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when i told some Japanese I was going to Japan to study taijutsu they thought I was into dancing....

I don't get your point, to be honest. Yes, for all we know, from historical documents, the term "Ninjutsu" doesn't refer to hand to hand combat, but that isn't the same as saying the Ninja knew no hand to hand combat. Most Ryu-Ha, if not all of them, are focused on several disciplines, not just one. Togakure Ryu is a school that includes Ninjutsu(as they claim), but also includes other skills, such as Taijutsu and Kenjutsu. Do you honestly believe the Shinobi didn't train any form of unarmed combat? That's like saying a CIA agent isn't a CIA agent if he has trained hand to hand combat, since what CIA does is intelligence gathering. But they do train hand to hand combat and they have their own methods. So it just makes absolutely no sense to try to use this as proof that what Hatsumi teaches has no correlation with the Ninja.

I'm 71 years old, soon to be 72. I've studied martial arts at every opportunity from age 21 to age 40 or so, then started my efforts to learn European martial arts for about ten years; in the latter I first joined the SCA which was just sport combat in armour, with too many rules and more scholarly rapier practice. I wasn't fickle, but as a miner my job required many moves, and dojos came and went after they were down to the loyal few. I studied Goju Ryu karate, Japanese Jiujitsu, Shito Ryu karate, Goshin Budo (the samurai arts combined), Ninjutsu at one of Hatsumi's schools in the US, and briefly Hapkido. I know this is not impressive but I hold a green belt in all of them save Hapkido, where I hold a blue. I only mention it so you know that I have more than a passing knowledge of these arts. What was taught at my Bujinkan school is definitely a martial art and in some ways at a higher level as there's no such thing as "sport" in it. It becomes obvious quickly why they can't compete in tournaments - it's far too brutal, not that karate isn't also without any rules. The problem is that so little we learned was within a set of rules. We tried sparring at "75% speed" once, avoiding any techniques that might maim, and deliberately striking off-center of the trigger/nerve spots and without grappling- and even with that ruleset, people got hurt. If you love to mix it up at full speed, ninjutsu's just not your thing. When my 13 year old nephew (a video game fanatic, of course) asked me what it was like, I told him that it was the art of escaping trouble. Yes, there are some really horrific fighting techniques, they are mostly used to escape danger. There were a lot of exercises to help you improve your awareness, or "6th sense", and with enough practice they really work. You know how sometimes you'll be, say, sitting in a restaurant and you just "feel" someone behind you staring at you, you turn around quickly and find out that indeed they are? Multiply that feeling by 10, at least. If you've seen the ninjutsu black belt final test, you can spot the ones who have spent a lot of time practicing this and the ones who haven't. Possibly the best part is that I've learned how to make myself small when I sense trouble's in the air. There's no magical secret to that either, it just takes practice of some fairly simple techniques. Last paragraph for the TL;DR crowd ... The most iconic use of the art in practice I can remember was by my classmate Perry. He stopped for an iced tea at a crowded local college bar. Just as he paid, a drunk college jock who was raging at everybody randomly picked Perry out from the crowd (perhaps because Perry wasn't very big) and came after him. Perry slid back, behind a couple of guys, and just as their ranks began to re-form gave the aggressor a quick spritz from a tiny CS/pepper spray he carried on his key-ring and the guy just dropped in his tracks, digging at his eyes. He didn't know what had happened nor who did it. Perry picked up t his tea and slid out the door - no hurry, nothing to call attention to himself, complete deniability because of his stealth so no police questions to answer. The drunk got a lesson (just what he took from it I don't know or care.) Classic example of ninjutsu's "stealth", but in a modern setting. As for me, I'm old and broken (literally, among many other spine injuries I crushed my L-1 vertebrae last fall and you don't heal as fast as when you were young and bulletproof), so now I carry a gun. We don't have many LEOs here in the hinterlands and they may be 20-30 minutes away if you do get a chance to call them. It's the modern shaken/shuriken or tanto. I lied - THIS is the last paragraph - if you disbelieve that the ninpo arts don't work, find a weekend training event and attend. You get one-on-one training experience with a highly skilled sensei or shihon (well not for the whole time, but they make it a point to make their rounds and work with everyone who's interested). When you watch from the sidelines you'll think "Oh, that guys just playing the patsy for the sensei" - then you step out and he does the same exact thing to you and all you can think of is "how the hell did he get behind me?"

