Hatsumi Masaaki (Soke)

Hatsumi Masaaki Soke

Soke Hatsumi was born in Noda-Shi Japan, during Showa 6 Era (December the 2nd, 1931) as Yoshiaki Hatsumi. He was introduced to martial arts very early in his childhood, specifically to Kendo by his father, when he was only seven years old. Karate, aikido, and judo followed in elementary school.

He was always active in sport activities such as soccer and boxing. The soccer experience helped Hatsumi to master a very good form of ashi-waza (footwork) including kicking techniques. He also danced believing that dancing helps to master footwork and rhythm for fighting.

He wanted to become strong budoka practicing in what was then called budo - sports such as kendo, aikido, karate (Shito ryu, 6th Dan and Zen-Bei Butokukai style), Okinawan kobudo, jukendo (fighting with gun and bayonet) and Chinese kempo.

Hatsumi practiced in judo and progressed very quickly. In his early 20's Hatsumi got his 4th Dan and was asked to teach judo at the Yokota U.S. military base camp. There, he tasted the reality of the fight for his first time. As Hatsumi recalls: "One day when I gave them training, I was defeated by an unexpected waza (technique). Since they were soldiers, they knew a lot of real fighting waza and they maybe combined various waza and used it with their whole energy. When I faced it, I realized that one cannot survive by Japanese budo as sport. I realized if we (Japanese) continued this type of budo, we could not use it in a real battle."

Once defeated, Hatsumi started his search for a real budo of ancient Japan - Kobudo. He studied everything that was called budo - changing many kobudo instructors and spending a fortune on budo activities. Among others, Nawa Yumio was one of those expensive instructors. He was definitely one of the most important people prior to training with Takamatsu Toshitsugu. Master Yumio Nawa did teach Hatsumi the art of Ninpo and Masaki Ryu - manrikigusari (ten thousand power chain), kusarigama (chain and sickle) and Edo machikata jutte tornawa atsukaiyo (sword breaking and tying cord). These and 18 other kobujutsu categories were taught. Hatsumi finished his training in three years and seems to still share common interests with that instructor. Both Hatsumi and Nawa are martial arts historians, writers and T.V. network advisors.

Hatsumi Sensei trained also with Ueno Takashi (the 14th Soke of Gyokushin-ryu Koppo-Jutsu) before he met Takamatsu Sensei. Takashi taught him about old Budo arts such as Asayama Ichiden ryu, Shinto Tenshin ryu, Bokuden ryu, Takagi Yoshin ryu, Kukishinden ryu and Gyokushin ryu. After three years of training with him Takashi gave Hatsumi "Menkyo Kaiden" (a license stating that the bearer has mastered a certain martial art and is allowed to teach it).

Hatsumi was also the leader of Takashi's training group in Noda-shi for some time. That group included some of the later well recognized teachers.

Not many people know that Ueno Takashi, apart from being Soke of his family ryu-ha, was also a student of a budoka named Toshitsugu Takamatsu. Ueno became the link which guided Hatsumi into contact with the only living ninja warrior left in the modern world.

In Showa 33 Era (March 1957) Hatsumi met and became a student of Takamatsu Toshitsugu who was then a famous budoka and a grandmaster of several different martial art systems.

During that first meeting and training session, Hatsumi realized that he finally met his master. Takamatsu was impressed by Hatsumi's passion for martial arts as well. According to a 1963 newspaper report in "Tokyo Sports," Takamatsu Sensei had handed Hatsumi the Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu scrolls already during that first meeting (he gained his first Menkyo Kaiden from it just two years later). However, most of the sources state that the Sokeship of all nine Bujinkan traditions were given to Hatsumi somewhere between 1968 and 1972.