TOMO RYU SHINOBIJUTSU

	According to legend Tomo Ryu Shinobijutsu (戸隠流忍術)was developed in the Kemmu Restoration (建武の新政) as a samuria tradition that had its primary focus on it's use of the short sword (kodachi) as well as several different kobuki (old weapons).  It was during this time (1333-1336) in the Shiga prefecture (known as the Omi Province before the prefectural system was established) of Japan that Gohei Tomo and two other ronin samurai (Jinsuke Tomo and Senri Akutagawa) developed this method of warfare to serve as a means of self-protection for their families, their village and their lord.    As Japan entered the Sengoku period (戦国時代) or Warring States period in Japanese history.  This was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century.  Because of this constat struggle, these families had to align sides politically for their survival.  It was during this time that the art flurished and other areas such as Bōryaku (tactics), Chōhō (espionage) and Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment) became the strength of this military tradition.  It was in this development that these methods of guerrilla tactics that would later be known as Tomo Ryu Shinobijutsu.  (1) Taisabaki-jutsu (体捌き術) This is the first section that a ninja would train in. When these skills were at a certain level, the training of Shinobijutsu and Kobujutsu was then added.  Taisabaki (体捌き) is a term from which relates to 'whole body movement'.  Taisabaki is usually used to avoid an attack, such that the receiver of the attack ends up in an advantageous position and it is often wrongly referred to as evasion.  An example of tai sabaki is 'moving off the line' of attack using irimi and tenkan movements rather than to 'move against' the attack. This implies the use of harmony rather than physical strength. Within Tomo Ryu Taisabak the areas that are covered are, Ashi-sabaki (footwork), Te-sabaki (handwork) and Tai-undō (body conditioning & exercise) is part of the training. (2) Shinobi-no-jutsu (忍の術) In this section of training, there are many skills that are taught.  These skills are actual ninja skills on how to carry out the mission.  Some of the skills that are covered in this section are: Shinobi-iri (stealth walking & entering methods), Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment), Choho (espionage), Kieuserujutsu (disappearing techniques), Ongyoujutsu (hiding), Zetsumeijutsu (assassination) and Hensojutsu (disguise & impersonation).   (3) Kobujutsujutsu (古武術) in this section of training, there are two sections that are taught.  (a) kobu waza which are actual weaponry to use in combat (b) ningu which are tools to use for missions to gain access in, information for, create havok to.    (A) The kobu-waza (actual fighting weapons) primarily consist of kobuki (old weapons) from the Tomo Ryu Kobu Kokushigoto (tekko kagi, kusarigama, shuriken and kodachi) as a means of combat.  However; the Tomo Ryu does not only work with these four weapons, there are a variety that kata is designed for,  these are just the main focus of training.    (B) The ningu (ninja tools) are used for infiltration and espionage and are some of the most abundant artifacts related to the ninja. Ropes (nawa) and grappling hooks (Ikari nawa) and hooked ropes (kagi nawa) were very common use of the ninja.  There are over 30+ implements of the ningu for the Tomo Ryu Shinobi (just to name a few) are: Tsui-giri (picks), Torinoko (smoke bombs), Hoguchi (tinder box), Tenohira-taimatsu (hand held torch), Shikoro (mini saw), Saku (lock pick), Kusuri-ire (medicine pouch), Kunai (spade), Noroshizutsu (flare), Saoto Hikigane (tool used to eavesdrop on converstaions and detect sounds), Mizugumo (wooden float to help ninja get across water) and Oritatami-nomi (folding chisel) again, just to name a few.  (4) Taijutsu Kimi Ugoki (体捌き術) This section is the newest addition to Tomo Ryu tradition and what is taught first to the students that train today.  Taijutsu (art of the body / empty hand fighting), Kimi (feeling) and Ugoki (form) is understood as the empty hand feeling forms and was developed by the 17th soke; Fujibe Nakashima of the Tomo Ryu tradition.  The idea of this training was to keep the oral traditions and secrets alive, while training in skills that are needed for the time.  The taijutsu that is practiced for all of these gata are directly taken from the Jissen Gata from the Kobujutsu scrolls and implemented for this training along with the understanding of the "happo-sabaki". The happo sababaki is usually understood by Japanese martial arts as the "movement in eight directions" this comes from the eight points that one can move from center position; however, "happo" can also mean infinite, and the Tomo Ryu sees the happo-sabaki has 10 direction, as the center position can jump up or drop under the attack of the enemy.   The Taijutsu Kimi Ugoki  from this section consist of 20 gata that help the student understand how to feel the enemies attack / energy and how to move correctly off of the feeling that you have.  10 of the gata flow with the energy of the attack (ura-ki) and 10 of the kata go oppose the energy of the attack (omote-ki).  Each one of these 2 sets of 10 Kimi Ugoki move in direction of the happo sababaki.  Anshu sharing Tomo Ryu Makimono with students Tomo Ryū first focuses on training with the Kodachi (short sword), but ther are many kōbuki (old weapons) and hibuki (hidden weapons) that are also taught within the Ryu.  There are four primary sections of Tomo Ryu which introduce multiple sub-categories and in effect creates a large curriculum.  However, the techniques for each category are interchangeable because the heiho (strategy) of the ryu is transmitted within each section.  