Purpose of Training
Move Naturally, Adapt to Reality
Rather than memorising one technique as a fixed answer, connect Kamae, Maai, Tai Sabaki and Kuzushi to develop a body that can respond to the situation.
Training is adjusted to participants’ experience, the season, weather and ground conditions, with safety as the priority. Repeated fundamentals reveal the principles shared by unarmed and weapons practice, indoor and outdoor settings, and form and application.
Foundations of Movement
Fundamentals, Kamae & Tai Sabaki
Fundamental Movement
Coordinate breathing, posture, alignment and weight shifts to prepare a body that moves without strain.
Front-kick demonstration in the dōjō, balancing on one leg.
Kamae · Postures
Through postures such as Ichimonji, Hira, Jumonji and Hicho, learn positions that keep protection and movement connected.
Ichimonji no kamae in front of the steps at Jingo-ji.
Tai Sabaki · Body Movement
Move off the line of attack, change angle and position, and flow naturally into the next movement.
Lowering the body beneath a partner’s wooden sword beside a large tree.
Maai · Distance & Timing
Read your partner’s weapon, speed and intention to judge the distance and timing of an attack.
Working distance from a wooden sword, with one partner in a low stance.
Kuzushi · Unbalancing
Use posture, direction and timing to change your partner’s balance without pushing with force.
Partner work with one practitioner leaning forward in front of a large tree.
Ukemi · Breakfalls and Rolling Techniques
Practice Ukemi Gata (受身型), fundamental breakfall and rolling techniques performed forward, backward and sideways to develop mobility, body control and protection during movement and falls on different terrains.
Principles of Attack & Defence
Strikes, Throws & Joint Techniques
Striking
Use fists, hands, elbows and legs with coordinated distance, angle and body alignment. Deflection and Atemi work together to create your next position, rather than relying on force.
Throws
Sense your partner’s balance and movement, allowing Kuzushi to lead naturally into a throw. Progress gradually after checking ground conditions and safety.
Joint Techniques
Understand the structure of the wrist, elbow and shoulder to establish control without excessive force. Adapt to resistance and changes of direction, beyond the fixed shape of a technique.
Shinobi Movement Skills
Shinobi Walking, Jumping & Climbing
Shinobi Walking
Coordinate sound, posture, gaze and the feeling under your feet to move quietly and safely over different terrain.
Jumping & Taihenjutsu
Study jumps and rolls as ways to avoid obstacles and attacks and change position, rather than as acrobatic displays.
Climbing & Shoten no Jutsu
Learn progressively to understand trees, slopes and the surrounding environment, protecting your body without overreaching.
Weapons Training
Sword, Hanbo, Bo & Shuriken
Sword & Muto Dori
Study blade alignment, distance, drawing and deflection, refining positioning and judgement when facing a weapon unarmed.
Supervised partner practice with a training sword in the dōjō.
Hanbojutsu
Through the short staff, connect strikes, unbalancing and joint control into a continuous movement.
Holding the hanbō horizontally at Kurama.
Bojutsu
Use the reach of a long staff and learn to convey direction and power through the whole body.
Partner practice with a long staff in a wooded setting.
Shurikenjutsu
With strict attention to safety, practise bringing posture, distance, focus and the moment of release together.
Equipment presentation: four-pointed senban shuriken held in the hands.
Ninja Happo Hikenjutsu
Connect Togakure Ryu weapons and body movement, exploring principles that remain consistent as the weapon changes.
Partner practice with a wooden training weapon attached to a chain.
Adapting to Weapons
Read the line of attack, distance and angle without being distracted by the weapon’s form. Prioritise decisions that take you away from danger.
Partner practice involving arm control, with a knife and senban visible.
Adapting to Nature
Awareness, Movement & Realistic Training
Outdoor Togakure Ryū Ninpō training develops awareness, balance and adaptability. Whether facing uneven terrain or unpredictable attacks, practitioners learn to adjust their movements and protect themselves.
Reading the Terrain
Feel the ground, adjust your footing and maintain balance on natural terrain.
Reading the Space
Observe distances, obstacles and movements to choose appropriate positioning.
Embracing Change
Adapt your movements naturally as the environment or situation changes.
Respecting Nature
Develop an attentive and respectful approach to the natural world around us.
Observe, adapt and act with sound judgment: these principles connect outdoor training with the foundations of Ninpō Taijutsu.
Some illustrations were created using artificial intelligence.
Ninpō Taijutsu: Connecting Body, Principles and Decision-Making
Ninpō Taijutsu connects the use of the body (Taijutsu), techniques and skills associated with shinobi (Ninjutsu), and the principles that guide their application (Ninpō). Usage varies among schools and authors; here, these terms are learning guides rather than rigid historical categories.
Kamae, Maai, Tai Sabaki and Kuzushi engage posture, perception and decision-making together. In practice, that means adjusting intensity to a partner, recognizing a loss of balance, stopping unnecessary movement, or creating distance instead of forcing an action.
Self-mastery appears in measured action suited to the situation. Restraint is not passivity; it helps maintain safety and respect for a partner while making an appropriate choice.
This discussion draws in part on a reading of Masaaki Hatsumi’s 『戦国忍法図鑑』, supervised by Kiyoyuki Higuchi. The partner exercises shown here reflect the dojo’s contemporary teaching; they do not, by themselves, reconstruct medieval missions.
