The international founder of the Bujinkan in Japan, Masaaki Hatsumi, was born in December 1931 in Noda city, Japan. He grew up with an avid love of the martial arts and in his youth studied many martial art styles. Hatsumi began practicing when he was seven years old and found his fathers Bokuto ("wooden sword"). From that point on he began studying many popular Japanese martial arts and earned ranking in Karate, Aikido and Judo. After he attained a 4th degree Black Belt in Judo he was asked to teach at a United States Army base. He was in his early 20s and found that the big Americans seemed to have size and natural ability and Hatsumi found that they were learning in months what took the typical Japanese years. He began to question his training... What good is a martial art if a bigger or stronger person could easily defeat you? Hatsumi began searching for a true warrior tradition.

While studying kobudo ("ancient weapons") with a renowned instructor Hatsumi learned about a teacher named Toshitsugu Takamatsu, of Kashiwabara City which is to the west of the Iga region of Japan. As a last hope of finding a teacher who could impart the essence of a living warrior tradition and not just some recreational sport or lifeless art form, Hatsumi traveled across Honsho island to seek out the teacher he had searched for his whole life. In the 1970s, he formed the Bujinkan Dojo to honor his teacher. Hatsumi-sensei offered regular weekly classes in Noda, Japan until 2020.

Dave Moorefield

Senior Instructor Dave Moorefield has decades of experience in martial arts and the Bujinkan. "The Renegade" and "The Image" has been a licensed Shidoshi (士道師) 'teacher' black belt in Budō Taijutsu/Ninjutsu since 2007. He continues his training by traveling extensively, including studying in Japan, to learn the art from senior practitioners such has Masaaki Hatsumi, Ishizuka, Nagato, Noguchi, Someya, Ogawa, Rob Renner, Paul Masse, Pete Reynolds, Kacem, Chris Davy, and Andrej Jasenc. He has also trained with Oguri, Seno, Nagase, Muramatsu, Manaka, Mark O'Brien, and Stephen Hayes, etc. He began his training with Boxing, Karate, and Tae Kwon Do and has also studied Aiki-jutsu, Judo, Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Jeet Kune Do, and Wrestling.

John Perkins

Instructor and black belt John Perkins has been training in Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu seriously since 2010, and other martial arts sporadically for over 20 years. John is the Director of Personal Training at the gym Kamp Pendleton and has coaching physical movement for over 20 years. John has traveled to Japan to train directly with Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi and the other senior instructors of the art.

USA Dojo Friends

We are connected with sempai/seniors of the Bujinkan New York Dojo and Bujinkan Happo Dojo.
Our local affiliate in Richmond, VA: Richmond Budo.
American ShidoshiKai Association of American instructors

International Dojo Friends

Bujinkan Zeropoint Dojo Rob Renner's website
Bujinkan Tasmania - Duncan Stewart's website