Bujinkan Ninjutsu also known as Budo Tiajutsu was form by Hatsumi Sensei in 1979 to teach the nine Ninja and Samurai fighting schools that were passed on to him by his teacher Takamatsu sensei. The nine schools studied in the Bujinkan are as follows:

Togakure Ryu Ninpo, Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo, Gyokoshin Ryu Ninpo, Gyoko Ryu, Koto Ryu, Koto Ryu Koppojutsu, Shinden Fudo Ryu, GikanRyu Koppojutsu, TakagiYoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu and Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu.

The 9 Ryu Ha

1.TOGAKURE RYU NINPO

The ninjutsu ryu of the Togakure family was not formalised until three generations after Daisuke Togakure began to develop it. Allied with a clan that was defeated in a series of battles against superior forces, Daisuke lost all, including his samurai status, and escaped to the mountain wilderness south east of Kyoto. Wandering among the pine forests and marshes of the Ku Peninsula in A.D. 1162, he met the warrior monk Kain Doshi, who had fled to Japan from the political and military upheaval in China.

There in the mountain caves of Iga Province (within present day Mie Prefecture), Daisuke studied with this mystic, learning new concepts of warfare and personal accomplishment based on Chinese and Tibetan ideas about the order of the universe. Daisuke was taught the practical applications of the balance of the elements in diet, in combat, in thought and emotion, and in utillising the forces and cycles of nature to his advantage. Thus, away from the limiting conventions of samurai conduct that he had never thought to question, He discovered a completely new way of working his will. It was Daisuke's descendants that developed and refined these notions into the Togakure ryu of ninjutsu, and came to be called by the name ninja.

The Togakure-ryu's secret was the shuko, a spiked iron band worn around the hand, enabling the ninja to stop sword blades or climb trees and walls like a cat. Another device utiliised by the Tokakure ninja was the tetsubishi, a small spiked weapon used to slow pursuers or protect doorways. Made with spikes sticking out in all directions, the tetsubishi were scattered on the ground to be stepped on by the unsuspecting.

They also used and kept secret the use of the senban shuriken or four pointed throwing star, originally made from a metal building washer, it looked so innocuous as to be ignored by samurai soldiers. Most important to our training today is the Togakure ryu ninpo taijutsu, or unarmed methods of moving the body with subtle rather than forceful movements which controls the actions of the attacker and allows the ninja to win whilst expending minimum energy and exposure to the least amount of danger.

2. GYOKKO RYU KOSHIJUTSU
Said to be the oldest fighting system used by ninja, the Gyokko Ryu is developed from an older fighting system brought over from China and integrated with the Japanese systems of the time. Legend tells of its founder Yo Gyokko using this koshijutsu (the attacking of nerve centers with pinching or striking finger drives) system to defeat several tens of warrior monks lead by an old man of strange appearance who wanted Yo dead because of his reputation in defeating challengers. He killed over fourteen monks and defeated the old man even after being struck on the head by a sword which bounced off, as his head was so hard. Later after killing a lion with one one fist he became known as Koto-ou (lion battling king).

3. KOTO RYU KOPPOJUTSU

Translated as the Chinese Hand skill of Tiger attack this ryu teaches us the koppojutsu or bone breaking methods employed in ninjutsu.

The Kuden (oral tradition) at Koto Ryu say that a monk named Chan Busho travelled from Korea to Japan bringing with him the concept of Koppojutsu - the study of bone breaking and weak points. The system was passed from master to student until it passed to Momochi Sandayu. It stayed in his family until 1624 when it passed to the Toda family, Toda Shinryuken passed it to Takamatsu Toshitsugu his grandson. Takamatsu passed it on to Hatsumi Masaaki which brings us to the present day.

Momochi Sandayu's famous student Ishitrawa Goemon became known as a Japanese Robinhood. He also attempted to kill the famed leader Hideyoshi, but with no success.