Hatsumi watched 'Shinobi No Mono' one too many times and became enamored with the idea of the "Ninja." So he reverse engineered a "history" and started marketing it. I'm sure he had no idea at first what a massive market that all the nerdy westerners were going to turn out to be, but here we are and the nerds are still practicing shoulder rolls and smoke bombs 50 years later.

All of those pictures are in Hatsumi’s 1981 book “Ninjutsu: History and Tradition”. When I first started training in the 80s they were still very much presenting as Togakure Ryu. It wasn’t until the start of the 90s that focus shifted to the nine schools and Bujinkan was presented as an umbrella term for a range of skills taken from those schools. At that time I really don’t think many of us in Europe had a lot of time for Haynes’ approach as he seemed to be enamoured with the esoteric rather than practical fighting skills. Everyone in my dojo was clear that the hand to hand stuff was coming from the non-ninjutsu schools. I think that everyone would be far happier if Hatsumi had made that an official position.

I appreciate the look at the translation issues in regards to clarifying the meaning of the Bujinkan art vs the common perception of "Ninja" from the media. There has always been a gap between the two. The Bujinkan is a warrior art-not a sport. There are no competition tournaments. It's about the ethics of warriorship, community (Buyu), and connecting the mind and body. The magic happens while training.

Jutsu means "art", not just skill. Once the Tokugawa Shogunate was established and Japan entered into an era of peace, swordsmanship was less about combat and more about art. Hence, many of the martial arts ended in "-jutsu" after this period. Those arts were used way less in actual combat - the wars were over.

Thank you very much for your good work, keep it up.

When I look at such old black and white photos, I wonder what kind of life they lived in, whether they were better than ours, there was no Internet, you had to travel halfway around the world to go to a training or seminar. ;)

Anthony thank you for all you do. Where can I get a copy of Hatsumis Book. And link to pick up your books as well. Thank you 🙏

Hello Antony, first of all, I want to say thank you for all your hard work in the field of the history of ninjutsu and samurai martial arts. And I want to ask you a question: in one of your interviews, you mentioned that some of the schools that are incorporated in Bujinkan are authentic and some are not. I would like to know which of them are definitely authentic and have mentions about them in historic documents. I have an interest in Kotō-ryū in particular. Thank you very much.

Really love your work and research . :)

I attended a full DAY seminar by HATSUMi back when I was a kid- and BELIEVE ME-- it IS a fighting skill. He invited black belts - regardless of ranks- to the seminar and challened them ALL-- and they were welcome to come in groups or one at a time as they felt necessary and he had ALL of them all over the floor- WITHOUT injuries.. I've never seen that before or since. Then he put on a blindfold- kneeled in the middle of the floor sword in sheath-- and random people threw apples at him one at a time and he easily sliced them IN THE AIR... i was one doing the tossing and NO ONE told me when to throw.. Hatsumi is a little fellow and he had a BIG challenger- like 6'4" and Hatsumi jumped flat footed straight up and spin kicked his hat off without touching his head.. After the demo- he spend the rest of the day teaching us all whatever we asked him about. SUCH a gentleman.

Thanks for the information in this video

Very interesting material, Antony! I always enjoy your videos. This one reminded me of something I'd heard before, and I wondered if you might weigh in on it. I've heard people say that kenjutsu was really a misnomer, as ken refers to a straight blade, like a Chinese jian. In other words, it's been claimed that kenjutsu is a term that's been around since before the Japanese used curved swords, and they simply persisted in using the term, after the katana came about. Do you reckon there's anything to this?

Antony, I wanted to say that I appreciate your hard word on uncovering the truth of the shinobi. I have been a fan of them since I was knee high, and have really enjoyed your content. The history is absolutely fascinating! Just bought “Book of the Ninja” a month or so ago and am loving it!

