Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu

By Masaaki Hatsumi
34th Grandmaster
of
Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu

Ten Ryaku No Maki

The reason why martial artists have a long lifespan is due to their unchanging attitude of living as a
martial artist. Takamatsu-Sensei's life was also this "fixed style." He woke at sunrise and massaged his body
with cold water to instantly accelerate his faculties. He would then walk his dogs for an hour or so. He ate
three meals a day consisting of tofu, sesame, vegetables, fish, and buckwheat noodles. Painting was his
hobby. He drew pictures every morning. He never got angry at anything. After sunset he went to bed. This
was his lifestyle at 80 years old.
My lifestyle is like this as well. After I wake up I massage with cold water, drink salt water and walk my
dogs. I never eat breakfast. I believe omitting breakfast is more important than any other exercise. I eat a bowl
of cut vegetables before lunch and then have tofu, sesame, small fish, and natural whole grain rice. After
lunch I enjoy walking my dogs for 2 hours. For dinner I usually eat anything I want, including lots of
vegetables, but I never eat anything with sugar or salt. I avoid eating anything unnatural especially those
baked or cooked. Takamatsu-sensei told me that human beings lost their natural power as a result from eating
cooked food. Doing the following are a basis for life: 30-minutes of exercise before going to bed, keeping
physically fit, eating natural foods, respecting the gods, being brave, and taking cold showers under
waterfalls. Takamatsu-Sensei would say, "it is unacceptable to easily lose your temper." I assume that anger
breaks the peace of mind, makes you blind, and you make incorrect decisions. This is a very dangerous
condition for a martial artist.

Stretching and Breathing

Stretching and breathing exercises
are the most basic exercises you should do
everyday. The goal is for your thumbs and
toes to turn around easily and for your
spine to be able to bend backwards. In
Chinese medicine they say that it is good
for the head to be cold and the legs to be
warm. It is very important for martial
artists not to cool your legs and feet even
during the summer. Try to train not only
your body to be flexible but your mind as
well.

Ryutai--dragon's body
First you want to make your legs and waist stronger and more flexible. I
used to be the captain of the soccer team in high school. I ran everywhere and
practiced judo in the city gym, which is the better of the two. In Judo the hips
seem to be flexible but when we look at their movement from the point of
view of physics they are very inflexible. So it is necessary to correct the way
of walking so that the inflexible hips can be changed easily into flexible ones.
First, exercises for your hip joints, crotch, and legs as well as four other
ryutai exercises are required.
Picture 1: Sit down with your feet together pulled into your crotch.
Picture 2: Push down on the knees to open the crotch.
Picture 3: Next bend your body forward to
put your stomach on your feet and hold
your ankles. Or bend forward and pull the
toes. You may stretch your hands forward
as well.

Picture 4: Stretch your backbone and pull

your toes back as much as possible while
twisting the body from right to left.
Picture 5: Bend forward pulling the bottom
of your heels or toes.
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Picture 6: Open your

legs as wide as you can
and pat both of your
legs and lower back
with your fists.
Picture 7: Fold your
body forward holding
your big toes.
Picture 8: From the
seiza position stand on
your knees and bend
backwards as shown
and push the backs of
your feet with your fist
and thumbs for one
minute each way.
Picture 9: Gradually
make your body fall
backwards with your
arms outstretched while
breathing deeply and
stretching your upper
and lower body.

Breathing Exercises (Koky(ho)

It is very dangerous to
believe that it is no problem to be
punched in the stomach while
breathing in. It is natural for the
breath to stop suddenly when
punched. "Toshin" is a good
example. Breathing is the proof
of living so it is necessary to
study the correct and natural way
of breathing. At the dojo while
practicing waza and ukemi the
correct way of breathing which is
important for the waza should be
used. Understanding this point is
the most important lesson you can
teach yourself in this life.

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Picture 13: While sitting in seiza turn your head to the right with your right shoulder
pulled back in order to breathe in.
Picture 14: Dropping your right shoulder.
Picture 15: Turn you head straight and breathe out completely.
Picture 16: Turn you head to the left to breathe in and turn it back straight to breathe out
completely.

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The First Exercise: The way of

breathing in the right posture.
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Picture 10, 11: Sit down in seiza
and breathe in with your shoulders widely open and back.
Picture 12: Breathe out completely with your shoulders dropped and bent forward.

The Second Exercise

The Third Exercise: Deep

Breathing Stretching
Picture 17: While stretching
your arms and legs straight.
Picture 18: Open your arms to
both sides and breathe in.
Picture 19: Put each hand on
the front leg in order to breathe
out.

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Massaging Before Exercising

Picture 20: Massage every part of your body with your hands. You will notice
that your skin is breathing.

Taihenjutsu- Moving the Body

The skill of shifting your weight is both an offensive and defensive action.
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This shifting of weight should never stop--this is most significant. Some motions
are very fast and others are slow. this shifting motion is footwork and a hiding
style which is based upon a high skill in this type of body movement. When you do Ninpo you should
disappear, avoid, and run away which might be regarded as cowardly for a martial artist, but you should
realize that this is one of the most important skills at first. When you move away, "nigeru" escape, be sure to
"nigeru" (avoid and kick). It has the same meaning. There is a point like this hidden in one of Takamatsusensei's pictures. A wild pig was chasing down a monkey. The monkey suddenly fell and rolled out of the
way. The pig was so angry that he couldn't see the monkey and passed right by it. The monkey laughed at the
pig and waved good-bye to it. In the
foreground there was a valley. Then the
monkey disappeared, "kieru", which
also means breathtaking. What do you
think of this? This was his sense of
humor.

Rolls

Picture 21: Rolling forward.

Picture 22, 23: Rolling backwards with
your hands on the ground.
Picture 24, 25, 26: Rolling forwards as
well as rolling backwards without using
your hands.
Picture 27: Rolling forwards and
backwards correctly in a straight line.
Picture 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33: Rolling to
the side, which you first practice with
your hands. Next practice with your
hands off the ground. to roll to the left,
do the opposite of this.
Picture 34: Forward Handspring -"rolling" in the air by first springing with
your hands.

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Picture 35, 36, 37: Flips "Rolling" in the air without

using your hands. Take
special care when flipping
since your body is in one
place in the air. An attack
is likely to come then. When
the flip is done, avoid,
jump, or roll as best you
can.
Picture 38, 39, 40, 41:
Dive rolls - Jumping in the
air and then rolling
forwards. You should
practice going in every
direction, up and down as
well moving your body
constantly.

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Leaping in Four Directions (Shi Ho Ten Chi Tobi)

Beginner exercises:
Shi ho ten chi tobi consists of
leaping in all four directions and then
being able to roll in every direction. This
is useful against an enemy's attacks. When
leaping in all directions you should train
yourself not only to jump high but to be
low, just above the ground, and land as
lightly and as far as possible. "Ten" which
means heaven is jumping high. With this
you should learn the skill of "inashitobi"
which is jumping just as high as necessary.
"Chi" which means earth is to lower the
body down or to drop in a hole. It is
necessary that you practice how to fall
down to the ground. This is necessary for
quickness.
Now that you know the beginner
exercises the next stage is how to leap
measuring the distance between you and
the opponent. After practicing over and
over you will find yourself being able to
jump naturally judging by the opponent's
spirit.

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Picture 42, 43, 44: Leaping left to right.

Picture 45: Leaping Tenchi (heaven to
earth)
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Ukemi
Forward Ukemi Gata
Even though ukemi is likely to be
considered as just a part of Judo on tatami
mats there are various kinds of skills in
ukemi. When walking, when threatened,
even when hit, kicked, or thrown there is
ukemi. When the opponent comes to hit
you you would best work to avoid him,
which is one skill of ukemi. In addition to
this you can also let him hit you and
pretend a if you were hurt without being
damaged. That trick is also a kind of
ukemi. You might trick and annoy the
opponent and then have more revenge that what was done to you.
This ukemi can be done when kicked or thrown. When walking if
you step on a tack it is bound to penetrate the skin, but just the
skin is hurt. This means that you are required to sense and deal with
a difficult situation as effectively as possible. This is the way of
ukemi. The most important defense is that of your spirit. As I have
mentioned before I regard this as ukemi but you can view it as
taihenjutsu also. With this ukemi you can cope with any threatening
situations without being hurt even in dangerous circumstances.

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Picture 46: You should pose with your arms in the figure of the
Japanese number "8" in front of you.
Picture 47: The profile of the picture.
Picture 48: The ukemi on the ground. Your hands should be in the
figure of the Japanese number "8". After practicing this you should move on to the next posture.

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The forward Ukemi

Picture 49: Stand this way and

throw yourself forward.
Picture 50: Pose with your
hands in the figure of the
Japanese number "8".
Picture 51: Profile of
technique. Picture 52: The
forward ukemi with your legs to
the side. Your upper body
would the thrown down to the
front but your legs go across to
your side. A variation of this
allows you to sense footsteps
coming on the ground.

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Yoko Nagare (flowing sideways)

First lower your body with your right leg out across your front side.
Picture 53, 54, 55: Extend
your right leg across the
front side.
Picture 56: Use taihenjutsu
instead of posing. Land
without using your arms.
Picture 57: Roll around to
the rear from the previous
position.
Picture 58, 59: Rise up
after the roll.

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The lessons should

be successive. This
means training for the
purpose of merging
ukemi and taihenjutsu.
This can also be applied
to other various skills as
well.

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Tachi Nagare (vertical flowing)

Like Judo this is not
done with the hands but with
the body. Of course to keep
from hurting your back you
should round your back and
roll backwards with the feeling
of floating on air.
Picture 60: From Shizen no
Kamae
Picture 61: Move your right leg
forward while bending your left leg.
Picture 62: From this ukemi kamae
you can roll back from here, you
can also turn right or left like the
hands of a clock.

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The three variations of leaping, rolling and of taihenjutsu must be sure to be understood as one thorough
constant continuous motion.

Shinken Taihenjutsu
In ancient traditional training there was one lesson for learning to make your decision to do "sutemi
waza" or "shinkengata." Let us compare it with modern martial sports an see how different they are. In
modern martial arts such as Kendo you practice with a bamboo sword and some body protectors so that you
don't get hurt. In Judo you are practicing on a soft floor made of tatami mats. You are also competing in each
game according to the rules. Generally this would be satisfactory, but today, because martial arts have spread
worldwide it is not understood by non-Japanese that this way of practicing is practical, particularly training on
tatami mats.
These days there might be many people making serious efforts to learn "sutemi waza" but when you
practice on tatami floors or on mats it is still just like a sport. It is very dangerous to train in such a blind
pointless way. What would you do if your were suddenly attacked in the dark? To deal with this situation
you had better practice in the darkness and feel what blindness is like. This is the real "sutemi." Only when
you can acquire this feeling will you know it. I am trying very hard to stress this point to my students.
While I'm teaching "hanbojutsu" I am always asked, "how should I defend myself if I am disarmed by
someone with a bo?" But in a practical real situation you may well have your arms broken. The action of
breaking your arm will create an opening, emptiness in the opponent's body and spirit at that very moment.
This opening will lead you to win. You should catch that moment. In a real fight you can't rely on how skillful
you are. In a way, modern martial artists seem to be just a collection of martial skills. Just knowing the
techniques is not enough. Half of your mind should act on the intention you receive from your opponent's will
to fight. Win or lose, the battle is blind. So you have a 50/50 chance. Looking at it from this point of view you
had better enter "shinkengata." It is said that modern martial artists are required to use the last 9 cm. of their
swords. In the ancient times your way of sword fighting would decide your victory and you would win faster
if you used the last 9 cm. of the blade. 9 cm. minus 1.5 cm is 7.5 cm. This time difference could be the
difference in reaching your opponent in time. The same applies to punching. The clinched fist, half-opened
fist, and the open-handed fist and the length of your arms are naturally different from each other.
Hideyoshi's short story states that it is very important to win in a sparring match with knives and swords.
In "shinkengata" I always tell my students to have themselves beaten first. Referring to Ittosai Itto, he says,
"Let them cut you first, you learn something from this." "Kiru," to cut can also mean "to mind." So the
shinkengata is the only way to raise the ability of your spirit's faculties. In acting as well only after you learn
how to be cut will you become a real actor on the stage. Repeated defeats such as being thrown, beaten, or
feeling resistance make you confident in the end. So "makeru" means to lose, but it also means to kick the
devil.
Shinkengata taihenjutsu is applied to ukemigata an shi-ho-ten-chi tobi. This application is to teach you
the broader meanings directed towards understanding shinkengata. And this is what you should learn: how to
breathe and be alive with weapons. Another name for this is "mutodori taihenjutsu gata.

Taihenjutsu Mutodori Gata

1. Hira no Kamae - When the opponent goes into
Daijodan no Kamae, you should stay about 1 meter
away. No matter where he cuts at you, even at your
stomach, keep this distance. Keep this distance
until he attacks. The moment he begins to cut step
backwards. At the same time stand in an ukemi
kamae after pivoting to the right.
2. Ichimonji no Kamae - Just after the opponent
enters Daijodan no Kamae and begins to cut, you
should roll to the right to a place about 1 meter
away. Jump in before the opponent can cut down
again from the Daijodan posture. Quickly put your
left knee down and punch out with your right hand
to his suigetsu.
3. Juumonji - When the attacker cuts from
Daijodan, you should turn your right or left side
and step in with your left leg at the same time that
you pull back your right leg. Immediately step
forward with your right leg and hit with a right or
left shuto to the "amado" weak point on his neck.
This taihenjutsu is called "mutodori shoshin no kata" and you can
understand the basics of "mutodori" from these techniques.

