The nine ryūha (schools) of 武神館道場 Bujinkan Dōjō are centuries old, with lineages tracing back hundreds of years through feudal Japan. The modern organization known as 武神館 Bujinkan emerged in the years following the passing of 高松 寿嗣 Takamatsu Toshitsugu Sensei in April 1972, when 初見 良昭 Masaaki Hatsumi Sōke began to unify and transmit the teachings under this name in honor of his teacher.
When Hatsumi Sōke first met Takamatsu Sensei, he experienced genuine fear for the first time in his life. At around 27 years old, he had already trained with numerous martial arts masters and faced street fighters and tough opponents—yet none had ever truly intimidated him until that encounter.
Takamatsu Sensei was a 70-year-old master who had survived real combat in China during the early 1900s, accumulating over 20 years of battlefield experience. To Hatsumi Sōke, he felt like a living warrior god—immensely powerful and almost otherworldly.
In honor of his teacher, Hatsumi Sōke later established the name 武神館道場 Bujinkan Dōjō (Martial God Hall Dojo), reflecting the divine, warrior-like spirit he inherited and wished to pass on. The organization took shape in the years after 1972, growing steadily as Hatsumi Sōke continued teaching and sharing the nine schools.
武道体術 Budō-taijutsu
The martial art practiced in the Bujinkan Dōjō is most commonly known as Budō Taijutsu — the unarmed combat methods of the warrior path.
However, the Bujinkan system encompasses a wide variety of specialized arts and approaches to fighting, all drawn from its nine ancient schools (ryūha). These include:
- Jūjutsu and Jūtaijutsu (grappling and soft-body techniques)
- Dakentaijutsu (striking and hardening methods)
- Koppōjutsu (bone-breaking techniques)
- Kosshijutsu (finger-tip / bone-finger techniques)
- Ninpō Taijutsu (the stealth and endurance methods of the ninja)
- Yoroi Kumiuchi (grappling and fighting in armor)
These are all unarmed systems designed for combat both with and against armor (yoroi), as well as in everyday clothing without armor. While they share core principles, each style has its own distinct focus, strategies, and ways of handling different combat situations.
In addition to unarmed training, the curriculum includes an extensive range of weapons (buki), such as:
- Knives and swords of various lengths
- Sticks and staffs of different sizes
- Polearms and spears
- Large, heavy battlefield weapons
- Flexible weapons like ropes and chains
- Projectile weapons including throwing spikes (shuriken) and stars
The traditions also preserve historical knowledge of explosives, firearms, cannons, and advanced battlefield strategies — though these are no longer actively practiced in modern training.
Together, these elements form a comprehensive, historically rooted system of combat and self-protection that continues to evolve under the guidance of Masaaki Hatsumi Sōke and the Bujinkan lineage.
初見良昭 Hatsumi Masaaki – Founder of the Bujinkan
Masaaki Hatsumi Sōke was born on December 2, 1931. He retired from active teaching in 2020. The 武神殿 Bujinden — the Bujinkan headquarters dōjō located in Noda-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan — remains open for training.
Sōke began his martial arts journey at the age of seven. Over the years, he studied a wide range of modern Japanese martial arts, including Kendo, Judo, Karate, and Western boxing. Beyond martial training, he was active in soccer and social dancing. He graduated from Meiji University with a degree in theater production and later studied medicine, eventually opening his own chiropractic clinic in Noda city.
In addition to his profound martial arts background, Hatsumi Sōke is a highly respected author, artist, and cultural figure. He has produced numerous books and videos on Japanese Budō and traditional culture. In his youth, he played guitar in a Hawaiian music band. During the 1960s and 1970s, he served as an advisor and director for several films and television series. Among the most well-known in the West are the Shinobi no Mono series starring Ichikawa Raizō, as well as Chokugeki Jigokuden and Kage no Gundan, both starring Sonny Chiba.
Sōke also appeared on screen as Yamaji Tetsuzan in the late-1980s Asahi TV series. As an accomplished artist, he works in the traditional Nihonga style of brush and ink, and his artwork has been exhibited in galleries around the world. He is also an avid collector of antiquities and has expressed his dream of one day opening a Budō museum dedicated to martial arts history (donations are welcome for this future endeavor).
Throughout his life, Hatsumi Sōke has received numerous prestigious awards and honors from high-ranking leaders and organizations worldwide in recognition of his contributions to martial arts and culture. A list of many of these awards was previously featured on my old website (a copy is archived here), and I plan to update and republish it here if there is interest.
