Masaaki Hatsumi

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Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭 Hatsumi Masaaki, born December 2, 1931) is the founder and current Soke, or Grandmaster, of the Bujinkan Martial Arts Organization, currently residing and teaching in the city of Noda, Chiba, Japan.^[1]. He is also a doctor of oriental medicine, specializing in the mending of bones.^{[citation needed]}

1 Early years
2 Soke
3 Approach
4 Media
5 Awards
6 References
7 External links

[edit] Early years

Beginning in childhood, Masaaki Hatsumi studied several popular martial arts, He began to question the legitimacy of modern martial arts training. It was after this time, while studying ancient Japanese weaponry, that he learned 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. Source http://www.hino-budo.com/hatumi.html

[edit] Soke

From his martial arts master he inherited the position of sōke (headmaster) of 9 ryū (schools of martial arts)^[2]

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

Masaaki Hatsumi focuses the training of the Bujinkan on 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 a "natural understanding" of what links various martial lineages as well as what is most effective in real situations.^{[citation needed]}

[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 ^[3] and the highly popular Japanese movie Shinobi no Mono.

[edit] Awards

2001 - Apostolic Blessing, the Vatican^[4]
2001 - Lifetime Achievement Award, USMA International Hall of Fame^[5]
2003 -社会文化功労賞 (Award for the Promotion of Culture.) http://www.hino-budo.com/hatumi.html

Hatsumi's reputation and status was such that in 2003 he was awarded the 社会文化功労賞 (Shakai Bunka Kourousho- the award for meritorious service in society and culture) from the日本文化振興会 (Nihon Bunka Shinkoukai- the Society for the promotion of Japanese culture) for his work in preserving and distributing to the world Japanese culture in the form of ninjutsu.