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this
Picture 63, 64: Shinken Taihenjutsu Gata - Rolling to the side.
With you can counter-attack freely.
Picture 65: Yoko Nagare (flowing sideways)
ized
Picture 66: The way to punch in after doing taihenjutsu.
Picture 67, 68, 69: Leaping-- training for leaping against a battle-sss"
sword.

The Skills of "Floating on Air" and "Seeing in Complete Darkne

The skill of walking on air is essential not only to the ninja and
martial artists but also to everyone that intends to learn these tricks.
The deep, vague mysteriousness which is seen in "Noh" plays is
described by this running, and jumping on the ice while wearing
Japanese "geta," wooden traditional shoes. This teaches you how to
balance your weight, but at the same time it is training you to float
rhythmically in the air. You must also train for circumstances when
there are beans on the floor or when the floor is waxed or when t here
is something blocking your path. Next, keep physically fit. And in the
final stage train with weapons.
One day a close student of mine came to me to ask for a "yari,"
Japanese spear, lesson. He said that he would be leaving in 3 months
because of a job transfer. So he wanted to learn this before he left. I
gave him 3 lessons: (1) the significance of "aruki," a style of wal king,
(2) the hardness of "aruku," walk, and (3) "aruku" hardly being able
to walk. He could barely do these 3 lessons. For those 3 months I
only taught him only these three skills and then sent him on his way.
This is the way of disciplining a martial artist. I am pleased with is
s.
h showing up and being able to figure out the merit of these
lesson

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Picture 70: Practice

keeping your balance
while skating forward
and kicking. "Suberi
Shintai."
Picture 71: Also
practice walking on
your hands with the
geta as well as
dropping down "moguri
gata.
Picture 72: Practice mainly
on keeping your opponent
off balance while you retain
yours.

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The Skill of Seeing in the Dark

It is natural instinct for us to fear the dark. "Ukemi no Jutsu,"
floating body movement, and "ankoku toshi jutsu," seeing in the
dark, appear to lead us through some kind of spiritual mysterious
world. So we practice together. I am often asked, "You don't fear
anything, do you?" But this fear of the dark cannot by overcome by
everyone. So let's think about how to treat this fear. I like to think
that the feeling of fear is a wonderful sign that cautions us of the
existence of danger unless in exceeds its purpose. Imagine that t he
feeling of fear begins in the mind like some clouds in summer. In
reaction to feeling starts firing the "martial nerve." After the feeling
of fear has moved into the martial nerve, the fear is sure to
disappear and leave just the martial nerve. Of course, there is no
need to say that you need to practice this.

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In Ninpo there is "ankoku toshi jutsu." You crawl on the

ground and look up at the sky. In Koppojutsu there is a technique
called "Katsu Gan," living eyes, in which you stare at the motio n of
the air instead of watching the person. Do
this from a crouched position and you
should throw the "katsu ban," shuriken-like
object, in this direction. If you can figure
out how to do this, you can throw anything
that you find. Throwing something is
possibly a method of distraction and
inspiration for you. This attracts the
opponent's mind and lets your spirit flow.

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Picture 73, 74, 75: Practicing in the dojo

with scattered beans.
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Kamae and Kata

Ideally the forms and actions should be invisible or not seen by the opponent, but they might be noticed
and he will know what you are doing. This is very dangerous in a real fight since you will likely be attacked at
such an opening. Therefore, I emphasize that the students live ordinarily, concealing their knowledge so
people can't recognize that the student is really strong. This is called "Shichi Ho Sanpo Gata," sevendirectional three-way kata. When seen in "shinobi," creeping forms the normal, ordinary "tsune no kata." Of
course they are not living absent-mindedly. They are learning natural peace of mind in order to react to any
trivial instincts as soon as possible.
When it comes to kamae it has a common meaning among "tai gamae," body posture, "jin kamae,"
warrior posture and "shiro kamae," castle posture. A secret ambition hidden in each posture springs up an

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turns powerful in the spirit. For instance, in

the Gyokko Ryu, they vow never to fight
anything in harmony with the universe while
enduring and praying bravely. But there is an
important decision made to protect the tiger's
children behind this vow. The tiger's parents
believe in never fighting to the end. They are
ready to enter kamae with their strong eyes
flashed, desiring peace to come, not to
attack.
Takamatsu-sensei taught me how to
take care as a ninja. Enduring is to take care
and shape skills and permanently
endure. Then it is you who are the
expert "ninja." Rodan talks like this
as well: "You can't make a
masterpiece without patience,
enduring like each drop of water
absorbed into a hard rock.
Picture 76: Picture from the "Kotoh
Ryu" densho scrolls.
Picture 77: Fudoza, motionless,
immovable seat
Picture 78: Ryu Ho no Kamae -dragon and cheetah's kamae
Picture 79: Ryu Ho Fu Setsu no
Kamae -- dragon, cheetah, wind
and show kamae
Picture 80: Shizen no Kamae -natural posture
Picture 81: Hoko no Kamae -Barricade posture
Picture 82: Doko no Kamae -Angry Tiger posture
Picture 83: Juumonji no Kamae - Number 10 posture
Picture 84: Hicho no Kamae -- flying bird
posture
Picture 85: Ichimonji no Kamae -- Number 1
posture
Picture 86: Hicho no Kamae
Picture 87: Doko no Kamae
Picture 88: Ihen no Kamae (right)
Picture 89: Hira no Kamae -- flat posture
Picture 90: Ihen no kamae (left)
Picture 91: Kosei no Kamae -- offensive form

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Shoten no Kamae -- Rising to Heaven Kamae

This method is not used merely for rushing up trees and wal ls
but also from climbing up a person's body. For practicing in the
dojo, a thick board should be put against a wall at a low angle and
then run across it and practice keeping your balance. Each time
gradually tilt the board upwards until you can dash up it at a
90( angle. This "shoten no jutsu" can also mean "turning to win"
in another translation.
Picture 92: Shoten no Jutsu
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Ukenagashi
When the opponent pushes and kicks, this skill is used
with your hands and body, but mainly with your mind
accepting and flowing with the opponent's attacks. The reason
why such an action is necessary, to begin with, some insanity
or evil intent is hidden within the opponent's attacks in a real
fight. While relaxing, slowly, correctly turn away and accept
with a flowing motion. Please experience a taste of this "body
action."
Uke Style of Punching

Picture 93: From ichimonji no kamae

Picture 94: turn your left hand upside-down
Picture 95: profile view
Picture 96: change your body kamae
Picture 97: avoid the opponent's attack
Picture 98: turn his attack upwards, guarding with your fist
Picture 99: flow in

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Variations of this picture need to be practiced with the right

leg back, diagonal back, to the side, and to the front. Also
change the footwork.

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Uke vs. Kick

Picture 100: From ichimonji no kamae

Picture 101: step back
Picture 102: change the kamae
Picture 103: catch his leg with the dropping left fist
Picture 104: flick back quickly and flow.

This needs to be practiced with

footwork variations as I've mentioned
before. The next lesson is doing the
footwork quietly and smoothly.

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16 "hidden fists" punching methods
"Toshin" was mentioned earlier so we know of it well, but "toki" is less known perhaps. "Toki" is
punching at the spirit and "knocking him down" with air rather than fists. It is also far distance punching,
yelling, and freezing someone in their tracks. "Toki" and "toshin" sometimes happen together, and in other
cases you should take turns hitting with each at random.
Now I will tell you 2 or 3 of my experiences with "toki."
While I was teaching a famous Chinese Kenpo
artist, I put too much of myself in the lesson. I said, "This
is a lesson in which you will not be able to move
tomorrow." He said that he was ready to receive it
because he had kept physically fit. That day he trained
very vigorously, but the next day I got phone call from
him saying that he couldn't get out of bed due to the pain.
Another time, one of my students came to have a lesson
while drunk. "You are still young, aren't you?" I asked
while plotting to use "suikyo," fascinating fists, against him. Suikyo is a mix of toshin and toki. So I really did
it. For one hour I kept asking him, "Are you alright?" "I'm alright," he replied. I advised him to go home cool
his body and sleep well tonight since he had been trained by suikyo. Several days later he called me and said
that he would never come to another lesson drunk again. He came to see me barely able to walk. He said he
stopped by on the way back from the doctor who said that he had swollen lymph nodes and that it would take
about 3 weeks to heal. This case is similar
to a saying, "An idea of your father's affects
you later." I warned him about his actions,
but he didn't understand until it was too late.
This is like a fist that's as hard as a rock.
This fist generates a way of living and you
can kill the opponent or leave him alive if
you choose how to use the fist correctly.
There are various ways of keeping
your fists fit, but above all it is important
for the beginner to hit soft objects correctly and then gradually build
up to hitting harder ones. The next step is to hit hard objects with
just the thumb with the arm outstretched. You should train how to hit
with different fists depending on the body type. Sometimes you can
use a special secret medicine on your fists that will keep them
strong.

Using Walnuts
To make the fingers' motion smooth and flexible you should spin two walnuts
in your hand freely right to left and round and round. The motion of the fingers is
connected to that of the whole body. When you understand this point from your little
finger to you thumb your brain, stomach, liver, guts, and heart's motion will be more
lively. This ninja used to use walnuts as tools in order to protect themselves, such as
metsubishi. This method of training is so that you can use to tips of the fingers more
effectively.

The Different Kinds of Fists:

1. Kikakuken (Demon's Horns
Fist)
Mainly this is done with your
forehead, but in some special
circumstances you should train to
use the back of the head or other
parts.
Picture 105 & 106

2. Shukiken (elbow strike)

Your right elbow is used as a fist in this
method. The elbow should be used in
real fighting situations. This is so
effective that a woman can give a man a
good rebuff. When men use this in
variation without limitation this strike
turns into quite a powerful weapon.

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Picture 107 & 108

3. Fudoken
(immovable fist)
This is a fist that keeps
the thumb outward. It is
a multi-changeable fist
which can strike a
variety of places. It
looks as if it were a
fixed fist but it can be shot out from
anywhere.

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Picture 109

4. Kitenken (shuto fist)

This fist is the secret one of the Gyokko Ryu. You should turn the fudo ken
into the kitenken after grabbing -- it becomes a secret fist. Then the opponent
can be controlled in the end. On the other hand, to show a great deal of wits
(kiten ga kiku) is the origin of this kitenken.

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Picture 110

5. Shishinken (pointing needle fist)

You use the little finger. This is punched at an opponent's weak points with
this needle finger from a "Nioh Ken," strong king fist. Another translation of
this is "Issun bohshi," 3.3 cm boy's fist. Everyone knows the story of how
Issun Bohshi defeated the demon even though he was such a tiny boy.
Takamatsu-sensei could crack hard rocks with his shishinken.
Picture 111

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6. Shitanken (tips of
the fingers fist)
You can use the tips
of your five fingers
freely.
Picture 112

Picture
113:
Gyu Kaku Ken
(Bull's
horns
fist)
Picture 114: You
should punch at the
opponent with gyukakuken's three
fingers simultaneously.
Picture
115:
Sanshitanken
Picture
116:
Shishitanken
Picture 117: Shuken
Picture 118: Sanshitanken

7. Shakoken
This fist uses the palm of your
hand and the tips of the five
fingers. Takamatsu-sensei's
fingertips were so hard and
well-fit like those of an
animal that nobody could
break his nails without a nail
cutter. This was due to the
fact that he was living in the
mountains for one year
practicing on trees and
rocks. On the other hand, his
fingers were so soft and
flexible that they could bend
backwards 90 degrees
Picture 119 & 120.

113

114

112

115

116

117

118

120
119

8. Shitouken (finger sword fist)

Using the thumb. This is also called hisouken, secret fist.
Picture 121 & 122

122
121

9. Shikanken

Picture 123: Using the

knuckles of your four fingers.
Picture 124: variation of
shikanken

123

124

125

126

127

10. Koppoken

Picture 125: using the knuckle of the thumb

Picture 126: a strike to the heart of "taihen."
Picture 127: a ryo u uchi punch

11. Happa Ken (eight leaves fist)

This strike is with the palm, and called "both sleeves
weak points of happa" in another translation. It is the
fist that defeats the opponent from the right and left at
the same time. You shouldn't really strike someone
with this since it's very dangerous. So just think of it
as a "hae tataki," fly swatter.

128

129

Picture 128

12. Taiken (body fist)

The shoulders, hips, elbows, and other parts of the
body are used as a whole fist for punching with your
body.
Picture 129

13. Sokuyakuken (heel stomp)

Mostly the bottom of your foot is used, but loosely
speaking you can use every joint of your foot freely.
Picture 130, 131, 132, 133

130

131

132

133

14. Sokkiken (knee strike)

Your knees are used in this strike. This is effective for
knocking up and down the opponent's weak points.
(() Right sokkiken helps "asaka uchi," morning mist
punch.
Picture 134 & 135

134

135

15. Sokugyakuken (toe-kick)

Use your toes as a fist. In another translation this is
called "sokushi toh," toe sword.
Picture 136 & 137

136

137

16. Ki Ken (spirit fist)

With concentration of the spirit you can defeat the opponent's punching. This is also used for far-away
punching. In another translation, motionless heavenly spirit.

