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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:MichałZimowskiKrzysztofRogala

SławomirKaczmarekArturTulatyckiMichałŚliwka

Thisbookwascreatedwiththeapprovalofandbyarrangement

withSokeMasaakiHatsumi.

“NinjaistruepersonificationoftheBudospirit”Dr.MasaakiHatsumiSoke

Ninjutsumeanslife,lifemeanscreativity,

creativityisthehumandestiny.(Alwaysreadbetweenthelines)

RemigiuszBorda

TABLEOFCONTENTS

ABOUTTHEAUTHORFROMTHEAUTHORSOKEHATSUMIANDBUJINKANTOSHITSUGUTAKAMATSUTOGAKURERYUNINPOGYOKUSHINRYUNINPOKUMOGAKURERYOUNINPOGYOKUSHINRYUKOSSHIJUTSUSHINDENFUDORYUDAKENTAIJUTSUKOTORYUKOPPOJUTSUGIKANRYUKOPPOJUTSUKUKISHINDENRYUHAPPOBIKENJUTSUTAKAGIYOSHINRYUJUTAIJUTSUKUJI-IN(THENINESYLLABLEMUDRA)TOWARDSTHETARGETINFILTRATIONKUNOICHI:THEFEMALENINJATENGUGOTONPO:TRAININGINNATUREMOKUTON(WOOD)-TREESNATURALMEDICINEANDMAGICKATA:KAMAENOKATA-SANSHINNOKATAKAMAENOKATACHINOKATA:THEFORMOFEARTHSUINOKATA:THEFORMOFWATERKANNOKATA:THEFORMOFFIREFUNOKATA:THEFORMOFWINDKUNOKATA:THEVOIDFORMUKEMIGATATAIHENJUTSU-THEPASSIVEFORMOFDEFENSEHOKENJUROPPO-(16METHODSOFSTRIKING)SOKUYAKUKEN/KERI-FOOTDANCEKOHOKERI,SOKUHOKERIKAKATOKERITOBISOKUYAKUKEN/KERITOBISOKUYAKUKEN/KERI-RYOTEFORMWEAPONS:ASELECTIONFORAVARIETYOFDISTANCES

TAIJUTSU:BODYTECHNIQUESKIHONHAPPO(THEEIGHTPRINCIPLES):MUSHADORIKIHONHAPPOOMOTEGYAKUDORIREVERSEMUSHADORIOMOTEGYAKUAGAINSTOMOTEGYAKUIMMOBILIZINGPININTERCEPTINGAKICKANDACOUNTERATTACKNAGARE:THEFLOWOFMOVEMENTTHESOFTBLOCKANDINTERCEPTINGAHANDDEFENSEAGAINSTOPPONENT’SGRABONBACKOFCOLLARRELEASEFROMTHEGRIPANDGAININGCONTROLWHILEINASITTINGPOSITIONMISLEADINGOPENINGFORTHEKICKMOVINGBEHINDTHEOPPONENT’SBACKTHEVOIDSPACESOFTBLOCK/RECEPTIONOFATTACKANDFIRMCOUNTERATTACKTORIEXPOSEDTOKICKANDCOUNTERATTACKSWITHWRISTLOCKDEFENSEAGAINSTGRIPSANDSTRIKESANATTACKTARGETEDATTHELEGSANATTACKFROMTHEAIRAMBUSH:THEELEMENTOFSURPRISEHOLDFASTAND“THEDEMONHORNS”APAINFULBLOCKONTHETHIGHNAGARE:THEFLOWTHECOUNTER-THROWHALF-HIPTHROWOMOTEONIKUDAKIMISLEADINGESCAPEANDTHEGANSEKIOTOSHITHROWYOROI:THETECHNIQUESINARMORTHROWOVERTHEKNEEOPENSTANCE(KOKU)ANDSOFTUNDERCUTHAPPOKERIANDKERIKUDAKITHESACRIFICETHROW:COUNTERATTACKTOCHOKINGFOURFOLDOXYGENDEPRIVATIONALOPSIDEDDUETKOPPOJUTSU:THEDEFENSEAGAINSTWAKIZASHISHINCHU:THECENTEROFTHEHEARTMETSUBUSHIMETSUBUSHI1:MORNINGMISTMETSUBUSHI2:INCAPACITATIONDOKONOKAMAE:THEANGRYTIGERSWORD

THEHISTORYOFNINJATONINJASHIZUMIIAININJAIAI-YOKOARUKININJATO-ARUKI1NINJATO-ARUKI2NINJATO:ATYPICALWAYOFPULLINGOUTTHESWORD1NINJATO:ATYPICALWAYOFPULLINGOUTTHESWORD2THEFLOWINGSWORD:ATRAININGFORM1THEFLOWINGSWORD:ATRAININGFORM2STOPPINGANATTEMPTTOSEIZETHEWEAPONATTACKWITHOUTWARNINGHAPPOGAKURENOKAMAENINJATO-SAYATHEHIDDENWEAPONTHEREVERSEBLADECOUNTERATTACKWITHTAIHENJUTSUSHORTENINGTHEDISTANCE:BOAGAINSTSHINOBITOSTAFFWEAPONRYBŌ-FURIGATABŌ-2BŌ-3BŌ-4JŌ-1JŌ-2HANBŌNINGUKYOKETSUSHOGEI-1KYOKETSUSHOGEI-2KYOKETSUSHOGEI-3SHURIKENMANRIKIKUSARI-1MANRIKIKUSARI-2KAKUSHIKUSARIGAMAJITTE(JUTTEJUTSU)-1JITTE(JUTTEJUTSU)-2SHUKO(CATHAND)1SHUKO(CATHAND)2KUNAIOTHEROBJECTSASCOMBATTOOLSINCAPACITATION:ASTREETFIGHT

Introduction

the traditionsofancient japan included the ideaof connecting,ormoreprecisely, of not disconnecting the two aspects of a human being: themind and the body. the samurai’s daily taskwas towork towards self-development. this process of development included all sorts of severeformsofcombattraining:fencing(withswords,daggers,differentkindsofspears,andhalberds),archery,horseriding,andvariouswaysoffightingwithoutweapons.Asamuraispentthelargepartofadayonmentalandspiritual development, studying classic chinese literature, poetry, andpainting, as well as practicing meditation (zen). the educated samuraideservedrespect—hewaseffectiveinbattleandadmiredinthesociety— yet he also undoubtedly felt good about himself. the knowledge hegained,hewasabletotransmittoothers.At the same time, otherwarriors—monks—were developing their

skills inmonasteriesandhermitagesonMountHiei,nearkyoto.Monksperfectedand inventednew kinds ofweapons, new tactics, anda newapproach towards the enemy or the fight itself. They often had theopportunitytotesttheirknowledgeinpractice.overtime,peopletriedtocombine these two visions of a warrior. new schools and styles wereestablished thathavebeenpasseddown fromgeneration togenerationin an almost unchanged form. this centuries-old tradition is taught anddevelopedbyDr.MasaakiHatsumi.thebujinkanSchoolisknownaroundthe world. the knowledge of the school is rooted in the most ancientscrolls and manuscripts. remigiusz borda (b. 1965) maintains andcultivates the art of ninjutsu. He established a center for promoting,practicing,anddevelopingfinearts,calledtheHouseofArts,inwhichthebujinkanDojo was also opened. He has been practicing both fine artsandmartialartswithequalsuccessfordecades.Heisahighlyregardedpainterandhisworkhasbeenshowningalleriesaroundtheworld.Heisalso a photographer and poet. remigiusz borda is a charismatic andspiritualman.His close connection tonature is not only determinedbythefactthathelivesinoneoftheleastpopulatedregionsofpoland,butalsocomesfromthefact thatheis interestedinherbalism,chiropractic,

andother formsofnatural therapy.Hismetaphysicalartisticworkhelpshiminconductingenergypsychotherapyandreikienergywork.ninjutsuisanintegralpartofhispractice.IntheNinpoapproach,life,humanbeings,andfightingaretreatedas

a sort of completeness. this approach is expressed in acting inaccordancewith the rulesof theworld,nature,elements,seasons,andtheprinciplesofpsychology. remigiuszbordagainedhisexperience formany years through the study of karate, judo, and other martial arts,which perfectly complemented his practice of bujinkan ninjutsu. regularattendanceatseminarsandtrainingwithmasterssuchasSokeMasaakiHatsumi,SomeiSensei,nuguchiSensei,ShiraeshiSensei,SenoSensei,andHeinzH.MeyerSenseicontributetothecontinuousdevelopmenthisart.

MarianWiniecki

RemigiuszBorda.Stilllifewithfire(oil,2012)

RemigiuszBordainhisstudio.Atelier-Kęszyca,Poland2011

RemigiuszBordainthedojo.Kęszyca,Poland2011

MasaakiHatsumi.PortraitofBodhidharma(Daruma)(ink,1995)

Foreword

The significant growth around the world of the popularity ofbujinkan was characteristic for the last few years of the 20thcentury.newtrainingcentersappeared,oneaftertheother.itishard for me to remain objective when trying to assess thereasonsforthisincreasedinterestinthismysteriousmartialartas well as young people’s enthusiasm in seeking bujinkandojos.icanonlysketchapictureofmyloveforthisdifficultart,whichnowfulfillsmylife.Morethananyotherimage,alegendaryfigurewearingblack

clothespersonalizesayoungperson’sdreamsoftheinvinciblewarrior.ninjutsu,saturatedwithnumerouslegendsandsecrets,with roots in the distant history of japan, still speaks to andcreates a legend ofwarriors possessing superhuman spiritualand physical powers. those stories, like a magical magnet,attract young people and encourage them to enter the opendoorsofourschools.Asneverbeforeinthehistoryofninjutsu,thanks to Soke Dr. Masaki Hatsumi, we have access to thisgreat legacy for the first time.TeachingbyqualifiedShihan is

passed tostudentsallover theworld inundistorted form; theyare based on the original Dencho. the modern ninjutsupioneers, who later became teachers, have acquired thisknowledge over the past three decades with persistence bystudyingunderSokeHatsumi’sguidance,orunderoneof theShihan, either in japan or at seminars known as teikeiorganized in every corner of theworld, duringwhichHatsumiSensei personally teaches classes. the system created bybujinkan,whencombinedwithperseveranceanddetermination,enables student to achieve masterful skills in ninjutsu. takingintoaccount the fact that, in contrastwithmedieval japan,welive ina lessmartialworldandweusually live longer, there isplenty of time to practice diligently, and thus achieve higherlevels of skill. to do so, one must, as my teacher says,“overcomethelazydoginside”inordertofollowthepathofthewarriorwithoutdistraction.itistruethatNinjutsuslowlyfillstheheart of people who regularly practice this art, transformingtheirbodyandspirit.Thankstoqualifiedteachers,themetaphoroftransformationcanbeexploredduringalmosteveryworkout.this is also mirrored in the name of the style taught in ourschool:togakureryu,whichmeansSchooloftheHiddenDoors(gates).For thosewho follow this pathandpractice the style,the doors (gates) to deeper knowledge open a little bit widerwith time. For ordinary mortals, full knowledge will alwaysremain unattainable. just as it was centuries ago, today thissecret knowledge is still closelyguarded from thegazeof theunauthorized. thus, to open the hidden door one must firstovercome the challenges presented by the heavily armedwarriors. imagesof guardsand their legendarypowerare stillvery popular. the guards to the hidden doors are as follows:lazinessandlackofperseverance,fear,lackofself-confidence,stupidity, lack of charity, lack of respect, and lack of humility.the great truth of a nearly thousand-year-old tradition is still

valid. today, in the 21st century, if one wants to know thesecrets of ninjutsu, one has to overcome all these humanweaknesses. the old shinobi used knowledge of humanweaknessesonthebattlefieldinordertodefeattheenemyortoextractfromtheenemythenecessarystrategicinformation.Although ninjutsu is not a sport, it allows the practitioner to

attain great physical fitness and to develop effective self-defense skills. but above all else, it contributes the deeperdevelopment of a practitioner’s self-awareness. in today’swasteful exploration of nature, in times of warfare and socialinequality,icanclearlyseebrightnewtasksforthestudentsofninjutsuandothermartialartsaswell.thesetasksareasclearas crystal: through the understanding of nature and self-awareness, one might discover latent power in humans, thesourceofgoodandjustice,achievingtheessenceoftheHeart,kokoronokatachi.

