Shinden Fudo Ryu

In China during the Toh-Era, there lived a woman named En-no-Kyojo (En was an ancient Kingdom in Toh, Kyo was the capital city of En, no means of) who was renowned as the expert martial artist of Koppo-jutsu, Daken-jutsu, Shorin-Ken and Hicho-jutsu.

According to legend In the Toh Era under the rule of Chusou Shinryu, during an auspicious new year, Cho Shousou rose up with an army of several hundred soldiers and savagely attacked a village.

Amidst this violence, En-no-Kyojo stood up and with Fudoshin (unmoved heart, immovable spirit) and a smile,　she valiantly defended the army with unarmed techniques and was able to heroically rescue the village people.

En-no-Kyojo taught to Ryu Enpi (Kokuido Kenji). Ryu Enpi was the specialist of not only Daken-jutsu but also Ken-jutsu and So-jutsu. It seems that he had learned ancient Japanese swords techniques (Wa-Ken).

In the Eikyu Era (1113-1118), these martial arts came into Japan, and were taught to Izumo Kajya Yoshiteru (Minamoto Hachiman Shichiro Tamenari).

After two generations in the Kenkyu Era (1190-1199), these martial arts were passed on to Mizuhara Kurou Yoshinari, who was a chief of Mutsu Mizuhara castle. According to tradition, he was a son of Minamoto-no-Kuro-Yoshitsune. Yoshinari was the expert of Daken-Taijutsu, Ba-jutsu, So-jutsu and Kenpo (Iai). His Iai was so special that it was compared to a lightning strike.

In the Seicho Era (1428-1429), Shinmon Kokajya Yoshikane put on the Ryu-Ha name as Kijin Fudo Ryu Daken-Taijutsu.

During the Tensho Era (1573-1592), Abe Muga of Edo (present day Tokyo) put on the Ryu-Ha name as Shinden Fudo Ryu Daken-Taijutsu. Abe Muga learned Ninjutsu from Koga Tarouhyoe Ozunu and Ohtsuka Daikuro Tadahide of Iga. Abe had the nickname "Tengu Taro".

In the Meiji Era (1868-1912), Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu opened a Dojo of Shinden Fudo Ryu in Kobe and made efforts to popularize this tradition. Toda Shinryuken was the maternal grandfather of Takamatsu Toshitsugu. Takamatsu Toshitsugu was taught from the age of nine years old by Toda Shinryuken and received grandmastership.

Shinden Fudo Ryu Daken-Taijutsu system is organized according to Ten-no-Kata (Ikken Hasso), Chi-no-Kata (Biken Issyun) and Shizen-Shigoku-no-Kata, and has Omote-Gata 38 patterns and Ura-Gata 56 patterns. Further, there are 8 Gokui of Toda Shinryuken and many supplementary Kuden.