From The Journal of Asian Martial Arts
(Volume 5, Number 4 - 1996)

GIFT OF THE SHORINJIN

THE ART OF SHORINJIN-RYU SAITO NINJITSU

SHANNON KAWIKA PHELPS, M.A., M.DIV.

TALE OF THE SHORINJIN

Over one thousand years ago, in a northern province of ancient Japan, the people settled the land and began to develop crop farming. Villages were set up, and each was run by a village head. They were peaceful farming people who did not know war and had not developed weapons. Their total autonomy kept them isolated from more populated areas to the south. The villagers lived on a communal basis; and because they were able to store a surplus of grains, woven goods and spices, they were totally self-sufficient.

It was not long before the materially hungry southerners, living in larger towns with standing armies, began to press northward seeking more riches. It was a matter of time before they came across the village clans, whose lack of defense against the strong armies meant their villages were plundered time and again. The villagers remained in constant terror for their lives as the raids became more frequent.

In one such village, the raiders had come many times, confiscating crops and demanding such exorbitant tribute from the villagers each year that the village was literally beginning to starve. The villagers were harassed continually, their land was stripped from being worked so hard, and their young boys were killed by the armies so that the village would have no chance to set up its own defense. The villagers decided that something must be done.

They prepared their strongest, most able young man with food and water for a long journey and sent him to seek help. His task was to find whatever help he could to save the village from certain destruction. The young man made his way toward the sacred mountains, and after journeying many days and nights, he reached the foothills and began to climb. Each night he would rest for a few hours before regaining strength to begin again. As he rested, he would pray to the gods to help him save his people--but he was answered only by silence. In the morning, he would again begin climbing higher and higher. Finally, after several days of following a single path that reached toward the peaks of the mountains, the young man stood at the top of a tall crest and looked into the lush and beautiful Fukushima Valley. Through the thick green forest fell a sparkling waterfall. The sun shone so perfectly on it that as the beams struck the cascading water, a permanent glimmering rainbow was formed.

It was here, without hesitation, that the young man fell to his knees. He knew he had come to the place he had been praying for: the sacred valley. The gods had led him here, and he knew that here he would find the answer to save his people. Though many fruits grew on trees and vines around him, he did not eat, but knelt at the base of the waterfall. With the loud roar of water crashing against the rocks drowning out any other sound, he began to meditate, praying to the gods. He knelt there day and night, never opening his eyes, and on the sixth day his body was so broken from not eating and so paralyzed from sitting in one position that tears flowed from his eyes from the pain. Still he meditated, and on the seventh evening he no longer felt the pain. His body was numb; the pain was overcome.

Still there was no response from the gods, so he continued to meditate day after day. On the evening of the thirteenth day, thoughts that his time was being wasted began disturbing his meditation. There was no response from the gods despite his dedication, despite his prayers. His emotions almost overwhelmed him; the attack on his faith reached its peak. He wanted to cry out and demand an answer. Why had the gods refused to respond to his prayers? He wanted to question their mercy, to lash out against them. But he continued to meditate.

As dawn broke on the fourteenth day, his frustration was totally exhausted, and he no longer had thoughts. He had overcome the attacks on his faith. He meditated still for seven more days. On the morning of the twenty-first day, there appeared before him a sennin, the Shorinjin, the Immortal Man. The Shorinjin had taken pity on the young man who had defeated the desires of his body and his ego. The Shorinjin blessed the young man and granted him the art of Ninjitsu Mastery, the "Magical Art." He directed the young man to return to his people and save them from the warlords. The Shorinjin instructed him to tell no man outside his family of his art, but to pass it directly so that each generation would preserve the mastery. The young man started home. His belly was full though he had not eaten. His body was strong though it had been weakened before. He possessed the wisdom of Ninjitsu Mastery.

As he went home, the young man passed through the forest at the base of the great mountains, and as he walked the goblins and creatures who dwelled there recognized that this mortal had been blessed by a powerful deity. Several of the small, winged goblins swept him up and flew him off to a cave deep in the forest. They presented him to their king, knowing this was no ordinary mortal. These goblins were know as tengu, immortal deities feared by all men for they were supreme in the art of swordsmanship. The young man had heard stories about their special art of swordsmanship, but it had never been seen by any mortal.

He stood before the Tengu King (Dai Tengu) and related the story of the village, the warlords, his journey, and the blessing of the Shorinjin. The king was touched, as the Shorinjin had been, and he granted the art of double- spinning Tengu Swordsmanship (an art that, to this day, is unique to the Saito family) to the mortal and saw that he was safely escorted out of the forest. The young man mystified his fellow villagers and devastated his enemies with the magical arts of Tengu Swordsmanship and Ninjitsu Mastery. He did not speak openly of the arts, secretly passed them down to his sons, and they to their sons, for generations....