RemigiuszBorda

Youshouldknowthatperseverancealoneisbarelyastreakofairysmoke.

Youshouldknowthatthehumanpathisjustice.

Forgettheheartfullofhatred,greed,feelingsofpride,andthedesiretoalwaysbethebest(withrespecttoyourself).

Youshouldunderstandgriefandangeraslawsofnature,andtrytoachieveenlightenmentthroughyourindestructibleheart.

Neverleavethepathofloyaltyandrespect;followthepathofreasonandthesword(Bunbu).

ThesefivedojoruleswerewritteninthenewyearofMeiji23(1890)byTodaShinyakenMasumitsu.

TheywerepassedfromTakamatsuToshitsugutoHatsumiMasaakiByakuryuonManyPromisingDayofMarch,Showa23(1958).

TheessenceofShinshinShigancanbeunderstoodthroughtheKyuandDanranks

andthroughthenaturalelementsChi-Sui-Ka-Fu-Ku.

SokeHatsumiandBujinkan

Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi was a student of Toshitsugu Takamatsu. He notonly continues on the path of his great predecessors but, respectingtraditionandhistory,he fitsperfectlywithin the realityofmodern times.PeopleareawedbyMasaakiHatsumi’s richpersonality.He isahighlyregardedexpertinthefieldofancientJapanesemedicine,aphilosopher,awriter, and an artist practicing traditional ink painting. His knowledgeandcollectiveexperienceareuniqueandincomparable.ThankstoSokeHatsumi, Ninjutsu is perceived not as a collection of archaic ways offighting,butasarealandveryeffectivemartialart,usedsuccessfullybythespecialforcesoftheworld’slargestarmiesandbypeoplewhowanttopracticeclassicBudo.SokeHatsumicreatedwithinBujinkan(thenameoftheschool,which

can be translated as “Temple of the martial arts God”) an excellenttraining system. The system is based on years of combat experience,tradition,andtransferofknowledge.SokeHatsumiintroducednewwaysoftrainingtotheschool,enabling

students of Ninjutsu to continuously and systematically enhance theirskills. Technical andmental development should always be associatedwithanappropriateteacher.Onlyaproperrelationshipbetweenamasterandastudentisaguaranteethatthesystem,method,andspiritofBudowon’tbedistortedorlost.AtthispointIwouldliketothankmydirectteacher,HeinzH.Meyer,10

danJudanKugyo,forsolidtrainingandtheheartofawarrior,whichhe,with great competence and enthusiasm, transferred tome. I direct mysincere gratitude to Jesko Welke, 5th Dan (Godan), for the long-termcooperationinwhichwebothcontinuouslygrow.

1.ToshitsuguTakamatsuSoke(1887-1972)

2.MasaakiHatsumiSokeandTakamatsuToshitsuguduringtheShrikenjutsutraining.

3.MasaakiHatsumiSokewiththeauthor(firstvisittoJapan,2000).

4.SomeiSenseiwiththeauthor(Japan,2006).

5.JeskoWelkewiththeauthor(Kęszyca,Poland,2012).

6.ShihanH.H.Meyerwiththeauthor(Kęszyca,Poland,2012).

ToshitsuguTakamatsu

Shortlybeforehisdeathin1974,ToshitsuguTakamatsu,masterofninetraditional Japanese Ryu-ha, identified his favorite student, MasaakiHatsumi, as his heir. Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi named the new school inhonorofhis teacher,who,afterhisdeath,wascalledbujin (“thedivinewarrior”). theworldbujinkan canbe interpretedas “houseof thedivinewarrior.”bumeans “warrior,” jinmeans “god,”and thewordkanmeans“house.” Due to the extensive amount of knowledge passed bytakamatsu toHatsumi— it containedninemartial traditions (ryu-ha)—HatsumiSenseidecidednottoteachthemseparately,buttoconveytheentirebodyofknowledgeasaunity.oftheninebujinkanschools,sixarethesamuraischoolsandthreearetheninjaschools.However,bujinkanbudoiscalledninjutsu.

TogakureRyuNinpo戸隠流

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1161

GyokushinRyuNinpo玉心流忍法

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1300

KumogakureRyuNinpo雲隠流忍法

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1550

GyokkoRyuKosshijutsu玉虎流骨指術

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1156

ShindenFudoRyuDankentaijutsu神伝不動流打拳体術

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1130

KotoRyuKoppojutsu虎倒流骨法術

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1532.

GikanRyuKoppojutsu義鑑流骨法術

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1558

KukishindenRyuHappoBikenjutsu九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1336

TakagiYoshinRyu高木揚心流柔体術

firstSoke:aroundtheyear1625.

1.TogakureRyuNinpoSchooloftheHiddenDoorFirstSoke:1161

戸隠流忍法体術

In637C.E.,intheprovinceofShinano,ontopofMountHiei,EnnoGyojaestablished Mikkyo. His student, Dengyo Daishi, then created on thesame mountain the Buddhist sect Tendai Shugendo and opened theEnryakujimonastery.To thisday, themonksof thismonasterypracticeShugendo and mountain asceticism, which includes practices ofpurification through trials and hardship. A small settlement calledTogakurewaslocatednearMountHiei.Here,DaisukeNishinawasbornintoasamurai family in1161.Fromhisearliestyearshestudiedat theTendai monastery at the top of Togakure (Mount Hiei). Nishina’sexperiencebeginningatthattimeplayedanimportantroleinthesystemof combat, survival, and infiltration he created. It is important tounderstand the reasons that led to the foundation of Togakure RyuNinpo.DaisukeNishina’sfatherwasYukihiroNishina.Hewasahigh-ranking

samuraiintheserviceofDukeMinamotoYoshinaka(acousinofthefirstShogun of Japan).WhenMinamotoYoshinakawas a child, one of his

rivalssentasamuraiwhowastoldtokilllittleMinamotoandhismother.Mother and child, however, escaped and hid in the villagewith a loyalpeasant family. Later, Minamoto Yoshinaka was brought to Kiso inShinano Province, near the village of Togakure. Yukihiro Nishina ofTogakure served the familyofYoshinakawell; years later,membersofthe family defeated their rivals and ruled over Japan. However, otherleaders perceivedMinamotoYoshinaka as a threat, andmany of themturned against him. Minamoto Yoshinaka changed his name to KisoYoshinaka, after the name of the village in which he lived (this was acommon practice). In 1184, Yoshinaka’s half-brother attacked himwithan army. Sixty thousand samurai warriors quickly descended onYoshinaka’sarmynearKyoto.ThebattlewascalledAwazenoKassan.KisoYoshinakawaskilled in thisbattle.YukihiroofTogakure,whohadfought in thebattle,alsodied,buthissonDaisukeNishinasurvivedthebattle.However,becauseNishinafought for thearmythatwasdefeated,he

had to flee. He took refuge in Iga Province, hiding in the inaccessible,mistymountainsandforests.HechangedhisnametoDaisukeTogakure,accordingly to theplaceof his birth.WhileDaisukewas in Iga, hemetDoshiKain(KagakureDoshi).KagakureDoshiwasshinobi,andthethirdSoke of Hakuun Ryu, which was one of the original Ninjutsu systemsdeveloped from the teachings of Ikai (or Yi Gai, who brought thefoundations of Koshijutsu from China). It is believed that Doshi wasDaisuke’s uncle and thatDaisuke had fled to IgaProvince to find him.DaisukeTogakurelearnedDoshi’swayoffighting,andcombineditwiththe beliefs of his own Shugendo system. Thus, the beginnings ofTogakureRyuwereforged.However,Daisukewasnottheonlyonewhowastakingtheprecious

KainDoshi’s lessons.ShimaKosantaMiniamoto noKanesada, a high-ranking samurai, accompanied Daisuke. Shima had also fought in thebattleofAwazanoKassen,wherehebecamefriendswithDaisukeandhisfather.Shimawaswoundedduringthisbattle,andDaisuketookhimwithhimasheescapedtoIga.Later,ShimabecamethesecondSokeofTogakure Ryu. After Daisuke’s death, he took the name DaisukeTogakure II. His son,Goro Togakure, the third Soke, is recognized asbeingtheonewhoactuallyfashionedtheteachingsofTogakureintotheNinjutsu system that is taught today.The11th, 12th, and13thSokeof

theschoolwerenamedafter themain townof theprovince, that is, IgaUeno.ItissaidthatmembersoftheHattoriclanpracticedTogakureRyu.Hattori Hanzo is considered to be the most famous ninja of all times.Members of the Momochi family also trained in this system. The 21stSokeofTogakureRyu,MomochiKobei,wasadescendentofMomochiSandayu, the second most famous ninja and a leading figure in IgaProvince.Asinmanyothermartialartsschools,controlofthesystemremained

with the family who founded it. Knowledge and skills were traditionallypassed from father to son. It was not until the 16th century, when thefamilylinewaschildless,thatthemostseniormemberofTogakureRyu,NobutsunaToda,tooktheleadershipposition.Hebecamethe24thSokeand controlled the system and training. When Toda assumed theleadershiprole,headdedhisownNinjutsusystem,KumogakureRyu,toTogakure Ryo. The Toda family also controlled Gyokko Ryu and KotoRyu;fromthat timeon,all thosemartialartsystemswerepasseddowntogether.

ShinryukenMasamitsuTodawasthe32ndSokeofTogakureRyu.Inthemid-19thcenturyhewasaswordmasterandswordinstructorfortheTokugawa Shogunate. He resigned from his position when he learnedthathewasteachingswordsmanshiptomenwhowerelatersupposedtokill other Japanese people, behavior inconsistent with the principles ofTogakureRyu.The33rdSokeofTogakureRyuwasTakamatsuToshitsugu.Hewas

the last member of the Toda family to control Togakure Ryu. AmillenniumhadpassedsincetheTendaiShugendosectwasfounded.

DaisukeNishina(Togakure),approximately1162.HewasprobablythefounderofTogakureRyu.

18thcenturysamuraiarmor.TheTakeda family coatofarms is visibleon thehelmet.TheTakeda family frequentlyutilizedtheservicesofninjaclans.

2.GyokushinRyuNinpoSchooloftheJeweledHeartFirstSoke:around1300.

玉心流忍法

Gyokushin Ryu Ninjutsu is a branch of Koshijutsu. It is believed thatSasakiGoemanTenruyoshi,astudentofGyokkoRyu,wasthe founderof the school. The methods used in Gyokushin Ryu (various blocks,strikes, and stances) resemble those of GyokkoRyu. Sasaki Gendayuserved the Daimyo of Kishu and was paid 200 Koku; later, it wasincreasedto400Kokuperyear.ItispossiblethatSasaki,likehisfather,wasahighlyskilledwarriorofGyokkoRyu.GyokushinRyuwassecretlytaughtinKishuandTakedaprovinces.Atsomepointinthe17thcentury,the school came into contact with Togakure Ryu and the Toda family.WhenthestylewaspassedtoTodaNobutsuna,itceasedbeingaclosedsecret.Not much is known about the tradition of Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo

because the style wasmore focused on espionage skills compared tootherNinjutsuschools,whichfocusedonhand-to-handcombat.

3.KumogakureRyouNinpoHidingintheCloudsSchoolFirstSoke:about1550.