九伝 History
The roots of the martial traditions we practice in Bujinkan trace back more than 2,500 years to ancient China and the lands beyond. Some records extend even further, reaching as far back as 4,300 years. Basic fighting methods using sticks and stones likely existed from the earliest days of Homo sapiens.
Legends speak of 忍の者 Shinobi no mono (commonly known as ninja) working “behind the scenes” during Ōkume no Mikoto’s nation-building efforts and Emperor Jimmu’s unification of Yamato around 660 BC. Ancient documents also mention Prince Shōtoku (574–622 AD) employing shinobi during his reign.
During the T’ang dynasty (618–907 AD), two Chinese figures named Yao Yu Hu and Zhang Wu Sheng are said to have arrived in the mountain regions of Iga (present-day Shiga Prefecture), where they taught the local people arts including Hichō-jutsu (flying leap techniques) and Senban-nage (coin-throwing techniques), among others.
Another legend tells of General Yi Gou, who fled China after military defeat and landed in Ise. He reportedly took refuge in the Sada caves near Iga, where he practiced Zen meditation. Yi Gou was a master of Hichō-ongyō-jutsu (flying hidden techniques). Over generations, these teachings evolved and gave rise to various ryū-ha (schools) of martial arts.
In the early 20th century, 高松寿嗣 Takamatsu Toshitsugu learned all nine schools (and more) from three different masters. Although he had many students throughout his life, by the end he entrusted everything to one true successor: Hatsumi Yoshiaki, who later changed his given name to Masaaki (same kanji, different reading).
Hatsumi Sōke trained under Takamatsu Sensei for 15 years, absorbing the complete teachings. In 1968, Takamatsu Sensei formally appointed him as the next grandmaster of all nine schools.
The following poem was composed by Takamatsu Sensei for Hatsumi Sōke:
Long ago I was an accomplished warrior of the Koppōjutsu tradition.
I was courageous, and as intense as a flame, Even in battle against dangerous animals.
I have a heart that is like the wild flowers of the meadow,
And yet as straight and true as the bamboo.
Not even ten thousand enemies can cause me fear.Who is there in the world who can keep alive this will of the warrior’s heart?
There you are.
This one sent to me by the Warrior Gods (武神 = Bujin).
I have been here waiting for you through the ages.
Takamatsu sensei died on April 2, 1972 at the age of 85 and Masaaki Hatsumi became the head master of the nine ryū-ha we have in the Bujinkan Dōjō.
手解き Introduction of Bujinkan to the west
The first English-language book on ninjutsu, Ninja: The Invisible Assassins by Andrew Adams, was published in 1970. It sparked widespread interest in the West and marked the beginning of Westerners seeking out Hatsumi Sōke. However, the very first foreign student was Doron Navon from Israel, who had already found Hatsumi Sōke in 1969. After five years of dedicated training in Japan, Doron returned home in 1974 and opened the first Bujinkan dōjō outside Japan in Tel Aviv.
Around the same time, Stephen K. Hayes from the United States moved to Japan to train directly under Hatsumi Sōke. He later returned to the U.S. and began teaching Bujinkan in 1980, introducing the art to Americans on a larger scale.
In 1974, Japanese Shihan Ishizuka Tetsuji was invited to Sweden by Bo Munthe during his honeymoon for a short visit. The following year, Bo traveled to Japan for two weeks and trained with Hatsumi Sōke for the first time. He returned home with a 1st Dan ranking and permission to open a dōjō in Stockholm under Ishizuka Sensei’s supervision.
The early 1980s brought the “ninja boom” to the West. The terms “Ninja” and “Ninjutsu” became hugely popular—everyone wanted to learn. Hatsumi Sōke taught from all nine schools under the name Togakure-ryū Ninjutsu to meet the demand. Later, it was called Bujinkan Dōjō Ninpō Taijutsu until 1995, when Sōke changed it to Bujinkan Dōjō Budō Taijutsu.
Training in Japan was extremely demanding during the 1970s. Hatsumi Sōke pushed himself relentlessly to prove himself worthy of Takamatsu Sensei’s legacy. He later said it took him 30 years of intense training to truly feel ready (15 years directly with Takamatsu Sensei, followed by another 15 years of rigorous practice and real-world testing).
In the West during the 1980s, training was also tough—but for different reasons. The art was still young, and many instructors and authors had only a few years of experience. This often led to overly aggressive or technically imprecise classes, resulting in unnecessary injuries.
