Masaaki Hatsumi
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Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭 Hatsumi Masaaki, born December 2, 1931) and residing in Japan is the founder and current head of the Bujinkan Dojo martial arts organization.
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[edit] Early years
Beginning in childhood, Masaaki Hatsumi studied many of the more popular martial arts, including judo, karate and western boxing. While instructing American soldiers in the art of judo, he noticed that because of their superior size and strength, the Americans were learning in months what typically took a Japanese practitioner years to master. As a result, he began to question the legitimacy of modern martial arts training. It was after this time, while studying ancient Japanese weaponry, that he learnt of a martial artist named Toshitsugu Takamatsu.
In 1957 he began making regular trips to train with his new teacher (who resided at the time in Kashiwabara, in Nara), taking a 15-hour train ride from his hometown of Noda in Chiba. This one-on-one training continued for 15 years until the passing of Toshitsugu Takamatsu in 1972.
[edit] Soke
According to the Bujinkan, he inherited from his teacher the position of sōke (headmaster) of 9 ryū (schools of martial arts):
- Togakure-ryū Ninpō Taijutsu (戸隠流忍法体術)
- Gyokko-ryū Kosshijutsu (玉虎流骨指術)
- Kuki Shinden Happō Bikenjutsu (九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術)
- Kotō-ryū Koppōjutsu (虎倒流骨法術)
- Shinden Fudō-ryū Dakentaijutsu (神伝不動流打拳体術)
- Takagi Yōshin-ryū Jūtaijutsu (高木揚心流柔体術)
- Gikan-ryū Koppōjutsu (義鑑流骨法術)
- Gyokushin-ryū Ninpō (玉心流忍法)
- Kumogakure-ryū Ninpō (雲隠流忍法)
[edit] Approach
Unlike many martial arts and their instructors, Masaaki Hatsumi focuses the training of the Bujinkan on what he terms the "feeling" of technique, or perhaps more accurately, what he terms the feeling of real situations. While technical knowledge of an art is considered important, the direction of this feeling-based approach guides the practitioner towards what he considers a "natural understanding" of what links various martial lineages as well as what is most effective in real situations.
[edit] International seminars
Masaaki Hatsumi's experiences include holding training seminars for law enforcement organisations, including the FBI, CIA, the Mossad and for police in Britain, France and Germany. He conducted bi-annual training seminars throughout North and South America, Europe, Oceania and Africa.
[edit] Media
He has also served as a martial arts advisor to various films and television productions, including the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice and the highly popular Japanese movie Shinobi no Mono. Among the awards he has received are the 1999 Japan Culture Promoting Association's Grand Prize, the 2000 World Culture Grand Prize as well as being the first martial artist to receive an Apostolic Blessing from the Pope (2001).
[edit] Well-known senior students taught under Hatsumi-sensei
Some of his more well-known senior students include:
East Asia
- Toshiro Nagato 15th Dan, Japan
- Isamu Shiraishi 15th Dan, Japan
- Phil Legare 15th Dan, 10th Dan Shinkenjutsu, Japan
- Fumio Manaka 10th Dan, Founded the Jinenkan Dojo in 1996, Japan
- Shoto Tanemura 8th Dan, Founded Genbukan Dojo in 1984, Japan
Oceania
- Ed Lomax 15h Dan, Adelaide, Australia
- Andrew Beattie 12th Dan, Sydney, Australia
- Duncan Mitchell 12th Dan, Brisbane, Australia
- John Cantor 13th Dan, Sydney, Australia
- Nicholas Lynn 11th Dan, Sydney, Australia
Middle East
- Doron Navon 15th Dan, (now lives in Japan)
- Moti Nativ 15th Dan, Israel
- Danny Waxman 15th Dan, Israel
- Ilan Gattegno 11th Dan, Israel
- Jacob Hazan 11th Dan, Israel
- Yossi Tshuva 10th Dan, Israel
- Moshe Zouler 10th Dan, Israel
Europe
- Pedro Fleitas 15th Dan, Spain
- Steffen Frohlich 15th Dan, Germany
- Brinley Morgan 15th Dan, Manchester, England
- Sveneric Bogsäter 15th Dan, Sweden/Holland
- Arnaud Cousergue 15th Dan, France
- José Manuel Collado 15th dan, Spain
- Peter King 15th Dan, UK
- Mariëtte van der Vliet, 15th Dan, Holland
- Norman Smithers 15th Dan, UK
- Jake Sharpstone 10th Dan, UK
- Lubos Pokorny 15th Dan, Czech Republic
- Kostas Kanakis 14th Dan, Greece
- Andrew Young 14th Dan, Sweden
- Michael Cartwright 12th Dan, Yorkshire, England
- Marc Moor 10th Dan, Budo Warrior Schools, England and Wales
- Bo Munthe 9th Dan, first European to spread Ninjutsu in Europe.
- Željko Majhen 10th dan,Meigetsu Dojo, only dojo master in Croatia.
North America
- Chuck Cory 15th Dan, California
- Ed Martin 15th Dan, Pennsylvania
- Richard Van Donk 15th Dan, Soke of Decuerdas Escrima, California
- Jack Hoban 15th Dan, New Jersey
- Roy Wilkinson 15th Dan,Georgia
- Yost Fulton 14th Dan, Michigan
- Greg Kowalski 14th Dan, Connecticut
- Robert Hamilton 12th Dan, Florida
- Gregory Heeg 11th Dan, Ohio
- Karl Koch, 11th Dan, NC
- Bud Malmstrom 10th Dan (Judan Kugyo), Georgia
- Matthew Hildreth 10th Dan, New York
- Bonnie Malmstrom 10th Dan, Georgia
- Stephen K. Hayes 10th Dan, Founder of Toshindo and Quest Centers, Ohio
- Bernard Grégoire 10th Dan, Canada
- Stéphane Meunier 10th Dan, Canada
- Joe Maurantonio 10th Dan, New York
- Jeff Mueller 10th Dan, Maryland
- Sean Askew 10th Dan, Kentucky
- David Dow 10th Dan, California
- Joel Everett 10th Dan, California,
- Orlando Mancina 9th Dan, Calgary, AB, Canada
South America
- Carlos Etchegaray 15th Dan, Argentina
- Christian Petroccello 15th Dan, Argentina
- Daniel Hernandez 15th Dan, Argentina
- Rafael Antonio Franco 10th Dan, Venezuela
[edit] Awards
- 1986 - Instructor of the Year, Black Belt Magazine
- 1999 - Social Cultural Distinguished Service Award, Japanese Culture Promotion Society
- 2000 - World Cultural Grand Prize: Martial Arts Division, World Peace and Culture Association
- 2001 - Apostolic Blessing, the Vatican[1]
- 2001 - Lifetime Achievement Award, USMA International Hall of Fame[2]