雲隠流忍法

Combat techniques fromKumogakureRyu are very similar to those ofTogakureRyu. The Toda familymost likely foundedKumogakureRyu.The ninja of Kumogakure Ryu went into combat wearing just lightlyarmoredsleevesundertheirtraditionalclothes.Anotherinterestingfactisthat in this Ryu, warriors sometimes wore demon masks. Thecharacteristic weapon for this school was the kamayari, a spear withhooksontheside.Thehookedspear,apartfrombeingusedtoattackanopponent,wasalsousedagainstswordsmanincombatinordertoparryand trap incoming blades. The Kumogakure Ryu Dencho mentions aninjanamedSarutobiSasukewhoused thehookedspear to leap fromtreetotree,hooking itontobranches.AnotherspecialtyofKumogakureRyuincludedsurvivaltrainingandtheskillofbeingabletolightafirein

whatevercircumstancestheninjafoundhimself.

4.GyokkoRyuKosshijutsuSchooloftheJewelTigerFirstSoke:about1300.

玉虎流骨指術

GyokkoKoshijutsuRyuistheoldestofthenineBujinkantraditions.Thereisnodoubtthatitisthecorestyleofthemajorityofthemartialartsthatcomprise theBujinkansystem.HatsumiSensei decided thatKoshijutsuwouldprovide thebasis for theothersystems, includingTogakureRyu,Koto Ryu, Gikan Ryu, Shinden Fudo Ryu, Gyokushin Ryu, andKumogakureRyu.Gyokko means the jeweled tiger or the jewel tiger. It can be

understood as a metaphor for a tiger’s eye. The style’s methods ofmovement and the basic principles of this school were developed inChinaduringtheTangDynasty(618-907C.E.).Itisbelievedthateitherashort man or a petite woman must have created the style due to itscharacteristic movements. It is known that there was a woman in thecourtofChan(nowXian)whoindeedhadbecomefamousforhermartialarts skills. When the Tang Dynasty was overthrown in 907, manyChinesenoblesfledandhidinJapan.InJapan,thenamesYouGyokko(YaoYuHu)andChoGyokkowere

associatedwitheachother. It is possible that they came fromoneandthesameperson.GeneralIkai(orIbou)isbelievedtohavetakenpartintheearlydevelopmentofGyokkoRyu.AccordingtoHatsumi,theperson(somebody:bou) responsible forestablishing theschool inJapancouldhavecomefromanothercountry(I).The first official Soke of the officially established Gyokko Ryu was

TozawaHakuunsai.Hisnamemayalsobeconnectedwithastylethatnolongerexists:HakuunRyuNinjutsu.Thisalloccurredduring theHogen

era (1156-1159), which means that Gyokko Ryu is the oldestdocumentedmartialartssysteminJapan.Koshijutsumeans“todefeatanenemywithonefinger.”Therefore,the

school’s training strongly focuseson strikingwith fingers, toes, and legbones—butwithotherpartsof thebodyaswell.Strikescharacteristicfor the school include: powerful and dynamic blocks that destroy anopponent’s muscle structure; ripping, piercing, and tearing techniquesthat employ fingers and toes; dynamic stomping kicks, grappling, andthrows.GyokkoRyutaughtstudentstouseasmuchstrengthaswasneeded

toknocktheenemydown.Themembersoftheschoolwerealsoknownfortheirswordskills,aswellastheuseoftheroku-shakuboandtanto.

5.ShindenFudoRyuDakentaijutsuImmovableHeartSchoolFirstSoke:about1130.

神伝不動流打拳体術

Ganpachiro Temeyoshi established Shinden Fudo Ryu in themid-12thcentury.In the school’s style, one can notice the influence of Koshijutsu, as

introduced by Izumo Kanji Yoshitero. It is possible that Izumo, as afounder of Shinden Fudo Ryu, was the same person who foundedKukishindenRyu.The foundationofall theskills in this school is theknowledgeof the

principlesofnature.Natureisusedasanallytostrengthenthebody:firstthe legs, then the hips and fists. In this school, no dojo was built; nospecialequipmentwasused forpractice.Classeswere run inanaturalenvironment.Treeswereusedtopracticestrikesandbreaks.Members,for example, would hit trees with their foreheads in order tomake theheadstronger. Inbamboo forests,memberscouldpracticekicks typicalforthisschoolonly.Peelingatree’sbarkiscomparabletotearinghumanskin. Members of the school specialized in Jujutsu and Iainuki. Thekatana used in Shinden Fudo Ryu was longer and heavier than thetraditionalone.Thismadetheswordharderandslowertopulloutofthescabbard.Afterpracticingthis,membersoftheschoolhadnodifficultyindrawingswordsrapidly.It is said that Izumo learned how to use yari from tengu. even today

thosetechniquesremainasecret.Varioustypesofyari–ono,otsuchi,andnaginata – were taught by the school. Themembers of the school alsopracticeHojojutsu.Withabattlefieldaxe,onecandestroysamuraiarmor;withalargewar

hammer,onecandestroydoorsandbarricades;withnaginata,theattack

againstcavalierscanbeconducted.Therearenoformalpostures(Kamae)inShindenFudoRyu,thusthe

schoolisknownforitsShizennoKamae(naturalposture).It was most important for a warrior to land on his feet when being

thrown, as members always wore long swords (Daisho). To fallunskillfullywitha longswordwasalwaysdangerous;onecouldendupdead.Thereisasayingthatinordertomoveforwardwithlearningnewtechniques one must be able to do a half-somersault on one finger.During his first classes under his grandfather Toda, TakamatsuSenseiwasthrownendlesslybyotherstudentsbeforehewasallowedtotakehisfirstclasswiththekatana.

6.KotoRyuKoppojutsuTigerKnockingDownSchoolFirstSoke:1532.

虎倒流骨法術

It is believed that Chan Busho, a Chinese warrior, brought Koto RyuKoppojutsutoJapanfromChinaviaKorea.Itwasprobablyhundredsofyearsbefore thestylewas fashioned intoKotoRyu.Theexactoriginofthisschoolisunknown.In1542,SakagamiTaroKunishigecombinedthetechniques into oneRyu-ha.Hewas alsoSoke inGyokkoRyu. Thesestylessharemanysimilarities.Many ninja and samurai trained in the methods of the Koto Ryu.

Momochi Sandayuwas taught by IshigawaGoemon,who at the sametime was a famous ninja and criminal. Momochi always denied that

Ishigawa Goemon was a member his clan and school. Goemon wasperceivedasa“RobinHoodsortofninja,”andhewasbelievedtohavebeen captured and boiled to death in oil. Some historians, includingToshitsuguTakamatsu,believethatIshigawaGoemonwasnevercaught,but the Shogunate was too ashamed to admit it. In many cases, thestory, which has passed frommouth tomouth, was closer to the truththanthewrittenword.InthisRyu,thereisoneveryuniqueposition,MangetsunoKamae,in

whichawarriorkepttheswordoverhisheadinsuchawaythatthebladewould reflect the sunlight and blind the enemy. Alternately, if it wasraining, the bloodgroovewasused to collect the rainwater,whichwasthenflickedintotheenemy’seyes.A further specialty of the Koto Ryu warrior was to look not into the

opponent’seyesbutbetweentheeyebrows.Inthisway,theenemywasnotabletorecognizetherealintentionsofthewarrior.Theopponentwasbluffed into thinking that he had eye contact with a skillful warrior.TakamatsuToshitsugubeganhistrainingwiththeKotoRyuattheageof9; at the age of 13 he was named the master. In 1960, TakamatsupresentedtheeffectivenessofKotoRyuinfrontofajournalistfromoneofTokyo’ssportnewspapers.Hediditbydrillingfiveholesinthebarkofatreewithjustonestrike.

7.GikanRyuKoppojutsuSchoolofTruth,Loyalty,andJusticeFirstSoke:1558

義鑑流骨法術

Gikan Ryu was established by Uryu Hangan Gikanbo, the Daimyo ofKawachinoKuni(thecastleofKawachi).ItwassaidthatUryuGikanbo’s

punchwassostronghecouldbreakaswordblade inhalf.TokamatsuToshitsugu originally awarded this Ryu to Akimito Fumio, who becamethe 14th Soke of the school. But Akimoto died early from illness anddidn’tleaveasuccessor.TokamatsuToshitsuguSenseibecameheadofthe school, and he later passed it onto Hatsumi Maasaki. The schoolcontainsmanyspecialkicks,punches,andthrows.There isnostep-by-stepinstructionfortechniques,andnokataexistintheschool’straining.Therefore, the teaching can only be passed on in the form of oralinstruction.HatsumiSokehasneverpubliclytaughtthetechniquesofthisschool because they are are very difficult. The positions used in thetechniques are said to be very low,with special placement of the toesthatdemandsgreatcontrolofthebody’sbalance.

8.KukishindenRyuHappoBikenjutsuSchooloftheNineSpiritGodsFirstSoke:1336.

九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術

Thisschoolcombinesmanycharacteristicsofotherschoolsthatmakeupthe Bujinkan System. Kukishinden Ryu is a branch of Kukishin Ryu.TherearepresentlyfewlinesofKukishinRyu,andtherearefewSokescontrolling them. For example, Hontai Yoshin Ryu has its own Soke.TakamatsuToshitsugu,SokeofKukishinRyuwhowasgiventhetitleasaformofgratitudeforrestoringtheforgottenDencho,isbelievedtohavehandedthetraditionovertoIwamiNangaku.Aikido also has its roots in KukishinRyu. SokeKukishinRyu taught

Morihei Ueshiba jo technique. Takamatsu Sensei also taught JigoraKano,thefounderofJudo.

9.TakagiYoshinRyuJutaijutsuSchooloftheHeartoftheWillowTreeFirstSoke:1625

高木揚心流柔体術

In1569,duringtheYeirokuera(1568-1579),amountainmonkoftheAbefamilylivedintheMiyagiFunagataYamaareaoftheMiyagiregion.HisnamewasUnryu(Dragon-Cloud).Theencyclopediaofmartialarts,Bugei

RyuhaDaijiten,giveshisnameasSounryu.Hewasanexpertinshuriken,bojutsu, yari,naginata, and taijutsu from theAmatsuTataraRinpoHidenMakimono.The secret Amatsu Tatara scrolls were kept by the Abe, Nakatomi,

Otomo,andMonobefamilies.AkamatsuSensei’sfamilyalsohadacopy,as the familywas relatedbyblood to theKuki family.Unryu taughthissystemtoItoSukesada,afamouswarriorofthetime.Hewasasamuraifrom Katakura Kojuro in the Fukushima Province. He augmented theteachings Unryu had given to himwith those of Hanbo, Kenjutsu, andKodachi.Ito Sukesada’s techniques later became known as Takagi Yoshine

Ryu. He taught these techniques to Takagi Oriuemon Shingenobu, ayoung samurai from Tohoku-Shiroishi Han in Oku, Japan. TakagiOriuemonShingenobuwasbornonApril2,1625.HediedonOctober7,1711.Hereachedthe levelofMenkyoKaidenwhenhewas just twentyyearsold.OnAugust15, 1695,EmperorHigashiyamagrantedhim thedegreeofShihan insixmartialartsschoolsof the ImperialGuards.Hechanged and improved the techniques that he learned from Ito,assemblingthemtogether intoYoshineTakagiRyu.Throughouthis life,hestudiedandperfectedmartialarts techniques inorder toavenge themurderofhis father.His father lefthimapreciouspieceofwisdom: “Awillowisflexible,butthehightreeisfragile.”Over the course of history, the style was called different names:

Jutaijutsu,Jujutsu,andDankentaijutsu.TheRyuwasstronglyinfluencedby Takenouuchi Ryu Jujutsu and Kukishin Ryu. In the 17th century, atournament was held between the Soke of the Takagi Yoshine Ryu,TakagiGebboshinHideshige,andtheSokeoftheKukishinRyu,OhkuniKihei Shigenobu. After the competition, the opponents became friends.Thetwosystemstheyledweremodernizedandexchangedtraditions.In August 1908,Mizuta TadafusaYoshitaro handed theRyu over to

Takamatsu Toshitsugu. InMay 1959, the Ryu was passed to HatsumiMaasaki.

