Lineage & Mentors

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu (武神館武道体術) is a Japanese martial art originating from Nodashi, Chiba-ken, Japan. The head of the Bujinkan, or Soke (宗家, "head of the family"), is Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭; 1931—). Originally a practitioner of judo and soccer in his youth, Hatsumi Soke traveled to Kobe, Japan to train with Toshitsugu Takamatsu (高松寿嗣; 1889-1972) and study his kobudo (古武道; old/traditional martial arts) for fifteen years (~1958 to 1972). Over that time he learned Takamatsu Sensei’s unique martial arts, kata, waza, buki, and kuden, leading to inheriting nine distinct martial arts ryu-ha (流, "schools" or "lineages") from Takamatsu Sensei. As a result of these studies, Hatsumi Soke created the Bujinkan organization (武神館, "warrior spirit hall") in honor of his teacher’s martial arts. Hatsumi Soke then spent nearly fifty years exploring and sharing his Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu martial arts out of Nodashi, Japan and later from his Bujinkan Hombu Dojo (本部; headquarters) along with performing seminars around the world. Hatsumi Soke publicly retired in 2019.

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu martial arts are influenced from nine ryu-ha of which Hatsumi Soke is the inheritor of. It is the culmination of these nine ryu-ha that Dr. Hatsumi used as the basis for the Bujinkan. The nine ryu-ha are:

  1. Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu | Hidden Door School | 1161 | 戸隠流忍法体術

  2. Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu | Jewel Tiger School  |1156 | 玉虎流骨指術

  3. Kukishinden Ryu Happo Bikenjutsu | Nine Demon School | 1336 | 九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術

  4. Koto Ryu Koppojutsu | Tiger Knocking Down School | 1532 | 虎倒流骨法術

  5. Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu | Immovable Heart School | 1113 | 神傳不動流打拳体術

  6. Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu | High Tree, Raised Heart School | 1625 | 高木揚心流柔体術

  7. Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu | Truth, Loyalty, and Justice School | 1558 | 義鑑流骨法術

  8. Gyokushin Ninpo Taijutsu | Jeweled Heart School  |1532 | 玉心流忍法体術

  9. Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu | Hiding in the Clouds School | 1532 | 雲隠流忍法体術 ​

Three of the nine ryu are of ninpo decent (Togakure Ryu, Kumogakure Ryu, & Gyokushin Ryu), making the history of the Bujinkan slightly more difficult to understand without proper historical interpretation by an authentic teacher.

Although students are taught multiple techniques from the nine ryu, Dr. Hatsumi teaches the culmination of these lineages as one martial arts body, of which he has titled "Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu". Therefore, students of the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo are tested & licensed in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, not the specific lineages.

Bujinkan Sokeship Succession

In late 2019 at the age of 88 years old, Hatsumi Soke retired from 50+ years of public teaching and awarded certificates of sokeship to select senior Japanese Bujinkan practitioners.

Below are the publicly announced inheritors of specific Bujinkan ryu-ha.

  • Hatsumi Masaaki

    Bujinkan Soke
    武神館
    Bujinkan Founder

  • Ishizuka Tetsuji

    Gyokko Ryu Soke
    玉虎流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Nagato Toshiro

    Shinden Fudo Ryu Soke
    神傳不動流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Noguchi Yukio

    Koto Ryu Soke
    虎倒流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Kan Junichi

    Gyokushin Ryu Soke
    玉心流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Tsutsui Takumi

    Togakure Ryu Soke
    戸隠流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Furuta Koji

    Kumogakure Ryu Soke
    雲隠流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Iwata Yoshio

    Kukishin Ryu Soke
    九鬼神流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Sakasai Norio

    Takagi Yoshin Ryu Soke
    高木揚心流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

  • Sakasai Norio

    Gikan Ryu Soke
    義鑑流
    Bujinkan Daishihan

Bujinkan Mentors & Influential Teachers

The Bujinkan Mentors and Influential Teachers are the senior masters, past and present, who shape how Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is studied at the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo. The group includes master teachers based in Japan, committed international practitioners who live abroad or in Japan, and the teachings and stories passed down by Hatsumi Soke about his teacher, Takamatsu Sensei. The lineage lives on through direct instruction from senior Japanese teachers at the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo, together with veteran international instructors who link training in Japan to dojos around the world.

(Click a name for a biography and images.)