Executive Summary
More than 1,000 years of world cultural heritage - Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do - the multi-tracked history
Today there are approximately. 150,000 Shinto temples in Japan. Shinto is Japan's original and original natural religion before the arrival of Buddhism around the middle of the 5th century. The two oldest and holiest Shinto temples in Japan are; Izumo Taisha and Ise grand Temple with about two thousand years of history.
In the same time period around the year 0, there was the Roman Iron Age in Denmark with clay and wooden huts and countless chiefdoms and the Roman Empire was the largest empire in the west.
The multi-track martial arts system has its origins in Izumo Taisha. Yashin Mon's first Soke (founder) and Grandmaster was a landowner and Shinto priest from Izumo Province (today's Shimane-Ken) with the surname Noro.
1869 Meiji, Grand shrine of Ise
Before he died on September 9, year 999 he had 7 sons who each got their own surname.
One of the eldest sons, Morimasa took the surname Noro and is considered Yashin Mon's second Grandmaster and Soke (founder). The system was then only passed on to family members and carefully selected outside students who could later become Sodenker (non-blood related Grandmasters in the sidelines).
In the same time period; The Danish kings, Gorm the Old and his son Harald Blåtand raised two Jellingesten. The last in the year 965, when the kingdom was made Christian and approached its zenith under the great-grandson King Canute the Great in the Viking Age (ca. 800-1050). At the same time, the world's oldest royal house is established; Denmark, which goes all the way up to our current sheriff; Queen Margrethe II about 1200 years later. In the time of Gorm the Old, the world's oldest imperial house was already more than 1400 years old. Today, the Japanese Imperial House has more than 2,600 years of history and 130 generations.
The province of Izumo was unified for more than 200 years, one of many provinces under the Yamana sheriff family. The province of Ise has also been subject to the Yamana fiefdom. First time on September 24, 1185 with the founder of the Yamana family; Seiwa Minamoto Yoshinori (1157-1219), who was appointed by Japan's first Shogun (king), Minamoto Yoritomo (1147-1199). Yoshinori's father was Minamoto no Yoshishige (1135–1202). Yoshishige and his brother Yoshiyasu became ancestors of all Japan's Shoguns - Kings from 1185 to 1867. Their ancestor was Seiwa Tenno (850-881), Japan's 56th Emperor. Within the first 100 years as imperial princes, the Seiwa Minamoto were fiefs over more than 1/6 of all Japan, corresponding to 60-100,000 km2, which is approx. 1½-2½ times Denmark's current size, and had control over approx. half of Japan corresponding to approx. 200,000 km2 through allied sheriffs.
Original old Izumo Taisha – Grand old shrine
Japan's Middle Ages were quite turbulent with many wars. Therefore, the large landowner and Shinto priest Noro from Izumo decided in the period from approx. 1450-1480, to make the closed spiritual martial art system; Yashin Mon more accessible and established the multi-track martial art system Yakami no Taijutsu. The overall Shinto elite samurai warrior system was now named; Yashin Mon. Yakami no Taijutsu. In 1519, Noro Torayoshi's estate was attacked by the sheriff Takeda Nobutora (1493-1573) from the province of Kai. The young Torayoshi's samurai fought bravely – so bravely that Takeda Nobutora offered Torayoshi the rank of Takeda general if he would become his vassal, or he and his family would die. The first offer was accepted by Noro Torayoshi, who was given a new estate in the province of Kai. The samurai warriors of the Noro clan were among Takeda's elite units, and were especially known for their deadly but very beautiful skills in the Yari (spear) and short Katana (sword). They fought in all the battles and wars of the Takeda princely family.
One of Noro Torayoshi's sons took the name Saigusa by order of Takada Shingen when he was appointed Ashigaru Taisho (Infantry General) at 19 years old. Saigusa Moritomo (1537-1575), showed such good strategic and tactical abilities that he became one of the Daimyo Takeda Shingen's (1521-1573) 24 famous elite generals. Saigusa Moritomo's father-in-law was the legendary Takeda general and Lord Yamagata Masakage (1524-1575), who was a close friend of Takeda Shingen. Masakage is particularly known for his skills in battle and that all his samurai warriors were decked out from head to toe in deep red armor and equipment. He was also one of the main characters in Akira Kurusawa's film "Kagemusha". Masakage died along with his samurai warriors in one of Japan's and military history's most famous and epic battles at Nagashino in 1575, – a battle he found futile and twice dissuaded the new Count of Kai, Takeda Shigen's son, Katsuyori (1546-1582). . But Katsuyori chose to listen to his own heart and some of the younger inexperienced generals who wanted more battle experience.