Kuji-in(theninesyllablemudra)

OverthecenturiesNinjawarriorsdevelopedasystemofmudras,thatis,asystemofsymbolichandgesturesbasedontheancientknowledgeoftheenergychannelscalledmeridians,throughwhichlife-energyflowsinthe human body.Mudras can be used in almost all life situations. Forexample, pressing meridians located at the end of fingertips causesincreasedenergy flow in thebody.Mudra,ahandgesture,wasusuallyaccompaniedbyverbalizingtheequivalentsyllables.Thecombinationofgestureandverbalexpressionintensifiestheimpactofamudra.Through the use of mudras, one can enhance physical and mental

capacity, effectively manage energy, speed up the healing of wounds,ceasepain,andbringunbreakablepeacetosituationsinwhichlife is inperil. These are just some of the things that can be achievedwith thehelpofthepracticeofmudra.Theknowledgeandskillsregardingtheseabilities are considered secret and available for students only throughoral transmission from the teacher. This knowledge has remained thesubjectoforalteachingtothisday.

1.Rin-Dokko-in(SealofThunderbolt)

2.Pyo-Daik-in(SealofGreatThunderbolt)

3.Tho-Sotojishi-in(SealoftheOuterLion)

4.Sha-Ushijishi-in(SealofInnerLion)

5.Kai-Gebakuken-in(SealoftheOuterBonds)

6.Jin-Naikakuken-in(SealoftheInnerBonds)

7.Retsu-Chiken-in(SealoftheWisdomFist)

8.Zai-Nichirin-in(SealoftheRingoftheSun)

9.Zen-Ongyo-in(SealoftheHiddenForm)

TowardstheTarget

Sometimes, for theshinobi toget tohisdestinationpresentedataskasequally dangerous as the mission itself. The order had to be fulfilledregardless of the distance and place. Due to the particular policyenforcedbytheShogunate(Bakufu),aswellasthesystemofprovincesand roads, it was impossible to travel freely. The large number ofguarded gates and control patrols positioned at provincial and citybordersdemandedanumberofadditionalskillsandabilities fromninja.Thespecificregulations inJapanmade iteasier forsomesocialgroups— such as monks and actors— to move from place to place and tochange residences. The authorities respected traditional pilgrimages toholyplacesandtravelstowell-knownteachers.Authoritiesalsoacceptedthetravelsofgroupsofactorswhogaveperformancesduringtheholidaycelebrationsofdifferentreligions. Itwasquitenatural thateveryninja inthe guise of an actor,musician, ormonk possessed adequate skills tomake the disguise more believable. Thus, ninjas were musicians andactors; they were familiar with classic literature; they were intellectualsfromBuddhistandShintotemples.

anasceticmonk,Yamabushi(1),dressedincharacteristicoutfit.Heisdepictedwearingatypicaltunicandaheadscarfthatcoveredtheheadandface.Duringwars,warriorsoftenworearmorundertheirtunics.Themonkisarmedwithanaginata(lighthalberd)andasword.Komuso(2),amendicantmonkassociatedwithZenBuddhism.Usuallydepictedwithasimpleflute—shakuhachi.Hewearsastrawhat(basket)calledatengai,whichrepresentsthedesiretomoveawayfromhisego.Becausetheoutfitprovidedanonymityandallowedapersontoremainunrecognized,itwasoftenusedbyninjas.

Samuraiarmorfromthe18thcentury.OnthebreastplatewecanseetheTokugawafamilycoatofarms.TheTokugawafamilywasoneofthemostsignificantandinfluentialclansinthehistoryofJapan.ShogunsfromtheTokugawadynastyoftenusedthesupportofninjawarriors.

FudoMyōō,astatueofthedeity,traditionallyrecognizedastheguardianofYamabushimonks.BodhidsattwaFudoisstable;hismindisalways“unmoved”andnotsusceptibletotemptationoftheworld.

Yoroi–medievalsamuraiarmor.ThecopiesshownaredisplayedatthemainBujinkanDojo.Somecombattechniquesweredesignedtobeusedincaseswhenanopponentworearmor.

Sensei Sumeia presents a fighting form with the heavy halberd. Bisento and naginata (a lighter version) were thefavoriteweaponsofYamabushimonks.

Infiltration

Oneofthemanyspecialtiesthatninjawarriorsmasteredwastoappearinplaceswherenooneexpectedthem.Whetherashinobi’smissionwasto obtain information or to liquidate a prominent dignitary, the ninjaneeded to reach his destination unnoticed and to disappear the sameway, without leaving a trace. To do so, the Ninjutsu adopted variousmethodsandstrategies.Ninjaswereprepared toovercomeall typesofobstacles and security, both natural (water, rocks) and architectural(wallsandfences).Most houses of the time were surrounded by high stone walls. The

housesalsohad towerswithwindowsarranged in suchaway that thesurrounding area was visible by the guards. Yet ninja, afterreconnoitering an area, were able to find a way into the place withoutbeing noticed using ropes, steel hooks, anchors, andwoodor bambooladders to climb a wall. A ninja was able to climb almost any verticalsurface by using ametal claw (shuko) that he slipped onto his hands.

Sometimesheusedsimilarequipmentonhisfeet.Whenaninjagotintothe residence, he still needed to demonstrate full self-control. Heremainedinvisibleincorridorsandrooms.Hemovedsilentlydespitethefactthatsomefloorswereconstructedsotheywouldcreakwhenwalkedon.Sometimesaninjawouldunrollhisownbelt (obi), thenwalkon thebeltinordertoquietlycrossthefloor.Towalksilently,aninjamightwalkon his hands. Tomove forward, hewould first place his hands on thefloor then alternate between the left and right foot. Sometimes, a ninjahad to suddenly disappear. He was trained to remain for an extendedperiodoftimeatceilinglevelbyholdingontoceilingjoistsorbyjamminghisfeetagainstthewalls.

Some houses belonging to important people were surrounded by a

moatfilledwithwater,butthiswasnoobstacleforashinobi.Hewasanexcellentswimmer.Withtraininghecouldeasilyswimwithaheavyload.Hecouldstayunderwatermuchlongerthantheaverageperson.Tostayunderwaterforextendedperiods,ninjawouldusebreathingtubesmadefromreedorsaya(thescabbardofasword).Ifnecessary,hewouldbuilda special pontoon or raft. All techniques were closely related to theseason of the year, time of day or night, and weather conditions. Themissions were precisely and fastidiously thought through down to thesmallestdetail.

OsakaCastle(Osaka-jo): construction began in 1583 based on ToyotomiHideyoshi’s orders. The highwalls andmoatmade thecomplexalmostunconquerableforaregulararmy.

Kunoichi-TheFemaleNinja

InthehistoryofJapan,therearenumerousexamplesofwomenwho,asempresses,magnates’wives,andfemalewarriorsparticipatinginbattles,had great impact on their surroundings.Women of aristocratic familiesusually trained with naginata (light halberd). This continues to be acommon practice today. Other weapon training popular with womenincludedtheshortsword(wakizashi)andtheknife(tanto).Inninjaclansandfamilies,womenalsohadaspecialplace.Theyweresubjecttothesame strenuous training as men. Women were effective: oftentimesmissionswereonlysuccessfullyaccomplishedbecauseofthem.In their operations, shinobi warriors utilized the principles of

psychology.Theyusedtheiropponents’smallestdefects,addictions,andweaknesses. Frequently, it was easier for women to sneak in andpenetrateanareaandhouse.Later,men’sweaknessesforwomencouldbeusedagainstamaleopponent.Femaleninjacouldprovideinformation

thatwascollectedindirectlyordirectly.Justasinmoderntimes,womenused to seducepreselected, prominentmen in order to draw importantinformationfromthem.Sometimesthetaskofafemaleninjawastodrawthe attention of guards so other ninja could sneak in unseen. In othercases, they were employed in the intended victim’s house as kitchenhelp. By having access to food, they could augmentmealswith ratherunhealthyingredients.Kunoichioftenworkedalone.Itwasquiteeasyfora female to hide an effective weapon. In the Japanese culture, theappearanceandstylingofhairwasthesubjectofgreatattention.Itwascommonforwomenandmentowearornamentalcombsandpinsintheirhair.Thepinwasasignofaperson’sstatusandorigins.Thus,evenanaked woman with a whole arsenal in her hair could be an extremelydangerousandeffectivewarrior.

1. Mask of a woman from classical Japanese theater (19th century). Although in the Japanese theatrical traditionfemaleroleswereplayedbymen,onecoulddisguiseone’sidentityunderheavymakeuporamask.

2.Lovers.(AclassicalShungawoodcut,19thcentury).Awomanwithatraditionalhairstyledecoratedwithcombsandpins.

A.Kogai:smallwoodenpins.B.Kozukaandkogatana:smallutilityknives. Itwasaweapon/ tool thatanyonecouldeasilyhide,especiallywomen.Theywereusuallyincludedinasetwithkatanaandwakizashi.

Japanesehairornamentswerenotsimplyusedtofastenhairandkeepthehairstyleinplace.Womencouldalsousecombs,pins,anddecorativepins(Kanzashi)aslethalandhighlyeffectiveweapons.

Women’s clothing and haircuts underwentmany changes, but the fashionable hairstyleswere usually complex andheavilydecorated.(Geishaintraditionalkimono)

Tengu

LegendsabouttheoriginsofNinjutsuarefullofstoriesaboutmysteriouscreatureswithfeathersandlongnoses.TenguappearedinstoriesaboutMinamoto Yoshitsune (1159-1189). TheMinamoto clan lost a war with

the Taira clan and was completely killed off. Only young Yoshitsunemiraculously survived the massacre. He took refuge in the wildmountains and forests. The boy, according to tradition, swore to takeritualrevenge.Hedevotedmostofhistimetotrainingandpreparationforthe fight.Sincehepracticedmostly in forests, hemanaged to damagemanytrees.Asaresult,theforestdeitiesbecameveryangry.However,when they came to know the reason for his ferocious preparation, notonly did they understand the young warrior, but from thatmoment on,Sojobo(themostimportantTengu)andotherdeitiesbegantoteachtheboytofightwithswords.Theyalsotransferredsecretmagicalpowerstohim. As time passed, the Tengu began to be considered the deityassociated with the practice of martial arts. Tengu had the ability tolevitate, move rapidly, and even become invisible. The creatures weresupposed to be aggressive andmischievous. Ninjas told stories aboutTengu,comparinghimselforherselftothedeity.AsTengu,shinobicouldsuddenlyappear in oneplace, thendisappeareven faster.Sometimes,someonewhosawaninjawasconvinced that in realityhehadseenaghost or spirit, rather than a man. The superstitious Japanese, with aculture and everyday life saturated with spirits and ghouls, began toassociatetheappearanceofninjawithsomethingsupernatural.

Mask fromNoh, a formof Japanese theater.Many theatrical performances include sceneswith spirits, ghosts, andothersupernaturaldeities.Shinobisusedthiskindofmasktoincreasethepsychologicaleffectoffearinanopponent.

WingedTengu.Themischievouscreaturepresentedasanimal.SometimesTenguwerepresentedasacombinationofabirdofpreyandadangerousdog.

WingedTengu.TwostonestatuesofTenguintherobesofYamabushimonks.

