33th Soke of the Togakure Ryu
Toshitsugu Takamatsu was born in the 23rd year of Meiji (March 10, 1887) in Akashi, Hyogo province. Toshitsugu Takamatsu, whose birth name was Jutaro and real name Hisatsugu, later changed his name to Toshitsugu. He was commonly known as the Mouko no Tora (Mongolian Tiger), and took the names: Yokuou, Chosui, Kikaku, Shojuken, Garakuta Bujn, Kozan and Kyosha.
The Takamatsu family originated from Matsugashima in Ise. It is believed that at some point in their family history the Takamatsu 's had been Daimyo of this area and owned the Hosokiubi Castle . Takamatsu was given a makimono scroll called Amatsu Tatara. This scroll connected the Takamatsu family with the Kuki family. (The Kuki family are heirs to Kukishin Ryu).
Toshitsugu's Grandfather was Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu. He had a bone clinic and a Budo Dojo in Kobe . He was of Samurai rank and Soke of Shindenfudo Ryu and a direct descendent of Tozawa Hakuunsai, the original founder of Gyokko Ryu Kosshi jutsu. Toshitsugu's father sent him to train with Toda because Toshitsugu was weak as a child and because he wanted him to be a solider. His classmates would often pick on him until he cried. They would call him "cry baby".
Toda taught Toshitsugu Shindenfudo Ryu. Later he learned Koto Ryu and Togakure Ryu. He was fond of Koto Ryu but had little interest in Togakure ryu. In those days it was custom that senior students worked with beginners. But Toda took upon himself to train Takamatsu .
During his first year of training he was taught nothing, instead he was thrown around by the other students continuously. He would bleed from the elbows and knees. Nobody would comfort him; they would just continue to throw him around the dojo. But every night he came back for more. After a year of this he was taught his first techniques. Soon Toda realised that Toshitsugu was very gifted for Budo . By the age of thirteen he mastered the techniques of the school.
Toda had a Samurai rank, and his family was from Iga province. Some of them were from Takao province in mountain parts of Iga , and a part of them practised ninjutsu . Toda Soke was also writing books about military tactics for The Royal Military Academy . He decided to pass his teachings to Toshitsugu , and he gave him Menkyo Kaiden (master's licence) in following Ryu's:
Takamatsu received his Menkyo Kaiden from Toda in 1909 when he was 22 years old. Toda died that same year on the 6th December, 1909. Toda once told Takamatsu , "Even when you are faced with death, die laughing". Other pieces of advice he had given him were:
1. Even when you are standing in front of defeat, do it smiling.
2. Never talk about your knowledge, it might make it disappear.
Koto Ryu training involved strong conditioning of the hands and feet, especially the fingers and toes. As a result of constant striking of rocks and hard objects, Toshitsugu's finger nails were 4 to 5 millimeters thick. He could not cut them with nail cutters. It is said he could tear the bark off of a tree with a simple sweep of his hand. He later said that this kind of training is of no use today.
During his young age Takamatsu also studied Takagi Yoshin Ryu in Mizuta Yoshitaro Tadafuse Sensei's Dojo , and he received his Menkyo Kaiden in 1906. In the same year he met his family's cousin, Ishitani Matsutaro Takekage Sensei , who worked as a bodyguard in the factory of matches which was owned by Takamatsu 's father. Ishitani Sensei , who was known in all of Japan by his warrior arts, built a small Dojo in the factory, and there he taught young Takamatsu Kukishinden Ryu, Hon Tai Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Gikan ryu, Shinden Muso ryu and also someother aspects of ninjutsu schools.
On one occasion the sleeping area for the match factory workers caught on fire. As everyone ran around screaming, Takamatsu was observed to be smoking a cigar, watching the fire. He then got one of the thick gi training jackets, soaked it in water and put the jacket on. He grabbed a hanbo (3ft stick) and running into the burning area, started to knock down the sliding walls with the hanbo. The collapsing walls helped extinguish the flames, saving the rest of the factory. Ishitani is reputed to have watched Takamatsu as he ran about knocking down the walls and commented that he was truly a great martial artist. Ishitani died a few years later, just moments after passing the scrolls on to Takamatsu . It is said that he died with his head in Takamatsu 's lap.
Since the summer of 1910, at the age of 21, Toshitsugu entered the Maya mountain in Kobe to continue his rigorous practice dwelling in the mountains by the Kame no Taki water fall. He acquired spiritual transmission together with various inner secrets from the outstanding ascetic Tamaoki. This strengthened his mind and body.
Soon after leaving the mountain, Toshitsugu moved to Tien Qing in Quing Guo ( China ), and encountered life and death situations in true fighting when he walked from Manzhou to Beizhi. He won a match with Zhang Zi Long who was a Shaolin specialist. Later they became friends and maintained a good relationship. Toshitsugu also won a tournament for the purpose of selecting a chairman for the newly established Nippon Minkoku Seinen Butou-kai (Japanese Martial Arts Federation in China ). After the tournament, Toshitsugu, as a chairman, taught the martial arts of Jujutsu to several thousand people.