San Shin No Gata (the techniques of the 3 hearts -- chi, sui, ka, fu, and ku no kata)
The martial arts regard the mind of a 3-year old as
very significant. Martial artists pray that they may
become as lively and innocent as a 3-year old and
describe their arts this way. My representative of this is
Taro Okamoto, a painter. When I think about sanshin no
kata this man always comes to mind. I am always telling
my students to put the child's mind before all other things.
In addition, when I act, draw pictures, write, or view
things as a martial artist this child's mind sticks with me.
It is common sense that human beings grow up to be wellmatured and successful, but I think this is wrong for one
reason. Instead of the maturity of humans being placed
first, it would be better if martial artists stop putting your
success and maturity as foremost in importance. In this
way of thinking, a subtle taste exists and "koppo" is
hidden. There are many works concluded before being
supposedly successful. This is so in Hidari Kangoro and
in Michelangelo's works.
In martial arts there is a proverb, "You had better win
in your own way when you are attacked, but just keep on
praying when the opponent doesn't attack." There is
nothing more ridiculous than the purpose of a martial art
being only to defeat or kill your opponent. The warm blood
will vanish if you regard yourself as an adult. To the
student who has told me that his artistic ways are already
accomplished, I will break this vision and illusion and
constantly scold him in order to make that cold-blooded
heart warm again. I am always looking for a martial artist
with the child's mind and an immature humanity based on
the proverb, "A child's spirit never changes until he is 100
years old," and whose martial arts is similar to this.

138

139

140

141

142

143

Picture 138, 139, 140, 141: Sui no Kata - Omote Kiten Ken
Daho (omoteshuto)
Picture 142, 143, 144, 145, 146: Omoteshuto kata
Picture 147, 148, 149, 150, 151: Ka no kata (urashutogata)
144

147

148

149

145

150

146

151

Picture 152, 153, 154, 155: Fu no Kata

The aim of this kata is to make the opponent realize

the power of the outstretched arm. The unexpected reach of
your arm will confuse him because you are able to reach
him by bending your knee rather than extending your arm.

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

Picture 156 & 157: Ku no Kata

In this strategy, it is important that you raise your hand with

the correct timing.Kick up high with your right leg after
moving back your hips and hand in time.

Ku no kumite Gata (grappling with the Ku no Kata)

It is better to "catch" the opponent's fist in tune with
his energies rather than using kyojitsu, deception in the Ku
no Kata. When catching (Picture 158) you should raise one
or both hands and catch his fist as if catching a fastball.
The opponent would be off balance then. Then hold his
hand with a swinging down motion under his crotch and
catch with the other hand behind him. Also hold his right
leg with your elbow; the opponent will fall forward on his
face. (Picture 159)

The Kihon Happo (The Eight Basics)

One day Takamatsu-sensei said this to me, "When I was taught the Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu basics I
found eight rules essential to every martial art. I proclaim this to you and believe it to be true. I will let you
teach these 8 basic rules." These basics are important for those students who are going to practice and master
real practical taijutsu. Alive or dead the taijutsu is dependent on the movements in these basics or variations
of them.
According to Manaka-sensei, one of my students, when he was given a gun after 9 years of not having
used one he could score 90 of 100 points. When he stood in ichimonji no kamae and shot he could score a
perfect 100. In the U.S. the "green beret" invited him to play some "games" with their top officers because
they knew that he knew Japanese martial arts. At first he didn't accept their offer, but they were so eager to
train against him so he took them on 3 at a time. They were all experts and veterans of battle and had just

Ichimonji no Kamae

Hicho no Kamae
returned from Vietnam. Each person
attacked in different ways: wrestling,
boxing, knife, fencing, and with sticks.
Many were knocked unconscious while
he simply knocked down others. They
immediately got up and came at him
again. He decided this time he would give
them no mercy and he knocked every one
of them out. One of them had his shoulder
ripped out of joint and that kept him from
getting up. Only then could they
understand how real Japanese martial arts
are, and they praised his talent and
presented him with a bloody green beret
cap brought back from a battle in
Vietnam. He won that battle since he had
mastered the Kihon Happo correctly. He
said that it was quite a good experience to
learn how the movements of the Kihon
Jumonji no Kamae
Happo are used in a real situation. The
Kihon Happo are considered as a "kihon
happo," emotion creating method, in
another translation. The question of
"yuki," existence of emotion, and "muki," emotionless, is based upon
struggle.
The Kihon Happo are: Ichimonji no Kamae, Hicho,
Juumonji no kamae gata, Omoteshuto gata, Urashuto gata,
Omotegyaku ken sabaki gata, Musha Dori, and Ganseki Nage.

The First Rule of Torite Gata: Omotegyaku Tori

Picture 160: Avoid the opponent's attack with
your left hand on his hand.
Picture 161: Grab his hand in time with him and
start the left omotegyaku tori.
Picture 162: Grab his hand with your right hand
as well.
Picture 163, 164: While guarding, throw
the opponent with taihenjutsu.
Picture 165: In another way, move forward
and take him down with a right urashuto to the
"amado" weak point.
Picture 166: Then bar the opponent's elbow with
your right knee.
160

161

Picture 167: Also use your right

leg to attack the right "amado.

When the omotegyaku is not

effective you should make full
use of your omotegyaku with
your taijutsu -- move your
body!!

164
162

163

165

166

Picture 168: Omotegyaku and Oni

Kudaki hen gata (variations on oni
kudaki)
Picture 169: Here you are tying
up the opponent's arm.
Picture 170: While doing this, put the opponent on
the ground by pushing your right elbow into his
weak points.
Picture 171: This "oni kudaki ude shime gata," arm
choking oni kudaki technique" is changed into
"choshi dori,"making in tune, by adding in catching
the opponent's leg with your knee pushing it down
while catching his left foot also.

167

168

169

170

171

The Second Rule of Torite

Picture 172: The opponent is beginning to punch
and grabs your lapel.
Picture 173: when he punches, defend with your left
fist.
Picture 174: Raise his left hand high in omotegyaku
tori.
Picture 175: Step back with your right foot to
takedown.
Picture 176: Always take the opponent to the end.
This time we finish with a variation called "take
ori," breaking bamboo.

172

173

174

175

176

The Third Rule of Torite: Uragyaku Tori and Hongyaku Tori

You will see that the uragyaku is the opposite of omotegyaku. You
should catch the opponent's hand so that you can turn back to the inside.
At the point where his arm bone points up, if you turn his wrist down,
this will become the hongyaku. You throw the opponent away with the
variation, uragyaku hanten. The omotegyaku, uragyaku, and omote- and
ura- hongyaku are the six ancient rules.

Picture 177: When you are grabbed by the left collar,

you should hold him with your right hand.
Picture 178: Hit his hand with the bone of your left wrist and
grab with both hands. This is the hongyaku.
177

178

Picture 179: Holding him in hongyaku.

Picture 180: Pull him forward and lock the
back of his elbow with your leg.

This is called "gozen dori." You can take the

opponent into "gozen dori" from uragyaku as
well.
179

Picture 181: Pull his elbow close in front of

you with your left hand while doing hongyaku.
Picture 182: Set him down with his arm joint
twisted. Then I pull my left arm in while my left
half around with my body so my body is stepping
back.
Picture 183: I catch his hand in the hongyaku
and turn my body around to the right.
Picture 184: He cannot move from here due to
the great pain he feels.
Variations of "Uragyaku

180

181

182

183

184

Picture 185: I get the opponent in uragyaku.

Picture 186: Step back with the right leg.
Picture 187: Catch the opponent in uragyaku
with my right hand while my left hand grabs his
elbow weak point and lifts it up.
Picture 188: From here drop straight down
and make a slight variation with the left hand.

It is important to be able to feel and flow with

variation.

185

186

187

188

Ganseki Nage
This ganseki nage technique is the
essential throwing style with hundreds of
variations, so you should have plenty to
practice.
Picture 189: When the opponent grabs my right
collar and my left sleeve,
Picture 190: I grab his collar with my left and
grab his sleeve with my right. Then I step back
45 with my body.
Picture 191: Lift my right arm up
under his left arm.
Picture 192: Then grab his left
elbow as in "gyaku tori" as
shown in the picture.
Picture 193: Step forward with
the right leg between his legs or
in front of his left leg.
Picture 194: While twisting your
body or dropping down, throw
him away.
Picture 195: Don't be satisfied
with just being able to throw him,
you should try to know the skill
of "Gyo Un Ryu Sui," flowing
moving water cloud, that is able
to change when the opponent
changes in any way.

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

Looking at Ganseki Nage from the other side:

It looks like I'm catching the opponent with my head, but I'm really catching him
with my body in tune with him.
Picture 196: I pull myself back diagonally to the right.
Picture 197: My right hand goes over his left hand.
Picture 198: I push my hand in between his body and the side of his left arm.
Picture 199: Raising my right hand,
Picture 200: I throw him away.
196

197

198

199

200

Kyusho and Kiai (Weak Points and Spirited Shout)

The "kyusho" have various names and
various points are considered secret among
the various schools of ninjutsu, but in fact
there is no big difference between them.
One thing that you have to notice is that
there is a big difference between different
types of people in which points are effective
when punched or kicked. There are two
types of weak points, one of which makes it
possible to move with "kappo," punching at
your own weak points when you are
punched at, and another is to knock the
opponent down. Punching at your own
weak points refers to challenging your own
weak points in life in order to make yourself
more flexible.
This picture is from the scroll of the
"Chugoku Ikyo," a section of the Takagi
Yoshin Ryu, depicting the kyusho which are
lethal points. According to this, it says that
"atekomi," punching, is used to make the
opponent become unconscious or maimed
by your shuto, fist, finger tips, open hand,
toes or ankles. Similar information is listed
in the section called "Daken Daiji,"
important points of punching.
In Koppojutsu the names of the
kyusho are their effects are listed. Of the 49
listed the effects are: those points which
will kill, cause deathly pain, make you sick
later, make you faint temporarily, paralyze
you for 3-7 days, paralyze temporarily,
cause great pain, etc. These kyusho are
called "Go Mon No Kyo," the sutras of the
five gates. Once your punching skills
improve you can learn other skills like
"Fudo Kanashibari no Jutsu," motionless
tied-hand skills, and "toate," far-away punching, which knocks the opponent down with your spiritual power.
You can catch and hold a very strong man with a woman-like winking punch. But don't believe that punching
only at painful places is the best way of hitting the opponent's kyusho. Some people have a good feeling when
you hit their kyusho. So this person won't move at all. Therefore, you should study human beings' and
animals' habits and learn how to hit the weak points. Then you can accomplish the mysterious skills in ancient
stories. For example, Musashi Miyamoto (who was famous for his bravery) could catch flies with his
chopsticks. He did this over and over again before his enemies who became afraid of him and ran away. You
can learn to do this too. When Takamatsu-sensei was living in the mountains he knocked down a wild bird
with his "kiai," spirited shout.
There are 3 kinds of kiai. One is yelling in order to distract the opponent's spirit so that you can win.
Another kind is yelling in order to surround yourself with iron walls to the opponent, "doko kara demo koi,"
come from any direction. The other is yelling once you know the opponent's skill. The other day one of my
students who has a 5th degree black belt came to attack me while yelling. When I yelled back at him with this
kiai he fell backwards about 5 feet. Furthermore, there is yelling to create a weak point in the opponent -- to
create emptiness (an opening). Kiai is important. You should practice it aloud as well as other lessons. "Kiai
yelling" is translated into "seigi," justice, and "seigi," voice skill. This is like protecting justice with a tigerlike roar.

Kyusho (Pressure Points)

1. Menbu: The middle of the forehead.
2. Kasumi: The temple on the side of the head.
3. Happa: the ears--slapping them breaks the eardrums, e tc.
4. Kirigasumi: Directly behind & under the ears.
5. Jinchu: directly under the nose over the mouth.
6. Dokkotsu: The Adam's Apple
7. Hadome: Just inside the cheek bone
8. Kirigasumi: same as #4
9. Happa: same as #3
10. Kasumi: same as #2
11. Yugasumi: Directly behind the ear
12. Atari: Hit this point here
13. Chidome: this point stops the blood.
14. Chidame: the blood builds up at this point.
15. Yugasumi: the same as #11
16. (No name): a few inches below the ear.
17. Ryu mon: just inside the collar bone
18. Ittoki: Inside the end of the collar bone.
19. Murasame: The hole in the neck
20. Santo: the inner lines in the neck
21. Amado: The lines on the side of the neck
22. Left and right kin: The bone just above the eyes.
23. Asagasumi: the point of the chin
24. Hoshi: Point under the arm
25. Inner & Outer Hoshi: The points on the inside and outside of the elbow.
26. Nagare: The point on the muscle of the forearm just below the elbow.
27. Uragyaku: The point on the thumb bone--employed when doing uragyaku.
28. Omotegyaku: The point on the back of the hand.
29. Kin: The point in the web of the hand.
30. Jakkin: The point on the arm bone between the shoulder and the elbow.
31. Hoshi Shita: The inner point on the elbow.
32. Butsumetsu: The floater ribs and the soft part underneath.
33. Kage: The solar plexus
34. Gorin: The points on the sides of the belly button.
35. Suzu: The groin.
36. Koe: The point in the bend of the hip
37. Sai: The point in the inside of the thigh.
38. Kaku: The point on the inside of the knee
39. Yaku: The inside of the calf
40. Toki: The point on the bones of the foot
41. Omote Kimon: The point above the breast.
42. Ura Kimon: The point under the arm between the 4th & 5th ribs (across from below the breast)
Not pictured
Juji Jiro: the front of the shoulder bone.
Uin & Sain: The bone just below the eye (right & left side)
Daimon: The point between the top and bottom of the shoulder joint
Seitaku: The indention in the knee
Wakitsubo: The point in the indention in the underarm.
Koshi Tsubo: The point in the hip bone.
Kin Ketsu: The bones under the breasts.

Chi Ryaku No Maki

Keri (Kicking)
First you should practice touching your thigh to
your chest. To do this you should pull your leg to
your chest with both arms and hold it there. When
you do the kicking motion, the way of using the knee
is important. Bend your knee while dropping the hips
and touch your thigh to your chest. Do this eight
times for each leg.