SAITO NINJITSU

Saito Ninjitsu is an ancient and revered system of self-defense and self- development that has been closely guarded by the Saito family of Japan for countless generations. Prior to the opening of the first academy in April, 1966 by Mark Saito, Sr., the art had never been taught outside of the Saito family. Mr. Saito has retired from active teaching. His sons, Mark Saito, Jr. and Maui Saito agree to periodic demonstrations yet, the only full time Academy dedicated to this art, taught be a recognized "Master", is the Temple of the Full Autumn Moon.

Almost everything about Saito Ninjitsu is unorthodox. According to Saito, it is over one thousand years old. It has been passed down from grandfather to grandson over the generations through an oral tradition that is vastly rich in history, legend, and folklore; and exhibits a wonderfully cogent continuity between philosophical purpose and effective, practical application.

It is, of course, Japanese, yet the very name "Shorinjin-ryu" suggests a Chinese influence (Shorinjin literally means "man of Shaolin"). The legend of the art tells of an immortal mountain deity (the Shorinjin) who granted the art of Ninjitsu to the Saito clan so they could defend themselves against the local warlords. The style always surprises observers, who notice how remarkably "Chinese" the movements seem to be--continuous, flowing, relaxed. Ancient aiki principles are emphasized, but clearly this is not aikido! In fact, Saito Ninjitsu is not another style of fighting like karate, judo, or quanfa. These may be likened to an individual soldier who reacts to the tactical situation in combat. Saito Ninjitsu is generalship over the entire theater of operations.

Mark Saito, Sr. was born in Hawaii and taught by his Japanese-born maternal grandfather. Saito's mother used to assure the grandchildren that "the Shorinjin is with your father" (Mark, Sr.) and that there was a shrine to the Shorinjin somewhere in Fukushima prefecture.

Mr. Saito's Hawaiian name, Mo'i Kahalepaiwi Ho'ohailiaka, means "Keeper of the Sacred Ancestral Bones Who Rises and Returns From the Spirit World to Earth" and refers to his Hawaiian-family Kahuna (priestly) tradition. The art in its present form is steeped in the Hawaiian Kahuna lore as well as the Japanese. Mr. Saito makes distinctions between that which is of purely Ninjitsu and purely Kahuna tradition, but through his genius the two have been irreversibly enmeshed--making the art more fascinating and rich without denigrating the uniqueness of either tradition.

Included as a part of the overall Saito Ninjitsu system today are three levels of karate. What Saito calls the Shorinji Division of Karatedo is the first level, based on scientific principles of balance, controlled hardness, and projection training. The second level is the severe bone-crushing art of Tsuiyoi Karatedo. This art requires extreme training discipline and was originally taught only to tournament teams. There are few who complete this training, and it is not required in order to achieve ranking in Ninjitsu Mastery. The third level includes Pasai Sho and Pasai Dai (very different from the Okinawan schools' kata forms with these names). This is the level of the "master's art." It utilizes the concept of "unbalancing" to defeat multiple attackers. Though it is not necessary to learn this art for self-defense, an understanding of its principles is required for the ranking as a Ninjitsu Master.

There have been several interesting influences on the art since it was introduced to Hawaii. I have mentioned the Kahuna tradition in which Mr. Saito was immersed. In Honolulu, he studied with Professor William Chow, David Nuuhiwa, and Professor Henry Okazaki and was much impressed with an exhibition given by aikido grand master, Shioda Gozo.

Advanced principles from some of these arts, such as Okazaki style judo; Saito's totally unique style of jujutsu; the sophisticated arts of Shinkeido, Fushido, Yawara, fundamentals of samurai swordsmanship and Tengu-ryu Kenjutsu (double-spinning swords) are taught once karate basics are mastered. The use of other classical and improvised weapons are taught to advanced students.

When he left Hawaii for California, Saito, Sr. was asked to teach these other arts but instead waited several years before receiving permission from his family to teach the more secretive Saito Ninjitsu. It was no easy task to convince his family that the art should not die with him. The power created through the meditations and training in this art were understood to be dangerous to society if profaned by students who, because of their alien environmental influences and self-centered culture, misunderstood and mishandled the sacred gift. To be faithful to his promise to be held accountable for the direction of the art and for the actions of his students, Saito has refused to participate in the commercial aspects of the martial art world and has ignored opportunities to present his art to a larger audience. After a thirty-year trial period, he has ceased to teach on a formal basis but carefully monitors those students, including his own sons, who are now sent out to practice the mastery. How well we have received and then practiced the message in our own lives will no doubt partially determine whether he will return to teaching.

Saito speaks of arts that he has taught to no one. He explains that there are forty separate arts that make up Saito Ninjitsu--leg arts, fighting from the ground, weapons systems such as razor-laced nets to cast over cavalry and guns. Most intriguing is what he calls the "magic"--not tricks, but arts of the mind, bringing forth the "white light from the universe and focusing it between the eyes."

