techniques and I have to say that the names alone I would have easily forgot. Truly he had a large amount of knowledge but his knowledge was wasted in the direction in which it was used.

This is an important point when we talk of techniques we are not talking about moving the body in an exact direction. There's a phrase in the Chinese book of strategy. "UTSU RYO SHI" that says how the victorious soldier is like water. This is because the water is both weak and soft and yet if there is a strong influence on it like a hill even the hill can be decimated. On the surface it appears like the soft cannot win. And yet soft can be stronger. This is like individual techniques, they are strong on the outside but weak within.

If you know the name of a bird then you know nothing because this tells you nothing about the bird. The Kito Ryu in the early part of the Edo era was under Fuko No Shichiro Uemon Masakatsu (Yuzan) and Ibaragi Mata Zaimon Sensei (Toshifusa Sozen). Together they founded the Ryoi Shinto Ryu.

This was the beginning of the Kito Ryu, then later Ibaragi Sensei changed the name the Ryoi Shinto Ryu. From the fourth generation master Takino had a very famous student called Kuki Nagato. This school eventually became known as Kuki Shin Ryu.

When I returned home from China my father had taken his tenth wife so I went back to China where I became very ill and returned home to Japan, then I went to the Maya mountains. During that time I trained both Karate and Ninjutsu using my own theories. An old man of whom I know nothing about not even his name or who he was taught me many things. He made the to - in sign together with a Kiai and then said after two or three days the tape worm will be gone. Within ten days he had me walking again. He taught me many things about myself and nature. After that year I thought back and realised that to do anything I needed money and therefore returned once again to China.

In China I earnt my living by teaching at the English school, I had over 100 students of Martial Arts, during this time I taught many people the arts of war, but I also taught them the art of peace. I had many matches against very highly ranked martial artists of these I did not lose once, although some were called a draw. I left China having made a lot of money.

I later became a monk but have to say that not all religions are good, the people within them become corrupted and then the religion itself becomes corrupted. Sometimes when a crime was committed within my region the police would seek my help in solving the mystery I was always able to do this and never once failed. Because of my knowledge and practical experience I have often done work for the government. This has only been in cases where it was for the good of my country or my people. Sometimes the work was very hard and dangerous!

With the period of change, I was asked to help form the Minkoku Seinen Botoku Kai. ( The Association of Martial Arts for the Japanese Arts. Present day Budokan). There were many masters on the organisation mostly from old schools of martial arts. I was elected as the president of this association. My official recognition was as a master of Jutaijutsu ( art of self defence ) and Bojutsu ( The art of using a stick as a weapon ). I have also helped on movie productions and at the theatre where I have worked as a technical officer.

There are many who try to copy our skill and they do this badly. There are schools of the short stick ( jojutsu ) but they do not understand I will tell you. Just as a man ( Ninja ) can and does disguise himself so does the art of the stick. Since the Jo is for travellers on the road it is a means of self defence. It is not nor has ever been a weapon or tool of the battlefield. It is disguised as an aid in moving but is for self defence. Jo - do is not for self defence it is for doing movements with the stick! They are too big and glamorous for self defence, they have no taijutsu. When I was president of the Seinen Botoku, many Martial Arts people would ask if the Do ( way of ) was also a method of hiding the true techniques. I have always been honest and had to tell them that Do is very different to jutsu and not of any use save that of learning the dance of the Kabuki theatre. But sometimes you cannot find a master of true arts then what teacher you find will have to do. There are some people who give them selves a certificate in the Menkyo or higher but it is not the scroll that gives the ability it is ones own knowledge with past knowledge. Some of these people surround themselves with government senators and high ranking people of authentic arts to make there own arts seem better. This is wrong. Often they use strength or say they have special powers to win but they loose anyway, where it is more important in their heart.

I have had many fights with these so called masters not only with the body but with words. Two of them even swapped techniques to try and make their own styles but when I pointed out the error of this they denied any such thing.

To train you must do so at any time in any condition. I remember my Grandfathers training hall was lit by candles and you had to use all your senses to know who had entered and if they were friends or not. Sometimes we would get ready for training and he would take us outside ( in the winter ) if you did not have on your outside clothes you would die from the cold so you had to know before. This also teaches bravery and courage. Use all your senses all of the times. You must train like fire because this is how the sword is made if you sweat this is like the cooling and forging process. You must keep your vision broad even after practising a skill for a long time if you fail to anything else then your vision will become narrow. If when training you think you are not learning then wait ten years this will change. On injuries I have had many too many to remember them all, for if you truly have to fight for your life this is bound to happen.

The old scrolls talk of Kiatsu or life giving powers my teacher Ishitani ( Kuki shin yo ryu ) became very ill and died in my arms. These skills could not help him as no one has such power. If you hurt your foot or hands ( limbs) then you must use water at different heat ( hot and cold ? ) then you rub into the skin herbs from sweet plants. For the back you can roll on the floor to soften the joints between the bone. Sometimes it is good to have someone to rub and push these joints. If you have lots of pain then you must dream about this because your body has the answer on its own. This is the eyes and ears of god. You must drink plenty of water and still train even if you are in great pain. If you cannot leave your bed then train in the mind this is called Sankaku jutsu.

Some people talk of breathing but I tell you that if you control your breathing then it will ever become real ( natural ) when you eat it is the same breathing. You do not have to remember to stop breathing to drink from a cup. Breath is the life force of the body I have heard some people refer to it as the power of their technique if so I am very pleased for them ! If they ever have to fight for three hours it would be nice to see them controlling how they use the air. Too much air will blur the eyes and mind so take care.

The eight gates of the Ninja are the way to train, I have trained in these for over 70 years this is the true way.

Toshitsugu Takamatsu 33rd grand master of Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu and Hatsumi sensei's teacher.