201
202

Soku Yaku Ken (heel-stomp kick)

This kick is the basic form of kicking. At first
drop your hips and touch your thigh to your chest.
Then kick out like throwing the back of your foot
out.
Picture 201, 202, 203, 204: Soku Yaku Ken
Picture 205, 206: Soku Yaku Ten (leaping heelstomp) Use the heels while leaping
Picture 207: Soku Gyaku Ken Ten (leaping toe
kick) Use the toes while leaping

205

203

204

209

210

207

206

Koho Geri (kicking backwards)

Picture 208: Bend your upper
body as deeply as possible and
bend your right knee. Decide
where you will kick and kick
backwards.
Picture 209: Punching and
holding with "fudo ken."
Picture 210: With your
taihenjutsu drive the opponent
away and punch at him so that he falls down and
away.

208

How to defend against kicks

It is important to practice letting the
opponent kick the air instead of you. Hit or catch
his kick with taihen just when the opponent feels
that he should have kicked you. It is an important
key to be able to make the opponent float in the
air when caught.
Keri Kudaki (crushing the kick)

Picture 211: Punch with fudo ken to the "yaku," calf.

Picture 212: Punching and holding with fudo ken.

211

212

Picture 213: Using taihen, when

you push the opponent away
punch at him as he falls.

Taihen -- body movement

Picture 214: Hold him up with

your left fist at the "yaku," calf.
Picture 215 Then kick him at the
same place with your leg.
Picture 216: "Tsure Yuki":
Grab and hold his kicking leg
with taihen.
Picture 217: "Irekomi
Taihen" Kick his standing leg.
Picture 218 & 219: Be
sure to drop your
weight to punch as in
both pictures. Be sure
to practice many
variations of these keri
kudaki techniques.
"Tsure Yuki"
Picture 220: Then hold
him with his legs
crossed.

Koto (false fall)

Picture 221: The opponent kicks.

I avoid him by moving diagonally
back and catch him with my right
arm.
Picture 222: Hold his foot and
insert your left hand inside his
foot.
Picture 223: Attach your body to
his foot.
Picture 224: Turn his foot in
the opposite direction.

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

Picture 225: Grab and hold him.

Picture 226: With your right "kiten ken" punch the opponent while pushing him
down. Picture 227: Next crush and split his knee with your body power.

225
Picture 228:
Catch his ankle
from below
naturally with
your left hand and
push him to make
him fall or turn
the ankle into
omotegyaku.
Picture 229:
Omotegyaku tori
Picture 230: or use a variation in
which you use a sokki ken to punch
in at his thigh to bend the knee
joint.

Picture 231: Move to the left

against the kick and naturally hold
his right leg.
Picture 232: Grab his knee with
your right shoulder and both
hands.
Picture 233: Use taihen to collapse
the opponent.
Picture 234: Turn into "migi ashi
jigoku tori," hell grab of the right
leg.

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

Picture 235: This technique turns

the kicking leg outside by
punching at his inner thigh at the
inner knee simultaneously with
"migi nioh ken," right king fist, ist.
and "shuki ken," raising hand f
Picture 236: "Irekomi taihen" -turn his body with the uke an hit
with a kiten ken to his arm.
235

236

Picture 237: Grab his kicking

ankle behind your back.
Picture 238: At the same time
punch down on his right thigh
or knee with your right arm.
P icture 239: Variation of
the previous pictures.

237

238

239

Keri no Karada Tori (catching

the kick with the body)
Picture 240: Grab and catch the
kick with your back and hips in
harmony with the attacker.
Picture 241: Grab his kick
naturally with your shoulders or
head and kick out his standing
leg in order to take down.
Picture 242:Don't leave the
opponent alone. Always stay
with him.

240

241

242

Ken no Tsukai Gata (How to Use the Fists)

"Inashi Gata" (Technique of no will)
The way of using your fists should not be monotonous. Many think that using only one fist should be
effective, but it is important that the subject of changing fists be brought up. When people punch, most only
think that the hands or feet are being used. But in fact the fists are being applied with all the body. It is also
wrong to think that the fists should be punched as quickly as possible. According to an ancient document,
punching to the weak points from the shortest distance with your whole body is the secret. As you practice
this you will find that it is the quickest of all fists and punches. Of course it is the fists you are using while
punching as well. Don't forget that the punch should be directed towards the point where the opponent can't
see. Each fist has it's own individual characteristics in which some of them are curving while chopping, and
some of the hits come from unexpected
places, such as "kashinten," over
extension of the elbow, with taihen.
The first step in learning how to
punch is learning how to hit the weak
point correctly. You should know this
point very well.
Picture 243: Punching to the "hoshi"
weak point with fudo ken.
Picture 244: Punching
to the weak muscle with
the shuto.
Picture 245: Punching
to the "jakkin" with the
forearm (Mae Ude Ken)
Picture 246: Hitting
upwards with "kikaku
ken."
Picture 247: Punch to the
"butsu metsu," soft stomach tissue, with
taiken (whole body punch)-- use the
shoulder to damage the tissue and break
the ribs.
Picture 248: "Kikaku ken Ryobu Uchi"
punching to both sides using the kikaku
ken. Hold with both hands in a fist.

243

245

244

246

247

Henka Ken" (fist variations)

Picture 249: Punch to the suigetsu with

"shitan ken."
Picture 250: If the opponent can bear
this, I don't pull my punch back but
instead change it into a boshiken strike
to the solar plexus.
Picture 251: Punch to the butsumetsu.
Picture 252: change it into "shako ken
butsumetsu kimon uchi" (grabbing
punch to the breast and the sides of the
ribs.)

248

249

250

251

252

Picture 253: punch to the upper

arm weak point between the
muscles.
Picture 254: Double punching to he
same place with a shuki ken.
Picture 255: Punching to
the point below the ear
with shito ken.
Picture 256: Uke punch
with a left fudo ken while
hitting to his "jakkin"
with a right shikan ken.
Picture 257: Punch to
the chin, "asagasumi,"
with a shikan ken.

253

254

255

256

257

258

Picture 258: When the opponent

bends back from the punch, hit
down with a shuki ken to the chest.
Picture 259: Shako ken used as
metsubushi, eye blinders.
Picture 260: Punch to the sides of
the ribs with shito ken.

259

260

Itami Uchi-- punching to be painful

Picture 261: Grab the hoshi, elbow
joint, and "punch" it with the
shito and shitan ken.
Picture 262: Punch in to the
shoulder's hoshi point below
the armpit.
Picture 263: Grab his front
upper breast "omote kimon.
Picture 264: From a left
butsumetsu shako ken
change to a "gorin kudaki,"
crushing the 5 points of his gut.

261

262

263

264

Itami Osae or Itami Dori

(holding painfully or catching
painfully)
Picture 165: Soku Yaku
Dori, Ashi Kubi Osae. It is
also
ashi kubi osae in another
translation.
Picture 266: "Mae Ude
Osae," holding the front arm.
Picture 267: Keikotsu Osae,
it is also called "Benkei
Osae" in another translation.
Picture 268: Soku Gyaku
Sokki dori, holding the leg
with the knee.

You will be able to catch the

enemy however you wish by
holding these weak points with
your fists a I've mentioned above.
When you understand "koppo" it
will be easy to defeat any human
being. As for my students, it is
easy to hold a bull by holding
the nose ring. The legs and
tail also apply.

265

266

267

268

"Henka Keri" (kicking

variations)
Picture 269: Punch with
soku gyaku ken following
soku yaku ken. Double
punch with these.
Picture 270: Use the right
269
soku yaku ken as a
hooking kick to his
knee or thigh.
Picture 271: I uke
strike his punching
arm from the outside
turning him away.
Then I hook kick his
leg from
behind
to knock him down.
Picture 272: Use the
272
sokki ken to attack the
outer thigh causing him to fall. As
he falls hook his knee.
Picture 273: The opponent punches at me with
his right fist. As I move to the outside, I raise my right
leg and
soku yaku to the butsumetsu.
Picture 274: This time I kick to his neck with the side of my
big toe as I avoid the punch.

270

271

273

274

"Sho Keri Henka" (variations on close-range kicks)

This lesson is to get the understanding of using these
kicks freely, even when you are grappling or not touching
him.
275
Picture 275: From "yaku keri," kicking the calf, to "ashi kake," hooking the leg.
Picture 276: From "nana batsu keri" to "soto gake," hooking outside.

276

Picture 277: From "yaku keri" to "hiza

barai," sweeping the knee.
Picture 278: From "sai keri," kicking the
inner thigh, to "yaku fumi otoshi,"
stomping down on the calf.

"Ken Nagashi" (fist flowing) or "Tedama

Dori" (juggling catch)
Picture 279: From "aigamae," meeting
position, the opponent punches at you. I
grab his fist while flowing
and
widening myself to the outside. The
breathing will blow him away. This
"inashi," fist flowing should
be dome with the feeling of
"inashi," lack of will, which
has the same pronunciation.
Picture 280: This time he
comes at me, but I just let him
float there in the air. This
trick is to hold his front foot
with
my foot.

277

279

278

280

Grappling
When the opponent comes up and grabs your
collar, the ancient martial artists were sure to hold
the opponent's hand with their own. Maybe those
students who study the modern Judo would wonder
why this is. The fact is that this act keeps the
opponent from thrusting in on my weak points with
his shito ken. When you are grappling, the
opponent's hand will always be touching your weak
point-- never forget this. You should accept the
281
basic theory that you are grappling even though you are not touching him. You can be
grabbing or catching him with your distance. After learning this, anyone can learn how to grapple well. There
are many ways of grappling. 1 on 1, 1 on 2, 1 on many, 2 on 3, etc. You should begin studying this lesson by
wearing armor or protectors and having someone punch at those protected parts or those parts with different
weapons. Next have someone punch or hit your unprotected parts with different weapons. This lesson in
shinken gata is important for studying for the chaotic grappling of a real fight. Of course, when studying this
way you will learn the real secrets of "ryu mon or ko mon," dragon's gate or tiger's gate, without protection no
matter where the battle occurs. When you grapple with your upper body in close, "choshi dori" with your legs
(Picture 281). When you stand firmly let your upper body be soft and flexible. You need to understand the
timing of choshi dori.
Picture 282: Grab his collar
Picture 283: Strike with a boshiken while
holding him.

282

Te Hodoki (freeing your hands)

When you are grabbed a the wrist it is easier to pull your hand with "taihen" as if trying to grab your
own elbow. Pull your hand so that your thumb will come in front of you. You should learn to listen to
your

283

hands. They will tell you what and where

you need to go to accomplish you goal from
the time you are grabbed. The word hand,
"te," means "waza," technique, and "koppo,"
includes the whole skill of martial arts
grappling. Like in the saying, "Donno te de
kuru ka?" Which trick will come next? Here
"te" has a shady meaning. then remember the
phrase, "Sono te ni noranu," I won't fall into
the trick. Of course this also implies
releasing the spirit (ki o toku) as well. From
"te hodoki" to "jinchu shuto uchi," striking
the weak point called jinchu.
Picture 284,285,286: Ryo Te Hodoki
(freeing both hands)
Picture 287: Both hands being grabbed.
Picture 288: Form the Gassho no Kamae
Picture 289: Free your hand o extend the
right elbow

284

285

286

287

288

289

Variations on Te Hodoki

Picture 290: Catch the opponent's left

grabbing hand with your right wrist. Picture
291: Then thrust down like a pendulum,
"furiko oshi," with your right hand behind his
left side. This hides the te hodoki technique
and makes him think that he still
has some control.
Picture 292: Then it's easy to do te hodoki
when I grab his left elbow with my left hand.
Picture 293: Then I push him slightly with
"yoko oshi gata," sideways pushing, to take
him down. I drop my body down and finish his
right leg with my left knee. He is held at 3
points including his left elbow and his left
knee.

Oya Goroshi and Ko Goroshi (killing the

parent and child)

290

291

292

293

Against a strong person there are three methods

for grabbing his weakest point which are his ears,
eyes, and finger tips. For instance, when grabbing his
fingers sometimes the attacker wants you to grab his
finger tips so grabbing them would not be a good
idea. It is most important that you should not lose
your sense of the attacker's will in a fight. In this
case, you should keep away from every action that
would be like grabbing his fingers. You should know
that it would be easier for the attacker to attack if you
grab his weak point.

Oya Goroshi (killing the parent)

When he comes to grab my collar I put
my left hand on his hand and catch him
while pushing his thumb with my right palm
to push him down.
Picture 294, 295, 296, 297
294

295

Ko Goroshi (killing the child)

Picture 298: This way I grab from the
opposite side, "gyaku tori," his left little
finger with my right shito ken. In another
translation it is called, "kyo sha tori,"
grabbing the strong man.
Picture 299: His body is kept raised by
"ko goroshi.
296

Take Ori (breaking bamboo)

297

298

There are two ways of doing take ori.

One is to catch the opponent from the
opposite side of the elbow, inside, at the
wrist. The other is to catch it on the outside
surface of the hand. When performing a wrist
twist, "gyaku tori," you can twist more than
one joint at a time with taijutsu. For example,
the shoulder joint and the elbow can be
twisted as well.
Omote Take Ori (outside take ori)

299

300

Picture 300: Takamatsu-Sensei

catching the opponent from
below. Picture 301: Catch him in
a right take ori with your left hand
and punch in to his santo, lower
neck, and grab him.
Picture 302: From the take ori,
begin the "taigai kake," hooking
from outside his body.
Picture 303: Then punch into his
butsumetsu with your right knee
while your right shito ken hits to the
"amado."
Picture 304: Then finish him by
breaking his right elbow.

