Bujinkan training in San Antonio. Masaaki Hatsumi and Joseph Adriance

About the Bujinkan

Toshitsugu Takamatsu

Toshitsugu Takamatsu was the son of the factory owner and a practitioner of Kotō Ryū Koppōjutsu and Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu. His grandfather Shinryuken Masamitsu Toda, a descendant of the Togakure clan, taught Takamatsu. Toda was a supervisor of sword teachers of one of the Tokugawa shogun government schools. Takakage Matsutaro Ishitani of Iga Ryu was the 26th grandmaster of Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hiken secret weapons art originally founded by Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru. Ishitani did security work at the Takamatsu family factory. Ishitani passed on to Takamatsu the secret weapons art. When he was 21, Takamatsu went to China and applied his martial arts skills in combat earning him the name “Mongolian Tiger” eventually returning to Japan.

Dai Shihan Toshiro Nagato

Dai Shihan Nagato Shihan has been training with Hatsumi Sensei for more than 35 years. His background includes professional Judo & kickboxing tournaments for a number of years, before finding Bujinkan Budo - or real budo, as Nagato Shihan says. Although a naturally large man, Nagato Shihan demonstrates Budo Taijutsu through effortless Kihon Happo & San Shin. Nagato Sensei teaches a few times a week at the Hombu and at a recreational center near Tokyo. Info from Bujinkan Daytona Dojo.

The Bujinkan is a worldwide organization training under Soke Masaaki Hatsumi of Noda City, Japan. There are estimated to be 1/2 a million persons training worldwide. Practioners include members of the FBI, DEA, Special Forces and police forces worldwide. If one only trains in martial skills one is simply a mercenary. If one only studies art, sciences, philosophy, etc... one is easily vulnerable to attack. Budo Taijutsu enbodies studying military arts tempered by philosophy. Each person should aspire to be a gentleman warrior who strives to make a positive impact on the world and those they encounter. Budo Taijutsu involves using the movement of the entire body to develop the power of the technique not muscle strength. Conservation of energy and efficiency of movement are important because true combat on a battle field does not occur in 3-5 minute rounds and there are no timeouts. Budo Taijutsu includes unarmed and armed techniques using all kinds of weapons. The movements used with weapons are the same movements use for unarmed techniques. So when one learns the unarmed techniques, those movements easily transition into being adapted to use with a wide array of types of weapons. Techniques are used against single or multiple unarmed and armed opponents.

The above photo is of the new Hombu dojo.

Soke Masaaki Hatsumi

Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, the current grandmaster, had studied karate, aikido, and judo. When the American soldiers so easily picked up skills that took the smaller Japanese years to do he searched out a martial art that did not rely on size, speed, and power. He found and trained with Takamatsu in the 1950-60's and became the grandmaster of the current nine Ryu-ha that compose the Bujinkan (established in 1972). He would travel several hours by train each Friday to train with Soke Takamatsu for the weekend returning Sunday night sleeping on the train and going to work a full day on Monday. He did this for 12 years. Keep this in mind when your dedication and motivation are lacking. Soke Hatsumi is considered a national treasure in Japan.

Dai Shihan Joseph Adriance

Dai Shihan Joseph Adriance trained in several martial arts before joining the Bujinkan including Judo, Karate and others. He has been training in the Bujinkan since 1979. He is known as the "Texas Tiger". He has been my personal teacher since 2013.