The history of Yamanaka ha Shindo Ryu jujutsu begins in the mid to late
1800's with the art of Yoshin Ryu as taught in the dojo of Hirotsuke
Totsuka. One of his finest students was Katsunosuke Matsuoka, was also a
student of Jikishin Kage Ryu, Hokushin Itto Ryu, and Tenjin Shinyo Ryu.
Matsuoka founded his own jujutsu system based on the principles of Totsuka's
Yoshin Ryu. Moreover he included other aspects from the other styles in
which he was trained including some of the strategies still found today in
Shindo Ryu jujutsu. Matsuoka called this system Shindo Yoshin Ryu which
translates as "new way willow spirit school". In later years the first kanji
, pronounced "shin", was changed from one meaning "new" to one meaning
" sacred", although still pronounced "shin." Thus, "new willow spirit school"
became the "sacred willow spirit school."

One of Matsuoka's students, Matakichi Inose (Nidai Soke) taught and awarded
Menkyo Kaiden was 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 Ittoryu kenjutsu, both swordsmanship schools. It
is with these origins of the sword that influenced in some of the movements
in Yamanaka-ha 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 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. As well, he was a founding member of the World Union of Martial Arts. Shintani Sensei was born February 3, 1927 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Japanese parents who had immigrated to this 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 in 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 (9°) degree black belt Wado Ryu, the highest ranking in North America.

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. He met Akira Kitegawa who had trained in Shuri-te style karate under Sokun Matsumura and Anko Itosu. After about 20 years of training with Kitagawa Sensei, Shintani Sensei had risen to the rank of rokudan (6°). Shintani remained a faithful student of Kitagawa Sensei until Kitagawa's death.

After Kitagawa passed away, he 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 studen teacher relationship and caring friendship.

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 techniquesthan 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 used hand techniques from these as well.

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 of Shindo Yoshin Ryu 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.

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.

During his lifetime, Shintani Sensei certified over 1200 black belts in hanbojutsu of Shindo ryu. In the Yamanaka-ha, 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 Senatemembers, 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.

Ron Yamanaka Sensei is the leader of The Yudansha Kobujutsu Karate-Do Federation (YKKF) which he founded 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 commands the YKKF with grace and a firm commitment to the art. The YKKF now acts as the International Governing Body for Yamanaka-ha Shindo Ryu Jujutsu. Yamanaka Sensei has trained over 100,000 people in 22 countries in the martial arts. The seminars he presents are informative and
well-received.

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 Hanshi Miyazato of the Jundokan Goju Ryu. Notably, he has just celebrated his 40th year in the martial arts.

Some of his ranks include:

8th degree black belt Aiki Jujutsu
Menkyo Kaiden Shindo ryu Jujutsu
8th degree black belt Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate (Jundokan).
Canadian chief instructor (Shibucho) of Okinawan Goju Ryu (Jundokan)
9th degree black belt Southern Shaolin Chuan Fa (Li Sai Wing System).
Founder & chief instructor of the YKKF

Yamanaka Sensei has been bestowed with title of "Kyoshi" (1986) by the Japanese Governing Body For Rank Certification, signed by the late uncle of the Emperor of Japan and former Prime Minister. ("Kyoshi" is the license grade of master instructor).

Yamanaka Sensei, like Ohtsuka Sensei before him, is a full time martial arts teacher. He has devoted his life to teaching others traditional martial arts. He has trained and been highly ranked in numerous martial arts. On many occasions, the different levels of government have presented him with various awards for his service to the martial arts community.

His martial arts training began in the early 1960's, when he studied Southern Shaolin Chuan Fa under Sigung David Chong who had studied this system in China under Li Sai Wing in the 1950's. This art was combined with Japanese Karate and taught in Canada under the Canadian Kung Fu and Karate Association as a Kempo style. (see the Shaolin section).

Once receiving his Kempo Menkyo, Yamanaka Sensei began his career as a martial arts professional. Through the 1960's he studied other forms of martial arts and eventually met Wally Jay Sensei, in 1970, at the dojo of Frank Hatashita, one of the oldest jujutsu / judo dojos in Toronto. Jay Sensei was a student of Okazaki Sensei who was the founder of Danzan Ryu. (Jay Sensei also founded his own school called "Small Circle Jujutsu"). This meeting sparked an intense flame of interest in traditional jujutsu, which he pursued relentlessly over the next three decades. Part of this pursuit of knowledge was traveling to various jujutsu dojos around the world and/or bringing the shihan from these schools to his own dojo so that he and his yudansha could directly train with them.

Shintani and Yamanaka

While training in jujutsu, Yamanaka Sensei was an active international martial arts competitor, like Shintani Sensei before him. During one particular tournament in 1973 he met Shintani Sensei, after having competed against another black belt for the championship in kata. Yamanaka Sensei performed a Kempo (Chinese) kata and his opponent a Japanese kata. Yamanka Sensei lost to his opponent. Immediately afterwards, Shintani Sensei approached Yamanaka Sensei and stated, "You should have done a Japanese kata." Thereafter, Yamanaka Sensei became a personal student and close friend of Shintani Sensei's. This led to Yamanaka Sensei becoming part of
the wonderful tradition of Shindo ryu, Wado Ryu , jujutsu and the kuden associated with all.

Other Influences on the Yamanaka Ha

Another tradition followed by Yamanaka Sensei was his encouragement and direction for a few of his chosen senior yudansha (black belt holders) to research the traditional jujutsu arts of Japan. This direction was based on an ancient practice known as musha shugyo (warrior pursuit of knowledge). This entailed the examination of numerous modern and historic documents. As well, some began studying other jujutsu ryu. This was a common custom in days of yore as it helped strengthen a school's art by introducing diversity or, at the very least, being aware of what the others were doing. This modern adaptation of an antiquated custom resulted in several long and ongoing relationships including Michael LaMonica, Kaiden Shihan San Dai Kichu of Hakko Ryu Jujutsu amongst many others.