He went there ( China ), across Korea , where he met teacher Kim Kei_mei_a and he learned from him. Later he mastered eighteen Korean and Chinese martial arts.
In China and Mongolia he lived for a period of 10 years, and was called " Moko No Tora ", " The Mongolian Tiger ", because of his way of fighting. He played a crucial role in martial art community in China , and 1914 he founded Sino-Japanese martial arts community . In order to survive, he held lessons in martial arts during the time he had spend in China , and he also had numerous matches with the leading masters of that time, and he never lost a single match, and many of these matches were duels to life and death.
While in China he fought in several battles. In one of these battles a mounted soldier was charging at him. Takamatsu was at this point not armed, but a sword lay on the ground before him. As the horseman started to draw a pistol intending to shoot, Takamatsu ran forward, did a dive roll, picked up the sword, and sprang into the air cutting off the man's head. He later told his students that it is of the greatest importance to be able to roll correctly in as many different ways as possible.
While he was in China , the Kuki family keepers of the Kukishin Ryu scrolls lost touch with him and doubting his return to Japan , granted Iwami Nangaku, Menkyo Kaiden. Thus when Takamatsu Sensei returned, his position had been filled.
Later the Kuki family scrolls were destroyed by the fire resulting the allies bombing in WW2, however Takamatsu Sensei was able to reconstruct the scrolls from his notes and memory and presented them to the Kuki family 3 years later. For this service he was given permission to create a sub school called Kukishinden Ryu containing what he thought to be the best and most appropriate of the Kukishin Ryu teachings.
There are countless stories of Takamatsu adventures and martial prowess. Once said he fought 12 fights to the death (the result of challenges) and 7 competitive matches.
At the age of 26 Takamatsu while in China . He taught many students and because of this was challenged by a Shorinji Kung Fu master named Choshiryu. Though he twice refused to fight, he later accepted Choshiryu's third challenge so as not to offend his martial valour.
Choshiryu was taller, stronger and weighed much more than Takamatsu . But when the referee called the match to begin, neither hesitated, both leapt to attack. A crowd gathered and the battle raged. Choshiryu launched punches and kicks at Takamatsu who defended and reciprocated with attacks of his own. They were evenly matched and the fight seemed to last for hours. Then, just as Takamatsu was about to strike down the out of breath Choshiryu, the referee called the match over. Catching his breath, Choshiryu approached Takamatsu and congratulated him for such a good fight. Admiring each other's skill, both went out to a nearby restaurant, talked and drank late into the night. In time, both became the greatest of Buyu, "martial friends."
Once while in the mountains of China, he was attacked by several bandits. One of the bandits grabbed Takamatsu around the waist. The bandit suddenly screamed and, letting go of Takamatsu , fell to the ground holding his face. Takamatsu later said he did not know what he had done to the man, but feeling something wet and warm in his hand, realized he had plucked the man's eye out. He gave the bandit first aid and then charged him for his services.
Mortal combats were a consequence of teasing by other martial artists, who heard for his fame. Takamatsu lost an eye in one of those combats. It was replaced by one made of glass.
After he spent ten years in China , Takamatsu returned to Japan and there he went in Tendai monastery on Hiei mountain near Kyoto and became a monk. He later became one of the representatives of the monastery. That way he compensated for the sins of his youth.
He was married to Tane Takamatsu , who was born in 1896 in Hirakata region. Her maiden last name was Uno . They did not have any direct descendants, so they adopted two girls. Takamatsu also taught a lot of students in Japan , although he was formally known as master of Ju Jutsu and Bo jutsu . Of all schools he successed, he was only known for Kukishinden ryu . His first Dojo was called Sukisha Dojo (place for people, who enjoy training martial arts).
It is said that when training with Takamatsu there was never any warm up. Even when using real weapons the same was true. Takamatsu said that in a real fight there would be no time to warm up before hand.
In the late 1960's Takamatsu wrote some articles for some Japanese newspapers. These articles spoke of Ninjutsu and the other arts in which he trained. In one article he wrote that in true martial arts, when fighting, you must be prepared to kill your attacker. After reading this, a very high ranking Karate master went on Japanese television and said that what Takamatsu had written was wrong and out-dated, no longer necessary in this day and age. He called Takamatsu an "old has-been". Takamatsu arranged a television interview and said that he saw the Karate master's comments as a challenge, which he wished to accept. He gave the Karate master three days to publicly retract his statement. If he refused, Takamatsu intended to fight him and kill him with his hands tied behind his back. Within the three days the Karate master retracted his statement.
Later, when training with Takamatsu , Hatsumi saw him stumble and fall onto one knee. Hatsumi Sensei said that it was then that he realized that perhaps Takamatsu 's life was drawing to an end. Hatsumi took several students to meet and train with Takamatsu .
Two things Takamatsu really enjoyed were walking and painting. He liked to walk every day for approximately one hour (he said that he was a very bad time keeper), covering approximately 8 miles. He would usually take his dogs (he had Spitzes) with him on his walks. Just for his own pleasure he would paint everyday, simply because he enjoyed it and found it relaxing.