Gotonpo-TraininginNature

TraininginnatureholdsgreatimportanceinthepracticeofNinjutsu.OneNinjutsu rule says that knowledgeof how to retreat andhow toprotectoneself is a priceless, and superior value. While training in woods, inwater, or in open fields, ninja learn how to use the support of the fiveelementsofnatureduringthefightortheretreat.

Mokuton-WoodKaton-FireDoton-EarthKinton-MetalSuiton-Water

Theskillsninjasneededtosuccessfullyconductamissionincluded:tohideon theground ingrass,behindstones,andotherobjects touseaterritory’sfeaturetoone’sownadvantage,tomovesmoothlywhenitwasdark,toutilizelightsandshadowswhenitwaslight,tousefire,blindingpowder, and explosives, to anticipate weather conditions, and to usechangesinweatherconditionsfortacticalpurposes.Today, some of these skills have only historical meaning, but some

elementsofGotonpohaven’tlosttheireffectiveness.Theseskillsarepartofthetrainingforspecialforcesandcanbeusedforprivateprotectionaswellassurvivalskills.Forexample:whenhidinginthegrassweusetheelementofDoton–earth.

Mokuton(Wood)-Trees

The use of tree trunks tomake fingers firmer is an example of typicalexercises from Shinden Fudo Ryu. In this school, training didn’t takeplaceinenclosedspacesorindojos,butinnature.Studentspracticedinforests with rotten tree trunks to strengthen fingers and with flexiblebranches to practice throws and to strengthen arm and shouldermuscles.These pictures show the use of the element of wood to hide and

surprise the enemy in open spaces, the use of the element of earth(grass,stones,brush,hills,etc.)tohideinfields.Therearemanywaystousetreetrunksfortraining.Presentedisone

oftheformsfromShindenFudoRyu.Whenaninjaclimbedontothetreetrunk,hewrappedhislegsaroundthetrunkandsimulatedstrangulationbysqueezing theopponent’s ribs,hitting theopponenton the forehead(KikakuKen)andstrikingwiththebladeofthehandUraShuto.

NaturalMedicineandMagic

Theknowledgeof themedicinalandnutritionalpropertiesofwildplantsandherbsisanimportantskill inNinjutsu.Ninjutsualsousedto includebone manipulation, working with Ki energy (Chinese Qi energy), andhypnosis.Aninjawarriorused todealwithmagicusingherbs,animals,and object from nature. Today, some Ninjutsu teachers maintain thistradition. When Bujinkan became popular, and Ninjutsu schoolsappearedallovertheworld, itbecamenecessarytochangethispartofknowledgeabitbyadjustingtotheprevailingnaturalresourcesinagivengeographicalarea.ThisisinaccordancewiththeessenceofNinjutsu,asaprincipleofNinjutsuistoadjusttoeachsituation.

Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) The plant has strong bactericidal properties, as well as the ability to stopbleeding.Itissuitableforcuringsmallopenwounds.

RIBWORTPLANTAIN(Plantagolanceolata)Protectivemagic,endurance,snakesandsalamanders,magicenergy.It isaverycommon,edible,andtastyplant.Itgrowsontheedgesoffieldsandalongroads.Useintreatments:Freshplantainleavesstopbleedingandacceleratethehealingofminorwounds.Itsrootscansoothetoothaches.Thisplanthasbeenusedagainstevilspells.Itcanbeinsertedintoshoestoenhanceenduranceduringlongtrips.Inlocationsthatvenomoussnakesinhabit,therootoftheplant placedon thegroundof a sleepingareawill deter uninvited reptiles and keeps themat a distance.Theplantinsertedunderapillowbeforegoingtobedmagicallyprotectsagainstmigraineheadaches.

REDFLYAGARIC(Amanitamuscaria)InJapan,itiscalledtheredmushroomofTengu.Thismushroomisassociatedwithcontactwiththenetherworld.

Use in treatments: It is a common poisonousmushroom.Consuming about 100 grams of this freshmushroomcausesdeath.However, there isa recipe forapotion fromthe fungus thatprovides foreffective treatmentofpainfulrheumatoid arthritis. For hundreds of years, red fly agaric was used as an intoxicating substance, often ending intragedy.Todayitisusedsuccessfullyinhomeopathy.Thereareancientlegendsaboutritualswiththisfungus,ritualswhichsupportedcontactwith thenetherworldandenabledpeople toobtainneeded information.According towrittenrecords,contactwiththedeadwasestablishedinthiswayonlyonceayear,onOctober1,whenthewallseparatingtheworldofthedeadandtheworldofthelivingwassupposedtobethinner.

COMFREY(Symphytumofficinale).ComfreywasknownandusedinChinaandJapan.Theplantwasknowntohavepowerinrelationshipsandfinancialmagic.Comfreygrowsfairlycommonlyinwetlands,inditches,andonthebanksofstreams.

Use in treatments: Due to its astringent properties, comfrey serves effectively as external compresses forsubcutaneoushematomaandtheswellingassociatedwithdisplacedjoints.Inthemyths,theplant’srootscanaccretewhencutintheground.Inmagic,itisusedtobuildrelationshipsandinspellsforattractingmoney.

STINGINGNETTLE(Urticadioica)Magicforexorcizing,protecting,andhealing.Oneofthemostimportantherbs;hasalonghistoryofmedicinaluse.Thestinging nettle is edible and tasty. Use in treatments: The herb cures anemia, diabetes, purifies blood, removesrheumaticpains,helpsinthetreatmentofprostateandradiationsickness.Theplangrowsalongroadsandinforests.Stinging nettle exorcizes negative spells and energies that, thanks to the plant, are returned to the sender.Whenthrownintofire,theherbrepelsapproachingdanger;placedinabowlofwaterunderthebedofpatient,itwillscareanillnessaway.

KamaeNoKata-BasicPosition

The teaching inBujinkanstartswith thestance (Kamae).Kamae is thebeginningandendingofeachmovementandeach technique.Studentsmovesmoothly(Nagare)fromonepositiontoanother.Thepositionsare

taughtasonecontinuumofformsKamaeNoKata.PositionsinNinjutsuhave a fundamental importance and their use has a much widerapplication than in otherwell-knownandpopularmartial arts.Positionsare performed without unnecessary muscle tension. They help theNinjutsu practitioner keep optimal contact with the surface and to thusreceive from the element of earth the power needed for combat. Thestancesalsohaveahugepsychologicalimpact.Theycanhideintentionsormisleadtheenemywithregardstothedirectionthepractitionerintendsto take. Kamae is therefore a physical spine in Bujinkan. Correctlyperformed,Kamae impacts theentiremovementand, toa largeextent,determinestheeffectivenessoftheperformedtechniques.Kamae,thestance, is themoment justbeforethemovement.Kamae

must be continuously perfected through right positioning of the body.Also, the particular positions represent spiritual attitudes andthoughtfulness of tactics. Great attention should also be paid to thesespiritual aspects, because through them Kamae can be saturated withrealmeaning and life.Otherwise, Kamaewill only represent the emptypose,withnoconnectiontothemartialart.

SanshinNoKata-ShoShinGo-keiGo-gyoNoKata

All Ninjutsu techniques and kata with partner, as well as realconfrontationswithanopponent,arereflectedinthefiveelements.Eachoftheseelementsinfluencesthephysicalmovementsdifferentlyandhasvariousmanifestationsinapractitioner’semotions.Initially,studentspracticetheflowandsmoothnessofaparticularform.

Later, students work on understanding and feeling the work of theelementsinatechnique,usingtheelementsinthemovement,andfinallyembodyingthem.

Onthefollowingpages, theformsofbothKamaeNoKataandSanshinNoKataarepresented.

KamaeNoKata

TeachingBujinkanstartswithastance(Kamae).Kamaeisthebeginningand the end of every movement and every technique. Students movesmoothly(Nagare)fromonepositiontoanother.Thepositionsaretaughtasonecontinuousform,KamaeNoKata.

SanshinNoKata-ShoShinGo-keiGo-gyoNoKata

ChiNoKata-TheFormofEarth

These are well-grounded stances. The movement is firm, direct, andfierce.

SuiNoKata-TheFormofWater

Themovementissoftandsmooth.

KaNoKata-TheFormofFire

Dynamicandmoreaggressivemovement.

FuNoKata-TheFormofWind

The movement is soft. A block and counterattack can occursimultaneously.

KuNoKata-TheVoidForm

The intentionof themovement is tomislead theopponent. Initially, theopponent believes he understands the movement, but the movementthen becomes perplexing. Finally, in the last phase, the opponent issurprised.

UkemiGataTaihenjutsu-ThePassiveFormofDefense

Performingrollsandfallsisabasicskillforinjury-freetraining.Inthereallife,theycansavesomeone’slife.Rollscanalsobeusefulinattacksand

self-defense: they can be used, for example, when one wants toapproachorretreat fromanopponent.Throughthepracticeofrollsandfalls,studentsgettoknowtheirownbodybetter.Theexercisesalsohelpstudentsgainself-confidence.UkemiandKaitentechniquescanbeusedinalmostall realsituationsoutside thedojo.Whenperformingrollsandfalls,oneshouldremembertorelaxthebody.Thelungsshouldnaturallybe filledwithair.Thebodyshouldbe rolledup (havea round form)asmuch as possible during rolls. The interior muscles should be relaxedwhiletheexternalmusclegroupshouldbeslightlytensed.Veryoften,inorder to help students perform the movement in accordance to suchrules, hints such as “calm” or “comfortable” help students achieve thebody’s desired state. The head shouldn’t touch the ground. The bodyshould never be in a position that is too high up or too far forward.Instead, the technique is performed by lowering the body’sweight andbendingtheknees.Itisimportanttorememberthatrollsandfallsshouldbe practiced in all directions and that during the movement studentsshouldmaintaineyecontactwiththeirsurroundings.

SoKuHoKaiTenSidewaysRoll

ZenPoKaitenForwardRoll

TachiNagare(TheFlowofWater)

HoKenJuRoppo(16MethodsofStriking)

Thehumanbodycanbeusedinmanywaystoapplystrikesandblocks.Almosteverysinglepartof thehandsandfeetcanbeused inavarietyways. However, some strikes and blocks are only known in Ninjutsu

schools, including techniques with open and closed hands, as well astechniques that use fingers. The use of the thumb is an elementcharacteristictodifferentNinjutsuschools.Someofthetechniquesarefinishingtechniques:theymightbedeadly

or theymight leave theopponentunconscious.Theymightparalyzeanopponent, and some create an opening for the next attack. The samerulesapplytovarioustechniquesthatusetheleg.TherearemanykicksinNinjutsuthatarequitesimilar tothoseofotherschools.But themostrecognizable and characteristic kicks for the Ninjutsu are the crushingtechniques.

OmoteShutoKen:OuterHandBladeStrike

ShakoKen:theClawFist,strikewiththefingerscurledlikeclaws,usedtostrikeandgrab

UraShutoKen:insidehandbladestrike

BoshiKen:thethumbstrike,usedtostab

FudoKen:strikewithclosedfist

Crushingtechniquesusethehipsandbodyweight.Mostkicksarelowkicks,with the exception of a jump kick.Commonly attacked points onthe opponent’s body are: the solar plexus, hips, thighs, knees, ankles,andeventheopponent’smetatarsalbones.If thegoal is tokick theopponent’shead, this isusuallyprecededby

takingtheopponent’sbalanceorbringingtheopponenttotheground.InNinjutsu, theadeptuseof thewholebody incombat iswhysometimestheknees,elbows,andheadarealsoused(suchasatcloserange).

Astrikewiththeheadtotheface,nose,orchin.

Kicking,smashing,andsteppingontheopponent’sfoot,toes,orshin.

SokuyakuKen/Keri(FootDance)

The crushing kick with bottom of foot or heel; it is used in varioussituations.

