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Masaaki Hatsumi

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Masaaki Hatsumi
Born (1931-12-02) December 2, 1931 (age 92)
ResidenceNoda, Chiba, Japan
StyleNinjutsu[1]
Teacher(s)Toshitsugu Takamatsu
Notable studentsStephen K. Hayes[2]

Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭 Hatsumi Masaaki, (born 2 December 1931) refers to himself (and is generally recognised) as the 34th Togakure-ryū ninpo Soke (Grandmaster), and is the founder of the Bujinkan Organization. He currently resides and teaches in the city of Noda, Chiba, Japan.[3]

Early years

Beginning in childhood, Masaaki Hatsumi studied several popular martial arts. After teaching martial arts to the U.S. soldiers stationed in Japan he noticed that the larger and stronger Americans had an advantage in bouts when using the same techniques. [4]He began to question the legitimacy of modern martial arts training and started to search for an art where persons of equal skill truly were equals, even if the other one was more muscular. It was after this time, while studying the ancient Japanese weaponry of the Masaki Ryu under Yumio Nawa, that he learned of ninjutsu and a martial artist named Toshitsugu Takamatsu who claimed to be proficient in this art.[5] In 1957 he and Fukumoto Yoshio began making regular trips to train with his new teacher (who resided at the time in Kashiwabara, in Nara), taking a 15-hour train ride from his hometown of Noda in Chiba. This training continued for 15 years until the passing of Toshitsugu Takamatsu in 1972.[6]

Schools

Hatsumi claims that from his instructor he inherited the position of sōke (headmaster) of nine ryū (schools of martial arts):[citation needed]

  • Togakure-ryū Ninpō (戸隠流忍法)
  • Gyokko-ryū Kosshi jutsu (玉虎流骨指術)
  • Kuki Shinden Happō Biken jutsu (九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術)
  • Kotō-ryū Koppō jutsu (虎倒流骨法術)
  • Shinden Fudō-ryū Dakentai jutsu (神伝不動流打拳体術)
  • Takagi Yōshin-ryū Jūtai jutsu (高木揚心流柔体術)
  • Gikan-ryū Koppō jutsu (義鑑流骨法術)
  • Gyokushin-ryū Ninpō (玉心流忍法)
  • Kumogakure-ryū Ninpō (雲隠流忍法)

Approach

Masaaki Hatsumi focuses the training of the Bujinkan on the "feeling" of technique, or perhaps more accurately, what he terms the feeling of real situations. Hatsumi has a non-standoffish teaching approach, leading Black Belt Magazine to call him "wild, funny, unpredictable, and a cross between Charlie Chaplin and Obi-Wan Kenobi." [7] While technical knowledge of an art is considered important, the direction of this feeling-based approach guides the practitioner towards a "natural understanding" of what links various martial lineages as well as what is most effective in real situations. In addition Bujinkan students do not participate in martial art tournaments because they see their martial art as non-competitive and not a sport.[8]

Films

He has also served as a martial arts advisor to various films and television productions, including the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice,[9] and in the first film from the highly popular Japanese series Shinobi no Mono. He also appeared in and was the stunt coordinator for the Japanese show Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya.[10]

Ninjutsu Lineage

Masaaki Hatsumi's claims to have a lineage related to the historical ninja in Japan are not supported by research independent of his own Bujinkan organization. [11]

The 1963 version of the Bugei Ryūha Daijiten has this to say regarding Takamatsu's Togakure-ryu "this genealogy refers to various written records and oral transmissions and there are many points/places where embellishments have been added and people appearing in the genealogy are also made older than they actually are. Thus the genealogy can be considered to be something that (Toda) Shinryūken newly arranged around the end of the Tokugawa shōgunate.". [12]

Neither Hatsumi, nor his teacher Toshitsugu Takamatsu have been recognized as having any historical relation to ninjas or ninja schools. [13] The Iga-ryū Ninja Museum of Japan lists as the only legitimate inheritor of authentic Ninjutsu as Jinichi Kawakami. [14] The Bugeicho (11/1963) editor Kiyoshi Watatani states that Hatsumi's ideas and lineage are only his ideas and that he has no proof to support them [15]. In the words of Donn Draeger:

The late Fujita Seiko was the last of the living ninja, having served in assignments for the Imperial Government during the Taisho and Showa eras. No ninja exist today. Modern authorities such as T. Hatsumi are responsible for most research being done on ninjutsu

— Donn Draeger, Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts, p 130, 1969

Awards

  • 2001 - Lifetime Achievement Award, USMA International Hall of Fame.
  • 2003 - Award for the Promotion of Culture (社会文化功労賞), Japan Council (日本文化振興会).[6]

Publications

  • Masaaki Hatsumi, The Essence of Budo, The Secret Teachings of the Grandmaster (2011), Kodansha International, 978-4-7700-3107-5
  • Masaaki Hatsumi, Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai (2008), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-3059-7
  • Masaaki Hatsumi, Japanese Sword Fighting (2006), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-2198-4
  • Masaaki Hatsumi, Advanced Stick Fighting (2005), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-2996-6
  • Masaaki Hatsumi, The Way of the Ninja (2004), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-4-7700-2805-1
  • Masaaki Hatsumi, Ninpo: Wisdom for Life. 1999, Kihon Press, ISBN 978-1587762062
  • Masaaki Hatsumi, Essence of Ninjutsu. The Nine Traditions 1988, Contemporary Books, ISBN 0-8092-4724-0
  • Masaaki Hatsumi and Quintin Chambers, Stick Fighting (1981), Kodansha International, ISBN 978-0-87011-475-5

References

  1. ^ Welzenbach, Michael (1988-04-30). "Japan's Hatsumi Will Highlight Burbank Martial-Arts Event". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  2. ^ Hayes, Stephen (1989). Lore of the Shinobi Warrior. Ohara Publications. ISBN 0-89750-123-3. {{cite book}}: Text "primary source - Hayes is a former Bujinkan instructor" ignored (help);
  3. ^ Bujinkan Hombu Dojo Contact Information; primary source, Hatsumi is head of Bujinkan
  4. ^ Adams, Andrew (1970). "Ninja: The Invisible Assassins". Ohara Press. . {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |2= and |coauthors= (help); Text "ISBN-10: 089750030X" ignored (help); Text "primary source - Adams is a Bujinkan instructor" ignored (help);
  5. ^ "Takamatsu: The Man Who Taught Ninjutsu To Today's Ninja Master". Black Belt Magazine. June 1985. . {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |2= and |coauthors= (help); Text "primary source - uses Hatsumi as source of information for article" ignored (help);
  6. ^ a b Template:Jp icon 武神館宗家初見良昭師
  7. ^ Groak, William (August 1986). "Black Belt Times: Ninja Leader Hatsumi Returns to U.S.". Black Belt Magazine. p. 16. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ What is Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu?.; primary source - Bujinkan organization
  9. ^ Masaaki Hatsumi at IMDb
  10. ^ Sekai ninja sen Jiraiya at IMDb
  11. ^ http://www.koryu.com/library/ninjutsu.html
  12. ^ Watatani Kiyoshi and Yamada Tadashi (1963). "Bugei Ryuha Daijiten". Various. p. 293. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  13. ^ http://www.bullshido.org/Ninjutsu
  14. ^ http://iganinja.jp/en/faq/index.html The Iga ninja museam of Japan lists the only legitimate inheritor of authentic Ninjutsu as Jinichi Kawakami.
  15. ^ Bugeicyo 11/1963
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