301

302

303

304

Ura Take Ori (inside take ori)

Picture 305: Grab the take ori from the

back of the hand.
Picture 306: Take the gyaku of the elbow
and shoulder at the same time.
Picture 307: To make the take ori more
effective, you should shove it in with
your body rather than your hand.
Picture 308: Sometimes I hold the take
ori with my body. Try to grab everything
with your body whether it is
omote
or ura.

305

Picture 309: Grab his hand with ura

take ori and go underneath his left arm.
Picture 310: Apply uragyaku
Picture 311: Pull it down.
Picture 312: Turn it so that
you can grab the elbow.
Picture 313: Pull him down to
finish.

306

307

Picture 314: Grab him with

omote take ori from the palm
side.
Picture 315: From here I turn
into his left arm from the outside.
Picture 316: Grab him with omotegyaku
as well.
Picture 317: Then I grab his elbow with
my left hand.
Picture 318: Then I drop to take him down.

309

314

315

316

317

318

308

310

311

312

313

Omote Onikudaki and Ura Onikudaki

There is both an ura and an omote
version to onikudaki. For instance, if an
attacker punches at me with his right arm, I
will catch it with my left fist and bend his
elbow from below and put my hands
together around his bent elbow. Then change
your body position to take him down. In ura
onikudaki do it as if you were hugging his
arm to you from above it.

319

320

321

322

323

324

Omote Onikudaki

Picture 319: The opponent comes to hit me

and I defend against it.
Picture 320: Grab him by the forearm with
my right hand.
Picture 321: With my right and left hands
in harmony with him,
Picture 322: Turn him into the onikudaki.
Picture 323:This is Takamatsu-Sensei's
onikudaki. There are many variations of this.

Ura Onikudaki

Picture 324: Defend against his right fist;

nyushin," step in, and grab his upper
forearm from above.
Picture 325: hold him in close tightly so that when
I shift my body it will throw him down. Picture
326:Takamatsu-Sensei's was not fixed only on the
wrist or the body but rather done as if he were
floating in the air. You'll find that he is defending
with his "ku," void, and "kaze," wind.

325

326

Muso Dori (Catching Twin Warriors)

This muso dori was applied against
warriors who wore armor. Turn around him
while trapping his elbow from underneath
with my hand, do a "gyaku tori" on his
elbow joint. As I've said before don't pay
attention to your hands. Pay more attention
to your body movement in order to make it
easier to grab his joint while dropping or
diving with your footwork. Then I pull him
down and damage not only his elbow but
his shoulder also. (Pictures 327, 328, 329)
Eventually make a fist and put him to the
ground. (Picture 330) When doing this use
your fist to drop him straight down, but you
can also take him down as if you are falling
backwards with your body. In addition to
this technique practice to koppo of
ohgyaku, elbow breaking, throws, and
flowing through variations so that you can
do what is appropriate for the time.

327

328

329

330

Ohgyaku and Henka (Ohgyaku "big reverse/lock" and variations)

The aim of this
technique is to catch him
by twisting his shoulder
joint. As Picture 331
shows sometimes I grab
both of his elbow joints
and hold them behind my
back. Stay standing to
catch him in a "ryo
ohgyaku," double
ohgyaku. Next, drop
down to throw him down. Do variations of
this.

331

Picture 332: Without using my hands, I stay

standing to catch his left ohgyaku.
Picture 333: Take him down with his face
down to catch both arms in ohgyaku.
Picture 334: "Ohgyaku Kake Dori" The
elbow is locked. Both the arm is held and the
neck is held by my left knee.
Picture 335: "Kubi Osae Ohgyaku Tori,"
holding the neck in ohgyaku. I also hold his
neck with my sokki ken at his amado.
Picture 336: Ohgyaku Dori of the crotch and
forearm.

333

332

334

335

Gyaku Waza or "kansetsu waza" in another translation is done in

order to increase the amount of power to be put on any joint from the
outside. Use the body position and movement to make more power than the
limbs alone can make. This is used to stop the motion of the opponent or to
reduce it. Be sure to use weak points or/and correct taijutsu in order to
make the gyaku waza more effective. You should train in order to be able to
catch and hold more than one joint at a time.
Being caught in a "gyaku waza"
Some men say, "I have you in a lock. Do you feel any pain?" If this
person got into a fight with someone who has some practical fight
experience it would be quite awful for him. Once a brave Israeli came to
my dojo, and one of my students took him down all the way in a gyaku
waza. I asked him, "it hurts, doesn't it?" He simply looked up at me and
replied, "Yes, it does." If this were a life or death battle he had the
confidence that he could kill his assailant even though his arm had been
broken. There is a difference between the real fight and the lesson. That's
why in the ancient times there were lessons of real combat called "shinken
gata," real blade techniques.

336

337

Picture 337: Breaking his backbone with my left knee. The opponent
is being taken down with my left ohgyaku.

Shime Waza (choking techniques)

The neck is likely to come to mind when in comes to shime
waza. But it really applies to the whole body. I'd like to explain the
"kubi jime," neck choke, first for beginners.
As a way to learn defenses against chokes we used to use a
forked tree branch (Picture 338 & 339). To begin with, let the
opponent be trapped with the branch and let him push it back with his
body. Don't push too hard because you can break your neck.

338

339

"Hon Jime," the basic choke

Picture 340, 341, 342: Though I

move in the same manner as in
"gyaku jime: my right thumb goes
inside his collar this time.
Picture 343: Hon jime from
above.
341

340

342
343

Picture 344: Mimi jime

(choking the ears)
Picture 345: Sankaku jime
(three-sided choke). I choke
the neck with my right and
left forearms.
Picture 346: "Itami jime,"
pain choke. Choke his
"amado" with your shito ken.

346
344

345

Picture 347: Grab his neck

muscle and squeeze it.
Picture 348: Ryo Ude Shime
(choking both arms). From
below lock both elbow joints.
Picture 349: Doh jime, body
choke, and kubi jime
349

347
348
Picture 350: Choking
the neck with one
hand. The opponent is
caught by my side on
his right hand.
Picture 351: Then do
"mosubi jime," tyingup choke.
Picture 352: Sankaku
Jime. With a right
knee strike to the
kasumi. Both the neck and the
kasumi are squeezed.

352
350

351

Picture 353: Choking

the neck from behind.
Hold the "chidome"
and "amado" points.
Picture 354: "nama oto
jime," live sound choke.
I grab the opponent's
right hand with my left
and catch his collar
with my right hand.
Picture 355: With a
right knee strike I hit
his right thigh and hit
his "amado" with my
right shuto ken to take him down.

353

354

Ohgyaku Jime (Large reverse choke)

Picture 356: While grabbing his right hand with ohgyaku
while I grab him and his neck with my sokki ken. Keep
training on the "shime waza" shinken gata in your head.
Don't really practice it since it can be deadly. Always stop
before you reach the end.
Variations against and opponent's chokes
Picture 357: When the attacker squeezes me I thrust his right elbow upwards with taihen
while I grab and pull his weak point on his left forearm.
Picture 358: I throw him down to be bent while I punch a this crotch-hip joint, "sei."
Picture 359: At the place where he fell, I break his right knee and his leg. Against the
choke there are ways of grabbing the eyes or ears or crotch and tengu dori.

357

358

356

359

The story of "Nawa Nuke," freeing yourself from being tied with rope
Let me tell you the story of one of my students being choked and tied up. When a drill sergeant called
on me from Israel, the topic shifted to the skill of "nawa nuke" while speaking of real fights. He said, "I've
heard that "nawa nuke" is done by removing the joints from their sockets and sliding out through the holes in
the rope. Though I've never experienced such a case where a captive has escaped from being tied, I believe
that it can't be done." There really is a method of removing the joints from the sockets to escape, but it
wouldn't be a good skill to do often since it would cause problems for the person later. I asked my friend to tie
up Tanemura-Sensei, who is known for his skill in "nawa nuke." Every time, Tanemura-Sensei freed himself
within 3 seconds with his secret shout. My friend was speechless, literally.
Here is another story about Tanemura-Sensei. He once visited the Atlanta Police Department, and the
topic of Ninpo came up. Soon they were talking about handcuffs. There is a kind of plastic handcuff which
has a metal string in it. When the prisoner struggles the cuffs become tighter and tighter. One of the officers
boasted about his "made in America" handcuffs, and said that he would take Tanemura-Sensei around the
station in these handcuffs. As soon as the handcuffs were tightened onto his wrists Tanemura-Sensei slipped
out of them and left the man astonished with only one word, "How?!" Later Tanemura-Sensei arrested them
one by one while giving lessons and gathering the skills of the American military arresting tactics. He finally
sent home leaving them all astonished at his skills of "nawa nuku.

Koroshi Jime (killing choke)

When I am attacked from behind with a "bear
hug" choke, first I would distract him by
moving my head and trying to strike back at
him with it. I also punch out my hips into him
and spread out my arms wide. This way of
moving is the main point.
Picture 360: Being caught from behind.
Picture 361: Push your head back with your
hips and spread the arms wide.
Picture 362: Move your body to the left.
Picture 363: Do a ganseki gata on the left arm.
Picture 364: Throw him down onto his face.
Picture 365: In this case I sometimes push my
right leg back between his legs.
Picture 366: Show the waist back while hitting
to his face with your head.
Picture 367: Grab his head.
Picture 368: Throw him over with seoi nage.
It is important to train in the variations of
"koroshi kata," killing techniques.
Picture 369: Kane Kudaki or
Suzu o Tori (crushing the
bell or grabbing the groin)

360

361

362

363

By the way, when you are

choked from behind you can
free yourself with the
movement of your body.
366
364

365

367

368
369

Hell, Heaven and The Pillow of Dreams (Jigoku, Gokuraku, Yume no Makura)
The ancient martial artists left their information much like a dream from the heavenly mind and divine
will. Takamatsu-Sensei told me the story of how he received the Gokui, divine will. He received it while
dreaming of a battle between a demon and butterflies. The demon, who was so strong, couldn't catch the
butterflies who were flying freely. In truth, there are some occasions when you can know the gokui through
dreams.
I came to the conclusion that there is some mysterious power behind the invention of new skills. This
power drives and inspires you. In dreams or illusions there is no space for this to actualize itself in the real
world, so when it comes through skills the power is increased three times. When a wonderful artwork is
created, I feel not only the ability of an artist but also a great power from the outside. There is an illusion and
a dream in art in which there is something hidden, which is expressed in Noh plays. In the Noh techniques of
illusion and reality lie the characteristics of endlessness or eternity. This inspires me or knocks at the door of
my mind. I call this "object" something that cannot be touched or sensed by the human senses. By connecting

with the object we are left

alive and protected. First the
martial artist has to sense it,
and then from this sensing
you will be able to acquire g
subtle methods for creatinne
an endless or divine will o
by one.
"Ana Otoshi," dropping into
the hole

370

371

Picture 370: This is regarded as

"kumi te," grappling, as well. I punch
in at the opponent's collar with my
shito ken.
Picture 371: I go to grab his left
elbow. When he resists and holds
tightly, I hit to his right butsumetsu
with my left shuki ken, and my left leg
kicks at his right elbow to finish him.
Picture 372: Or I do "hazushi uchi,"
punching to miss the target.
Picture 373: My left knee strike
punches a both of his thighs.
Picture 374: I drop my body to take
him down.

373

It is important for you to realize the

flowing changes between hell, heaven
and the dream pillow while you're
grappling with both hands as in "ana
otoshi." Though there are fast and
slow parts in a flow, you can regard it
as a big and small wave in nature.

375

372

374

376

Jigoku Otoshi (dropping into hell)

Picture 375: I catch him from

below with my left elbow as before.
Picture 376: I catch him as in "zempo
ukemi gata," falling forward ukemi,
under which the opponent's left knee
joint is punched at by my right sokki
ken.
Picture 377: The opponent falls down
forwards and I punch at his back
butsumetsu with my right shuki ken.
Picture 378: At the same time I take
him to the end by punching his right
"yaku" weak point with my right sokki
ken.

Gokuraku Otoshi (dropping into

heaven)
Picture 379: I catch his left elbow
from below.
Picture 380: He is resisting with
"gokuraku gata.