After the death of Takeda Katsuyori in early 1582, which led to an invasion of the Takeda clan's main province of Kai and the capital Kofu by Oda Nobunaga's armies, legends arose in the defense of the capital Kofu. One of them was around the defense of the Noro-Saigusa clan's temple at the entrance to Kofu. In order to give time for everyone in the clan to escape in fairly good order, a bridge had to be defended to hold the advancing Oda samurai. One man was assigned to this task.
This was Noro sensei, a Yakami senior grandmaster and Sodenke Gokui Menkyo Kaiden. Noro Sensei, was a handsome older man in his 70s, who had already worked as a Bujutsu instructor for many years. With Yakami's characteristic shorter katana, he stood out on the bridge and challenged all the prominent and best Oda samurai who had the courage to take on the challenge, as was customary at the time.
The legend says that many accepted the offer, so many that the blood flowed down from the bridge in a steady stream, into the river, thus turning the river water red. But it was to get worse. As the Oda army lost some of their best samurai this way and this delayed their original goal of capturing Kofu and key figures, an Oda general ordered a full frontal assault across the bridge. According to legend, this became a disaster and the river was now blood red. The handsome elderly Noro Sensei had killed 100 Oda samurai and was beginning to tire. At the same time, he had fulfilled his obligation to delay. He therefore called Oda the general forward, looked him in the eyes and said that since there was no one among Oda's samurai who was a challenge to him and they had come uninvited, he protested against this rudeness, and said that he did not want to take the lives of more Oda samurai. With these words he swung his sword and cut off his own head. The Count Oda Nobunaga was deeply moved by Noro Sensei, and paid tribute to this episode by renaming the river and the bridge. They were called the Red Bridge and River.
Sengoku Jidai (1467-ca.1582) was a period of about 115 years of almost constant war in Japan between the feudal lords, with the Shogun (the king) as the intriguer and the emperor (the pope) and his court as fighting for survival.
It was a terrible period for the people of Japan, but on the other hand the most flourishing period for the development of the skills of the elite samurai warriors. Therefore, most of the ancient Japanese martial arts systems of today were established during this period. It was the zenith period of martial arts. Sengoku Jidai was really initiated by the Onin War (1467-1477), which was based on the royal Shogun succession.
Japan's two most powerful sheriffs were father-in-law and son-in-law, but ended up on opposite sides. Father-in-law, Grand Duke Sozen of the Yamana clan, and son-in-law, Viceroy Katsumoto of the Hosokawa clan on the other side. Two families of sheriffs who together were sheriffs over more than one third of Japan, equivalent to the size of England. Both came from Seiwa Genji and both could therefore take the kingship. But they didn't do that. They were both loyal to the royal power, which was also Seiwa Genji. Each princely family together with allies mobilized more than 300,000 samurai warriors each, one third of which in the capital Kyoto with dire consequences. Kyoto was totally burned down. Throughout 1,200 years of history, both sheriff families have intermarried with each other for better or for worse and marked Japan's history particularly actively in the history books. Last as Prime Minister of Japan in 1994. Even today they are intermarried.
After the total fall of the Takeda princely family in 1582, the Noro family had to flee to northern Honshu, Aomori, where they served as elite warriors, higher officers and generals. The Tsugaru clan had carried out a hostile takeover a decade before against their own main family; The Nanbu clan. The Nanbu clan descended from the Takeda family, which is Seiwa Genji. It led to several centuries of enmity between the new Tsugaru sheriff family and their old sheriff main family; The Nanbu clan. Mind-blowingly, the last Daimyo was Count Tsugaru of Hirosaki – a Hosogawa from Kumamoto. The ring was once again connected to the Yamana sheriff family.
