Wednesday 7 September 2022

Ninjutsu history and tradition


The Ninjutsu we cover here comes from the modern schools of Genbukan and Bujinkan.

There are 9 schools of Ninjutsu that survive today. The core of our practice comes from the Gyokko ryu of Koshijutsu, a unique unarmed combat system similar to Jujutsu.

We back this up with the weapons system of the Kukkushinden ryu school of Happo Hikenjutsu. Primarily a sword school it focusses on the short straight Ninja-to and the 3 foot hanbo staff.

We also practice techniques from other ninja schools such as the bone breaking of Koto ryu koppojutsu and the chokes and strangles of Takagi yoshin ryu jutaijutsu.


The 9 schools of nunjutsu are:

1. TOGAKURE RYU NINPO
2. GYOKKO RYU KOSHIJUTSU
3. KOTO RYU KOPPOJUTSU
4. KUKI SHINDEN RYU HAPPO HIKEN
5. KUMOGAKURE RYU NINJUTSU
6. GIKAN RYU KOPPOJUTSU
7. SHINDEN FUDO RYU DAKENTAIJUTSU
8. GYOKIJSHIN RYU NINPO
9. TAKAGI YOSHIN RYU JUTAIJUTSU

There Buj claim that the 34th and current Grandmaster of the Ninja, Masaaki Hatsumi, is the only person qualified to teach these 9 schools, having inherited them from Toshitsuga Takamatsu the 33rd Grandmaster.

This has more recently been found challenged. Takamatsu trained many students, and others who claim to have been his student, including the Grandmaster of the Genbukan, Sensei Tanemura.

While both schools have different claims to the ninja heritage, both have a lot to offer.

It is also believed that many other Ninja schools survived, and were passed down in secret father-to-son, as was their tradition. The theory that one man, Takamatsu, was the only person to train and master all 9 schools and the only person he ever taught was Hatsumi has been often discredited as a claim.

These days we know better.