This translation of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi's work is from the philosophy book "Hiden Togakure Ryu Ninpo" or "Secrets of Togakure Ryu Ninpo". This translation has not been directly approved by Dr. Hatsumi, and must therefore not be seen as representing his views correctly. It is purely an interpretation by a third party (the translator). If it is, nevertheless, of some benefit to your studies, so much the better. However, in order to understand Dr. Hatsumi's current thoughts accurately, there is no other way than studying from items which have received his approval, such as the Densho ("Sanmyaku") and various books or videos, and encountering him directly at Tai Kai. (As to whether an item has been approved or not, you should contact Hombu Dojo in Noda, Japan; in Japanese, as for all correspondence.) Moreover, any time this translation is passed on, in whatever form, it must be accompanied by this note. Furthermore, it is expressly forbidden to use this translation for any financial gain without obtaining prior written approval from Hombu Dojo. — Liz maryland

As the process of learning this secret, there is a ceremony of the initiation by the sixth sense which lets the student learn this strange technique. The student, dressed in white clothes sits motionless in an open room. The master, like a shadow and without making any sound, attacks the student with a sword, like a floating boat. If the student managed to dodge the sword, he got the secret, but if he couldn't, then that was it. There is a similarity between this and the ceramist who destroys his new work if he doesn't like it.

One day I was sitting in my master's room when he said to me: "Wait here with your eyes closed, and do not open them no matter what happens." I loosened myself up after I felt he was gone. Soon, I did a side roll after I had felt a certain heaviness and saw a shadow as if my body had been split in half. Next I did a front ukemi after I felt that my head would fly away. When I recovered to the position of shizen fudoza, I opened my eyes to his voice saying: "Well done; you can open your eyes." I saw Takamatsu Sensei standing with a sword in his right hand. Being unbelievably calm, I realized that this was the spiritual technique by the sixth sense. I then received the sword from my master. Later I was told that this was Juji Giri Mumei no Itto.

A year before Takamatsu Sensei passed away he said to me: "I leave the martial arts in your hands." Nine years since he passed away, I've been training hard and lately, I can assert that this is true Budo. By the way, in the test for Godan in the Bujinkan Dojo, I attack with menace from behind the student who is sitting with his eyes closed. If he dodges, he passes. This is the beginning. This is not just a dodging of an attack from behind. Sometimes you have to know the other side of the world. In human relations, the person you trust might someday betray you. Even then you can realize the courage which keeps the peace through this training. It is just a trick to cultivate only the sense which permits you to dodge an attack from behind. This kind of mentality makes a distance between you and the truth of life, and ruins life. That kind of mentality is the cancer to correct growth. In this sense Juji Giri Mumei no Itto is the operation to remove this cancer in the early stages. It can also be said that one should stop teaching the person who should not be taught.

When you teach a lot of students, then some kind of sense is important. Buddha taught the ten followers, but one failed. One of Christ's 12 followers was a rebel. Even a relationship between the master and pupil has a failure. The relationship between the teachers and students in a modern school system is bad. In these situations it is the most important principle which keeps: to learn the true martial arts mind.

When you pass the test for Godan, the way of training will change necessarily. It changes to invisible training; incomprehensible training. I teach students who have been training for more that 20 years, but only cordially. It would be the instruction of incomprehensibly strange techniques to them. They understand, but they can't do it. They might understand but they don't really understand. Like this, strange techniques start breathing. It's OK with me if they don't understand, because I'm teaching incomprehensible techniques. If they understand, they are Superman. They will improve because they don't understand.

One day, one of my senior students came up to me and said: "I heard there is a technique which allows us to throw an opponent without touching him." I decided to try and teach this without letting my students get hurt. Myself, along with the student and four other students went to a place that had a video camera. Nine eyes are staring. "Come on!" "Yes sir." We passed each other. My senior student flew by me and fell down. A few minutes later he got up with blood coming out of his mouth. "Understand?" "No sir." "Rest of you understand?" "No sir, but we think we will understand with the video which we will watch later." "You won't understand," I told them. We watched the video, but none of the students could catch the picture in their eyes. This is martial arts. It is impossible to learn the strange techniques with taking pictures and writing down notes. In another way of thinking about this, even if you showed your techniques on a scroll and it is stolen, that's OK. This is the essence of martial arts. Taking pictures or writing down is useless. There is no other way than to study under a master and do what he says.

On the occasion of publishing this book, I introduce for your information the part of the book which Takamatsu Sensei had taught me. As a rule of this Ryu, writing down is forbidden. Because if you write down, the depth of its essence comes to an end. The martial arts will be the secret without limitations. So writing this book is against my will. Even if I write with explanation for later study, nobody will truly learn. As Takamatsu Sensei said, "Learn with hard training."

One year before his death, Takamatsu said to me: "You are a fine martial artist now. I've been rewarded the favors of my masters." I was half in doubt. I believed that you can master the essence of the martial arts a few years after you are taught. So since the master passed away, I have been asking myself for nine years, and now I decided to publish this book.

One day, I talked with a conductor who was living in the USA, about the expression of the martial arts by writing is just like a sheet of music. Martial art has grown from the space of the unlimited zero which was maintained in the paper. Even if a computer was developed to hold all the information, it wouldn't be able to calculate the zero. Even if it did, they wouldn't be able to pressure the strange techniques of the zero without reaching the stage of the consistent martial arts-like power. The dream-like martial artist is living in such a place.

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If I see that this is done properly, and if people request it, I will release more of this hard to come by information. This is part of a series of translations of authentic Ninjutsu material available in the martial arts section of America OnLine. Type Keyword: Grandstand. Send feedback to Shadowswrd@aol.com — Ken Harding.