Togakure ryu NINJUTSU HISTORY
According to Bujinkan researcher Dr. Glenn Morris (PhD in Communication and Doctorate in Transpersonal Psychology), Togakure-ryu originated in the Mie Prefecture with its creator, Daisuke Nishina. Morris explains that it was started in 1162, as a way of fighting in the war between the Genji and Heike (Taira) clans. The style itself would go on to be known as the origination of ninjutsu and its various fighting styles. Nishina was a samurai and a member of the Genji clan, which had been staging a revolt against the Heike clan because of their oppression against the Genji people. The revolt, however, was crushed and Nishina fled his home village of Togakure in Shinano Province to save his children.
Hatsumi Masaaki indicates that Nishina then changed his name to Togakure to reflect where he had come from and settled down in the forests on the Kii Peninsula in the Iga Province. This account indicates that it was there that Nishina met Kain Dōshi, a warrior-monk who had been politically exiled from China. From Kain, Togakure learned the fighting styles of China and Tibet and put aside his 'samurai code'. Articles written using Hatsumi as a source indicate that Togakure's first successor was his son, Rokosuke. They also indicate that he trained a deshi called Shima, who would become the third master of the style after Rokosuke.
According to Hatsumi, since historical times, the Togakure-ryū style has been passed down through the years until it was given mastership to Shinryuken Toda, the 32nd Sōke of Togakure-ryū. He began teaching the style to his grandson, Toshitsugu Takamatsu, since Takamatsu was five in 1893. When he turned 19, Takamatsu was announced as the next successor of the Togakure-ryū style, becoming the 33rd Sōke. After this pronouncement, Takamatsu decided to spend a year meditating in the "mountains between Kyoto and Nara". Upon his return, he set out again, this time to China where he spent time in the courts of nobles as an important adviser because of his extensive knowledge from his ninja training. It is stated by Hatsumi that because of a series of incidents that occurred throughout China, Takamatsu became infamous throughout the region by the age of 25. When he turned 28, he was elected as the "Head of Japanese martial arts in China".
Bujinkan sources indicate that Toshitsugu Takamatsu (the stated 33rd Sōke), became well-known throughout China and Japan for his martial arts abilities and also his knowledge from studying Ninjutsu that he then imparted to various Chinese nobles. Passing on the title of Sōke to Masaaki Hatsumi (the stated 34th Sōke) it was Hatsumi who took the style public, which has resulted in the high amount of media and public attention on ninjas in the Western world. Masaaki also went on to found the Bujinkan, an international martial arts organization, in Noda, Chiba. The group combines modern Togakure-ryū and the eight other martial arts styles.
As of 1986, there were 20 dojos for Togakure-ryū in Japan that house 100 instructors and around 100,000 students. There were also around 50 international dojos teaching Togakure-ryū outside of Japan.
Lineage
As stated by the Bujinkan organization, the lineage in the line of Sōke (grand masters) of Togakure-ryū, beginning with Daisuke Togakure, is as follows:
Daisuke Togakure (1161)
Shima Kosanta Minamoto no Kanesada (1180)
Goro Togakure (1200)
Kosanta Togakure
Kisanta Koga
Tomoharu Kaneko
Ryuho Togakure
Gakuun Togakure
Koseki Kido
Tenryu Iga
Rihei Ueno
Senri Ueno
Majiro Ueno
Saburo Iisuka
Goro Sawada
Ippei Ozaru
Hachiro Kimata
Heizaemon Kataoka
Ugenta Mori
Gobei Toda
Seiun Kobe
Kobei Momochi
Tenzen Tobari
Seiryu Nobutsuna Toda (1624-1658)
Fudo Nobuchika Toda (1658-1681)
Kangoro Nobuyasu Toda (1681-1704)
Eisaburo Nobumasa Toda (1704-1711)
Shinbei Masachika Toda (1711-1736)
Shingoro Masayoshi Toda (1736-1764)
Daigoro Chikahide Toda (1764-1804)
Daisaburo Chikashige Toda (1804)
Shinryuken Masamitsu Toda (born 1824 - died 1909)
Toshitsugu Takamatsu (born 1887 - died 1972)
Masaaki Hatsumi (born 1931–Present)
Style
As a Ninjutsu tradition influenced by the samurai martial arts of the Sengoku period, the style of Togakure-ryū consists of a small number of physical escape and evasion techniques called "ninpo taijutsu," as well as a series of sword attack patterns, or biken kata. However, the majority of the art involves techniques of geography, meteorology, swimming, signaling, potion-making, fire-starting, concentration, disguise, impersonation, and other forms of knowledge suited for the unique information-gathering and infiltration roles of ninja.
