The Bujinkan Dojo (武神館道場) was founded by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭) and named in honour of his teacher, Toshitsugu Takamatsu (高松 寿嗣). The name Bujinkan (武神館) can roughly be translated as Palace of the Divine Warrior.
The Bujinkan principally teaches the nine schools of traditional Japanese martial arts that Hatsumi Sensei inherited from his teacher, Takamatsu Sensei – collectively known as Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu(武神館武道体術).
Many of these old traditional styles, or koryu(古流) were often lost or forgotten after the practice of martial arts in Japan was banned during the post World War II occupation. However, a few dedicated masters manged to keep some of these schools alive during this difficult period. We are indeed very fortunate in that nine such schools have been passed down to us today in the Bujinkan.
Each of these nine schools has it’s own particular characteristic way of movement and contain techniques for use both with and without weapons, some of which are unique to some of the schools.
Several of the schools in the Bujinkan are related to one another and some share similar histories. Some of the schools histories date back almost 900 years.
The schools of the Bujinkan:
- Togakure-ryū Ninpō Taijutsu (戸隠流忍法体術)
- Gyokko ryū Kosshi jutsu (玉虎流骨指術)
- Kuki Shinden Happō Bikenjutsu (九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術)
- Koto Ryū Koppō jutsu (虎倒流骨法術)
- Shinden Fudo Ryū Dakentai jutsu (神伝不動流打拳体術)
- Takagi Yoshin Ryū Jūtai jutsu (高木揚心流柔体術)
- Gikan Ryū Koppō jutsu (義鑑流骨法術)
- Gyokushin-ryū Ryū Ninpō (玉心流忍法)
- Kumogakure Ryū Ninpō (雲隠流忍法)
Hatsumi Sensei: “Taijutsu is an art form, it is your body is expressing itself through movement”.