Oneshouldpracticetheforwardkickbyraisingthekneeandthrustingthelegforwardbypushingone’ships.Donotkicktoohigh.Themosteffectivekickisakickattheheightofthesolarplexus.

Interceptingakickfromthesittingpositioninordertoapplyacounterattacktotheinsideofthelegorknee.

ThekicktothehipwhileperformingHonGyaku,awristlock

SokuyakuKenisastrongkickappliedtopunctureatarget.

Duringthetechnique,thebottomoftheotherfootremainsontheground.

KohoKeri-BackwardKick

The kick is useful when tori pretends to turn defensively with his backtowardtheopponent.

ThekicktothehipwhileperformingHonGyaku,awristlock

SokuhoKeri-SideKick

Duringthetechnique,thebottomoftheotherfootremainsontheground.

Duringthetechnique,thebottomoftheotherfootremainsontheground.

Otherusesforlegsintechniques:

Eachpartofthelowerlimb(knee,heel,foot,andtoe)mayhavepracticaluseincombat,bothinoffensiveanddefensivetechniques(blocks,locks,andpins).

KakatoKeri

Heel kick. The elliptic kick with the heel is perfect for combat at mid-range.

Aheelkickdonewhileonthegrounddirectedatthesolarplexus.

KakatoGeriAheelkickdonewhileontheground.Aseriesoftwokicksaimedatthefaceofanopponentwhohasalreadybeenknockeddown.Torikickstheopponentwhilefallingdown(backwardroll).Bothtechniques—thekicksandthefall—areperformedalmostsimultaneously,andthenthecombatisfinished.

KakatoGeri:thefinishingtechniqueofaheelkicktotheneck.Thekickisappliedaftertakingtheopponent’sbalanceand applying a lock.Note: this is a very dangerous technique and should be practiced during class only under thesupervisionofanexperiencedteacher.

TobiSokuyakuKen/Keri

A jump kick with the bottom of the foot or heel. With techniquesperformed froma jump,anopponentmaynotonlybesurprisedby thesuddenchangeof level,but these techniquescanalsoaddto the forceappliedtoacrushingtechnique.

TobiSokuyakuKen/Keri-RyoteForm

TypicalfortheKotoRyuKoppoJutsu,adouble-legkick.

Weapons:ASelectionforaVarietyofDistances.

Amajority of people recognize ninjawarriors by their particular clothesandtheweaponstheyuse.Forshinobi,anytypeofobjectthatmighthelpin combat, create an advantage, or help in winning the fight was apotential weapon. They used a variety of objects and equipment,

depending on time, distance (close distance, medium distance, longdistance),andindividualpreferences.

TaijutsuBodytechniques

The fundamental skills taught in Bujinkan are body techniques used incombat. The use of weapons is based on Taijutsu techniques. That iswhy those experienced and adept in Ninjutsu would have no problemusinganytypeofweaponorusinganyobjectasaweapon.ThetermTaiKen(bodyfist)expressesthebeliefthatnotonlycanoneusethehead,hands,andlegforstrikingandpushing,butthatotherpartsof thebodycanbeusedincombataswell.

InthebeginningofBujinkantraining,studentslearnaboutKihonHappo,the eight basic principles. Kihon Happo includes the techniques usedagainsteightbasic formsofattack.KihonHappo isdivided intoKosshiKihonSanpo-No-Gata(threebasicstrikingtechniques)andHoshuKihonGoho-No-Gata (five basic grappling techniques). Later, students learnmorecomplexformswithapartner,formsthatareparticulartoBujinkanRyu. They also learn katawith a partner from variousRyu included inBujinkan.Atthesametime,studentsaretaughttechniquesandmethodsforusingweapons. In thebeginning, theyare taught tousehanboandbo;later,thejo,katana,tanto,aswellasnaginata,yari,kyoketsushoge,and others. To master Taijutsu, it takes a lifetime of constant self-developmentandprogresstoperfecttheuseofweapons.Thus,studentsmustshowagreatdealofhumilityandpersistence.

SomeoftheprinciplesofTaijutsu:ShizenGyoUnRyuSui

(Movenaturally,harmoniously,yetwithenergy)KenTaiIchiJo

(Thepoweroftechniqueresultsfromthemovementofthewholebody)ShinGiTaiIchi

(Theunionofspirit(shin),technique(gi),andbody(tai)).

KihonHappo(TheEightPrinciples):MushaDori

Toperformeffectivetechniques,itisimportanttoskillfullylowerandraisethebodyduringtheparticularpartsofamovement.ThismethodiscalledTenChi(EarthandHeaven)andisalwaysusedinTaijutsu.

Tori remainsparallel toukeandhooksuke’sarmfrombelow.Thismovecausestension inuke’sshoulder joint.ToristepsbackwithhisleftlegandperformsIchimonjiNoKamae.

Whenukeshiftshisbalancetothefrontleg,toristepsinandpushesuke’sbentarmback.Ukeloseshisbalance.

KihonHappoOmoteGyakuDori

A twisting wristlock from the Ten Ryaku No Maki (the Strategy of

Heaven)

Uke’shandblocksuke’sview.Forasplitsecond,ukecan’tseetori!

ReverseMushaDori

A smooth defensive movement and a shoulder lock. The smoothmovement,Nagare,isabsolutelynecessaryinthistechnique.Inordertoachievethismovement,itisveryusefultopracticeSuiNoKata(FormofWater).

ToriusesShakoKentopullukedownontohisback.

OmoteGyakuagainstOmoteGyaku

ThisformisdesignedtodeepenKihonHappo(EightPrinciples)training.Usingthesametechniqueasacounterattackisagreatwaytoenhance

thepracticeofthebasics.Torineedstomovesmootherandinthelowerposition.

ImmobilizingPin

AseriesoftechniquesusedinFudozaNoKamae,asittingposition,andapplied to control the opponent while standing up. The technique istypical for Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jataijutsu, the school that focused on

combatwithanarmoredopponent.Armorprotectsfrominjuriesyetlimitsrangeofmotion.Armoredwarriorsonlyhadamoderaterangeofmotion.Thearmoredwarriorusedhishipsasasourceofcentrifugal force. It isnot possible to bend deeply or perform other techniques that demanddexterity while wearing armor. The initial goal for members of TakagiYoshinRyuwastoprotectthecastleinwhichtheDaimio(Prince)lived.Thus,mostofthetechniquesarefinishedwithapinandcontrolovertheopponent,justliketechniquesusedbymodernsecurityguards.Thegoalisnot to kill theopponent.Timing is key for this school. In this case, itmeans that the practitioner initiates his technique at almost the samemoment the attacker begins his attack. These skills require vastexperienceandacuteobservationoftheopponent.

InterceptingaKickandCounterattack

Sokuyeku Ken/Keri from sitting position. The technique comes fromShindenFudoRyuDankentaijutsu.

Nagare-TheFlowofMovement

Smooth interception of a moving or grabbing hand. The presentedexample comes fromTakagiYoshinRyu.This techniquemaybemore

complexwhentheopponentisarmedwithwakizashiortanto.

TheSoftBlockandInterceptingaHand

Aseriesofblocksandstrikeswith locksandgrips.Theformpicturedis

basedonTainagashi(theflowofbody),atechniquefromShindenFudoRyu. The technique must be performed smoothly and should not bedeliveredinseparatesmovements.Gripsandthrowsmustbeperformednaturally.Tori, inanaturalandrelaxedway,escapestheattack.Theoryisunnecessary—Donotthink.

DefenseAgainstOpponent’sGrabonBackofCollar

ThepresentedformcomesfromGyokkoRyuKosshijutsu.Thetechniqueisusedinasituationinwhichukewantstograb(attack)Toribythebackof thecollarwithhis righthand;uke’ right leg is in front.The techniquecanbeusedinbothstaticanddynamicsituations.

ReleaseFromtheGripandGainingControlWhileinaSittingPosition

ToriandukestandinKomiUchi.Uketriestoholdtori.Torichangeshisgripandpresseshisthumbagainstthecrookofuke’selbow,Hoshizawa.Hisrightthumbpressesagainstuke’sneck(BoshiKen)atthespotwhentheneckmeetsthelowerjaw,Mu.

MisleadingOpeningfortheKick

Circular movements are typical for Gyokko Ryu. During combat, toricreates a void, an open space, called Koku that encourages theopponenttoattackinawaythatispredictableforTori.

MovingBehindtheOpponent’sBack

The presented technique is a form from Shinden Fudo Ryu. Themovementshouldbeenergeticandfierce.

TheVoidSpace

Tori creates a void (space) called Koku and leads uke to perform apredictable type of movement. In this form, tori’s moves are circular,whichisatypeofmovementparticulartoGyokkoRyu.

SoftBlock/ReceptionofAttackandFirmCounterattack

ThetechniqueusestheaspectofdistanceinamannercharacteristicofKotoRyuKoppojutsu.Toriblockssoftlyjusttogaintheproperoffensivedistance.

ToriExposesHimselftoaKickandConductsaCounterattackApplyingaWristlock

Theuse of lock and smooth transition to the next lock. Themethod ofworking with the void (space) called Koku is characteristic for GyokkoRyu.

DefenseAgainstGripsandStrikes

When a strong opponent grabs one’s top (a lapel, a collar, etc.), onemust always move smoothly beyond the range of the opponent’s freehand (GyokkoRyu).This isoneway to takehisbalanceandopen thepossibility of causing a painful counterattack (Koshijutsu method). Theopponentwon’tlookforwardtoanotherfight.

AnAttackTargetedattheLegs

Whileperformingthewholetechnique,asinglestepcan’tbemissed.Toachieve this, tori must always maintain the proper distance from hisopponent.

AnAttackFromtheAir

A dynamic series of jumping attacks is characteristic for Koto RyuKoppojutsu.Attention:Astrikeontheneckcauseslossofconsciousnessand can also be deadly! During classes, this matter should receivespecialattention.

Ambush:TheElementofSurprise

ThisisatechniquefromKotoRyu.Ithasbeensaidthattherootsofthisstyle come fromChina, justaswithGyokkoRyu. In Japan,manyninjaandsamuraipracticethisstyle.

Holdfastand“theDemonHorns”

Thepresentedtechniqueofjumpingatsomeoneandapplyingaholdfastis popular in many schools. Below, the movement and the way ofexecutingkatawithpartnerfollowtherulesofKotoRyu.

APainfulBlockontheThigh

Keri Kudaki (kick destroyer) is a technique from Bujinkan Ryu. ThetechniqueisbasedonChiRyakuNoMaki(theEarthprinciple).

Nagare-TheFlow

Aseriesofmovementsduringwhich torineithergrabsnorholdsukeat

anytime.

TheCounter-throw

Typicalforthistechniqueismovementontherightsideoftheopponent,asitwasontherightsidethatwarriorsworetheirkatana.Thepresentedthrows are executed in the Shinden Fudo Ryu style. They are quitedifferentfromwhatisknownfromJudo.Beforethethrowisexecuted,toritries to take an opponent’s balance by hurting him (tori pinches theopponent’s skin, presses his eyes, etc.), then he applies the lock thatdestroys the opponent’s joints. After that, the opponent is thrown overtori’shipsandpoundedon theground.Theopponentdoesn’thave thechance to fall on his arms and to protect himself. Additionally, theopponent falls on his ownweapon, which under the weight of a body,breaksandmortallyinjurestheowner.ShindenFudoRyuusesacombattypeofjudo.Thethrowingtechniquesofmodernjudohavetheirrootsinsuchhistoriccombattypesofjudo.

Half-hipThrow

The technique of pressing and kicking the sensitive points on anopponent’s body and performing a half-hip throw. This series ofmovements enables one to knock an opponent over without the risksassociatedwithhavingtoturnbacktotheopponent,suchasduringafullhipthrow.