Togakure-ryū's ninpo taijutsu is described as being "fundamentally different" from other styles of Japanese martial arts that are currently taught in Japan and around the world. This is largely because, unlike these other styles, Togakure-ryū does not have a "tightly regimated organizational structure." The Bujinkan teaches that Togakure-ryū contains some "historical kata," which are similar to the training in judo and aikido in that they require an attacker to attack to initiate the movements. Much of the "formality" that other styles contain is also not present in modern Togakure-ryū. Stephen K. Hayes, famed Bujinkan instructor, explained that it is likely this "freer, more flexible structure" that makes it different, as the style has an atmosphere where "questions are encouraged, but there isn't one pat answer for every question."
In a different manner, modern Togakure-ryū has resemblances to other martial arts styles as well in that there is certain "footwork and dynamics" that all styles utilize because of how the human body moves and works. Stephen K. Hayes stated that a main goal of the style is shin shin shin gan (God's eyes, God's mind) refers to "development of a broad vision or knowledge". This is in relation to learning to anticipate the moves that an opponent will make and to also be able to sense danger.
Weapons
The Bujinkan organization believes that the original Togakure-ryū dojo utilized four special weapons. The first was the shuko, which is a "spiked iron band worn around the hand". It enabled the wearer to use it as a defense against sword attacks and also to reach higher terrain, as it could be used to climb trees or walls. The second weapon was the tetsubishi (a type of caltrop), which was a "small spiked weapon used to slow pursuers or protect doorways". The third was the kyoketsu-shoge, a blade from a double-bladed spear that was then tied to the rope that also had an iron ring attached at the other end to hold onto. It could be used to "wedge open a door, climb into a tree or over a wall, or tie up an opponent" as well as for fighting. The fourth was a special four-pointed throwing star called a senban shuriken.
Skills
There are 18 skills that the modern Togakure-ryū focuses on. The areas are constantly updated to remain relevant to modern threats that practitioners will need to face. The Togakure ryu Ninjutsu Hidensho is a Japanese manuscript written by Takamatsu, in the possession of Masaaki Hatsumi, that documents modern Togakure-ryū. The document is purported to contain the origin of the "18 Skills of Ninjutsu". Modern Togakure-ryu is taught in the syllabi of the Bujinkan, Genbukan, Jinenkan, and To-Shin Do.
The skills include:
Seishin teki kyoyo (spiritual refinement)
Tai jutsu (unarmed combat)
Kenjutsu (sword techniques)
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)
Chōhō (espionage)
Inton-jutsu (escape and concealment)
Ten-mon (meteorology)
Chi-mon (geography)
Hatsumi Masaaki indicates that Nishina then changed his name to Togakure to reflect where he had come from and settled down in the forests on the Kii Peninsula in the Iga Province. This account indicates that it was there that Nishina met Kain Dōshi, a warrior-monk who had been politically exiled from China. From Kain, Togakure learned the fighting styles of China and Tibet and put aside his 'samurai code'. Articles written using Hatsumi as a source indicate that Togakure's first successor was his son, Rokosuke. They also indicate that he trained a deshi called Shima, who would become the third master of the style after Rokosuke.
According to Hatsumi, since historical times, the Togakure-ryū style has been passed down through the years until it was given mastership to Shinryuken Toda, the 32nd Sōke of Togakure-ryū. He began teaching the style to his grandson, Toshitsugu Takamatsu, since Takamatsu was five in 1893. When he turned 19, Takamatsu was announced as the next successor of the Togakure-ryū style, becoming the 33rd Sōke. After this pronouncement, Takamatsu decided to spend a year meditating in the "mountains between Kyoto and Nara". Upon his return, he set out again, this time to China where he spent time in the courts of nobles as an important adviser because of his extensive knowledge from his ninja training. It is stated by Hatsumi that because of a series of incidents that occurred throughout China, Takamatsu became infamous throughout the region by the age of 25. When he turned 28, he was elected as the "Head of Japanese martial arts in China".
Bujinkan sources indicate that Toshitsugu Takamatsu (the stated 33rd Sōke), became well-known throughout China and Japan for his martial arts abilities and also his knowledge from studying Ninjutsu that he then imparted to various Chinese nobles. Passing on the title of Sōke to Masaaki Hatsumi (the stated 34th Sōke) it was Hatsumi who took the style public, which has resulted in the high amount of media and public attention on ninjas in the Western world. Masaaki also went on to found the Bujinkan, an international martial arts organization, in Noda, Chiba. The group combines modern Togakure-ryū and the eight other martial arts styles.