377

378

379

378

Grappling
When the opponent comes
up and grabs your collar, the
ancient martial artists were sure
to hold the opponent's hand with
their own. Maybe those students
who study the modern Judo
381
would wonder why this is. The
fact is that this act keeps the opponent from thrusting in on my weak points with his
shito ken. When you are grappling, the
opponent's hand will always be touching
your weak point-- never forget this. You
should accept the basic theory that you are
grappling even though you are not touching
him. You can be grabbing or catching him
with your distance. After learning this,
anyone can learn how to grapple well.
There are many ways of grappling. 1 on 1, 1
on 2, 1 on many, 2 on 3, etc. You should
begin studying this lesson by wearing armor
or protectors and having someone punch at
384

383

385

386

Nage (throws)
The throws of taijutsu are not monotonous. At first you should understand the throwing techniques, nage
waza. From there you can blend them together. As I've said before, you should grasp it as a flow and then
train yourself. This also includes "ran dori," free-response training. When people think of nage waza everyone
thinks of an image of a small guy throwing a large guy breath-takingly and overwhelmingly, but in a real
battle this is not the case. You won't be able to understand the "gokui," divine will, of kuki nage, throwing
with the wind, unless you understand that even the largest sumo wrestler trips over the smallest stone. And it
differs from Judo or Aikido and many other skills of punching in and falling down. You can catch him at the
moment when he feels that he has won and relaxed allowing you to throw him with his own taijutsu. This is
one of the characteristics of it. In Judo they announce their "tokui waza," strongest technique, and show it.
Because it is a sport in which you win, lose, or tie you can know this. But for the warriors in the warring
period, they almost never speak about their strongest techniques. For if he ever did, it would surely be turned
into a technique for his death. It is better to not have a "tokui waza" for the judgement of life is "life" or
"death." One of the things I teach to my students these days is that nobody should think about your strong
point or merit if the tokui waza is one's merit. Rather the person who knows his own demerits or weak points
has his own future, so that they learn to push and challenge only their weak points. Unless there are demerits,
there will be only merits and you are unlikely to be proud of your merits because of your stable martial art.
Inevitably, your art would be more simple without waste, your merits would soon disappear (zero state). This
"zero state" should be kept seriously in mind. "Tokui waza" is a heavenly skill that only people who practice
lessons constantly can get. It is more important than forms. So I teach my students to become human beings

that can make one tokui waza better with another

tokui waza. Every human would be conceited with
his skill when it improves only a little in an
inadequate number of lessons. This is similar to the
drug user in a fight who finally turns numb and
stupid, "tengu." Don't be conceited even though you
believe you have excellent skills. There should be
no strong or weak, soft or brave; therefore, I keep
away from this conceited heart knowing the one
word of "ku," emptiness or nothing. You should regard
yourself as nothing as well. I really like this word. To
accomplish or acquire this subtle skill soon, please
understand this meaning correctly.
"Harai Koshi" (sweeping the hips) "Harai Otoshi"
(dropping sweep)

387
388

The method of driving away his hips is also the

method for keeping him away from you as well. There
is kyojitsu (interchange of truth and falsehood) in this.
389

Picture 387: Grappling

Picture 388: change in order to collapse his body.
Picture 389: Do taihen while sticking to the opponent's
body. Picture 390: Drive him upwards or there is another
case where he will drive himself down and away.
Picture 391: The opponent's right hand is not grabbing for
fear of the next attack.
Picture 392: At the moment when I throw him away I
finish him with my right elbow strike.

390

Gyaku Harai Otoshi (reverse sweeping and dropping)

391
392
Picture 393: The attacker grabs and I collapse his arms.
Picture 394: Begin to drive his hips.
Picture 395: Stop driving them in the middle.
Picture 396: Then pull him over, but if he can't be lifted, then change the taihen.
Picture 397: The opponent moves to a slightly safe position with his right leg on the ground. I take him down by
dropping my weight and punching at his right "sai" with my right leg. This will break the thigh bone.

394

395

396

397

393

Gyaku Nage (reverse throw)

This technique grabs his opposite arm and throws him away naturally. When it comes to the arm, the
technique includes grabbing tips of fingers, arm joints, elbow joints, shoulder joints, or other places of the
upper body.

Picture 398: I punch at his right

amado with my right shito ken.
Picture 399: I am grabbing in the
style of omotegyaku with my
right elbow. Finish him with my
right elbow.
Picture 400:I throw him down
while floating him in the air.
Picture 401: "Hachiji ryo ude
tori," grabbing both arms in the figure of #8.
Picture 402:"Se awase ryo gyaku tori" standing backto-back and grabbing both arms reversed.

398

399

400

401

402

Taki Otoshi (falling waterfalls or dragon drops)

This technique drops the opponent to the ground
when being thrown by moving my body out from
under him.
Picture 403: I grab his left
elbow and put power into the
waist.
Picture 404: Throw him.
Picture 405: While he is in the
air, I found a chance to move
my body out from under him to
drop him.

403

405

Gyaku Taki Otoshi (reverse dragon drops)

Picture 406: I begin gyaku zeoi.
Picture 407: I
swing him up with
my left elbow in
the air. There I
thrust his left arm
forward.
Picture 408: The
opponent falls
down on his head.
This technique is
called "ukemi
torezu," not being
able to take ukemi. It is a
very dangerous method of
throwing.

404

406

Be careful when practicing it. The shinken gata way of

throwing him is not to be grabbed by him during the
throw. The "kiken gata," dangerous styles, should never
be done when throwing him to the ground. You should
take good care to stop in the middle or have someone
support you both.
Kubi Tori Taki Otoshi

407

408

409

Picture 409: When the opponent is thrown with "gyaku otoshi.

Picture 410: While dropping my body down, I crush his head on the ground. Just remember this as a form-- it's
too dangerous to practice.

410

Oh Soto Nage and Hiki Otoshi

Picture 411: Like this I grab his right weak
muscle and his left ear with "Oh Soto."
Again I drop down to pull him. This and
"itami dori" both have similar characteristics
but it's best not to use it. If you use it often your
basic skills of taijutsu will become poor.
411

Oh Soto Nage

412

Picture 411: I grab him with my right and left

shako ken.
Picture 412: Punching him with
my left elbow,
Picture 413: I hook his left leg in
oh soto to takedown.
Picture 414: I hug him while
grabbing his left opposite elbow,
and put him down while
punching his butsumetsu with
my left fist.

Hiki Otoshi (pulling to take him

down)

413

414

415

416

417

418

Picture 415: A variation of #1, I

grab his right shoulder with my
right shako ken. I grab his right
hand with my left and pull him to
takedown.

Uchi Mata Uchi Kake

The difference between this
and the uchimata in Judo is that I
am hitting the "suzu" and "koe"
with my sokki ken and soku yaku ken.
Picture 416: Suzu tori.
Picture 417: Lifting up
Picture 418: Taihen nage Uchi Mata
Picture 419: Finishing his right calf with my sokki
ken.
Picture 420: The opponent was taken down
forward with a broken right knee. Be sure to
be able to vary these in many ways.

Hane Age
This looks like Hane Koshi in Judo but it
has a much broader meaning. The throwing
technique is leaping up, throwing or crashing
into the opponent's weak point (thigh, calf, or
"koe"). In taijutsu many various ways of
throwing have been developed: throwing to
avoid an attack, throwing to crash him to the
ground, throwing in the air, or throwing to
keep him away from you.
Picture 421 & 422: Even though he grabs my
sleeve and collar I can throw him away and make
him leap up.

420

419

421

Itami Kohbushi Nage (painful fist throw) I throw him away naturally by punching at his weakest most
painful point.

422

Kimon Nage

Picture 423: I punch at his "kimon," weak point.

Picture 424:I use my waist to throw him away. When he hits
the ground, I grab him and break his arm with my right leg.
Picture 425: "Kasumi Nage" After punching at his asagasumi I
throw him with a seoi nage.
Picture 426: "Amado Nage" I hold his amado and throw him.

423

425

Oh Kyo (false attacks)

Picture 427: I open both my arms

and drop my waist to avoid being
thrown.
Picture 428: Next, punch to his
butsumetsu.
Picture 429: When he comes to use
his nage waza you should punch at
his "shichibatsu," a weak point
which when punched the opponent
will not be able to stand for seven
days afterwards.
Picture 430: I punch in at his right
"shichi batsu" with my left shito ken.
Picture 431: After knocking him down I
punch his face.

426

424

The techniques for avoiding being thrown make lessons

for taihen to be centered in the waist or to be balanced so
to say. Train to drop your hips and let your arms hand
down behind your back when he comes in to throw you.
The next step is to learn to attack the opponent when he
does this. Once this is perfected, you should learn how
to punch while being thrown or to throw him while you
are being thrown.

428
427
429

"Atama Dori" (grabbing the head)

After you understand the technique
of "ryote darai," hanging the hands down
loosely, you should practice to learn how
to grab his head to finish him.
430

Picture 432: Asakasumi Dori Gyaku Nage

Picture 433:I pull him backwards to fall
down by grabbing his head.
Picture 434:I knock him down
with Kubi Gyaku Dori

432

433

431

434

Ganmen Dori (grabbing the face)

Picture 435: The attacker come to throw me. I grab his

asakasumi (throat) with my shako ken.
Picture 436: I punch at his weakest point grabbing his face.
Picture 437: I hit him to make him fall down.
Picture 438: Choking him to crush his face.

Attoh (thrusting to make him fall)

Picture 439: Against his nage waza I do a ryote

darai defense. I jump up on his body and
punch/grab him with my left fist and punch to his
sai with my right to knock him down.

435

436

Atama Tobi (jumping his head)

Picture 440: Using the power of the attacker's

throw, I grab his hair or collar and swing him
around to throw him.
Picture 441: Metsubushi blind him. While being
thrown I do metsubushi or "kimotsubushi,"
frightening or breaking his spirit,
while punching in.

Picture 442: When he comes to

throw me,
Picture 443: I lift his right leg
with my right leg to open him up
and drop
Picture 444: down and punch at
his thigh. You may use either fist
depending on the situation.
Picture 445: Finish him this
way.

438

437

439

440

441

442

443

444

445

Picture 446: "Ai Kumi,"

grappling when meeting
Picture 447:The opponent comes
to do osoto gake or osoto kari.
Picture 448: I make my body fall
to the right side and use no
power at all.
448
446

447

Picture 449: I lay down in

front of him.
Picture 450: I grab him and
throw him away with "choshi,"
harmony with him.
Picture 451: For fear that he is
going to finish me, I finish him
instead.
449

450

451

This is called "Osoto Tobashi" to

roll forward having leaped over
his body. If I follow him, my
body naturally raises and I can
naturally hit him with my shuki
ken.
Ran Setsu and Soto (crazy snow
and falling fox)
Through this technique is
called "sutemi waza," throwing
yourself completely into the
technique, it is also translated as
flowing water in literature. This
technique should be thought of as a
change in the water's flow instead of
desperate flowing.

452

453

454

Ran Setsu
Picture 452: I grab both of his
butsumetsu places.
Picture 453: When he jumps in the
air due to the pain, I flow my body
between his legs or to the right or left
to throw him.
Picture 454: This is a vertical
flow, up to down.
Picture 455: Here I flow to the left.
Picture 456: When I pull him forward
he hits his face on the ground.
Picture 457 & 458: He does ukemi
with his hands. then I kick to his
tailbone with my sokki ken while
pulling with my hands so that he hits
his face.

456
455

457

458

Soto
Picture 459: I
come up to grab
his collar.
Picture 460: I
grab his
"amado" instead.
Picture 461:
Punch in.

459

460

461

Picture 462: Hook my right leg to

his crotch.
Picture 463: Throw him.
Picture 464: I sometimes change
my direction to throw him
differently or turn around with him.
This is called "futari kaiten," two
people rolling.
Picture 465: Change it to "nigori
nagashi," muddy flow, to punch him
with your whole body.

Sutemi Nage (desperate throwing)

463

462

Picture 466, 467, 468: From

Tomoe Nage change to "tawara
mawashi" which is in the middle of
Tomoe Nage. This technique is
made in the air. First I kick "tomoe
keri" and throw his body upwards
and punch him when he is coming
down. In addition, I grab his body
to swing my leg in any direction.
Kuki Nage (throwing with the
power of the wind)

This is a way of throwing him

away without touching his body or
spirit. Something else is used
which is not part of my
consciousness. I use the "kuki
nage" which is supposed to be a
subtle skill used without my
consciousness. It has no decisive
style or kata. In the ancient scrolls
it is listed as a skill that "doesn't
exist when you think it does, and
does when you think it doesn't." It
is a weird technique. Very subtle.

464

466

465

467

468

Jin Ryku No Maki

Kumi Uchi (grappling and hitting)
I'm going to tell you that kumi uchi, taijutsu, and "shizen waza," natural techniques, were created from a
natural way of living. Together these skills merge to make one flow. It is just like a blueprint to create
unexpected skills and to be able to train in thousands of ways. The past martial arts delivered a hidden
mysterious teaching whose depth can only be described in a poem on the gokui. "If you are dying to win in a
fight, you will surely lose." (poem by Yoshinari).
Ashirau (footwork)
Takamatsu-Sensei used to say that in a serious fight it depended on your footwork, win or lose. In
taijutsu it is important for your legs to be flexible and strong like an iron spring. They say that your should
handle the nose, but to handle, ashirau, the enemy is "ashirau," footwork. So the motion of the legs and
footwork is very important. So it is necessary to learn deeply the taijutsu of soccer, using your feet not your
hands. I'd like you to attain the subtle way of "ashirau" to win with your skillful footwork rather than
defeating with your inadequate hands.

Picture 469: Ashisabaki 1: I receive his

right punch with my body movement.
Picture 470: I put the tips of my toes onto his
right foot.
Picture 471: I thrust with my left knee like
punching to his calf.
Picture 472: It goes right to his weak point on
the calf, yaku.
Picture 473: Ashisabaki 2: I step in with my
right foot while he is punching me.
Picture 474: Like the picture I put my right
foot behind his right leg.
Picture 475: I drive his leg away with mine.
This makes him fall. The way of entering with
your body is called "shinobi aruki," ninja
walking.

473

469

470

471

472

474

475

477

476

478

Picture 476: Ashisabaki 3: Against his thrust, I step behind

his right leg with my right foot.
Picture 477: I catch his right leg and hold it there while I
punch to his "sai" with my hip.
Picture 478: I climb my body onto his to bend his leg.
Picture 479: I do taihen diagonally forward to the left like
"moguri gata," diving in waza, as he punches at me.
Picture 480: I hook my right ankle to his right ankle.
Picture 481 & 482: I pull him to fall down with the intention
of changing my while body rather than just
using the leg.

479

481

480

482

Musan (scattered fog)

Picture 483: The opponent punches at my suigetsu.

While doing taihen I catch his right wrist.
Picture 484: I punch at his face with my right fist, go
under his right arm and turn back his arm.
Picture 485: I hit his other upper arm with my right fist
and bend it.
Picture 486: Or, move so as to break his elbow with
ohgyaku. I can finish him and end up with his shoulder
and elbow joints at the same time. Here the partner
should learn how to do taihenjutsu to keep me from
catching him.

