With his book, Fuijita Seiko:The Last Koga Ninja, Phillip Hevener, a local ninjutsu instructor, illuminates the life of the one the most enigmatic martial arts figures of the 20th century who was the inheritor and final holder of the legacy that was Koga Ryu Ninjutsu. With a wealth of primary and secondary sources, Mr. Hevener verifies that Koga Ryu Ninjutsu did indeed pass into history, much to the chagrin of those who have unscrupulously used Fujita’s legacy for their own gain. Here he speaks on Fujita and his amazing life, his own research, the ensuing controversy, as well as one of the martial systems that Fujita did pass on, which he studied firsthand.
1. How/when did you first hear of Fujita Seiko?
Fujita’s name appeared on the scene in the West after the author, Andrew Adams, published a series of articles in Black Belt Magazine in 1966 and 1967.
“and at one point [he] discouraged a yaku-za challenger by slicing off, cooking, and eating a piece of his own thigh while at shabu-shabu.”
2. What was your motivation for writing on Fujita?
I’m astonished it hadn’t been done before. Here was a man who claimed to be the last ninja and during his lifetime was the most famous exponent of ninjutsu. From 1936, the time of his first major publication, Ninjutsu Hiroku (Ninjutsu In Depth), he was known as a serious martial arts scholar and researcher; another important text he authored was the Koga Ryu Ninja Ichidaiki (1968), which translates as a study or story of the last [final] generation of Koga ninjutsu. He participated with and studied a multitude of Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, including ninjutsu, jojutsu, judo, kendo, and karate.
3. What was your primary aim in elucidating his life?
The purpose was to convey the true facts of Fujita’s Koga Ninjutsu claims, and that of his life and career in the English language in a way that would be recognized by Fujita and his colleagues. I wanted to represent him as he conveyed himself in his own writings. Fujita was a colorful self-promoter who wrote of himself in a way akin to myth, which is especially pertinent since he was known for making extraordinary claims, many of which stretch credulity, though he was known for performing public feats that transcended known physical limits such as, bending his fingers back to touch his arm, sticking needles through the body, walking on the edge of a sword blade or across hot coals, beating himself with chains and metal bars, and all sorts of yogic indulgences. He undertook challenges in a way similar to Takamatsu Toshitsugu (33rd Grandmaster of Togakure Ninjutsu) and at one point discouraged a yaku-za challenger by slicing off, cooking, and eating a piece of his own thigh while at shabu-shabu.
4. Could you describe the methodology behind your research?
I utilized Fujita’s own writing, the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten- the comprehensive compendium on all Japanese martial arts- and publications of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai, which is the preeminent organization for Japanese martial arts known as Koryu, which pertains to the traditional warrior arts. I had photographs made of various documents from the Fujita related collections in the Iga-Ueno museum; Japanese translators were engaged in this regard. I was able to visit his house and the temple where his funeral was held. Ninjutsu Hisho Ogiden no
Other sources include Sam Moledzki, a high ranking practitioner of Shito-ryu Karate which gave him access to the archives of the Iwata family, who are inheritors of several of Fujita’s arts including Namban Satto-ryu Kempo, Shingetsu-ryu, Shurikenjutsu, and Daien-ryu Jojutsu. Many of the photos in the book come from that source, including the cover and the internal photos of Fujita, and from the Bansenshukai, a 17th century ninjutsu document, which, along with the aforementioned text, provides historical proof of the existence of the ninja.
Robert Gruzanski, son of the famous Charles Gruzanski, who was a well known practitioner of Koryu Bujutsu, provided a copy of a 1953 Japanese magazine called ‘Liberal,’ which contains an article by Fujita in which he says ninjutsu is still alive while delving into the art’s history.
5. How has news of your work- from the initial appearance of an online article on Fujita that included a prospectus for your book to your book’s publication- been received by those who have misused Fujita’s legacy?
I can’t mention names [here Mr. Hevener laughs and comments on the legality of the threats he has received] but in the early stages of my research I did get fairly strident reactions from a few neo-Koga ninjas. This ranged from people claiming things as simple as me being a mouthpiece for the Bujinkan to threats from various people to interesting reactions from individuals across the martial arts spectrum including Bujinkan members who thought my research would only aid the fakers/fabricators as well as others who thought I would stir up trouble with the neo-Koga people.
