The Japanese input into the History of Martial Arts

is certainly one of the oldest,..

enduring even to Modern Times and Places.

The continuing influence of these Ancient Methods

and Traditions obvious.

Japanese Martial Arts and Traditions… still grow.

Budo and Bujutsu styles alike. Martial Way

and Martial Technique.

 

Though veiled by necessity the Ninja Arts

and Traditions are lil’ different.

The modernization and unification of the Japanese

Nation also provided opportunity for other

forms of employment.

 

Such is and was the case with…

 

Shinryuken.

Ninja Soke.

Ninpo Legend…

and all that…

that entails. Herein.

 

 

The History of Japan’s unification as a Nation

contains many Tales of War and Diplomacy. Geopolitics.

The Military Systems put into place from around

the 1500’s strived to put an end to the Power divisions

of the Feudal Lord System then prevalent. Battles

and Skirmishes, Treaties and Alliances…

 

all shifted Power…

though each provided a little to bind the Country

as One under such Rule. Eventually.

 

In and over such times of Martialness…

Three of these Warlords (Daimyo) came to dominate

the Political Arena therein.

Oda Nobunaga,.. Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Ieyasu Tokugawa.

Actions therein intended to bring together and end

the Warring States.

Consolidation and Central Authorities enacted

or rearranged.

 

Actions…

to Unite a Nation.

 

Several centuries it took before the locally divided

systems and approaches…

opted for another.

As Power of the Local Warlords eventually

waned…

 

a Nation was thus reborn.

 

 

Herein and therein the Japanese Language:

 

♦ The Clan or Family…= (…RYU…).

♦ The Grand-Master… = (…SOKE…).

 

 

SOMETIME,.. SOMEWHEN…

…THE MONGOLIAN TIGER…

…WAS A cub.

Though Japan… in the early 1900’s was well into

Modernization…

some things may never change.

 

The Training that is.

Martial.

 

Takamatsu Toshitsugu grimaced and looked down

again on the pain.

His hands.

 

Bloodied and torn they continued to strike.

Ninjutsu Training for him at this time meant lil’ more

than persistent and constant body conditioning. Against

trees, sand, gravel…

…whatever surface O Sensei insisted on that eve.

 

Tonight was gravel.

Stony sharp edges meant pain.

Takamatsu had learnt very quickly that O Sensei being

his Grandfather,..

was not always a positive.

His hands, proof enough of that.

 

Takamatsu’s father himself had requested the placement,..

hoping to toughen up a 9 year old it seems.

 

Best reflected in one of O Sensei’s favourite quotes:

 

“…Even when you are faced with Death… Die Laughing… “.

 

O Sensei… SOKE TODA SHINRYUKEN MASAMITSU.

Grand-Father of Takamatsu…

 

…with some typical NINPO advice.

 

 

Unknown at the time though;..

was the Truth that soon enough…

 

and in his own Times and Places.

Takamatsu Toshitsugu would too… eventually.

Take up the mantle of Grand-Mastership of these Ancient

arcane Arts of War.

 

But that is another of Our World Legends…

altogether. Linked above… therein.

 

 

Ninjutsu in the Western World as a Martial Art Tradition…

is still quite young.

Middle aged perhaps… some 40 years only.

 

Confined Shinobi Style in Japan for many of our centuries.

An Ancient Tradition therein.

 

The many Disciplines, Styles and Arts of War

that merged and coalesced did so over Times

and Places.

Events also.

 

 

A United Nation…

eventually.

Echoes of the Tokugawa, Hattori Hanzo…

and the Iga Wars versus such as Daimyo WarLord

Oda Nobunaga.

 

Brought much into the Arts of War and Ninpo

that Soke Shinryuken had Studied.

 

Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu.

戸田真竜軒正光 1824-1909.

 

Within the Toda Family/clan itself for example some 10

consecutive generations had long been immersed

in such Arts as that within Togakure Ryu Ninpo

and several related or associated Samurai/Ninja Arts.

