Toshitsugu Takamatsu
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Toshitsugu Takamatsu (高松 寿嗣 Takamatsu Toshitsugu) was born on 10 March 1889 (the 23rd year of Meiji) in Akashi, Hyogo province, Japan and died on 2 April 1972.[1] He is well known throughout the world as a martial artist who taught and formed many next generation Grandmasters of various martial art traditions.
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[edit] Martial names
Toshitsugu Takamatsu (高松 寿嗣 Takamatsu Toshitsugu)'s real first name was Hisatsugu but he changed it later to Toshitsugu using the same Kanji but different pronunciation. He was also known under different martial arts names and nicknames : Jutaro, Chosui (Pure Water), Uoh (Winged Lord), Nakimiso (Cry-baby), Kotengu (Little Goblin), Moko no Tora (Mongolian Tiger), Kikaku (Demon Horns), Yokuoh (Running In The Sky Old Man), Kotaro (Young Tiger), Shojuken, Garakutabujin (Enjoy Sketching Martial Artist), Kozan and Kyosha. His posthumous name is Junshokakuju Zenjomon. His house (a motel/tea-inn) was in front of Kashihara Shrine, in Kashihara City (Nara Prefecture).
[edit] Personal life
He was married to Uno Tane who was born on 28 June 1897 and who died on 4 February 1991. They adopted a girl named Yoshiko. His father (Takamatsu Gishin Yasaburo) owned a match-factory and received Dai-Ajari (Master) title in Kumano Shugendo (a type of Shingon Buddhism). His Dojo was named "Sakushin" (Cultivating Spirit). He had a cat (Jiro) and enjoyed painting very much.
[edit] Martial arts training
Takamatsu's grandfather (on his mother's side), Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu, was a well known martial arts instructor who owned a dojo and bone-setting (sekkotsu) clinic in their home town. At the age of nine the weak and shy Takamatsu, often called a cry-baby by his peers, was sent to his grandfather to Kobe to strengthen up. The training was efficient, and by the age of 13 he had become a master that no longer had a peer in Kobe. From his grandfather he learned several martial arts, including ninjutsu, and inherited the position of Soke for the following Ryu (school):
- Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu
- Koto Ryu Koppojutsu
- Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu
- Togakure Ryu Ninpo
- Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo
- Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo
From the martial artist Mizuta Yoshitaro Tadafusa he became Grandmaster in Hontai
- Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu
(age 17) and from the martial artist Ishitani Matsutaro Takakage he became Grandmaster in
- Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu
- Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu
Out of interest, and predating Takamatsu's martial arts career, several of these schools were mentioned in the 1843 publication Kakutogi no Rekishi (“The History of Fighting Arts”, p.508-517). Although details of each school were omitted, the publication states, “Even though they are not mentioned in this particular periodical, there are several schools that are well-known for being ‘effective arts’ (jitsuryoku ha).” Among the schools listed in this section are Gyokko Ryu Koppojutsu, Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo, Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu, Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu, and Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu.[2]
He traveled through Mongolia to China at the age of 21, taught martial arts and delivered many battles on life or death. [3]He taught martial arts at an English school in China and had over 1000 students. He was the bodyguard of the last Chinese Emperor Puyi. He became Tendai Buddhist priest in 1919. In 1921 he was permitted to copy the Kukishinden Ryu scrolls (+ Amatsu Tatara scrolls) of the Kuki family. He was also a good friend of Jigoro Kano (Kodokan Judo) and took care of his younger brother. They both lived in the same region.
During the Second World War (1945) the original scrolls were destroyed and lost[citation needed]. In 1949 he presented new scrolls to the Kuki family which he had rewritten based on his copies and memory. He was deaf on one ear also due to one of his fights. He said that a Shaolin fighter and a shorinji boxer were the most dangerous enemies he ever met. He was buried on Kumedra cemetery in Nara. He used to write articles for the Tokyo Times newspaper. He was well known in Japan as a Grandmaster of Ju-Jutsu and Bojutsu.
In May 1950, Toshitsugu Takamatsu established Kashihara Shobukai in Nara prefecture. In the post-War era Takamatsu spent his time developing successors to his martial tradition. At the same time, he often sponsored Magokuro-kai-musubi tsudoi meeting and lectures about Amatsu Tatara, especially Izumo Shinpo, and reared many martial artists and religious leaders.
[edit] Notable students
He taught and formed many next generation Grandmasters such as Fumio Akimoto (considered the senior student of Takamatsu), Kimura Masaji (It is possible that no other student of Takamatsu has had more training with the Grandmaster), Sato Kinbei[3] (introduced Ueno Takashi to Takamatsu), Takashi Ueno and others, most important of all Masaaki Hatsumi founder of the Bujinkan organisation .
