Soke Hatsumi

Ninja Fight Club

Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi

Masaaki Hatsumi was born on December 2, 1931 in Noda City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan where he still resides. According to the English translation of his text entitled, Ninja Submission, Masaaki Hatsumi began his martial arts training at a very early age and by the time he was in his early twenties he was already a very accomplished martial artist, achieving the rank of 4th Dan in Judo. He also studied and was highly ranked in various other martial arts such as Karate, Kendo, Aikido, and Boxing as well as completing osteopathic medical training from Meiji University in Tokyo. In 1957 he began his study of Budo Taijutsu with the late O' Sensei Toshitsugu Takamatsu. Takamatsu Sensei trained Masaaki Hatsumi for the last 15 years of his life. In 1970 Masaaki Hatsumi inherited guardianship of nine different martial arts schools from Takamatsu Sensei and would later organize them into what we know as the Bujinkan today. The nine schools or "Ryu" that Dr. Hatsumi inherited are Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu, Togakure Ryu Ninpo, Koto Ryu Koppojutsu, Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo, Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo, Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu, Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu, Kukishinden Ryu Happobiken, and Takagi Yoshi Jutaijutsu.

In addition to practicing osteopathic medicine (Bone Doctor) until 1990, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi is also an acclaimed writer, director, actor, painter, musician, and of course martial artist. His art work has been featured in the Smithsonian Museum, and his television show was the number one rated children's television show in Japan. He was bestowed with Japan's highest honor, the "Cultural Award", by Japan's Emperor, and had a personal blessing by Pope John Paul II.