4. KUKI SHINDEN RYU HAPPO HIKEN

As the 26th Grandmaster of Kuki Shinden ryu Happo Hiken (secret weapon arts) Takakage Matsutaro Ishitani taught Toshitsugu Takamatsu the eight part Happo method which included: Taijutsu (unarmed combat), Hichojutsu (leaping), Mawanage (rope throwing), Koppojutsu (bone smashing technique), Jutaijutsu (grappling), Yarijutsu (spear technique), Naginatajutsu (halberd skills), Bojutsu (long staff fighting), Jojutsu (cane technique), Hanbojutsu (stick fighting), Seban Nage (shuriken throwing), Tokenjutsu (blade throwing), Kojutsu (fire and explosives), Suikutsu (water techniques), Chiku Jo Gunryaku Heiho (military tactics and fortress design and penetration), Onshinjutsu (art of invisibility), and Hensojutso (disguise).

He then taught the Hiken or secret sword methods of the ryu. All of these methods are said to have been developed in the mountains of Kumano by shugenja warrior monks who first of all developed the use of their shakujo ringed staff to defend themselves.

5. KUMOGAKURE RYU NINJUTSU

With its own unique Taijutsu methods this ryu teaches us many leaping tactics and also the use of the kamayari or hooked spear said to have been used by pirates on the Japanese inland sea, specialising in field craft and espionage.

7. SHINDEN FUDO RYU DAKENTAIJUTSU

As the grandmaster of this ryu Shinryuken Masamitsu Toda taught the arts of striking and kicking to his grandson Toshitsugu Takamatsu. This ryu teaches the art of defeating a strong person by feigning weakness.

8.GIKAN RYU KOPPO JUTSU











8. GYOKIJSHIN RYU NINPO

This ryu teaches many of the secret philosophies and tactics of our art.

9. TAKAGI YOSHIN RYU JUTAIJUTSU

Said to have been founded by a monk named Un-Ryu (Cloud Dragon) this ryu has close links with Kuki Shinden ryu after a contest between the two schools took place in 1672. It was realised that the Kukishinden Ryu was superior in the stick fighting arts, but that the unarmed combat techniques of the Takagi Toshin Ryu was in its own turn superior. So the schools adopted techniques from each other to improve the quality for future generations. Takakage Matsutaro Ishitani was also a soke of this ryu and it is through Takamatsu Sensei and Hatsumi Sensei that many of the throwing and locking tactics are handed down.

Most of the other remaining ninjutsu schools were wiped out by Oda Nobunaaga in 1591 when the men, women and children of the Iga mountains were slaughtered by a force out numbering them 10 to one. Of those few families to survive all forgot or put aside their training in the many years of peace that followed. Leaving Masaaki Hatsumi as the only surviving grandmaster. The only person acknowledged as an authentic soke in ninjutsu by the Japanese authorities

The movement and technique that linksthese nine schools is called Taijutsu.

Hatsumi Sensei





Taijutsu

Taijutsu is literally translated as "skill with the body" and forms the basis for all understanding in the fighting arts of the Bujinkan. By concentrating on the developing natural responsive actions with the body during initial training, one can use the physical lessons as a model for psychological and tactical training in advanced studies.

Taijutsu is made up of methods of striking and grappling in armed and unarmed fighting, tumbling and breaking falls, leaping and climbing, conditioning the body and maintaining health as well as special ways of walking and running.

As a fighting system, Taijutsu relies on natural body strength and resilience, speed of response and movement, and the understanding of the principles of nature, for successful results in self protection. The techniques take advantage of natural physical construction and efficient employment of body dynamics. The student need not imitate some sort of

animal, nor distort or deform the natural body structure in order to employ Taijutsu techniques for self defense.

The principles of Taijutsu also provide the foundation for combat with weapons in the Bujinkan. The loose, adaptive body postures and movements readily fit the fighting tools in the Bujinkan arts. Footwork, body balance, speed, energy application and strategy are essential components for practitioners of Budo Taijutsu, whether fighting with fists or with weapons.




Shidoshi Darren James at the Warrior shrine Noda-shi Japan 2006

Warrior Heart Dojo

We are currently training at Fisher Hall, Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Devon and on request in Bargoed.

We travel all over the country attending seminars and training courses held by top Bujinkan instructors.

All gradings are held at the dojo quarterly and will only be given to full Bujinkan members that deserve it.

Training sessions are taken by Darren James 5th Dan Shidoshi



British contingent at the honbu dojo with Nagato Sensei