Heard a story from when Stephen Hayes was still training in Japan in the hombu dojo. Has to practicing kusari fundo and wrapping it around his own head. Nice looking book! Interesting about Hayes using the same pics.

Anthony have you ever considered the possibility that their combat system is unique to their ryu like they claim?

when I started around 85 or so the fight training was refered to as ninjutsu

I’ve always understood that Ninja’s were off duty Samurai, Doing extra assignments for their Shogun.

Anyone from the Bujikan claiming that it was never stated as a martial art/hand to hand is full of shit! Im sorry but Anthony they have been giving you a hard time for years stating that the shinobi had this hand to hand system that they (the Bujikan) now practice. I try not to spew negativity but I have to call BS on the Bujikan followers claiming this.

Most gotta know Hatsumis and Takamatsus claims are questionable and I dont think many cate anymore. The Bujinkan is its own animal now regardless of any made up or not history

As soon as I saw Hatsumi in purple hair I got the feeling he was all about ego and attention.

I started Ninjutsu in the middle 70s and at least 90% of the lessons were about combat, how to survive attacks and when to run,. Regards

Why don't you put a link to your website in the text?

I remember the videos Toda Shinryuken channel with footage of Hatsumi saying ninjutsu is taijutsu and so on. The internet always remembers 😂

“Jutsu means technique, but it also means heart. Jutsu must come from the heart. Therefore, your heart must be straight and honest.“ From "HIDEN NO TOGAKURE RYU NINPÔ" by Dr Masaaki Hatsumi

I would be dying if you did a review on Ghost of Tsushima, Sensei.

Hatsumi's Togakure Ryu is HEMA created by Takamatsu. It includes all the ninjutsu books that were already out in the Japanese public at the time. Togakure ryu scrolls has information directly copied from books you can get at the library or buy online today with the exact drawings. None of the Togakure Ryu scrolls are old. They were written by Takamatsu and given to Hatsumi. The other "unique" materials came from the Kuki family makimonos. The Kuki family like many Japanese families had moved on from their family's martial tradition to only be preserved by people whose lineage traced back to the family. Takamatsu was taught the Kuki family arts. He wanted to revive all of their traditions aand began researching their family makimonos that were extensive. He found parts of the bujutsu that the family did not want made pubic like the ninjutsu/pirating/guerilla warfare tactics. He wanted to promote it, and they said no. The two sides parted ways not before Takamatsu copied all of the scrolls in their family. Not to long after that, the Kuki family had a suspicious fire. Their scrolls just so happened to be burned completely. Takamatsu made a new copy for the family, but it was reported that scrolls were incomplete. Notably the information missing was the information that the two sides disputed over. That is where Togakure gets its Kyogetsu Shoge, Senban Shuriken, a secret water cannon to shoot poison water, and Shuko claws. All four weapons would be more commonly used around large wooden ships and water. Basically, they are pirate tools. Those weapons would not make sense for most of the places that most ninja operated. Togakure according to the Bujinkan and others has its origins in the mountain, so why all the unique pirate weapons. Simple, Kukishin has its origins in Wakayama prefecture near the ocean, and they were part of the navy or pirates depending on who you asked. Even the Shuko are impractical if you are familiar with Japanese forestry. Most trees are too large that climbing up to high branches would not give anybody any tactical advantage, or they are small enough that most people could climb them by running up the side and climbing the rest of the way with their hands. They would be useful if you had small wooden boat and park next to a large wooden boat and needed to climb up to attack the ship. Kyogetsu shoge would be used to swing over to ships or lasso small boats and pull them close. Water cannons? Do I really need to explain? Senban Shuriken are used to lift nails in ship building. The other ninjutsu school "Gikan Ryu" is Asayama Ichiden Ryu. Takamatsu was mixing and matching information to create new schools and using the few verifiable schools for legitmacy. Hatsumi passed on the Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Kukishinden to the two youngest students, so they can live on. He gave the suspect schools to the older students to continue his Bujinkan legacy, while those students still get paid in the process. Ninjutsu were guerilla skills that complimented the other samurai skills that later got into the general public. It is no different than modern military vets eventually shariing their knowledge to civilians through employment and training camps.

