Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu Happo Biken
The school hidden in the clouds
Hatsumi Sensei is the 14th Soke
Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo was founded in the 16th century by Heinaisaemon Ienaga Iga, who was said to have learned his arts from Sarutobi Sasuke.
Iga Heinaizaemon had a son, Kami Hattori Heitaro Koreyuki, who was the ancestor of Hattori Hanzo, the famous ninja.
The ninja of Kumogakure Ryu went into combat wearing armored sleeves to protect themselves. Another interesting feature of the ryu was the Demon Mask, sometimes worn by members of the system. Kikaku-ken (Demon Horn Fist, or head butt) gives rise to another theory of the Demon Mask. One of the special weapons of the style is the kamayari, or hooked spear. Used in combat against swordsmen, the hooks were used to parry and trap the incoming blades. It was also used to hook opponents from above.
The special weapon, used by warriors of this school was also Ippon Sugi Noburi, which was made of a 25cm long metal tube with three spikes, and through which a long chain with hooks at its ends was laid. This weapon was considered for combat as well as for climbing.
The Kumogakure Ryu densho mentions Sarutobi Sasuke, who used the kamayari when leaping from tree to tree, hooking it onto the branches.
Another Kumogakure Ryu speciality involved survival training, and being able to light fires under all conditions.
