Bujinkan

The Bujinkan organization incorporates the teachings of nine martial arts.

• Togakure-ryu Ninpo Taijutsu
• Gyokko-ryu Kosshijutsu
• Kuki Shinden Happo Bikenjutsu
• Koto-ryu Koppojutsu
• Shinden Fudo-ryu Dakentaijutsu
• Takagi Yoshin-ryu Jutaijutsu
• Gikan-ryu Koppojutsu
• Gyokushin-ryu Ninpo
• Kumogakure-ryu Ninpo

The head of the Bujinkan organisation, Masaaki Hatsumi, is the lineage holder of several ryuha taught in the Bujinkan, transferred to him in the middle of the 20th Century by his teacher Takamatsu Toshitsugu.

From 1968 and onwards, the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten has entries bearing the name of Hatsumi below his teacher Takamatsu Toshitsugu for the following school entries: Gyokko-ryu Kosshijutsu, Kuki Shinden Happo Bikenjutsu, Koto-ryu Koppojutsu, Shinden Fudo-ryu Dakentaijutsu, Takagi Yoshin-ryu Jutaijutsu, Gikan-ryu Koppojutsu, Gyokushin-ryu Ninpo and Kumogakure-ryu Ninpo.

In 1843 several of the Bujinkan ryuha were mentioned in the Kakutogi no Rekishi ("The History of Fighting Arts"). Although details of the ryuha were omitted, the publication states, "even though they are not mentioned in this particular periodical, there are several schools that are well-known for being 'effective arts' (jitsuryoku ha)." Among the schools listed in this section are Gyokko Ryu, Gikan-ryu Koppojutsu, Gyokushin-ryu Ninpo, Kukishin Ryu, Takagi Yoshin-ryu Jutaijutsu and Asayama Ichiden Ryu (which is not part of the Bujinkan's nine schools but was studied by Hatsumi via Takashi Ueno). The Bujinkan as a whole has been recognised by the Zen Nippon Todo Renmei (All Japan Sword Federation) needed However, the recorded history and lineage of several of the ryuha taught in the Bujinkan, as documented by the Bujinkan, especially of Togakure-ryu Ninpo Taijutsu, have been called into question.

Several of the above martial arts taught in the Bujinkan can allegedly be traced back to the Iga region of Japan and were developed and used by the Yamabushi and the Ninja. The arts said to be in the Iga-ryu Ninjutsu tradition include Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu, Gikan-ryu and Shinden Fudo Ryu. The alleged connection to Ninjutsu is through Hatsumi's teacher Takamatsu Toshitsugu who was, among other things, permitted to copy the Amatsu Tatara scrolls. Takamatsu Toshitsugu grandfather was a samurai and a direct decedent of the founder of Gyokko Ryu (the Gikan-ryu was passed to Takamatsu Toshitsugu through another source). Other arts, such as Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Kukishinden Ryu were developed and used by members of Japan's Samurai families. Today the Bujinkan incorporates techniques from all of the above 9 ryu and others.