OmoteOnikudaki

GyakuGi, thesoft twisting techniques.Thepresentedtechnique isveryoften used when disarming an opponent. Weapons could include the

tanto, jutte,orothershortwoodenweapon(inmoderncircumstances, itcouldbeabaseballbat).

TheMisleadingEscapeFromtheAttackandtheGansekiOtoshiThrowWithOneHand

The presented sequence shows movement characteristic of ShindenFudoRyuDankentaijutsu.Tori stays in thenatural stance,ShinzenNoKamae, which is a typical receiving stance for the Shinden Fudo RyuDunkentaijutsu.

Yoroi:TheTechniquesinArmor.

TheBujinkantraditionincludesschoolsinwhichtechniqueswerecreatedand then used for hundreds of years. Samurai, servants, and ordinarysoldiers often wore additional protective clothes. People from differentplaces in society and different hierarchal levels wore different types ofarmor.Beginningwithverylightprotectionforthefrontofthebody(kirysdo),toarmormadeofmetalrings(ringarmor),tothemorecomplicatedstructuresthatalmostcoveredtheentirebody,includingtheface.Withitscharacteristic structure of flexible design, Yoroi enabled the personwearing it tomove quite freely, despite the armor. Techniques used incombat involving full armorweremostly developed by theKukishindenand Takagi Yoshine Ryu. Thus, when practicing the techniques fromthesetraditionstoday,oneshouldmoveasifwearingarmor.In each Bujinkan school, various types of protection was used —

partial protectors or ring armor — all depending on the practitioners’needs. Shinobi warriors quite often wore light ring armor under theirregular clothes, Ninja warriors also protected their arms and wrists,wearingmetalsleeves.

•Steelshinsprotectors(Suneate)(A)andThroatandneckprotectors(Hambo)(B/C)•Aflexiblesleeve(Kote)comprisedofringarmors,steelshellsandtheforgedpartfortheforearm(D).

ThrowovertheKnee

This series of techniques come from Shinden Fudo Ryu. One of theprinciplesoftheschoolsays:“Whentheopponentusesviolenceagainstyou,remainsteady,causepain,respondfirmlyandforcefully…”

OpenStance(Koku)andSoftUndercut

Tori’sopeningpositionwillencouragetheopponenttoattackinawaytoricaneasilypredictandcanusetotaketheopponent’sbalance.

HappoKeriandKeriKudaki

Aseriesofkicks:“destroyeroflegsandarms.”ThisseriesofkicksusedinNinjutsuhasitsoriginsinChina.

TheSacrificeThrow:CounterattacktoChoking

There are many variations of this form. The Takagi Yoshine RyuJutaijutsu,aschoolofsecurityguards in theShogunatecastle,broughtthese amazing kicks to perfection. Formerly, this school’s studentstrained with yoroi (armor). All levels of Takagi Yoshine Ryu JutaijutsutrainonBujinkanmats.

FourfoldOxygenDeprivation

This is a series of many difficult techniques: strikes, chokes, balance

breaking,Kamaestructurebreaking,enteringtheopponent’sspace,andsmashingtheopponentwithbodyweight.

ALopsidedDuet

Torimuststaycalm,asheneedsperfecttimingandasteadymind.Thetechnique requires theperfectability tomovewhile inasittingposition.

It’snotaneasytask for tallerandheavierpeople; it’seasier forsmallerpeopleandthoseaccustomedtosittinginSeiza.

Koppojutsu:TheDefenseAgainstWakizashi

Techniques andmethods ofmovement used in the school of the KotoRyuKoppoJutsu.Characteristicistheuseofvariousdistancesfromtheopponent as well as diagonal strikes. Long distance is usedmostly incaseswhentheopponentisarmed.

ShinChu:TheCenteroftheHeart

Engagingincombatwithanarmoredopponent isalwaysthesolutionoflastresort.Withoutaweapon,oneshouldalwaystakesintoconsiderationthepossibilityofgettingaweaponorsomething thatmay functionasaweapon.Orsimplyconsiderthepossibilityofescape.

Metsubushi

The use of blinding powder. In its simplest form, the powder was amixture of wood chips with some sort of hot spice, perhaps pepper.Powderwascarriedbywarriorsintheirinnertoppocket.Thepowderwasenclosedineggshells.Priortoemployingit,thewarriortooktheeggshellcontainingthemaliciouscontentinhishand,crushedit,andthenthrewitattheeyesofhisopponent(s).Ninja,takingadvantageofthemomentarysurprise,quicklyretreated.UsingtheprincipleofEarthelement,hewouldhideinhighgrass,reeds,orblendinwiththeenvironment.Theblindingpowdercouldalsobehiddeninaspeciallycraftedswordscabbard,whichwas used to blow (project) the powder. Sometimes, the ninja warriorwould throw the powder at the opponent with a great sweepingmovementofthesaya(scabbard),whichwasfilledwiththepowder.

ToriusestheblindingpowderMetsubushiattheendofthecombat.Theopponentisblindedafterthethrow.

TheuseofblindingpowderMetsubushi.Toriusestheblindingpowdertodisarmtheopponent.

ThebasicwaysofstoringandusingMetsubushiblindingpowder:thesword’stsubaandeggshells.

Metsubushi1-MorningMist

Thepresentedform(kata)showsthewayaninjapreparesforanescapeor retreat to shelter (which could be taller grass or the corner of abuilding). The form doesn’t look difficult, but in reality it belong to the“royalclass”oftechniquesinTaijutsu.Timing,skillfulness,softness,andfirmness,allatthesametime.Avoidingopenconflict.Escape.ThesearealltacticstypicalfortheschooloftheTogakureRyuNinpo.

Metsubushi2-Incapacitation

The presented technique is an example of using blinding powder incombat.ThisformcomesfromtheschoolofTogakureRyu.

DokoNoKamae:TheAngryTiger

A series of techniques that teaches a Bujinkan principle: leading andpushing the opponent in a chosen direction (towards some object, forexample)throughtheuseofalockinordertoputukeinanevenworseposition.

SwordNinjatoShinobitoShinobiken

TheHistoryofNinjato

Theninjatohas thesamerootsas thesamuraisword.Therearemanymisconceptionswithregardtotheappearanceoftheninjato.Thetruthisthat any sword that belongs to a ninja automatically becomes ninjato.

Ninjawarriorsoftenhaddifficulty inobtaininghighquality blades.Theycommonly gathered abandoned swords found on the battlefield. Thesewere then converted and shortened. At that time, this procedure wasforbiddenandseverelypunished.Ninja warriors were very creative: a sword in their hands became a

multi-functional tool.As theydidn’t follow theCodeofBushido (Wayofthe Warrior), they used swords in many unconventional ways. Therewereknowntobeswordswithonesideofthebladehavingtheformofasaw,butthemostcommonswordshadabladethatwasstraightorhadaslightcurve.Theswordsof theninjawarriorswereshorter than regularswords.Thisgavethewarriorsanadvantagewhenpullingaswordfroma scabbard. The empty space in the saya (the scabbard)was used tostoreblindingpowderorotherusefulobjectsforcombat.

Differenttypesofswords,daggers,andknivesusedbyshinobi.Farright:atypicalkatana.Secondfromright:Ninjato(ShonobiGatan)

Ninjatohaveamuchlongertsuka(handle)thannormalkatana.Ninjausedthestraightswordsaswellas(rarely)thecurvedones.

NinjaShizumiIai

Theskillofpullingtheswordoutinconfinedspaces.WhileintheHanzaNoKamaeposition,aninjacontrollinghissurroundingspullsaninjatooutslowly.

NinjaIai-YokoAruki

Pullingtheswordoutandmovingtotheside.Thistypeofmovement isusefulwhenaninjamovesalongawall.

NinjaTo-Aruki1

Presented is a different way of moving Aruki, such as when movingthroughbushesor thickets.The saya is used to removeobstacles; theweaponisreadytobeused.

NinjaTo-Aruki2

TheArukiwalk:turningbackincaseofanattackfrombehind.

NinjaTo-AtypicalWayofPullingOutthe

Sword1

Thistechniqueincludespullingaswordoutwiththelefthandtomisleadtheopponent. Inorder todo it, thescabbardmustbeperfectly fitted totheobi(thebelt).Toplaceone’srighthandonthehandlewasasignofdangerandaproblem;showingthebladewasasignofopenconflictandinviteda fight.Bypulling theswordoutwith the lefthand,aninjacouldstrike theopponent’s ribswith theendof thehandle (tsukagashira).A

sword

NinjaTo-AtypicalWayofPullingOuttheSword2

Thereare threesituations inwhichaninjawouldpullaswordout frombehindhisbackorputtheswordontohisback.Thefirstsituationiswhena ninja would attach the sword behind his back while walking (rarely,because the otherwaywas to attach it to his side). The second eventwaswhentheninjaattachedtheswordtohisbackwhilehewasclimbingorjumpingthroughobstacles.Thethirdcasewaswhentwoshinobiwerefightingoneopponent.Whileoneninjaremainedinfrontoftheopponentwithhissword, thesecondninjawouldmovebehindhispartner’sbackand shift the sword to his back. The hidden ninja would then step outfrombehindhisfriendandlaunchasurpriseattackagainsttheopponentwithJodanKiri.

TheFlowingSword:ATrainingForm1

Training for the fluid use of a swordwhilewalking. Advanced studentsmay use a real weapon for this practice. Training with a real swordcompletely changes the understanding of themovement, removing thesenseofsecurityandresultinginamoreeconomicandrealisticusageoftheweapon.Usingastandardkatanaofnormallengthimprovestheflowandenforcesmoreextensiveworkwith thebody.Compared tokatana,whichwasmostlyusedforcutting,ninjatowereusedmostlyforstabbing.

TheFlowingSword:ATrainingForm2

Usingtheswordwhilewalkingina180-degreeturn.

StoppinganAttempttoSeizetheWeapon

The method of preventing an opponent’s attempt to seize the ninja’ssword(ninjato,katana,wakizashi)with theuseof thehandle(tsuka). Intraditionalmartial arts,whenone lost hisownweapon,anattemptwasmade to get the opponent’s weapon. The presented technique is anexampleofhow topreventanenemy from “disarming”youandhow tooverpowertheopponentwithouthurtinghim.

AttackWithoutWarning

AformfromTakagiYoshinRyu.Thismethodwasusedbydoubleagentswho,undercover,snuckintoacastleandgainedthetrustofthepeople

inside.

HappoGakureNoKamae

“Lookstraighttohiseyessoyouwillnotmissamoment.Thismaybethelast.”StrategyfromTogakureRyuNinpo.

Ninjato:Saya

The unusual use of a sword. Using a sword in a surprising way oftenhelpedaninjadefeataconfusedopponent.Below, thesayaandsageo(that is,ascabbardanda rope thatwasused to tie theweapon to thebelt)areusedasacatapultandabullet.Theopponent’seyesorsolarplexuswastheusualtargetforthiskindofattack.

TheHiddenWeapon

The use of a hidden weapon. In this case, the hidden weapon is asenban shuriken, widely used by ninjas. The ninja warriors frequently

usedShurikenjutsutodistractopponents,toperformasurpriseattack,orasameanstodisappearintothedarkness.

TheReverseBlade

Keepingtheswordwiththebladefacingtheopponent’sfaceistypicalfortheKukishindenRyuHappoBikenjutsu.

CounterattackwithTaihenjutsu

As presented below, the way of moving with ninjato will surprise theopponent,whoexpectsaconfrontation.Thepresentedmovementallowsshinobitoavoidengaginginafight.

ShorteningtheDistance:BoAgainstShinobito

Theabilitytoshortenthedistancewhenonepossessesaweaponthatisshorterthantheopponent’sweaponisadifficult,yetextremelyimportantskill.Itisoftenamatteroflifeordeath.Theabilitycouldalsobeusedinmodern circumstances to defend against someone with a large anddangerousobject.