483

Raku Rai (falling thunder)

Picture 487: I catch his right punch with my left hand.
Picture 488: I punch at his right amado with my right kiten
ken.
Picture 489: I move my right rear hip and thigh to his thigh.
Picture 490: Now I turn around my left arm with his right
hand in uragyaku. Having punched at his thigh with my body,
I sit down and let him fall down. While doing that you should
punch at his "butsumetsu" naturally with your right shuki ken.

487

488

485

489

486

490

Chiku Sei (bamboo voice)

Picture 491: The opponent come to hit me with his right fist. I catch it while moving my body to the left.
Picture 492: I step in to punch at his backbone.
Picture 493: I grab the skin on his waist with "shako tori," slap and grabbing using shako ken, and hold him to do a
"koshi nage," hip throw.
Picture 494: Having thrown him up in the air, I crash his head down on the ground and punch at his
asagasumi" with my left sokki ken.

491

492

493

494

Fudoh (immovable)

Picture 495: I grab the attacker's

punching fist and go behind his
back.
Picture 496: I drive his left leg
and kick it and pull him
backwards to fall down.
Picture 497: Finish, or I pull him
down to finish.
Picture 498: I sit down and do "fudo tori
gata," way of holding someone immobile,
while choking his waist.
Picture 499: Do "suwari fudo," sitting
immobile, and punch at the back of his
"butsumetsu" (both of them) while letting
him go. ("Doh uchi," punching at the
thorax)

495

496

498

497

499

Ko Ku

Picture 500: The opponent punches with

his right hand and I grab it and throw it
with my left hand.
Picture 501: After I grab him with my right
kiten ken I punch at his hoshi.
Picture 502: He kicks with his right leg. I
move to the left and kick up his "yaku," calf
weak point, with my right leg.
Picture 503: I punch at his right
"butsumetsu" with my right shito ken.

500

501

Konpi (surrounding leap) Picture

504: The opponent punches. I

move my body and punch at his
right amado with my right kiten
ken.
Picture 505: Change the position
to the left.
Picture 506: Jumping "hicho"
about 3 1/2 meters away from
him.

502

503

504

505

The point of this is to be able to

jump freely in any direction
about 3.5 meters away from the
opponent's attack. you should
attain the body movement of
"kasumi," mist.
506

Hito (leaping to knock down)

Picture 507: Catch the attack in any way.

Picture 508: I punch down at his "jujiro,"
foreshoulder bone, or "kimon" with my
right shitan ken or "kuchibashi ken," beak
fist.
Picture 509: I punch at his "omote kimon."
Picture 510: Punch to make him fall down.
Picture 511: I kick his
"butsumetsu" with a double
soku yaku ken to knock him
away.
Picture 512: I finish him with
"keri rakka," kicking
downward.
Picture 513: Reacting to
touching his body, I roll back.
Picture 514: I'm still ready to
fight in the kamae of "fushiko,"
crawling tiger. But I can
509
choose the direction of my roll.
Sideways, backwards or forwards depending on the situation.

507

508

510
511

513

Kappi

514

512

Picture 515: The

attacker punches with
his right fist. I do
taihen and punch at
his "amado."
Picture 516: Next I
punch at his left
"amado" with my kiten
ken.
Picture 517: I finish
him having jumped
backwards.

515

517

516

In this technique as well you should do hicho at first and leap backwards further than 3 1/2 meters. You
should attain the "koppo" so that you can jump and lower yourself ad quickly as possible.
Gyaku Ryu
Picture 518: The attacker
punches with his right
hand. I grab it in
omotegyaku tori. He then
kicks with his left leg.
Picture 519: Then he
punches with his left
hand. I defend with a
shuki ken.
Picture 520: I punch to his "amado" with my
right shuto and take down with the
omotegyaku on his left hand.

518
519

520

Picture 521: Omotegyaku Nage

Picture 522: Grab him and roll forwards while breaking
his knee at the weak point to finish.

Kata Maki (one-sided rolling)

Picture 523: The opponent punches with a right punch. I

punch in to his "hoshi."
Picture 524: Next he punches in with the left fist. I grab it by
521
522
letting it slip under my arm into my armpit. Use your body movement to hold him.
Picture 525: Then I twist my upper body to hit to his left "koe" with my right shuto.
Picture 526: Then I grab his arm in a gyaku tori and punch to his "amado" with my sokki ken to make him pass out.

523

524

525

526

Ko Yoku

Picture 527: The attacker punches with

right fist while I hit it with my left fist.
Picture 528: Step in and crack his right
betsumetsu with a right fist.
Picture 529: Spontaneously I enter under
his arm and put him on my back.
Picture 530: Then throw him
with "seoi nage." While
throwing him I should be
defending against any attacks
that come by moving my body
freely.
Picture 531: I punch at his
weakest point with my right fist
or kicking foot while throwing
him.
Picture 532: When he changes I
change my body movement or
even "ryusui," becoming
flowing water.
Picture 533: I
finish him while
he is being
crushed.

532

528

529

530

533

This skill requires you to have the feeling that your arms and legs are at the center of your spirit and body,
without using your own arms and legs. It is called "myoki hen," weird-odd variations.

531

534

Renyo

Picture 535: Kamae

Picture 536: the opponent punches with his
right fist. I move back to the right and defend
with my left by breaking his arm rather than
receiving it.
Picture 537: The opponent kicks me with his
right leg. I throw his leg away with my right
soku yaku ken.
Picture 538: He comes back to grab my left
collar with his right hand.
Picture 539: I punch to his
"amado" with my right fist.
Picture 540: I grab the base of
his neck.
Picture 541: I drive his left foot
out with my right foot while
pulling his right hand.
Picture 542: He falls forward.
Picture 543: I grab his arm in
"gyaku tori" while I am taking
him down with my body.
Picture 544: I hold him
down then let him go and
roll him on his back. I
stand up.
Picture 545: I kick his
windpipe bone so that he
will suffocate.

This technique helps you

understand how to attack
the opponent who has
attacked and tried to
escape from me.

535

537

540

543

536

538

539

541

542

544

Shiho Dori (grabbing in four directions)

This is a varying technique used to grab his arm freely in every direction and take him down in any
direction.

545

Picture 546: The opponent punches with a

right fist.
Picture 547: I begin to grab him in "Omote
Oni Kudaki Gata." What I mean is that I
punch his arm from
outside to inside while
my left hand is holding his hand.

546

547

Picture 548: While I am doing

the oni kudaki,
Picture 549: The opponent
defends by straightening his arm.
Picture 550: I change to do a
right Ippon Sugi.
Picture 551: He defends against
it as well and then I change it to
Tachi Yume Gata (Standing
Dream Technique)
Picture 552: I hold him in the
"Karada Moguri Gata," body
diving form.
Picture 553: To turn it to do
"gyaku jime" and bend his joint
until it breaks.

548

549

550

551

552

553

Kasasagi

Picture 554: From Shizen no

Kamae
Picture 555: I punch his right
punch inside to the left and
punch in to his "ryusui" with my
fist.
Picture 556: I grab his sleeve
and wait to see how things go.
Picture 557: When he turns to
kick me with his right
leg, I let it kick his own
right hand. Naturally his
balance will be broken.
Picture 558: I punch at
his right fist upper weak
point and left it upwards
and punch at his "go rin"
with my left kiten ken.
Picture 559: While
proceeding I put him
down with my shito ken, or
Picture 560: I do "gyaku
ganseki," a reversed
ganseki technique.
Picture 561: I pull his
right elbow while he is
being finished.
Picture 562: He can't
bear standing and falls
down.
Picture 563: I punch in at
his "hoshi" with
my "shito ken."
Picture 564:
Punching in at
his right Ryusui
weak muscle, I
finish him with
my right shuki
ken.

554

556

559

562

563

555

557

558

560

561

564

Koh (or is also called Hanetsu Rube)

Picture 565: Posing for attack

Picture 566: The attacker punches with his
left fist. I keep it and flow in stepping to
defend.
Picture 567: The opponent kicks with his right
leg. I turn it to he left and catch it with my
right hand. Or rather I do as if i were flowing
in a stream.
Picture 568: I twist my
body to avoid him
without power. So to
say, his body would be
lifted and turn about a
quarter of a turn around
with my right hand.
Picture 569: If I revolve
him in, he would fall
down, turning around
and he would be ending
up with his body broken.

565

567

566

568

569

Gyaku Koh

Picture 570: He punches at me with his right

fist.
Picture 571: I grab his right kick in "chosui
tori," grabbing in tune with the opponent.
Picture 572: I throw him down with my body
movement, or
Picture 573: I begin to bend his right arm
with my left foot, which means
Picture 574: I grab his left foot with my left
arm. I step on his right elbow with my left
foot.
Picture 575: By stepping in, I do both bending
his right arm and crushing his right "sai" at
the same time. While letting go with both
hands, I jump up to break his body with both
of my feet.

574

570

571

572

573

575

Koh (different form) and Gyaku Otoshi (reverse

dropping)
Picture 576: It is a different form of "Koh" hen I
w
ted up
kick his right foot up. His body would be lif
as in the picture.
rops to
Picture 577: Then turned upside-down, he
d the ground on his head.

576

577

Josei Goshin Jutsu (Self-Protection Techniques for Women)

The number of women who are studying martial arts to protect themselves is increasing. What you
should know is that the ratio of power between men and women is 7:3 respectively. You should learn this
but also learn that there is an idea that one pretends to be weaker, but turns strong in a fight. This is a
soldier's law. In an ancient scroll there is a secret skill called "Gosha Dori," grabbing strong men, which you
should apply to keep away from strong men.
Gosha Dori is a method of training in which you will grab his weak points. This training is not easy
though. It is crucial that your should attack the eyes, fingers, floating ribs (the weakest part of the
butsumetsu), the groin, and shin (just above the inside of the ankle.) Even the strongest men will cry when hit
in that point.
Next is to attack the mind. You should know the environment and go to a safe place. The men who
attack women are wicked and crazy. Don't treat them as human beings. there is a "baka jikara," enormous
strength, whose power under abnormal circumstances is increased by 10. So comparing to the man's 7 on the
strength scale, the woman would become a 13 or so. Women cannot be safe if they train these skills
uselessly, so I tell them that "goshin jutsu," heart protecting skill, is more important that the previous "goshin
jutsu."
In martial arts that show bravery in protecting themselves, true "gokui," divine will, is in their hearts.
When you are attacked you seem not to win, but only when you desert yourself will you be helped by this
"gokui.
Rohtoh

Picture 578: When the opponent

comes to grab you from behind,
Picture 579: Do taihen and punch
up at his suzu.
Picture 580: When he is helpless
and hurting,
Picture 581: Punch at his
butsumetsu with your left "shuki
ken."
Picture 582: Bending the leg is
concentrating on attacking. This is
a method for breaking his skill.

579

580

581

582

578

Hane Kujiki

Picture 583: The opponent extends his arm

to grab you.
Picture 584: Grab his 4 fingers divided to 2
in each hand and pull them open and back.
Picture 585: Throw him down.

583

584

585

The reason you should grab two fingers this way is that if I grab one finger it may break. If it breaks there is a
danger that he may come back at you again even though his finger has been broken. Open his fingers as
widely as possible to cause tremendous pain. The techniques "Ashi Ori", "Suzu Keri", "Hachiyou Zanshin"
and "Setsu Getsu Ka" are to be taught orally.

Ryo Yoku (Both Wings)-- Yubi Nage (Finger Throw)

Picture 586: First I grab his thumb.
Picture 587: Next I grab his left little finger
and cross both his hands
Picture 588: Move into Seoi Nage with his
arms in the Japanese #8 posture.
Picture 589: Throw him.

"Hachiyou Dori", "Metsubushi Zanshin",

and "Gorin Hen" are to be taught orally.

586

587

Shin Sen

Picture 590: The male opponent attacks.

Picture 591: Grab him and "Ryo Butsumetsu Ori" (break
both butsumetsu)
Picture 592: Punch his "amado" pressure point with
kikaku ken and turn into the "ryu mon" point.
Picture 593: Strongly attack his "hachiyo" point.

The Muni, Musan Hicho techniques are to be taught orally.

588

593

592
590

589

591

One and Multiple Attackers

Many people ask me the question, "What if many opponents attack at the same time? What should you
do?" I never answer seriously by saying, "There are many things to do. It's not difficult-- no matter how many
people attack you." One night I trained on the technique, "Yonin Zukami," that Takamatsu-Sensei taught me
with 4 of my best students. They pushed and held me with great strength, but I hit them with my natural "Ku
Tai" without resisting them and they flew away on their
own force.
Picture 594: "Kuki Nage" (Air Throw)
Picture 595: "Futari Tori" (Grabbing Two People)
Picture 596: "Futari Ate" (Punching Two People)
Picture 597: "Sannin Nage" (Throwing Three
People)
Picture 598: "Sanpo Uchi" (Punching in Three
Directions) The captured person pivots and it is easy for
them to free their head and legs.