Another informative vid. No joke though.. Anyway, im pleased happy that you've expounden on Dr Hatsumi's statement about fighting being the least important part of ninjitsu. The Way it was explained to me was simply about the term "martial art" . That martial art literally means military art. From the beginning of basic training, recruits are taught many skills and habits.... one of which is firearms training. An important skill in military, but one of many.

Technically Bujinkan and Taijutsu is a martial arts in the modern world but yes in the ninja world there isn’t any proof I guess but the ninjas did so martial arts

Can someone answer this for me? Is there any real self defense benefit in a bujinkan dojo or is it better to do karate?

have you looked at sean askew's research on ninjutsu?

Had will Smith flashbacks when he said my wife at the end😅

According to Glenn Morris( who wrote Pathnotes of an American Ninja Master, which was about his time in the Bujinkan) this system has ties to the Tengu, which actually watch over the students and make them a part of the family, so to speak. Whether someone believes this is even possible(I'm guessing most here don't) IF this martial art system is good enough for the Tengu to support and defend those under it, then maybe, just maybe, it's legit enough, regardless of it's origins. Not to mention, Morris' claims in his eyes, that it's the most complete martial system he's ever seen or practiced, himself. This is coming from a man who was an army medic, who was taught and practiced a bunch of different martial arts. All this is not even going into the more esoteric parts of the system, as well as his own experiences with meditation, awakening the chi, the raising of kundalini, his many experiences of energy exchange with Hatsumi, energy healing, forms of enlightenment, etc.( also things most probably won't even believe until it's happened to them) An excellent book, and a real eye-opener that I highly recommend to anyone interested in the Bujinkan, and the more esoteric subjects of meditation, energy healing, and chi gung 🤙

If they were just honest that its just their style of unarmed combat that came from samurai that has been modernized, i dont think there'd be as much of an issue. The principles are good. But well, not what they advertised

Is there a meaningful distinction in your opinion between "ninjutsu" and "ninpo taijutsu?" I've stopped referring to my martial arts training as "ninjutsu" because of the very topic of your channel (thank you for what you do). Ive still been calling it "ninpo taijutsu" because ive considered that more accurate, to mean what happens when you apply the hidden aspect of ninjutsu as a warefare philosophy to martial arts waza done by the samurai. That is to say you are doing samurai martial arts in a subtlely different way, suppressing kiai and not giving the opponent any information through your movement. Do you think there might be something to be said for that take?

Fuckn love u Antony . I hope u never give up man .

i think its more of a sampling of the understanding of how jiu/taijutsu principles operate proof about proof lol the title

I often wonder if Hatsumi would have been taken more seriously if he had sold Bujinkan as being like the Japanese version of HEMA as opposed to a modern martial art.

Hi, Antony. Whilst I agree Hatsumi does say Togakure Ryu contains hand-to-hand fighting skills, you are wrong when you say Hatsumi always means fighting skills when he uses the term 'taijutsu'. In his book (with Stephen Hayes) called 'The Grandmaster's Book of Ninja Training', Hatsumi explains what taijutsu is. He says a shopkeeper has his own taijutsu, when he bows and rubs his hands together (I might have that slightly wrong).

There have been other documents that go back to the 1700’s (outside the Bujinkan altogether) that have both Ninpo and Taijutsu/Jiujutsu used in construct. This is another gaslighting video post in a 14-year stint. Buckling down on the narrative doesn’t make it any more true.

I have many books on Japanese Jujutsu, and they all have some history terms in them of Taijutsu/Yawara/Jujutsu as the same meaning or combative techniques. Not donating as I keep buying your books. 🤣🤣

Ya see fbi training hatsumi sas so why would they probably they would learn part of system that wasn't taught to someone who wasn't mil etc

Ommanipadmehum

instead of wasting your time trying to spread division within the already severely targetted and fragile ninja community, you should focuss your time and energy on exposing the frauds that have zero respect for ninjutsu id est MMA, BJJ, Grappling and Kickboxing ...

