Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu Happo Biken
The school of the jeweled heart
Hatsumi Sensei is the 21st Soke
Gyokkushin Ryu Ninjutsu is a branch of Koshijutsu, and it is believed that its founder, Sasaki Goeman Teruyoshi, was from the Gyokko Ryu. The methods used in Gyokushin Ryu (its blocks, strikes and stances) strongly resemble those of Gyokko Ryu, and they both used the Ichimonji no Kamae in the same way.
Sasaki Gendayu was in the employ of the Daimyo of Kishu, and was paid 200 Koku per year (1 Koku was enough to feed a man for a year), but this was later increased to 400 Koku. It is possible that he, like his father, was highly skilled in Gyokko Ryu.
The Gyokushin Ryu was taught in secret in the Kishu and Takeda provinces, and sometime in the 17th century it came into contact with the Togakure Ryu and the Toda family. The exact circumstances are not known, but when the style passed to Toda Nobutsuna, it was not kept as such a close secret from then on.
Not much is known about the fighting style of the Gyokushin Ryu. The system concentrated on more of the espionage skills and abilities of ninjutsu than on hand to hand combat. This is common among ninjutsu systems. Gyokushin Ryu is known for its superior use of the Nagenawa, a lasso.
Kano Jigero, the founder of Judo, was a friend of Takamatsu Sensei. It is thought that he taught at the Kodokan school as a guest instructor, and what he taught was Gyokushin Ryu. The style passed by Takamatsu Sensei to Masaaki Hatsumi along with many other styles of Kobujutsu.