596

594

597

595

598

 Shinken Shiraha Tome" and "Shiraha Tori"

The reason I divided these two techniques, even they
look identical is because there is "kyojitsu," a combination of
truth and deception, in the phenomenon of "tome" (stopping)
and "tori," (grabbing). So we can say that "kyojitsu" is strategy
or tactics. It is important to catch your opponent's sword with
this "kyojitsu." Before starting this lesson I make it a rule to
speak of the characteristics of the Japanese sword. The
Japanese sword does not cut well if it only touches the object
since it is polished vertically. It should be pulled or pushed in
order to cut. Next you should know where on the sword it is
easiest to cut. Generally, that would be the last 9 cm of the blade. The middle does not cut as well--you must
pull or push to really cut with this portion. The base of the blade is the worst place of all. This explains how
performers at the circus can climb up ladders made of sword blades or cut turnips or potatoes on their
stomachs. The merchant selling toad's oil cannot be cut because he pulls the sword across his arm only
slightly. But if he used a dagger that was polished vertically, he would most certainly be cut. These
performances can only be done using the Japanese sword. But if his timing was off just the slightest bit, he
would be cut very deeply--even with the Japanese blade. I do not suggest that martial artists study how to do
these performances. I only told of these to show the characteristics of the sword. Now that you know this, you
can begin to study "Muto Dori" (unarmed defense against the sword), "Shinken Gata" (live blade techniques),
and "Taihenjutsu." An ancient poem states, "Hell exists beneath the raised blade, step in, and enter heaven."
By mastering the points of "taihenjutsu" you will be able to read the opponent's intentions and body
movements. By using this insight along with "kyojitsu" you will be able to move to where the blade is not,
where it is the least dangerous, and catch the blade between your fingers or hands from the back of the blade
(koppo). It is important to master this
rhythm. In a real situation, it is
important to not be afraid. There are
too many important points to "shinken
gata," so I have elected not to explain
them here. I have listed the names of
the techniques. Get the feeling for the
techniques though the names.
Muto Dori
Picture 599: Seki Ryoku
I step in and punch at his "suigetsu."
Picture 600: Ko Ryo
Picture 601: Chin Gan

599
600

601

603

604

Hisaku

Picture 602: The opponent

cuts at me with a dagger.
Picture 603: I punch at his
left "kasumi" or "hadome."
Picture 604: I punch in at his
"amado" with a left "shito
602
ken."
Picture 605: Start squeezing his wrist.
Picture 606: Grab both his legs and pull to knock him down.
Squeeze his left leg with "ashi gata" and kick in at his
"asagasumi" to finish him.

606
605

Picture 607: "Fu Mo"

Picture 608: "Bakko"
Picture 609: "Muko Dori"
Picture 610: "Shika Ashi"
Picture 611: "Shuriki"
Picture 612: "Akuken"
Picture 613: "Gokuraku"
Picture 614: "Fudo

607

608

609

610

611

612

613

614

"Shiraha Dome"

615

616

617

618

Picture 615: Munen Muso No Kamae

Picture 616: Become the wind while
becoming one with the diagonal cut.
Picture 617: Grab his right arm from
underneath to time stepping in.
Picture 618: Move your body so as to throw
him and make him drop the sword.

"Shira Dori"

Picture 619, 620, 621, 622

Ki Ai Ki Shi (Feeling matching, feeling

death) is to be taught orally.

"To Chaku Jutsu"

"To Chaku Jutsu" was called "Ryu
Sen no Jutsu" in old days and there was
secret information written in it's scrolls
about ninjutsu, shuriken, and kusarigama.
Even though it is important to have the
skills of punching, throwing, and striking
with shuriken and "senban shuriken jutsu"
you shouldn't forget how they have been
made and the best way to use them. Once
you learn the way of throwing them, you
can use whatever is handy.
"Tsubute and Kurumi" (Stones
and Walnuts)
This walnut appears to be
an ordinary one, but it actually
has lead in it. I often train my
fingers by playing with them in
my hands, but against my
enemies, I would use them as
projectiles.
"Ishi Nage"
There is a rule of how to throw
stones. Only when you understand
the style of "sanshin" correctly will
you be able to see this.

619

620

621

622

Senban Nage Picture

623: I put 9 senban

shuriken in my coat.
Picture 624: I hold
them in my left hand.
Picture 625: I grab
them with my right
hand.
Picture 626: I throw
them snapping my
wrist.
Picture 627: The
snapping method
should be done as if you
are spinning a top by
pulling towards yourself. In
ancient times, they threw
metal saucers.

625

626

627

623

"Senban Zengo Jiyu Uchi" (Freely Throwing the Senban Forwards

and Backwards)
Use taihenjutsu to throw the senban freely forwards or backwards.
"Metsubushi"
Use metsubushi correctly with the basics of taijutsu. It is the
same as throwing shuriken and senbanjutsu. After throwing the
metsubushi, I punch at their butsumetsu.
"Ita Shuriken" (Bo Shuriken)
Throw as shown in the pictures.

624

Kakushi Buki" (concealing weapons)

Concealing weapons with taijutsu helps
make them more effective, but on the other
hand, if your opponent notices your weapons
he can use them against you unexpectedly.
Always keep this in mind. Concealed
weapons can also be normal natural things as
well. One day Takamatsu-Sensei said to me,
"Hatsumi, look at my fingernails, in a real
fight you had better use this pipe rather than
your own nails." I heeded his words so I kept my nails as ordinary as every
other person's. But my students scream just as much when I use my finger
bones against them.
Picture 628: "Shuko" and "Ashiko"
Picture 629: "Many kinds of iron knuckles"
Picture 630: "Neko Te" (Cat Claws)
Picture 631: "Kaku Shi" (Horn's Finger)
Picture 632: A hidden weapon in my palm
Picture 633: Ashiko
Picture 634: Shuko/Ashiko
Picture 635: Doku Kokeshi
(poisonous wooden dolls)

"Shin Den Gokui" (Secrets

Taught From God)
There is a ceremony
used as a step towards
attaining the gokui that comes
from intuition. This helps
attain the subtle skills to enter
"mumon" (the nothing gate).
There in a room where all
rooms are left open is a
student in white sitting in fudo
za meditating. The teaching is
standing in the "Otonashi no
Kamae" (soundless posture)
and is approaching him in a
floating boat, coming to cut
him. If the student is able to
avoid the cut he will have
gained the "gokui." If not, he
will die and be finished. This
situation is very similar to that
of ceramic arts. The artist will
break it immediately after taking it out of the kiln if he is
not pleased with his work.

628

629

630

631

632

633

One day I was sitting in Takamatsu Sensei's house

and he told me to sit there and wait with my eyes closed.
"No matter what happens, don't open your eyes." I was
feeling that he was coming down the stairs but I stayed
relaxed. A second later I felt as though someone was
attacking me diagonally from behind and I saw a shadow
form splitting my body, so I laid myself down. And next I
sensed as if my head were cut away from the side, so I did
635
634
"zempo ukemi" (a forward breakfall). Then quietly I sat in
"Shizen Fudo Za Gamae" (Natural Immovable Seat) and heard him say, "Well Done. You may open your

eyes." I saw him standing before me. I attained this spiritual skill through an intuition I've had before, a skill
taught by God. I was impressed to find that I was calm. The "gokui" refers to the teacher's strange saying,
"When you expect it to exist, it really doesn't, but when you don't expect it to exist, it really does!!" I was
reminded of this then and found the existence of the spirit. And with that delightful discovery, Takamatsu
Sensei gave me that sword. Later he told me that this cut was "Juji Giri" (Cross-shaped Cut) and had never
been defended against except by me. I remember this as if it happened yesterday.
Only a year before his death, he told me that he has imparted all the martial arts to me. But nine years
ago I learned to be able to say what the real martial arts was after having trained as much as I could while
recuperating from my illness. The taijutsu "Godan" (5th-level black belt) test is done by my standing behind
my student holding my sword with my eyes closed. Then I would cut at him with real intention. If the student
avoids the cut, he will be given the "godan" award which is the first step in the martial arts. This doesn't mean
that the student only has the ability to avoid my cut from behind. It also means the act of dodging and
avoiding calmly in order to realize the courage of keeping just in a world where a person will try to betray you
(stab you in the back--translator's addition) unexpectedly. So you can't live without knowing the dark side of
society. If you learn martial arts for the skill of simply dodging a cut from behind, then it is simply acrobatics.
If you have this intention, you would be kept away from the truth of life without your even knowing it. Your
whole life would turn rotten and it would be like a cancer which keeps you from growing correctly. In a sense,
this one cut in the figure of the Japanese number 10 will cut away that cancer from the very beginning and
then you will know who can be taught and who cannot. This sense is required when I teach my students.
Buddha used to teach 10 disciples, one of which failed to learn. Jesus Christ had 12 disciples, one of which
betrayed him. Even with the connection between student and teacher, a failure can exist. In modern education,
the relationship between teacher and student is a dead one. In today's times, the most important thing to do in
peace is to acquire the true martial arts. In ancient teachings, the godan test was necessary. After having seen
the student use martial arts poorly, this test allowed the teacher to kill them under one cut. When you passed
the godan test inevitably the method of learning would turn to the "invisible" lessons--those which are hard to
be understood. Nowadays, I am teaching my students of 20 years telling them lessons putting many meanings
in it. But the students still see it as weir skills training. Even though they knew what I was teaching but they
couldn't move their bodies or might be understanding but not knowing it--the weird skills begin to come to
life like that. It's alright for students to say that they don't understand when they really don't. Otherwise they
would be conceited. "Because you can't understand, you will improve due to fear of the unknown." I've told
them this many times.
One day one of my students came to me and asked me to teach him how to throw someone while
walking past them. So I took him to the bank of the Edo River and tried it. We went with 4 other Shihan
students and took a video camera. As the nine eyes watched we passed each other and he flew away about 5
meters into the river. He stood up bleeding from his mouth.
I asked, "Did you understand it?"
"No, I didn't" he replied.
"Did you get it?" asking the other students.
"No, but we got it on video so we'll get it later" they replied.
"No you won't," I told them.
Even with 9 eyes watching those master teachers couldn't figure out the trick to the technique. This is the
martial arts. Taking pictures and video and writing down techniques is not enough to grasp these tricks. The
essence of the martial arts cannot be stolen no matter how many techniques are announced or if the scrolls are
stolen. You may take a picture of it or write it down but it is practically useless.
It is best to receive lessons directly from the teacher. So now I am going to print and publish this book,
introducing the written lessons with a lessons direct from Takamatsu-Sensei. It was a rule of TakamatsuSensei that the lessons he taught not be written down. This rule is extremely deep and the martial arts are even
deeper so you will be sure to win. By printing this book I am breaking this rule in a way, but for the purpose
of future study I described all the styles with interpretation added, hoping that every student will follow me.
Even though I write this book, the deep, extreme meanings are lacking. You will realize this after a long time
of training. One year before Takamatsu-Sensei passed away, he told me the most wonderful thing, "You are
a good martial artist. Nobody could accomplish what you have done. Now I can repay all my indebtedness to
Toda-Sensei." I could not believe these words. I had been believing that the essence of the martial arts would
be acquired only several years after he called me "soke." I've been learning this type of leadership for the last
nine years and I've just now decided to publish this book on taijutsu.
One day I was discussing the theory of art with a music conductor living in the US. Martial arts was
described in an article as a musical score. We pointed out all the similarities. The martial arts was developed
from the endless nothing which is hidden at the edge between life and death which is as thin as a piece of

paper. No matter how advanced computers become, we still cannot calculate zero. Even if you could, you still
could not guess the subtle weird techniques of zero (void) unless you attain this in a stable true martial art.
This is where the true martial arts lives.
"People say that they learn these skills for their own purposes without realizing that it is god leads them to it."
--Ryuuso

Conclusion
I am finally able to publish this book after 3 years of taking pictures. Togakure Ninpo Taijutsu is the
general name given to cover all the nine schools of ninjutsu. The other name is Bujinkan Dojo Taijutsu. As I
mentioned before in this book, taijutsu is "shinken gata" (real fighting techniques) not the sport-type
techniques that are practiced on mats. These techniques are extremely dangerous and should not be shown to
beginners. I want everyone to train under a qualified "Shidoshi" before entering the Bujinkan. As well, get rid
of all your violent and evil tendencies. For the last 15 years I have continued working through all the tough
lessons of Takamatsu-Sensei while feeling embraced by his strong love of humanity. I have truly encountered
a real ancient martial art. This book may well be called the fruit of that encounter. I have referred to
Takamatsu-Sensei in this book as though he were still alive as best I could. I felt this feeling again while
editing this work. I feel glad that I am able to return his kindness, even if it is just one-thousandth of his.
Now I am going to tell you a story of my training. There was a teacher named Akimoto-Sensei. He was
the grandmaster of one of the 9 schools of ninjutsu, Gikan Kosshi Ho Jutsu. When I went over to TakamatsuSensei's house, Akimoto-Sensei was there and greeted me with a hearty, "Hello!" He was always delighted to
see me. He told me, "Welcome young teacher, Takamatsu-Sensei is waiting for you." Then he led me up the
stairs to where Takamatsu-Sensei was waiting. He talked with me for quite a while. During our conversation,
Takamatsu-Sensei lit a cigarette and said, "Akimoto-Sensei, I need an ashtray. He replied, "Here you are,"
while extending it to him. Takamatsu-Sensei flicked his ashes and they fell on Akimoto's arm. He yelled,
"Ouch!" and patted it out. The conversation paused for this event. Takamatsu-Sensei's and my conversation
then continued and soon Akimoto-Sensei joined in. Takamatsu then lit his cigarette again and asked for the
ashtray. Again, Akimoto-Sensei offered it to him and again Takamatsu-Sensei flicked the ashes on his arm.
Again, he yelled, "Ouch!!" We all laughed at this funny scene.
Akimoto-Sensei was an expert at staying at another person's house for nothing. When he stayed at my
house it was awful and a scary situation. Takamatsu-Sensei told me that he used to practice his iaijutsu (the art
of drawing the sword and cutting) on the banks of the Otone River by cutting off the heads of sparrows that
would fly by. To my grief, Akimoto-Sensei got sick and died of a disease, and his death pained us greatly.
Takamatsu-Sensei remarked that since he was older he should have died first. If he could have, he would have
died in his place, but "Thank God I didn't!!" I would like to thank all of those teachers of mine who helped
make it possible for me to write this book. "I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."
--Masaaki Hatsumi (Haku Ryu Oh) "The Venerable White Dragon"