About Bujinkan Taijutsu
The martial arts of Hatsumi Sensei's Bujinkan Dōjō come from the nine traditions he inherited from his teacher, Takamatsu Sensei.
These nine schools are:
| ● Gyokko ryu | ● Shindenfudo ryu | ● Gikan ryu |
| ● Koto ryu | ● Takagi Yoshin ryu | ● Kumogakure ryu |
| ● Togakure ryu | ● Kukishinden ryu | ● Gyokushin ryu |
Each is a martial art in itself with it's own history, specialisms and curriculum.
From this body of traditional martial arts knowledge we most frequently practise,
| ● Taijutsu | - unarmed techniques including evasion, learning to fall safely, striking, locking and throwing |
| ● Bojutsu | - staff techniques including Rokushaku bo (6ft), Hanbo (3ft) and Jo (4ft) |
| ● Kenjutsu | - sword techniques including Iai (drawing) and the use of Katana, Tachi (long swords) and Kodachi (short sword) |
About Hatsumi Sensei
Hatsumi Yoshiaki (Masaaki) was born on 2nd December 1931 in Noda City, northeast of Tokyo. He was already an accomplished martial artist when he first bagan travelling to train with Takamatsu Sensei in 1957. For the next 15 years Hatsumi Sensei regularly made the trip from Noda to Takamatsu Sensei’s home in Kashiwabara.
A bone setter, artist, author and recipient of numerous domestic and foreign awards, Hatsumi Sensei continues to live and teach in Nodashi.
Hatsumi Sensei and Takamatsu Sensei
About Takamatsu Sensei
Though many of the schools taught in the Bujinkan previously shared a related history, it was Takamatsu Sensei who first inherited and brought all nine together from his teachers - Toda Sensei, Ishitani Sensei and Mizuta Sensei.
Later on Takamatsu Sensei spent time in China where he became known as 'Moko no Tora' or Mongolian Tiger. During and following this time he had many students; though he did not accept any new ones after Hatsumi Sensei who would later become the inheritor of his martial arts.
About Dōjō Takuma
At Dōjō Takuma we try to practise Hatsumi Sensei's martial arts in a serious yet relaxed manner.
The name Takuma is made from two kanji:
- Taku (琢) meaning to polish (jewels) or cultivate
- Ma (磨) meaning to grind and polish until smooth
Together they can express the idea of working hard to shape, polish and improve.
Takuma is also the second part of the Yojijukugo ‘Sessa Taku Ma’.
Sessa Taku Ma
Cut (shape), Polish, Polish (cultivate), Grind.
This refers to the process of cutting and scraping gems into better forms and then grinding and polishing them until smooth.
A general interpretation is to cultivate one's character into something better by hard study and application. It also includes the concept of using friendly competition to push each other to improve.
More info about Yojijukugo can be found here
The word we use for the training hall is Dōjō. The kanji suggest a meaning greater than gym or practise hall:
道 dō – way, path, journey
場 jō – location or place
Dōjō Takuma.