That being said, there were those who helped tremendously with their support such as Ed Martin (15th Dan in the Bujinkan) who wrote the preface for my book.
6. What do you think of the concern then, that you could only be aiding the frauds out there by revealing a wealth of information on such an enigmatic figure?
I don’t think it holds substance since the heyday of fraudulent ninjutsu was at a time when information was sparse to say the least. It gave individuals the leeway to take what they saw in the Bujinkan and to weave a mosaic so as to prop up false claims in regard to lineage and inheritance, which is now harder for them to do with the release of my book and other publications; I also contributed to a section on Fujita Seiko within Wolfgang Ettig’s book, entitled, Takamatsu Toshitsugu: The Last Shinobi. As a general practice I feel that the more information that is available the easier it is establish lineages- i.e. the truth- and to reveal frauds.
7. So your book firmly establishes then that Koga Ryu Ninjutsu died with Fujita in 1966?
It emphatically does so as Fujita was the only person who was looked on as a legitimate claimant to the Koga lineage in the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten (1963). His claim was the only one. The Bugei Ryuha Daijiten combined with his obituary (The Last Ninja Disappers – Nikan Kano – Jan 14th 1966), his autobiography (Doronron: Saigo No Ninja – 1958), and statements from other knowledgeable parties, firmly establishes this fact. And as for the Westerners who lay their claim, besides common sense, there’s Fujita’s own vehement wish, inspired by WWII nationalistic feelings, to keep his art out of Western hands, particularly those of the Americans.
“he was 'the mysterious man of the martial arts...' most especially opposed to having his art fall into Western hands.”
8. Explain how you became aware of Fujita’s one extent system, Nanban Satto-ryu-kempo?
I came into contact with it during the course of my research. While viewing http//:ShitoRyu.org, I saw that Sam Moledski had verifiable information that jelled with my research and that his source was Murayama Kunio who was uchi deshi (principal disciple) to Iwata Manzo who was Fujita’s uchi deshi. During the course of my research I had the opportunity to be Murayama sensei’s uke on at least 5 different occasions during Nanban Satto-ryu seminars conducted for the Shitokai branch of Shito-ryu Karate.
9. How would compare and contrast Nanban Satto-ryu Kempo with Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu?
There are numerous similarities: they both use joint locks, throws, striking, etc. In the modern parlance, both what the Bujinkan and Sato Ryu does falls under the umbrella of jujutsu.
The substantial difference is that Satto-ryu is much more linear in its approach- the methodology applies a linear retreat and attack, a much more confined use of angling rather than clearing the line of attack, methodology that is present in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. Additionally, the Bujinkan arts tend to be Sogo Bujutsu, comprehensive arts that include weapons techniques, where as Satto-ryu is mainly an unarmed art based upon the Torite (locking/grappling, pg 662 – Bugei Ryuha Daijiten) of Nobeoka-han, in Satsuma.
10. What in your opinion is Fujita’s martial arts legacy and why did he not want his Koga Ryu Ninjutsu to be passed on?
As concerns Fujita’s legacy, the cynical and skeptical version that developed after the Western Ninja boom, and the use of his name by fake koga ninja, is starkly at odds with his reputation as understood by his peers. In his day, Fujita was known as a prominent martial arts practitioner and scholar. He was a Trustee of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai, the preeminent authority on the art of ninjutsu, and a preserver and participant in many research groups that were interested in the martial arts of Japan and Okinawa.
The depth of his contribution can be seen by the more than half a dozen books he wrote about the Japanese martial arts, and the arts such as Shitokai Karate and Yuishinkai Karate-jutsu, which he influenced via his students Iwata Manzo and Inoue Motokatsu. In the end, Fujita is best remembered as described by his student, Iwata Manzo, who said, he was “the mysterious man of the martial arts;” for this we can point to a serious yet romanticized view of the martial arts, one which saw no need to pass on the tradition of Koga Ryu Ninjutsu when the world no longer needed it. As a fervent supporter of Japan's wartime efforts he was most especially opposed to having his art fall into Western hands.
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