NIHON KORYU BUJUTSU

SHINDO RYU

History circa 1900 to 1960

One of Matsuoka's students, Matakichi Inose (Nidai Soke) taught and awarded Menkyo Kaiden to Yokiyoshi Tatsusaburo Nakayama.  Nakayama taught jujutsu at the Shimozuma Middle School for approximately 20 years.  Nakayama was a classically trained Kenjutsu and Jujutsu instructor. He was a student of Jikishin Kage Ryu and Onoha Itto Ryu, both kenjutsu schools. It is with these origins of the sword that influenced many of the movements in Yamanaka Shindo-Ryu Jujutsu.

Nakayama's most famous student was Hironori Ohtsuka who was born on June 1st, 1892 in Shimodate City, Ibaraji, Japan.  His father was Dr. Tokujiro Ohtsuka who operated a clinic. As a boy he listened to his mother's uncle, Chojiro Ebashi, tell exhilarating tales of samurai endeavours.  Ebashi, too, was a respected samurai warrior.  Ohtsuka began martial arts training at five practicing jujutsu under his uncle's instruction.

By 1905, at the age of 13, Ohtsuka began his formal training in Shindo Yoshin-ryu Jujutsu at the Shimozuma Middle School. By the time of his 29th birthday (June 1st, 1921) he received menkyo kaiden (licence of full transmission which was the highest licence) in Shindo Yoshin Ryu.  Ohtsuka eventually combined some of the precepts and techniques of Okinawan Karate with his jujutsu to form his original art of Shinshu Wado Jujutsu, next called Wado Jujutsu Kempo which eventually became known as Wado Ryu

One of Ohtsuka Sensei's premier students was Masaru Shintani (1927-2000) who originally began the Kokusai Shindo Remnei - World Shindo Federation.  Shintani Sensei was born February 3, 1927 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Japanese parents who had immigrated to Canada.  Shintani Sensei's mother, Tsuruye Shintani, was a daughter of a Samurai from the famous Matsumoto Clan.  Shintani gained his early training in a number of Japanese martial arts including those taught to his family members within the Matsumoto.  He eventually became yudansha in Judo, Aikido, and Kendo.  Sensei Masaru Shintani was a direct student of Ohtsuka Sensei for many years.  Shintani Sensei trained in the martial arts for approximately sixty years. Notably, prior to his death in 2000, he had attained the rank of Kudan (9th) degree black belt Wado Ryu, the highest ranking in North America, as well as being Saiko Shihan in Shindo Ryu.

His early childhood training was supplemented while he was a boy in an internment camp for Canadians of Japanese descent in British Columbia during the Second World War. Here, he met Akira Kitegawa who had trained in Shuri-te style karate under Sokun Matsumura and Anko Itosu. Shintani Sensei trained with Kitagawa Sensei for many years until Kitagawa's death.  On his passing, Shintani Sensei began his search to learn more about the martial arts. Throughout the 1950's Shintani Sensei studied, trained and competed in Japan.  This culminated with him winning the All Japan Karate Championships where he first came to the attention of Ohtsuka Sensei.  This meeting would flourish into a life long student-teacher relationship and caring friendship.

1960 - 2000

By 1968, Ohtsuka Sensei placed Shintani Sensei exclusively in charge of teaching for the Wado Kai in North America and appointed Shintani Sensei to head the Wado Kai for North America. Throughout these years, their close relationship was often spent in Kuden (oral tradition) with Shintani Sensei absorbing as much information as possible from his teacher.

Masaru Shintani Sensei was sometimes known to use different hand techniques than those practiced by other traditional Wado stylists.  It must be remembered that Shintani Sensei knew the hand techniques of Shuri Te, Wado ryu, jujutsu, aikido as well as those incorporated from the techniques of his ancestors from the Matsumoto clan.  He was a true modern samurai as evidenced by his mastery of several martial arts. He understood the deep jujutsu roots of his art and fully utilized techniques from jujutsu.

Shintani Sensei developed a large organization with in excess of 1200 black belts. He, like Ohtsuka Sensei, went further back through his martial arts heritage and developed his own organization called the World Shindo Federation or Kokusai Shindo Renmei. In deference to his teacher's art (Shindo Yoshin Ryu), he called his art Shindo as well; however, the kanji "shin" was reverted to mean "new" once again and "do" was translated as "way". Thus the "new way" was born (again!).

One of the vehicles for teaching Shindo ryu is a staff or rod similar to the Jo but is a sanshaku bo or hanbo. Shintani Sensei developed many techniques for Shindo ryu from the hanbo (3 foot staff) jutsu techniques of his samurai ancestors. Today, the hanbojutsu waza of Shindo ryu are practiced as a martial art around the world. As well, many of its techniques were refined as defensive tactics for law enforcement.  Interestingly, many of the original waza of the hanbo were, in fact, kenjutsu techniques and were meant to be performed with a blade as well as being offensive in nature. In YSR jujutsu, the cognate weapons training is hanbojutsu, rather than the sword, which is often more typical in other traditional jujutsu ryu.

Shintani Sensei died May 7, 2000 in Kapuskasing Ontario Canada. When Shintani Sensei was eulogized it was noted that he had a dream to teach and continue Ohtsuka Sensei's ways of harmony ("wado"). The eulogy noted that Shintani Sensei's dream would be fulfilled with the help of his Senate members, his yudansha and all the members of his organization. Specifically noted was the commitment of (Ronald) Michio Yamanaka Sensei to carry this dream forward. Yamanaka Sensei has continued to promote Shintani's dream of Ohtsuka's ways through the continued teaching and promotion of Shindo Ryu Jujutsu

Yamanaka Shindo Ryu Jujutsu (Present)

Ronald Michio Yamanaka Sensei founded of the Yudansha Kobujutsu Karate-Do Federation (YKKF) in 1978. This is a fraternal organization of many martial arts and styles. The YKKF recognizes the intrinsic worth of each. Central to the core of the YKKF is the focus on the development of traditional martial arts and the preservation of their history and lineage.  Yamanaka Sensei is the ryuso of Yamanaka Shindo Ryu (YSR) Jujutsu.

Yamanaka Sensei has trained over thousands of people in over 20 countries in the martial arts. He maintains his status as a student of many great masters including the late Shihan Masaru Shintani of the Wado Kai, Kokusai Shindo Renmei and the late Eichii Miyazato of the Jundokan Goju Ryu. Notably, he celebrated his 40th year in the martial arts in 2002.

In addition to being a senior teacher with Shintani Sensei, Yamanaka Sensei has also studied Aikido and Gung Fu extensively. For example, during his studies of the martial arts, Yamanaka Sensei studied in Okinawa directly under Miyazato Sensei and attained the rank of hachidan in Okinawan Goju Ryu (Jundokan) Karate and was designated the Canadian chief instructor (Shibucho) of the Jundokan. Miyazato Sensei was also a student of Shoko Itokazu and held a nanadan in Judo. As well, he practiced jujutsu (specifically Keisatsu Gijutsu - the police arts) as evidenced by his tenure as the Chief Self Defense Instructor at the Police School. Yamanaka Sensei's interest in the hidden jujutsu bunkai in Goju-Ryu is evident in his teaching and provides further sophistication to YSR Jujutsu.

Mounir Ghrawi sensei has learned Shindo Ryu under Michio Yamanaka Sensei,and Darren Smith Sensei.

In March 2006 was promoted to Menkyo Kaiden Shihan 7 Dan with the Shogo title of Kyoshi.