Yukio Noguchi

Bujinkan Daishihan
Koto Ryu Soke

Yukio Noguchi (野口 幸夫) is a Bujinkan Daishihan and the 19th Sōke, or headmaster, of Kotō Ryū (Tiger Knocking Down School | 虎倒流骨法術). As headmaster, Noguchi Sensei is entrusted with preserving the lineage of the school and passing it on to future generations.

Noguchi Sensei has trained under Dr. Hatsumi for more than five decades, and he is widely regarded as one of the most senior and respected instructors in the Bujinkan. His long study under Hatsumi Sōke gave him a deep understanding of the principles of the art. It also gave him the freedom to express those principles through his own movement, in keeping with Hatsumi Sōke's teaching that each practitioner must develop their own taijutsu.

His teaching style is creative, dynamic, and joyful. Classes with Noguchi Sensei emphasize precision, flow, and adaptability, and students often remark on how he can transform a familiar technique into something that feels entirely new. Training with him can feel like exploring another martial art, yet the foundations of the Bujinkan remain clear throughout. His instruction spans unarmed taijutsu, bōjutsu (staff), kenjutsu (sword), and other parts of the Bujinkan curriculum. Through his teaching, Noguchi Sensei shows how a classical ryū can honor its history while staying fresh and alive for each new generation of students.

Noguchi Sensei holds Menkyo Kaiden (full transmission licenses) in several Bujinkan lineages, including Gyokko Ryū Koshijutsu and Togakure Ryū Ninpō Taijutsu. He remains an active instructor, traveling globally to lead seminars (Tai Kai) when not teaching twice a week at the Bujinkan Hombu.