 

Shinryuken’s Father,.. Toda Daisaburo Chikahide

and Grand-Father Toda Eisaburo Nobumasa…

had both served long Terms as Soke

of several Martial Arts Traditions/Ryu as well.

Gyokko, Koto, Shinden Fudo, Kumogakure and such.

Martial Families and Clans.

 

Studying forms of both unarmed and weaponry.

Classical Martial Forms. Ninja mods added to.

 

 

It took almost a  year.

A year before Shinryuken realised…

Politics was not a plus.

 

To his Study of the Arts of War.

 

1855… the relevant year therein.

 

The Tokugawa Regime of Governance had sought many

reformations and wholesale changes.

To many aspects of the Geo-Political scenes and arenas.

 

Power and Class systems were brought under more direct

Shogunate Authority which in turn became more centralized

with hereditary Posts a norm,..

rather than say Martial prowess…

impressing so and upon Society.

 

 

The…

Politics of Change.

 

Shinryuken had come to the attention of those given

responsibility in KYOTO to form a National Military Academy.

The KOBUSHO.

 

As one of the representatives of the

Martially inclined TODA Family.

He was soon enough… given responsibility therein.

First Chief Instructor…

Tokugawa appointed to school the Military Academy’s

Martial Skill-sets thereof as well.

 

Oft referred in the annals as “… Hiken…”

Shinryuken… of the Secret Sword.

 

A renowned Sword-Master with a growing reputation

for all-round Skills.

‘Cept perhaps…

the vagaries of Politics… therein.

 

By 1855… he knew.

Time… for another Way.

 

 

Seeing first hand the effects of political ploys…

being deployed against close friends, mentors and advisors.

Matsushira Norimasa.

Matsuhira Tadamasa.

Matsudaira Noriyasu.

 

Political plays that decimated the ruling Council and rearranged

Power structures of Governance.

Where men of Rule and Law… get relegated and replaced. By

others more favourable…

 

to that and those styles of Governance.

 

Time indeed for a change,..

in deed and in fact as well.

 

 

Ninpo Legend.

The Shinobi School.

1855.

With only slight adjustment in approach Shinryuken

shinobied on per se.

 

Setting up both a Chiropractic Clinic and Martial Dojo.

In the Kobe area.

For such as… grand-son Takamatsu…

later that is… to attend. 1900’s.

 

i, Shiro too…

much later is and was… that though, as well. 1984.

 

Foregoing Public Life and Duties for a more Community

minded approach.

To the Arts of War. Martial… and Arts Training

thereof and therein also.

 

Sword Master.

Ninja Master.

Ninpo Grand-Master.

 

Ninpo Legend.

 

 

Having learnt many and several Ways he sought to

and eventually taught…

a more unified approach also.

Hardened by Time and circumstance he impressed

this need upon All his Students.

Related Family… or not.

 

His Works and Legacy even acclaimed in later Journals

of Japanese Martialness.

 

The BUGEI RYUHA DAIJITEN Encyclopedia… 1963,..

for example;.. includes:

 

玉虎流骨指術 …a Koshijutsu Ryu.

虎倒流骨法術 …a Koppojutsu Ryu.

神伝不動流打拳体術 …a Dakentaijutsu Ryu.

…though not an official nor complete listing by any means,..

does note at least three of the Ryu Traditions associated

closely with Shinryuken and the Toda

Clan personages and Families.

 

Such Japanese works of Literature and Classics

do much to continue to convey the rich multitude

of talent belonging to the Masters and

Representatives of the Martial Traditions.

 

Tending to highly illuminate the indirect references

that oft go on behind the scenes of many Modern

Institutions. Clan links and Families that made up

much of the Geo-Political Arena.

By doing so…

 

one of the few Ways to view…

a more panoramic overview of Ancient Society.

 

That those therein,.. enamored of the

Arts of Self-Defence…

do have and provide. Hopefully.

 

 

With Experience gained from Masters.

Our World Legends.

 

 

Be One.

 

 

 

 

(Video Link)

 

 

 

Till next…