Takamatsu died on April 2, 1972 at the age of 85. He is buried in the Kumedra cemetery near Nara .
Only a few people knew that he was in fact the last representative of the rich tradition of ninjutsu . It is said that his neighbours were amazed when they found out that he was also a ninja warrior.
Takamatsu Sensei was a great man and an example of a true martial artist. He was the last of the real Ninja warriors, who were involved in a real combat. It is said that when they read his obituary, his neighbours were shocked to discover the full details of his life as a master of a martial arts.
Out take from an interview with Takamatsu in 1963
Toshitsugu Takamatsu Sensei says, "When I was 14 or 15 years old, sometime during the thirties of the Meiji era (first decade of the 1900s), I used to play the ball game cricket with members of the British Navy in a Kobe city park. I was a very fast runner, and in those days I had the nickname "Kisha" (meaning a fast locomotive). Once I got on base, I never failed to steal another base. I was very good at sliding. Once I was on base, our team knew that we would score a point."
Toshitsugu Takamatsu began training in the martial arts in his childhood, and he seemed to have the natural capacity to become a ninja. "I am 74 years old, but whenever I meet someone, I tell them I am 18. That way I start to believe I am 18. Even now, whenever I have a match with a judo player, I am sure to throw him once I get my hands on the collar of his gi. As for a boxer, you take a fighting pose with one arm extended out, to make it difficult for him to find an opening for his punches. A ninja uses a ninja's strategy for fighting."
The reporter asked Takamatsu Sensei, "What would you do against a professional wrestler?"
He replied without a pause, "Even in Kashiwabara City (the small town in the mountains south of Kyoto and west of Iga where Takamatsu-sensei lived) there were wrestling matches with such famous wrestlers as Rikidozan (Western style pro wrestler famous in post WWII Japan) and others. Certainly professional wrestlers are in great shape, so if they really fought in a serious way, it would be difficult for a match to last very long. The reason they can fight for so long is that they are careful to avoid damage to vital spots. That is why they can have match after match from one day to the next. If they bite, they use their lower teeth to the forehead in order to draw lots of blood in a very visible way. When they stomp to the stomach, they coordinate it with an out breath. In professional wrestling, there are rules, and these rules are observed very carefully."
This is Takamatsu Sensei's interpretation. I asked if a modern ninja like him could win in a fight with Rikidozan or other famous wrestlers?
"If I had to fight Rikidozan, there is only one way for me to win. Of course, if he can hit me first with his karate, I would lose. So then what is my winning method? I would use both palms to his ears with a sharp strike. This is the ninja's happa-ken ("eight-leaves fist" sharp palm smack) strike. When I use this strike, it breaks both eardrums. Even a powerful man like Rikidozan would wind up with a concussion. If this happa-ken is used as a part of modern fighting arts, it will produce power as great as or even more fearsome than Rikidozan's karate."
The essence of all martial arts and military strategies is self-protection and the prevention of danger. Ninjutsu epitomizes the fullest concept of self-protection of not only the physical body, but the mind and spirit as well. The way of the ninja is the way of enduring, surviving, and prevailing over all that would destroy one. More than merely delivering strikes and slashes, and deeper in significance than the simple out-witting of an enemy; ninjutsu is the way of attaining that which we need while making the world a better place. The skill of the ninja is the art of winning.
In the beginning study of any combative martial art, proper motivation is crucial. Without the proper frame of mind, continuous exposure to fighting techniques can lead to ruin instead of self-development. But this fact is not different from any other beneficial practice in life carried to extremes. Medical science is dedicated to the betterment of health and the relief of suffering, and yet the misuse of drugs and the exultation of the physician's skills can lead people to a state where an individual's health is no longer within his or her personal control. A nutritious well-balanced diet works to keep a person alive, vital, and healthy, but grossly over-eating, over-drinking, or taking in too many chemicals is a sure way to poison the body. Governments are established to oversee the harmonious inter-working of all parts of society, but when the rulers become greedy, hungry for power, or lacking in wisdom, the country is subjected to needless wars, disorder, or civil and economic chaos. A religion, when based on faith developed through experience, a broad and questing mind, and an unflagging pursuit of universal understanding, is of inspiration and comfort to people. Once a religion loses its original focus, however, it becomes a deadly thing with which to deceive, control, and tax the people through the manipulation of their beliefs and fears. It is the same with the martial arts. The skills of self-protection, which should provide a feeling of inner peace and security for the martial artist, so often develop without a balance in the personality and lead the lesser martial artist into warped realms of unceasing conflict and competition which eventually consume him.
If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of ninjutsu, devoid of the influence of the ego's desires, the student will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming invincible - the attainment of the 'mind and eyes of the divine.' The combatant who would win must be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and must be guided by an intuitive knowledge of the playing out of fate. In tune with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the ninja captures the insight that will guide him successfully into battle when he must conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility. The vast universe, beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality, contains all that we call good and bad, all the answers for all the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his mind, the ninja can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting always, so that in the end there is no such thing as surprise for the ninja.
