The taijutsu of Kumogakure Ryu is very similar to Togakure
Ryu. The Kumogakure Ryu may have been
created by the Toda family (also of Togkakure Ryu) in the 1600's, as a ninjutsu
school of thought- centering it's techniques on the non-violent side of Ninpo. (The Togakure Ryu teaches that violence is
to be avoided).
The ninja of
Kumogakure Ryu went into combat wearing armored sleeves to protect
themselves. Another interesting feature
of the ryu was the Demon Mask, sometimes worn by members of the system. Kikaku-ken (Demon Horn Fist, or head butt)
gives rise to another theory of the Demon Mask. One of the special weapons of
the style is the kamayari, or hooked spear.
Used in combat against swordsmen, the hooks were used to parry and trap
the incoming blades. It was also used
to hook opponents from above. The
Kumogakure Ryu densho mentions a ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke, who used the
kamayari when leaping from tree to tree, hooking it onto the branches.
Another
Kumogakure Ryu speciality involved survival training, and being able to light
fires under all conditions.
Iga
Heinaizaemon had a son, Kami Hattori Heitaro Koreyuki, who was the ancestor of
Hattori Hanzo, the famous ninja.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soke of Kumogakure Ryu
Iga Heinaizaemon no jo Ienaga Tenmon Era (1532-1554)
Toda Sagenta Nobufusa
Toda Gohei Nobunaga
Toda Noriyoshi
Toda Seiryu Nobutsuna Kwanyei Era
(1624-1644)
Toda Fudo Nobuchika Manji Era
(1658-1681)
Toda Kangoro Nobuyasu Tenna Era
(1681-1704)
Toda Eisaburo Nobumasa Hoyei Era
(1704-1711)
Toda Shingoro Masayoshi Gembun Era
(1736-1764)
Toda Daigoro Chikahide Meiwa Era
(1764-1804)
Toda Daisaburo Chikashige Bunkwa Era
(1804-1818)
Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu b. 1824 - d. 1909
Takamatsu Toshitsugu b. 1887 - d. 1972
Hatsumi Masaaki b. 1931 -