The four areas of the Tomo Ryu are Taisabaki-jutsu, Shinobi-no-jutsu, Kobu-jutsu and Taijutsu Kimi Ugoki.    The hidden weapons of Tomo Ryu are concealable and tough, generally hand made out of rough iron or natural materials. Learning how to make your own weapons is part of the training and tradition of the ryu.  A basic understanding of traditional iron working is necessary, but with modern access to today's machinery has sped up the process; filing and other methods (such as design) are still taught and used; traditional tools are also taught and used as well so that the practitioner of the ryu can understand the meaning of what the warrior did centuries ago in Japan, and apply that same knowledge to the world today. Tomo Ryu Scrolls - Makimono Tomo Ryū was private school. None of the previous headmasters felt the need to list their names in encyclopedias of the martial arts or to join large martial arts organizations.  Therefore, not much was known or recorded about the school outside the school itself until the 21st Soke; Anshu Christa Jacobson began teaching publicly and accepting more than a handful of students at any one time.   Most of the techniques of Tomo Ryū are simple and conform to natural combative movement. Therefore, very little was written down in the form of Densho (scrolls describing the techniques) untill the 17th Soke; Fujibe Nakashima started documenting the oral traditions of the school for it's survival.  Untill then the Tomo ryu was handed down verbally, in the form of kuden (oral teachings).  However, there are many scrolls concerning Tomo Ryū today from the past masters which are divided up in the four sections of the school and are currently in possession of Anshu Christa Jacobson, 21st headmaster of the school. LINEAGE       1 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   2 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   3 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   4 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   5 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   6 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   7 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   8 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students   9 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 10 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 11 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 12 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 13 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 14 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 15 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 16 – Documented in Densho & Passed only to Students 17 – Nakashima Fujibe (1884-1948) Menkyo Kaiden only student of  Kiyoshi Tomo 18 – Nakashima Kazuma (1912-1982) Menkyo Kaiden from father Fujibe Nakashima 19 – Nakashima Hayashi (1937-2005) Menkyo Kaiden from father Kazuma Nakashima 20 – Kobayashi Ichiro (1948-2008) Menkyo Kaiden from H. Nakashima only student 21 – Jacobson Christa J. (1977 – current) Menkyo Kaiden from I. Kobayashi only student            Ichiro Kobayashi (1948-2008) 20th Soke; was a practitioner of the martial arts his whole life.  He studied Shotokan Karate and Judo as an adolescent and started his training in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu while he was in college.  In 1980, (by the granted approval of Kazuma Nakashima) Kobayashi Sensei started training with Nakashima Sensei in the Tomo Ryu methods of Ninjutsu.  Kobayashi knew that this was a high honor to start to learn this art, as it has been only taught within the Nakashima family for the last three generations.  After years of training, Kobayashi Sensei was awarded Menkyo Kaiden (Full Transmission) in Tomo Ryu Shinobijutsu and the title of "Soke" from Nakashima Sensei.   Years later he met a woman that he passed down the knowledge and the art of the Tomo Ryu Shinobi to; Christa J. Jacobson.  Kobayashi Sensei felt that she possessed the physical / mental skills needed to train in the ways of the Tomo Ryu Shinobi.  Christa Jacobson was awarded Menkyo Kaiden (Full Transmission) in the art of Tomo Ryu Shinobijutsu in November of 2005 as well as inheritor of the art.  With the title of "Soke" (21st grandmaster of the family) he awarded her the warrior name of "Anshu" which literally translates to "Dark Master".  He said the the kanji "dark" symbolizes shadows or unseen as he never thought that he would hand the art of the Tomo Ryu Shinobi to any non-Japanese, and or a woman.  He felt that "Anshu Soke" had all of the skills to be the next successor in the art for the future generations.     "Just as the ninja operated in teh shadows centuries ago in Japan, a new master of the art again comes from the darkness.  Training you has been my greatest acomplishment, and it is clear the student has surpassed her master."   - Kobayashi to Anshu the day of awarding grandmaster of the school.         DISCLAIMER:  When searching for information regarding “secret societies” and old martial arts schools of training it is very hard if not impossible to find all of the information regarding the history of the arts.  The information that I have placed on all of the seven arts that are taught by the Budo Ryu Ninjutsu Dojo (togakure ryu ninjutsu, koto ryu koppojutsu, gyokko ryu kosshijutsu, tenjin ryu jujutsu, tomo ryu shinobijutsu, koka ryu dakentaijutsu and eishin ryu iaijutsu) may be entirely wrong.  The information that I have listed is the information that I gathered through my teachers, my training and my personal research of the arts.  This information of the seven martial arts taught in the Budo Ryu Ninjutsu Dojo I feel is correct information based on my personal training and research.  JavaScript Free Code