As of 1986, there were 20 dojos for Togakure-ryū in Japan that house 100 instructors and around 100,000 students. There were also around 50 international dojos teaching Togakure-ryū outside of Japan.
Lineage
As stated by the Bujinkan organization, the lineage in the line of Sōke (grand masters) of Togakure-ryū, beginning with Daisuke Togakure, is as follows:
Daisuke Togakure (1161)
Shima Kosanta Minamoto no Kanesada (1180)
Goro Togakure (1200)
Kosanta Togakure
Kisanta Koga
Tomoharu Kaneko
Ryuho Togakure
Gakuun Togakure
Koseki Kido
Tenryu Iga
Rihei Ueno
Senri Ueno
Majiro Ueno
Saburo Iisuka
Goro Sawada
Ippei Ozaru
Hachiro Kimata
Heizaemon Kataoka
Ugenta Mori
Gobei Toda
Seiun Kobe
Kobei Momochi
Tenzen Tobari
Seiryu Nobutsuna Toda (1624-1658)
Fudo Nobuchika Toda (1658-1681)
Kangoro Nobuyasu Toda (1681-1704)
Eisaburo Nobumasa Toda (1704-1711)
Shinbei Masachika Toda (1711-1736)
Shingoro Masayoshi Toda (1736-1764)
Daigoro Chikahide Toda (1764-1804)
Daisaburo Chikashige Toda (1804)
Shinryuken Masamitsu Toda (born 1824 - died 1909)
Toshitsugu Takamatsu (born 1887 - died 1972)
Masaaki Hatsumi (born 1931–Present)
Style
As a Ninjutsu tradition influenced by the samurai martial arts of the Sengoku period, the style of Togakure-ryū consists of a small number of physical escape and evasion techniques called "ninpo taijutsu," as well as a series of sword attack patterns, or biken kata. However, the majority of the art involves techniques of geography, meteorology, swimming, signaling, potion-making, fire-starting, concentration, disguise, impersonation, and other forms of knowledge suited for the unique information-gathering and infiltration roles of ninja.
Togakure-ryū's ninpo taijutsu is described as being "fundamentally different" from other styles of Japanese martial arts that are currently taught in Japan and around the world. This is largely because, unlike these other styles, Togakure-ryū does not have a "tightly regimated organizational structure." The Bujinkan teaches that Togakure-ryū contains some "historical kata," which are similar to the training in judo and aikido in that they require an attacker to attack to initiate the movements. Much of the "formality" that other styles contain is also not present in modern Togakure-ryū. Stephen K. Hayes, famed Bujinkan instructor, explained that it is likely this "freer, more flexible structure" that makes it different, as the style has an atmosphere where "questions are encouraged, but there isn't one pat answer for every question."
In a different manner, modern Togakure-ryū has resemblances to other martial arts styles as well in that there is certain "footwork and dynamics" that all styles utilize because of how the human body moves and works. Stephen K. Hayes stated that a main goal of the style is shin shin shin gan (God's eyes, God's mind) refers to "development of a broad vision or knowledge". This is in relation to learning to anticipate the moves that an opponent will make and to also be able to sense danger.
Weapons
The Bujinkan organization believes that the original Togakure-ryū dojo utilized four special weapons. The first was the shuko, which is a "spiked iron band worn around the hand". It enabled the wearer to use it as a defense against sword attacks and also to reach higher terrain, as it could be used to climb trees or walls. The second weapon was the tetsubishi (a type of caltrop), which was a "small spiked weapon used to slow pursuers or protect doorways". The third was the kyoketsu-shoge, a blade from a double-bladed spear that was then tied to the rope that also had an iron ring attached at the other end to hold onto. It could be used to "wedge open a door, climb into a tree or over a wall, or tie up an opponent" as well as for fighting. The fourth was a special four-pointed throwing star called a senban shuriken.
Skills
There are 18 skills that the modern Togakure-ryū focuses on. The areas are constantly updated to remain relevant to modern threats that practitioners will need to face. The Togakure ryu Ninjutsu Hidensho is a Japanese manuscript written by Takamatsu, in the possession of Masaaki Hatsumi, that documents modern Togakure-ryū. The document is purported to contain the origin of the "18 Skills of Ninjutsu". Modern Togakure-ryu is taught in the syllabi of the Bujinkan, Genbukan, Jinenkan, and To-Shin Do.
The skills include:
Seishin teki kyoyo (spiritual refinement)
Tai jutsu (unarmed combat)
Kenjutsu (sword techniques)
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)
Chōhō (espionage)
Inton-jutsu (escape and concealment)
Ten-mon (meteorology)
Chi-mon (geography)