Seriously, 5 minutes in and 1, i have no idea what you're arguing, 2, you're ranting more than arguing and 3, you're fixating on minutiae to the extreme. In short, you sound like you're fanatically pushing a personal pet peevee more than anything else, and even near the end of the video i'm mostly just "huh?" because i have no idea what your issue was that caused the video. Because no, i'm not a hardcore ranter part of the community. No, tai-jutsu does not automatically equate to martial arts(just MOST of the time). Otherwise parkour, to take a hyperobvious example would never ever be referred to as taijutsu. But because parkour is literally BODY SKILL, it is sometimes referred to as such. You can also hear advanced gymnastics referred to as taijutsu, though (probably) uncommon. There's also bodybuilding using the name, but i think that's much more rare and it's literally years since last time i saw it.

Bujinkan is not even recognized as a Koryu, so it cannot even pretend to claim Ninjutsu until it's recognized by Koryu certifying bodies that it is even a historical martial art. Cross the Koryu bridge first, until then, it's completely useless and moot to even entertain the Ninja discussion in relation to Bujinkan.

What ”ninja community”? It’s called Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu - collection of Samurai and ”ninja” techniques - but they were called ”shinobi no mono” back then.

I see, Antony Cummins info as looking at a form of Kyojutsu or misinformation & disinformation & Truth.

It's very telling when someone spends more time trying to criticize others arts than he does promoting his own.

I love Hatsumi

No "real" Shinobi school would admit that they even exist much less teach the public and advertise.

Why are you so heartbroken 😊

More verbal diahorrea from this host.

so they be lying again trying to protect themselves i used to train with hayes my self in the 90's he would tell us it was a martail art and his wife would try to teach us to be psychic that in it'self was bogus , all they do is hurt the real ninja by lying

This doesn't seem to say anything other than Hatsumi said X and you say, "nuh-uh." You seem to be incredibly reliant on the Bujinkan for your "career." There are two people you could probably go to, but you won't. You will continue to post videos on the internet and publish books that have little meaning and even poorer translations. That's fine. It seems a large waste of time, but your self-worth seems to be wrapped up in this. At the end of the day, you want to be something, but you are not really willing to do any real work on it.

whoever claims Hatsumi's a fraud, if you actually believe Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is all he knows, you are completely ignorant, his school may teach martial arts related content and skills from centuries ago, but you're conveniently forgetting that Bujinkan was not founded before 1970 and before he joint all 9 ryu into a single school during the early 70s, he had already been taught judo, karate, aikido and kendo, among other disciplines as well no doubt ... so even if mma trash is your go-to mindset, the guy definitely knows judo, so I wouldn't judge a book by its' cover, if you do, you might as well hate on Mikey Musumeci or some other one trick poney bjj dork

Ninpo Taijutsu has become the martial art of the Ninja, being that Takamatsu and Hatsumi are the only ones in a position to refine it create it.

Imagine spending your entire life practicing hard at martial arts and having some dude make a living off of lobbing disparaing remarks about you. Say what you will, but as a 35 year practitioner of Jujutsu and Karate, the things Hatsumi does are not phony baloney like those dudes who do no touch junk. He is clearly a real martial artist who was taught by a real martial artist. So goodness, how about pulling back on bashing an old man who worked hard his whole life? Honestly, there must be better things you could do with your talents.

Taijiutsu is the whole body inluding invisible senses. I attended first classes in New Zealand under the late Michael Gent. There are gestures and strategies that can disable without touch. Including sensing intentions. I can varify that Taijutsu is very effective because it is used by the Royal SAS in Oxford. Need I say more? Who dares wins oohra!

you're simply wrong, anyway, the proof is in the tasting of the pudding

E begging bro? There is paid work in Britain and you can enjoy your hobby as a sideline....just saying

Was there ever a proven and 100% reliable and also confirmed document found which clearly states beyond a shadow of a doubt that "Ninja did not practice Ninja Taijutsu and they did not use hand to hand combat" techniques? Or should we just continue to spread this hopeless lie without any proof?

Who are you to demand proof? Why would Masaaki Hatsumi want to prove anything to you? He doesn't care what you think.. You are way out of your league here