34th Grand Master of the Togakure Ryu

Dr Masaaki Hatsumi was born Yoshiaki Hatsumi on the 2nd of December, 1931in Noda City, Chiba prefecture. He attended Meji University in Tokyo, and achieved a major in theatre studies and is now the Director of his own chiropractic clinic in Noda City.

Along with his known martial arts, he is also a great painter, musician, writer and actor. His pictures were exhibited among others in the famous Ginza gallery, where they were sold for several thousand dollars.

He gives many paintings to his students and others who are close to him and believes, that the energy stored in those paintings, will help restore peace on Earth.

In the 1950’s and 1960’s Dr Hatsumi continuously travelled across Japan to study with Toshitsugu Takamatsu, of Kashiwara City, Nara Prefecture, from whom he received his initiation into the life and ways of the Ninja. He later inherited from his teacher the authority and position of headmaster of the following martial traditions;

34th Soke of Togakure Ryu ninjutsu, originally founded by Daisuke Togakure.

28th Soke of Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu, originally founded by Hakuuhsai Tozawa.

28th Soke of Kukishin Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu, originally founded by Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru.

26th Soke of Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu, originally founded by Izumo Kanja Yoshiteru.

26th Soke of Koto Ryu Koppojutsu, originally founded by Sandayu Momochi.

18th Soke of Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu, originally founded by Sonyu Hangan Gikanbo, Lord of Kawachi.

21st Soke of Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo, originally founded by Sasaki Goemon Teruyoshi

14th Soke of Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo, originally founded by Heinaizaemon Ienaga Iga, who adopted the name Kumogakure Hoshi.

17th Soke of Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu, originally founded by Oriuemon Shigenobu Takagi.

Now retired from active teaching, Dr Hatsumi no longer accepts new personal; students. He supervises the Bujinkan (Divine Warrior training hall), which is made up of his students who now carry Shihan and Shidoshi titles and carry out the teaching work on a worldwide basis.

Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi remains the founder and the leader of International Bujinkan Dojo Organization with headquarters in Noda, Chiba province, Japan, where he still lives and teaches. He is a direct successor of nine old warrior traditions, which he succeeded from the late Toshitsugu Takamatsu who was known as Moku no Tora or Mongolian tiger.

Among other things, Dr. Hatsumi is also a great collector and historian. He owns probably the largest collection of old weapons and documents from various martial art schools.
He has collected these through many years of training. He also donated many exhibits to various museums. One can see many certificates of honour, doctor degrees and other similar things hanging from the walls in his house.

As a recognised Judo teacher, he was invited to teach soldiers in American military bases. He thought, that there are a lot of things he could learn there, but he soon recognised, that taller and stronger Americans needed to put less time and effort to master certain techniques than Japanese would have to.

What took Japanese years to master, took Americans only a few months. That made young Hatsumi sad, and therefore he decided, that he will seek out an art, which will not depend on person's structure and physical power.

He spent a lot of time searching for the art he was looking for. In this time he trained with many masters, but he hadn't found what he wanted to see.

At last he met an old Kobudo teacher Ueno Takashi. Takashi taught him about old Budo arts, such as Asayama Ichiden Ryu, Shinto Tenshin Ryu, Bokuden Ryu, Takagi Yoshin Ryu, Kuki Shinden Ryu and Gyokushin Ryu and after three years of training with him, Takashi gave Hatsumi Menkyo Kaiden (licence, which states that the bearer has mastered certain martial art and is allowed to teach it).

Hatsumi was also the leader of Takashi's group in Noda for some time. The group included some later recognised teachers.

Ueno Takashi was a student of Toshitsugu Takamatsu. That was the link, which guided Hatsumi into contact with the only living Ninja warrior left on the world and Takamatsu Sensei took him for his student.

Hatsumi ceased to train with Takashi, and was given Hamon, which meant, that Menkyo Kaiden was no longer valid.

That is how Hatsumi in his twenties, started to train with the man later became inspiration of his life. For fifteen years Hatsumi travelled each weekend, several hours by train to city Kashiwabara, south of Kyoto and Nara, to learn from the greatest martial art's master, he had ever known.

Hatsumi says, that the training with Takamatsu was unbelievable, and that Takamatsu showed perfect techniques despite his age.

The old tradition was, that every warrior had his own Bugo (warrior name) and that is how Takamatsu Sensei started to call Hatsumi Byaku Ryu, which stands for white dragon. After Takamatsu died, Hatsumi added Oh to his name. He took that word from Takamtsu's name. That made him Byakuryuoh, honourable white dragon.

Until today he changed his warrior name a few more times, and is today known by his Bugo Hisamune (eternal seeker). Among other things, he also changed his name from Yoshiaki into Masaaki. That is a usual thing among martial art masters.

Before he died, Takamatsu Sensei passed tradition, way of life and direct inheritance of nine warrior traditions, which he taught him, to Hatsumi.

At that time Hatsumi didn't feel capable enough, to show himself as Soke (grandmaster, direct successor) in public.

Therefore he remained isolated with his students from inquisitive eyes. Even his neighbours didn't know, that he was successor of so old traditions.

Despite that, he founded the Bujinkan Dojo in late 1970’s to honour and remember his master.

Bujinkan Dojo is an international organization, which passes on the tradition of all inherited schools.

His first students were Fumio Manaka, Tsunehisa Tanemura, Tetsuji Ishizuka, Koichi Oguri and Hideo Seno.

Some books written by Dr Masaaki Hatsumi

His latest book inconjunction with Stephen K Hayes

Secrets from the Ninja Grandmaster