WELCOME

The Shin Shin Tora Dojo was founded in 1995 by Tom Wakefield; a member of Bujinkan Japan, the dojo concentrates on traditional Japanese Kobudo as taught by Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi.

The dojo is non political, curriculum based with "SEISHIN" (right spirit) as its main principal. The dojo has a comprehensive kyu grade syllabus to give students a strong foundation and teaches a variety of traditional weaponry such as Hanbo, Jo, Bo and bikenjutsu. We offer training opportunities whether for self protection, personal development, fitness or as a way of life.

Taijutsu 2

Hicho No Kamae

Dokko No Kamae

Taijutsu


ura gyaku


omote gyaku



jumonji no kamae



hira ichimonji no kamae



BRIEF HISTORY OF NINJUTSU IN UK

While Stephen K. Hayes was introducing and promoting ninjutsu in America his counter part Bo f. Munthe was doing the same in Europe.
On October 1983 , Bo F. Munthe ,3rd dan, Branch Chief of Europe, personal student of Ishizuka Sensei and member of the Bujinkan Dojo,Ishizuka Society came over to teach two, one day courses held in London and Dublin on the invite of course organiser, Brian McCarthy ,Brian had previously attended a 5 day training seminar organised by Stephen K. Hayes in Ohio in 1982, Keith Lebihan from London also attended. Bo was joined on the courses by Sveneric Bogsator, 1st kyu, the only other person attending the London course who held a grade in ninpo was Peter King who after two training trips to Japan was promoted to 3rd kyu.
The following year , March 1984, Sveneric and Brian both received their 1st Dan, shidoshi ho from Dr Hatsumi in Japan and Bo was promoted to 4th Dan all three were made personal students of the Soke, from this association the EBNS was formed, later that year at the August camp in Wales, Bo F. Munthe promoted Matts Gulberg, Sveneric and Brian to 2nd Dan and in the spring of 1985 Peter King received his 1st Dan, shidoshi ho from Grandmaster Hatsumi, the first person in the UK to do so, by the end of 1985 saw the demise of the EBNS and putting it in simple terms, in the UK, Bo’s students went with Bo and Brian’s students went with Brian.

Since 1985 much has changed, without the contribution made by all the above named individuals, as well as the original area representatives and training group leaders who organised courses and training in their areas ninjutsu would not be as well established as it is in Europe, UK and Ireland, all played their part.

Now there are many teachers, too numerous to mention as the Bujinkan has grown, in the beginning there was only one teacher , Bo F. Munthe, the man everyone called sensei, he’s where it all began in Europe , he’s part of our history, part of our lineage.

KUMOGAKURE RYU (HIDING IN THE CLOUDS SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 14th Grandmaster of this school, to date to my knowledge Sensei has not taught or given much information out in regards this school.

GYOKUSHIN RYU (IMMOVEABLE HEART SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 21st Grandmaster of this school and to date Sensei has demonstrated only the feeling of the school, has not to date shared any real information on the school to my knowledge. The school was founded by Sasaki Goeman Teruyoshi.

GIKAN RYU (TRUTH, LOYALITY AND JUSTICE SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 15th Grandmaster of this school and this school is the first of the three where very little is known even amongst some of the Japanese shihan, I wish this was not so, but to my knowledge like the following two, Hatsumi Soke has only demonstrated the feeling of the school not any actual techniques, nor has the structured outline of the various levels been given so all I will say is the founder was Uryu Hangan Gikanbo and the school was founded in the 15th century.

KUKISHINDEN RYU ( NINE DEMON GODS TRADITIONS SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 26th Grandmaster of this school which was founded by Izumo no kanja Yoshiteru early 11th century , (this is the gentleman that also founded the Shinden Fudo Ryu) , its from this school that the weapons taught in the Bujinkan mainly come from.

TAKAGI YOSHIN RYU (RAISING THE HEARTS TO HIGH TREES SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 17th Grandmaster of this school also known as the bodyguard school , founded by a Buddhist monk, Uryu around the late 15th century and developed further in the middle of the next century by Takagi Oriemon Shigetoshi .

SHINDEN FUDO RYU (IMMOVEABLE GODS TRADITIONS SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 26th Grandmaster of this school founded in the 11th century by Izumo no Kanja Yoshiteru. The school is divided into Dakentaijutsu and JuTaijutsu.

KOTO RYU (KNOCKING TIGERS DOWN SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 18th Grandmaster. Momochi Sandayu, founder of Iga Ryu Ninjutsu was a Grandmaster of the school.