Yamana Masatoyo's grandson Takeda-Shingen and his 24 generals, including Saigusa Moritomo
With experiences from the last 60 years (approx.1519-1582) over 50 continuous war campaigns, as generals and samurai warriors in the Takeda princely clan, the whole system became; Yashin Mon. Yakami no Taijutsu now optimized and adapted to the modern development requirements with firearms and cannons, and war on many fronts and ways. In addition, the training and preparation of elite armies for both war and peace. Yashin Mon is the original system and the pinnacle of the entire system. Forced by the civil war-like conditions in Japan, Yakami-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do was established in the period 1450-1480, and from 1450 until 1600 the martial art system was constantly tested and developed in battle. Yakami-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do is therefore a system which, based on Yashin Mon powers and principles, is a very well-documented and tested total system in combat, both individually and with armies of thousands of well-trained samurai warriors.
After the Shogun Tokugawa royal family's total power and peace throughout Japan after 1615, Yashin Mon. Yakami no Taijutsu now again only passed down and taught to family members and carefully selected Bujutsu people who were not blood related to the Noro clan. This continued until April 1989, when the system was opened up for the first time to special selectmen. In 1998, for the first time since 1582, Sodenker was appointed outside the blood line of the Noro family.
The first was Yamana-Itotani Sensei and the next was Nishiwaki Sensei. A decade later, the third and fourth were named; Abdullah Ibrahim Sensei and Shintaro Matsuda Sensei.
The first historic and official event happened after a demonstration in Fukushima, Iwaki by Honbu dojo Japan and eight Shindenkan instructors in 1998, in the presence of many dignitaries, including the governor, ministers, mayors and other Budo and Bujutsu grandmasters from ancient koryu martial arts systems. In February 1996, Yamana-Itotani Sensei passed his Menkyo Kaiden – Initiated Grandmaster of all the Martial arts (8-10th dan depending on system) in Japan, as the youngest practitioner in more than 200 years.
Saigusa Moritomo (1537-1575)
2010, Soke Sensei Tonegawa (Noro)
In 1998, he was appointed as the first Grandmaster Sodenke Sensei, which means fully recognized and confirmed educated heir to free independent work, registered by the Japanese Ministry of Culture as Budo Bujutsu Grandmaster within Yashin Mon. Yakami no Taijutsu. Two years later also as Gokui Menkyo Kaiden (Gokuden) GGM – Great Grandmaster, which is a very rare degree and appointment. In 2008 as the first with the degree INKA and order of independent separation and work within it by SST, the 34th Soke of Yashin Mon. Yakami no Taijutsu, named multi-track martial arts and martial arts system in the Sodenke line. With the name Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do and the organization names; Shindenkan, and Kaidenkan for the martial art system Yakami Hassei-ryu Taijutsu, which is for students with the minimum degree; Menkyo – Master of all the Martial Arts.
In 2018, after the planned 30 years of Jokokan (1988-2018), SST officially retired from Jokokan and Bujutsu Kodosoku-kai to devote the last years of his life to his great passion and love; The Budo Bujutsu laboratory. This happened shortly after his 80th birthday. SST presented Yamana-Itotani Sensei with an unlimited and irreversible Worldwide Sodenke license of Yashin Mon. Yakami no Taijutsu, Yakami Hassei-ryu Taijutsu and Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do, with the desire for a continued good adventurous journey in life with more than 1,000 years of cultural heritage.
This made the SST aware that the Ministry of Culture's gross list decades before had turned into a very small net list with a possible recommendation of recognition by the Emperor of Japan. The formal ultimate highest recognition of the official Japan, was reaching the finish line. The goal was fulfilled in true Japanese fashion in 2020 for a Jokokan International Grandmaster, with official community recognition through the Emperor's awarding of the Knight's Cross 1st Degree – Order of the Rising Sun. Traditionally, there is no higher recognition in society and for Budo and Bujutsu systems and practitioners, this has only happened every 10-15 years since 1876.
In 2009, Shindenkan, including Honbu Dojo Camps, was recognized as a special association by DGI Landsorganisation og kampsport, and as an international competence organization at the absolute highest level. The agreement was officially signed by DGI Landsorganisation's old chairman, Søren Møller, DGI Kampsport's chairman and Shindenkan Honbu Dojo Lejre's chairman, Kimu K. Bjarkmann. DGI National Organization has approx. 1.7 million members and is a member of international ISCA with approx. 40 million members (2023 figures).
Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu Karate-do and the organization names; Shindenkan, and Kaidenkan for the martial art system Yakami Hassei-ryu Taijutsu, which is for students with the minimum degree; Menkyo – Master of all the Martial Arts
1992, Yamana-Itotani Sensei
Coat of arms of the Yamana Daimyo princely family