Today, Bujinkan training in the West is far more mature, with significantly higher overall skill levels among practitioners and instructors alike. While Hatsumi Sōke has retired from active teaching, the Japanese shihan continue to preserve and transmit the art at the Honbu Dōjō in Noda. This doesn’t mean training outside Japan is lacking—on the contrary, it is often excellent, supported by many highly skilled instructors worldwide. However, for those who wish to experience the living source of the tradition directly from the Japanese shihan who carry the lineage, traveling to Japan remains invaluable.
現代武道 Modern day use and practice
The techniques, principles, and sensations passed down from ancient times remain fully valid today. The Bujinkan system is taught in a way that suits modern society—effective for civilian self-defense as well as for police, special forces, and other professional units.
Hatsumi Sōke has trained numerous members of police forces, special operations units, and government agencies from around the world. Many of them can personally testify that what he teaches continues to be highly practical and effective even in contemporary contexts.
One of the most distinctive features of Bujinkan is that you do not need to study each weapon as a completely separate art. The system teaches how to use whatever object is at hand—improvised or purpose-built—with maximum effectiveness.
The techniques do not look spectacular. They do not appear beautiful.
When a technique is truly effective, you often cannot even see exactly what happened. Frequently, the person receiving the technique does not understand what occurred. Sometimes even the person applying it cannot fully explain it afterward. This elusive quality is one of the hallmarks of a genuine Bujinkan technique—something very difficult to convey in words.
有ると思ったら無い；無いと思ったら有る。
(Aru to omottara nai; Nai to omottara aru.)
“If you think something is there, it is not. If you think it is not there, it is.”– This is one of Hatsumi Sōke’s favorite sayings.
It may be challenging to grasp fully, but consider this: the moment you believe you understand it, you probably do not.
Hatsumi Sōke has often stated that the real “invisible training” begins after passing the Godan (5th Dan) test. So even if you have seen videos online and think they look unimpressive or questionable, I encourage you to visit one of the many qualified Shihan in the Bujinkan organization and experience the art firsthand. Trust your own intuition. Do not judge based on poor examples found on YouTube, or dismiss it because it is difficult to understand from a distance. Many things in Bujinkan must be felt in person to be truly comprehended.
Hatsumi Soke retires and 8 new Soke
At the Daikomyosai dinner in December 2019, held to celebrate Hatsumi Sōke’s 88th birthday (known as Beiju in Japanese tradition), he officially announced his retirement from active teaching and the appointment of eight new Sōke to lead the nine Bujinkan ryū-ha.
- Tsutsui Takumi 35’th Sōke of Togakure-ryū
- Ishizuka Tetsuji 29’th Sōke of Gyokkō-ryū
- Iwata Yoshio 29’th Sōke of Kukishin-ryū
- Nagato Toshirō 27’th Sōke of Shindenfudō-ryū
- Kan Jun’ichi 22’nd Sōke of Gyokushin-ryū
- Noguchi Yukio 19’th Sōke of Kotō-ryū
- Sakasai Norio 18’th Sōke of Takagiyōshin-ryū
- Sakasai Norio 16’th Sōke of Gikan-ryū
- Furuta Kōji 16’th Sōke of Kumogakure-ryū
Study Bujinkan in Japan
If you’re just starting out, I strongly recommend beginning your training at a local dōjō under a qualified Shidōshi or Shihan. Stay committed until you reach at least 1st Dan—this usually takes 2–3 years of consistent, dedicated practice. There’s no real need to travel to Japan at this early stage.
Unless travel expenses are not a concern for you, I suggest continuing your training locally for at least 8–10 years—until you earn your 4th Dan and receive a formal recommendation from your teacher to attempt the Godan (5th Dan) test—before planning a trip to Japan.
Most visitors who train in Japan have already been there many times, often with 10–40 years of prior experience, and they arrive with a strong command of the fundamentals. If someone with significantly less experience joins the class, it naturally requires the teacher to adjust to a more basic level, which can affect the pace and focus for the entire group. Training at your current level is readily available in many countries outside Japan, so there’s no rush to go abroad early.
If you do decide to visit Japan, please take the time to learn and respect proper dōjō etiquette and Japanese customs in advance. Small unintentional mistakes—like walking on the wooden floor with shoes or stepping on the stone area with socks—can be noticed even if no one comments directly. Showing awareness and courtesy makes a big difference and helps everyone feel comfortable.
Thank you for your interest in training, and I wish you a strong and enjoyable journey in Bujinkan!