My age will be 68, this year the 4lst year of Showa (1955).

Until two or three years ago I had no idea of what my age was.

This is simply because I did not want to know, however I do know that I was born in the 23rd year of Meiji (1889). I am bewildered by the appearance of my face as it looks now but the reason for this is: I have not looked at myself in the mirror in some thirty years. Even with this bedraggled look I am still what most people would consider an energetic man.

If most people were to go for a walk for an hour they would usually cover about four miles – I usually cover that in about half of one hour. I like to walk and do so naturally with my dogs.

We walk together everyday.

This is something that I have not missed in the past forty years and is why I have never been sick in bed; this is not to say cold washes alone stop you from being sick.

I enjoy painting very much and even now I continue painting as a form of play. I am not very skillful but I enjoy it, for me it’s a pleasure. No one possesses the knowledge concerning the events of tomorrow; this means we do not know when our life will cease.

Due to the impetuousness of youth I made lots of errors regarding my life; this was until the age of forty. I learned my mistakes and now take my cold washes and go for a walk with my dog every morning. After this I dedicate some time to writing and painting, as this is also balance.

Exercise, rest, study and pleasure.

Toda Sensei began teaching me first Koshijutsu when I was nine years old. Whilst I was young I had a few too many fights. These, I have to say, were for my own protection. When I was 15 I had a fight with two masters of the Musashi Ryu during which my eardrum was ruptured. This later stopped me from joining the army.

When I was seventeen my family had a match factory.

During this time an elderly man by the name of ISHITANI called by the factory using a Bokken as a walking stick. He was a famous martial artist, but as with all other martial artists he could not earn a living from it during this period.

So my family employed him as a guard at the factory.

Together with another person we made a Dojo at the factory and ISHITANI SENSEI began teaching us Kuki Happo Biken no Jutsu as well as other arts including a variety of weapons such as swords, bo shuriken etc.

Above all he trained in the art of Ninjutsu.

He was already a very old man and after two years died upon my lap forever.

I trained in Koppojutsu and this training is very difficult.

At first you should train fingers and toes using sand. Next you use small pebbles and then a rock, at first your nails and fingertips will flow with blood; it will be very painful and difficult to persevere. I developed very strong fingers and toes from this practice, however this sort of training is useless nowadays and just a little makiwara training is sufficient. I say this because it is very easy to damage the joint causing problems in later life.

I started my Ninjutsu training when I was thirteen years of age.

I began by using a plank of wood 3″ thick by 4m in length. I started with the plank at 45 degrees, gradually increased it to 60, then 70 and until I could run up it at 90 degrees. Ninjutsu is not only the art of invisibility. The wide ranged of techniques were only named after a long time had passed. The origin goes back to the pre-history period of the GODS.

The exact formation is very difficult, as I was not alive then.

These are the Happo Biken Jutsu:

1. Taijutsu-Hichyo jutsu-Nawa nage
2. Karatejutsu, koppojutsu, jutaijutsu
3. So jutsu-Naginata jutsu
4. Bo jutsu-jo jutsu – hanbo jutsu
5. Senban Nage jutsu- Ken nage jutsu
6. Ka jutsu-Sui Jutsu
7. Chikujo Gunryakuheiho
8. Onshin Jutsu

Biken is the designation for the group comprising of Kenjutsu, Kodachijutsu and Juttejutsu. The Juttejutsu is the highest of the sword techniques. The offensive and defensive use of the Tessen and the Jutte are found in this category. There is also Toako no Jutsu which enables you to overcome an opponent from a distance. There are secret scrolls and books with explanations about this skill but they are hardly intelligible. There are three Kiai used, these are:

• “A” – Which produces a breaking effect of the opponents Ki
• “Ka” – Which produces the same effect in his technique
• “Ei” – Which breaks body movement

Anyway, the most important thing is to keep the essence of a true heart. In the martial arts there is no need to concentrate only on the aspect of winning when fighting. However, not to commit one’s self to the fight is not a “martial art” – it is simply violence and such a person does not have an honest heart and is anti-humanist.

Nowadays, there is a sport of Judo which concentrates upon the pleasure of fighting and the building up of their bodies. They only want to win and because of this they bend at their waist when fighting rather than maintaining their bodies upright. When I think of this Judo sport, since its birth from real martial arts, I feel ashamed and it gives me a chilling sensation.

A true martial artist wins by using the natural movements of the highest quality techniques and if one moves the body according to this theory then one will of course win. In martial arts you need three points; these are:

1. Body power
2. The learning of technique
3. The spirit power

    With these you can truly win.

After I had finished helping my father in his match factory I attended an English school by the name of George Bundow School. I also attended a Chinese culture school.

After this I would train with ISHITANI SENSEI in the art of Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu, as well as other arts.

Seven generations before, his family had been the advisor to the famous Hattori Ninja Army.

My training partners were the rocks around my cottage.