GYOKKO RYU (JEWELED TIGER SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is the 28th Grandmaster of this school, the kihon happo which forms the main foundation for all students training in the Bujinkan comes from the Gyokko ryu, and the school is believed to have started in the 15th Century by Sakagami Taro Kunishige.

TOGAKURE RYU (HIDDEN DOOR SCHOOL)

Hatsumi Soke is 34th Grandmaster of this school which was founded by Togakushi Daisuke in the 11th century. This is the main ninjutsu school taught inside the Bujinkan dojo and has very close ties to both the Gyokko Ryu and Koto Ryu schools.

RYUHA


The schools taught within the Bujinkan Dojo of which there are nine , stretch back a few hundred years, so you can understand an accurate history is not possible, the kata handed down were tested we are told in actual battle, life and death situations, only those which survived the test were passed down as part of the Ryu.
In modern day much has changed, we no longer wear armour or kill people to survive unless we are in the armed services, so some elements need to adapt to the new environment that we find ourselves in, people not wearing armour are much faster than those who did, more knowledge of different martial arts are available and above all the conditioning of society ill prepares us for dealing with any violent situation that we may encounter.
From its birth many centuries have passed with ninjutsu hidden in the shadows of time before it became established as an independent system of knowledge in its own right.

Over seventy ninja families grew up in the regions of Iga and Koga, each with their very own specialities and motivations which distinguished them from each other, secrecy was paramount to ensure the survival and independence of the families so it’s impossible to know an accurate history or lineage for this reason.

We concentrate on the teachings of Soke Massaki Hatsumi, promoting awareness, personal development, fitness, self defence and a way of life.



GRANDMASTER

GRANDMASTER MASAAKI HATSUMI

Dr Masaaki Hatsumi, Grandmaster of Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu and eight other Ryuha as outlined below travelled across Japan every weekend in the 1950’s to 60’s for 15 years to train and learn the ways of Japan elusive, mysterious ninja from its last Grandmaster, Toshitsugu Takamatsu.
Through Hatsumi Soke generosity these teachings were shared with the world through his organisation, the Bujinkan.

33rd GRANDMASTER TOSHITSUGU TAKAMATSU

Takamatsu Sensei was a warrior in the old tradition, 33rd Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu, he passed all nine schools to his student Massaki Hatsumi, and Takamatsu sensei was the last ninja to have used his skills in real life and death situations.

INSTRUCTORS

Head Instructor

Tom Wakefield was introduced to ninjutsu like many others; through Andrew Adams book "NINJA". From this he eventually became an associated member in 1981 of the Stephen Hayes organisation "The Shadows of Iga".

In October 1983 Tom attended the first UK Seminar in London under Bo F Munthe the only qualified teacher in Europe, gaining his 6th kyu in August 1984, Tom opened the first ninjutsu training group in Scotland, march 1985, Rutherglen.

Tom remained a student of Bo's gaining his shodan in Sweden in 1986 up until Bo resigned from Bujinkan.

In March, 1987 Tom travelled to Japan where he was promoted to Nidan, Shidoshi Ho by the Grand Master. Later that year Tom was tested and promoted to Sandan in London by Dr Hatsumi.

At the height of promoting the art in Scotland Tom had training centres in Larkhall, Uddingston, Pollock, Edinburgh, Dunbar and Dundee all run by very competent instructors.

Leaving Bujinkan in March 1988 to join Genbukan, one of Tom’s students, Elaine Lennon was the first person in Genbukan to be publicly tested in the UK for her blackbelt in 1989 from the original Genbukan syllabus before it was changed, Tom continued to study with Shoto Tanemura Sensei up until 1994 when he left and was allowed to return to Bujinkan through the good graces of Dr Hatsumi Soke.

Tom along with Peter Brown from the South Coast (now of Shinobi Kai) and David Gowdy of Northern Ireland, were among the first in the art of Ninjutsu to gain their coaching certification along with their students from the Martial Arts Commission.

Passing his Godan in 1995, Tom has been quietly training, researching and teaching privately for the last few years, Tom gained his Judan in late 2006.


Instructors









Mark Wakefield, Yondan, has been studying since he was a child about 16 years, under a number of different instructors, though his main source of tuition has been from his father, Tom Wakefield.













Stephen Pratt, Yondan, studied on a private basis with Tom Wakefield for over 5 years every weekend.










Graeme Paterson has been studying for nearly 3 years on a private basis, holds the rank of 1st Kyu and is at present training for his Shodan.

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