StaffWeaponryHanboJoBo

Bo-FuriGata

Aflowmovementwithboinfrontandbehindthebody.Thisformteachesbothhowtoholdabosteadyinyourhandsandhowtomovesmoothlywithabo,skillsthatarenecessaryduringafight.Whilemovingtheboin

front of his body, the tori should create a triangle that protects himselffromanattack.Practicingwiththebodevelopstheabilitytouseanytypeofwoodenweapon.Itisanintroductionandfoundationtolearninghowtouseayari(spear)andnaginata.

Bō(roku-shaku-bō) literallymeansstick. Ithasa lengthof6shaku,where one shaku is 12 inches (30.3 cm). Its length depends on auser’sheightandisusuallyabout70inches(180cm).Aboismadefromwoodorbamboo;theyarerarelymadefrommetal.

Bo(2)

Aseries ofmovements that includes two horizontal strikes and shiftingthebobehindtheback.Thismayleadtoaverticalstrike.

Bo(3)

Thecombinationofusingabowithotherobjects.Ninjamoveswith thebotargetedat theopponent.Torikicksanobjectupfromthegroundtodistracttheopponent.

Bo(4)

Pickingtheboupfromthegroundwithoutbendingorlosingeyecontact

withthetarget.

Jō(1)

Ajoisawoodenstick,usuallyabout50inches(128cm)long,oftenofalength adjusted to the user’s height. However, the jo is always longerthanakatana.Inthepast,thejowasusedtodefendagainstthekatana,wakizashi,andtanto.

Jō(2)

Thistechniquecanalsobeusedwithabo(awoodenstickapproximately70inches[180cm]long)orwithayari(aspear).

Hanbo

The technique with a hanbo, a short stick, is used to incapacitate anattackerwhousesashortsword.

Thehanboisastickabout35inches(90cm)long.Itshouldbethesame length as the distance from the user’s belly button to theground.Thestick’slengthissimilartothatofeverydayobjectssuchasanumbrella,apipefromavacuumcleaner,etc.Thestickcanbeusedasawalkingstick.Inthepast,somewouldplaceadaggerorevenasword insideahanbo.Thiswould transform thehanbo intoshikomibuki,whichisaninsidioustypeofweapon.

Ningu:KyoketsuShukoKunai

ShurikenJitte

Ninguisawordgenerallyusedtodescribeallkindsoftoolsusedbyninjawarriors. There is much discussion and misconception about the toolsusedbyaninja.Somepeoplewho love thedressed-in- -blackwarriorsseeninHollywoodmoviesareunawarethatninjasdidnotactuallycreatethe weapons so widely associated with them. Furthermore, regularsamurai warriors used the sameweapons aswell. A typical subject ofsuch misconception is the shuriken. It was a small object that tookvarious shapes; a warrior usually threw it at an opponent’s face.Shurikenjutsu was a part of the training system in many martial artsschoolswheresamuraipracticed theirskills.Shinobiwarriorsalsousedthisweapon;someshapesofshurikencanbeexclusivelylinkedtoninjaschools.Whileninjasusedweaponsthatweregenerallyavailable,it’simportant

tomentionat thispoint thatveryoftentheyusedsuchweapons in theirownway:theyappliedtheirownmethodsandcombatstrategies.Kyoketsu,kunai,shuko,andashikoweretypicalforninjas.

KyoketsuShogei(1)

Thisweaponisconsideredtobeatypeofningu(ninjaequipment).Itwasa typical shinobiweapon (as opposed to the shuriken,whichwas alsoemployed by samurai). The kyoketsu is a brilliant tool with many

characteristicsthatareveryusefulduringcombat,climbing,andtyingupan opponent. It combinedmany functions. In a ninja’s hands it was amultifunctionaltoolaswellasadeadlyweapon.Thetoolwouldhavetwodouble-edged blades, a long rope measuring 8-10 feet (2.5-3 meters)thatwouldhavebeenmade from thehair of ahorseorwoman,andametal ring.Thebladeswereused towoundanopponent, the ringwasusedforstrikesinvariousvitalpoints,andtheropewasusedtobindanopponentusingHayanawatechniques.

KyoketsuShogei(2)

At the beginning of a fight, kyoketsu shogei is used as a longrangeweapon.Atechniqueinwhichonecanentwineanopponent’slegorneckwithropethusqualifieskyoketsushogeasa“flexible”weapon,similartoachain. Itcanbeverydangerouswhenusedbybeginners.Touse thetoolforone’sadvantage,onemustabsolutelycontrolthetool;otherwise,thetoolcanbedangerousforthepersonusingit.

KyoketsuShogei(3)

The techniques presented below are for striking the opponent’s head,

trunk,orarmswiththemetalringaswellasatechniquethatenablestorito pull the opponent down. Tori throws the kyoketsu shogei at theopponent’s guard. The ring targets the space between the opponent’sarms.Theattackerwithaswordnowhasmetalringhangingonhisarm.It definitely causes problems for the swordsman, as there is a ninja infront of him just waiting for a mistake. The attacker does not knowwhetherheshouldchangehisgriponhissword, cut the ropebetweentheringandninja,orjustwaitfortheninja’snextmove.Foraninjaitwassometimes enough just to throw a kyoketsu shogei at a man with asword. The objectwould hit the handholding the katana, and the fightwasover.

Shuriken

Thissmallsteelweaponwasfrequentlyusedbyshinobiwarriors.Intheirhandsitbecamequiteanefficientweapon.Afewtypesofshurikancan

bedistinguished:-straightshurikan;-intheshapeofstar,crossordisc;-specialshurikan.Shurikan techniqueswere taught inmanymartial arts schools.Even

today students practice Shurikenjutsu in the Bujinkan and in somesamurai schools. Throws are executed from almost every kind ofposition: lying on the ground, after turning around, from the hip, andbackwards.Traditionally, shuriken techniqueswereused in combat in fights at a

mid-lengthdistance.Theweaponwasmostefficientwhenthrownfromadistance of 7-10 feet (2-3 meters). It was usually thrown at theopponent’sheadandneckandwouldwoundandscaretheopponent.Inmodern circumstances the shuriken techniques could be used for

self-defense.Wecanthrowobjectsthatarewithinreachandmatchthesecategories:-straight:pen,fork,knife,spoon,stick,etc.;-intheshapeofstar,cross,ordisc:ashtray,saucer,plate,etc.;-specialones:book,glass,oranyotherobject.

Thesenbamshuriken isalsoknownas the“ThrowingStar”and“NinjaDeathStar.”Thisshuriken issquareshaped,withgroovesonthesideandasquareshapedholeinthemiddle.ShurikenwasusedinKukishinschools.Techniqueswiththesenbamshurikenweresecret.

Shurikenofalldesignsmakeeffectiveanddangerousweaponsinclose-infighting.

Various types of steel shurikens.Different shapes and formswere characteristic for particular regions and areas ofJapan.Basedonshape,itisthereforepossibletodiscovertheoriginsofparticularshuriken.

ManrikiKusari(1)

Kusarijutsu, the art of the chain, includes strikes (Atemi) targeted at

particularpoints, thrusts (Tsuki), attacks targetedat eyes (Metsubushi),blocks(Uke),sparring(Ukenagashi), tying(Karami),controlling(Osae),choking(Shime),andbinding(Hobaku).

ManrikiKusari(2)

Furiuchiwaza:thetechniqueofswingingachainhorizontally,vertically,ordiagonallywhenattacking.

KakushiKusarigama

Kusarigama was a small, useful, and effective weapon that could behidden in a kimono. Theweaponwas used to block a sword blade, toimmobilizetheopponent’shandonaswordhandle,toexecutecutswiththesickle,tostrikeandthrustwiththesharphandle,aswellastochokeorstrikewiththeroundweightattheendofthechain.

Jutte(Juttejutsu1)

ThisweaponisassociatedwithpolicefromtheEdoperiod(1603-1868).Thereweremanykindsofjutte.Thelengthoftheweaponrangedfrom9inchesto25inches(25cmto64cm).DuringtheEdoperiod,policeusedjuttesthatrangedfrom35inchesto40inches(90-101cm).Thejuttewasused for intercepting katanas; for strikes, thrusts, and chokes; and forlocksappliedtowrists,elbows,andfingers.

Jutte(Juttejutsu2)

Thejuttecanbeunderstoodasanextensionofthehand.StrikeswithametalrodarestrongerthansimpleKoppoJutsustrikes.PressingKyushopoints with a metal pole is more effective then simply pressing thosepoints with fingers. The hook attached to the rod can wound and tearskin, yet one can also use it to break fingers or apply small but veryeffective locks. The jitte was usually hidden in a person’s sleeve,attachedbehind theperson’sback to thebelt,or inserted inaperson’sleggings. During a fight, it was often an unpleasant surprise for theopponent.

Shuko(CatHand1)

Thedefenseagainstaswordcuttothehead:atechniquefromTogakureRyuNinpo.The shuko is a metal claw worn on the hand. Similar claws, called

ashiko, were also worn on the legs. The claws were used at closedistancesfortearingandstabbinganopponent,forblockingaswordcutusing the small metal band that was wrapped around the hand, forparryingaswordattack,orfordisarminganopponentbyhittinghishandwith a fist armed with a metal band. The metal claws had a definitepsychological effect on an opponent. The wounds caused by the clawcouldbeverydangerousorevendeadly.

Shuko(CatHand2)

ThedefenseagainstMigiDoGiri (ahorizontalswordcut from the rightside)isatechniquefromTogakureRyuNinpo.Amartial art called Shukojutsu used the shuko’s counterpart, which

werewornonthelegsandwerecalledashiko.Fightingwiththesetoolsatcloserange,aninjacouldpainfullyinjuretheopponentbytearingandstabbinghim.Apopulartargetforninjaswastheinsideofthethigh.

Kunai

A kunai was used in close-range combat to apply strikes and thrustseventhoughitstipwasn’tsharp.A kunai can serve as an example of a regular object that in the

experienced and skilled hands of a ninja could become a dangerousweapon.

OtherObjectsasCombatTools

Many everyday items can be used as tools for combat. In general,objectscanbedividedintothefollowingcategories:–longandfixed,forexample:astick,umbrella,broom,shovel,pen,fork,andbook.Theyarethe equivalents of a katana, bamboo, tanto, bo shuriken, jo, bo, andtassen(fan).– long and flexible, for example: a robe, belt, scarf, leash, and chain.Theyaretheequivalentsofasageo,manriki,kusari,etc.

– roundandhard: stone, ashtray, and jug.Theyare theequivalentsofstar-shapedshuriken,disc-shapedshuriken,etc.

–ingranularorfluidform:sand,pepper,salt,bakingsoda,coins,water,etc.Theyaretheequivalentsofmetsubushi,ablindingpowder.

Incapacitation:aStreetFight

Theapplicationofself-defense techniques for immobilizing ispresentedinmoderncircumstanceswith theuseofasportcoator jacket. It isanexampleoftheuseofmodernclothingbelongingeithertotheattackerorthepersonperformingthetechniques.Clothing—alongwithbelts,robes,etc.—belongstothecategoryofflexibleweapons.Thedifferentpartsofclothingareperfecttoolsthatcanbeusedfordifferentpurposessuchasforbinding,immobilizing,applyingpinsandlocks,choking,orblockinganopponent’sview.Varioustypesofshoesareusefulfordifferentkindsofkicks.Thejacketsleevecanbeusedforbindingandimmobilizing.Hatsand gloves are perfect for throwing at an opponent’s eyes for thepurposesofdistraction.

PublishedbyTuttlePublishing,animprintofPeriplusEditions(HK)Ltd.

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Copyright©2013MarianWiniecki

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