Sometimes I would exercise my finger tips by hitting the rocks. I would jump up on the rocks with my Kiai and then jump off. During this time I developed a special sense.For instance: I could stand at the top of the mountain and know how many people were coming up, I could tell if they were men or women.

I became known as the “Sennin” or “Tengu” of the mountain.

I went to China during the Chin era and traveled through Mongolia and northern China for a period of about 10 years. During this period I met a Shorinji Boxer named Choshiro.

We had a fight and I beat him. We became very close friends, like brothers. This is how I was introduced to the President of the Sino-Japanese Martial arts Association.

My memories of these times are a little bit confused, especially the exact dates and times but I do recall that I once decapitated someone. On one occasion I faced and fought a group of mountain bandits, which happened to be members of the local army division. I used Ninjutsu on many occasions and was once tried for murder but proved my innocence (self-defence).

Always be ready for when your attacker drops his guard and then counter attack, without giving any warning or opportunity for a second chance. This is the way I handle this type of situation. I wait for my opponent to attack me and then I just wait for him to drop his guard or make him relax. This is an important point. The sak-ki, or intent to kill, is felt through a system comparable to radar.

One who is not able to receive these transmissions will not be able to reach a state of higher quality martial artist.

This is an important point when we talk of techniques. We are not talking about moving the body in an exact direction.

There is a phrase in the Chinese book of strategy ‘UTSURYU SHI’ that says how the victorious soldier is like water. This is because the water is both weak and soft and yet there can be a strong influence on it like a hill – even the hill can be decimated. On the surface it appears like the soft cannot win and yet soft can be stronger. This is like individual techniques; they are strong on the outside but weak within. If you only know the name of a bird then you know nothing because this tells you nothing about the bird.

Schools of Bujinkan: Kukishinden Ryū Ninjutsu

Together they founded the Ryoi Shinto Ryu. This was the beginning of the Kito Ryu, then later Ibaragi Sensei changed the name to the Ryoi Shinto Ryu.

From the fourth generation, Master Takino had a very famous student called Kuki Nagato. This school eventually became known as Kuki Shin Ryu.

During that time I trained both Karate and Ninjutsu using my own theories. An old man of whom I know nothing, not even his name or who he was, taught me many things.

He made the “to-in” sign together with a kiai and then said after two or three days the tapeworm will be gone. Within ten days he had me walking again. He taught me many things about myself and nature.

After that year I thought back and realized that to do anything I needed money and therefore once again returned to China. In China I earned my living by teaching at the English school. I had over 100 students of the martial arts and during this time I taught many people the arts of war, but also taught them the arts of peace. I had many matches against very highly ranked martial artists and of these I did not lose once (although some were called to a draw).

I left China having made a lot of money. I later became a monk but have to say that not all religions are good, the people within them become corrupted and then the religion itself becomes corrupted.

Sometimes when a crime was committed within my region the police would seek my help in solving the mystery. I was always able to do this and never once failed.

Because of my knowledge and practical experience I have often done work for the government. This has only been in cases where it was for the good of my country and our people. Sometimes the work was very hard and dangerous.

There are many who try to copy our skill and they do this badly. There are schools of the short stick (Jojutsu) but they do not understand what I will tell you. Just as a man (Ninja) can and does disguise himself so does the art of the stick. Since the jo is for travelers on the road, it is a means of self-defence.

It is not nor has it ever been a weapon or tool of the battlefield. It is disguised as an aid in moving but is for self-defence. Jo-do is not for self-defence, it is for doing movements with the stick!

They are too big and glamorous for self-defence; they have no Taijutsu.

Sometimes you can not find a master of the true arts and then whatever teacher you find will have to do.

There are some people who give themselves a certificate of menkyo or higher but it is not the scroll that gives ability; it is one’s knowledge of past knowledge. These people surround themselves with government senators and high ranking people of authentic arts to make their own arts seem better. This is wrong. Often they use strength or say they have special powers to win but they lose anyway where it is more important – in their heart.

I have had many fights with these so-called masters not only with the body but with words. Two of them even swapped techniques to try and make their own styles but when I pointed out the error of this they denied any such thing.

To train you must do so at any time in any condition. I remember my grandfather’s training hall was lit by candles and you had to use all of your senses to know who had entered and if they were friends or not.

Sometimes we would get ready for training and he would take us outside(in the winter). If you did not have your outside clothes on you would die from the cold so you had to know before. This also teaches bravery and courage.

You must keep your vision broad even after practicing a skill for a long time. If you fail to see anything else then your vision will become narrow. If, when training, you think you are not learning then wait ten years and this will change.

On injuries; I have had too many to remember them all. If you truly have to fight for your life then this is bound to happen. Old scrolls talk of “katsu” or life giving powers. My teacher ISHITANI(Kuki Shin Yo Ryu) became very ill and died in my arms. These skills could not help him as no one has such power.

The Eight gates of the ninja are the way to train.

I have trained in these for over 70 years and this is the true way.

– Toshitsugu Takamatsu