Saito has often stated that some of these arts should not be passed on to this generation. Others we may never know, he says, since he has not yet found the right student to teach. He once told a small group of us that we should not come where he is. He described it as like looking down from a high mountain top from which he could see the world so clearly--but from there it could be quite lonely--"there is no one around to talk to."

He talked of his dreams. "Grandpa comes to me in my dreams," he reflected. "He teaches me enough to go on for ten more years." In my own dreams, Saito himself has taught me, clear, usable knowledge. In fact, my wife bought me a notebook so that when I jumped out of bed a 3 A.M. I would not wake her to explain the lesson but could write it down and tell her about it in the morning. I once asked him if he would ever start teaching again. He looked incredulous and answered, "I have never stopped teaching you."

Due to none too careful transliteration, the art of the Ninja was originally written with the Americanized "jitsu" rather than the more correct "jutsu." Mark Saito, Sr. had always used the term "jitsu" and made no effort to change it to "jutsu." In fact, he remained adamant that his art was not the art of Ninjutsu: "This is the art of Shorinjin-ryu Saito Ninjitsu--we are not Ninja! This art was granted to the Saito family by the Shorinjin and is highly revered; not for assassins."

Is Saito a ninja? If he were to say "yes," would we not wonder if he were putting us on? If he were to say "no," would we not wonder if he was just being, well--"ninja?" It's the wrong question--because the answer solves nothing for us in our own doubts, nor helps us in any way on our own journey. Saito admonishes us to avoid thinking too much: "Just practice!" It is like the statement attributed to Houdini, who was reported to have said, "The magic--is practice."

One can offer theories on the possible correlation between these two systems-- Saito Ninjitsu and ninjutsu. None would be Saito's explanation, however, and I wouldn't be so rude as to press him on it. Clearly, since Saito himself was born in Hawaii and was taught the art by his maternal grandfather, who was an immigrant from Fukushima, Japan, Saito only knew what his grandpa told him; he never questioned it then, and he doesn't today.

After reading and researching the history and philosophy of ninjutsu (the art of the ninja) as understood by Hatsumi Masaaki and his students of the Togakure-ryu Ninjitsu, one could easily conclude that Saito's art is from a very similar world view, perhaps a country cousin. The stress on individual creativity rather than group loyalty; the use of improvised weapons; deception; rejection of organized, mainstream religious doctrines; reliance on nature and skepticism of predominant cultural requirements are a few of the similarities in the eclectic, counter-cultural world views of both arts.

Saito always said that, whenever he was confronted with a problem that other people could not solve, he would "turn the world upside down," looking at it from the opposite view of the rest of the world and the answer would always be clear. I think Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu's Takamatsu Toshitsugu would have nodded knowingly. "Whenever someone tells you no, what they really mean is maybe. Success is found within yourself," Saito would admonish, shaking his huge finger at us.

Saito is no classical samurai. He would mock the idea that "the sword is my soul." "If it is that easy to attack your soul, you are in big trouble," he would laugh. Then he would demonstrate techniques in which he could lock up an enemy with the enemy's own sword. "See, because the sword is his soul he won't let go of it. Because he won't let go, he gets tied up in it."

"We [the Saito clan] are not samurai. We come from the farmer class." In his logo is a waterfall and a man standing with his arms spread out and a long- handled sickle. "This is the Shorinjin standing at the sacred waterfalls," he would point out. "The sickle represents the farmer origins of the Saito clan-- not samurai!"

Many martial traditions played on superstitions, legends, and mysteries of the indigenous population throughout a land where warlords ruled and power was decentralized. Each village had to use resourcefulness and common sense to defend itself against local brigands and roving armies that terrorized the islands. They used nature, superstition, and improvised guerrilla tactics to survive in a treacherous world. Tales of Robin Hood in magical Sherwood Forest offer interesting parallels in Western legends.

These clan tactics were probably devised locally. They didn't have to read Sunzi's treatise to recognize some of the realities of survival; they "reinvented the wheel" out of necessity. Certainly, some ideas have parallel although independent developments among various people. Talk of tengu teachers and sorcery are common in Japan's history and seem to be universally adopted by these clans. Nevertheless, the samurai class erred greatly by dismissing those arts that claimed supernatural origins. The practical effectiveness of many of these martial traditions was only enhanced by the psychic boost young warriors received from the power of myth and legend. The secret warriors of the clan took full advantage of occult practices to bolster their courage and frighten the enemy.

There were exchanges between clans, professional fighters, samurai, ronin, mountain monks, and ascetics. Continual defensive and offensive tactics buttressed the area defense within a province. The Iga and Koga sects may be good examples of this secret networking of mutual support and exchange of ideas among clans, but certainly not the only ones.

The unique development of the Iga and Koga sects into what became the infamous "ninja lore" was greatly influenced by the political situations and geography. These clans were too close to mainstream society to avoid being influenced by the civil wars and later court intrigues. Blackmailed or coerced into service by opposing warlords, these clans had little choice but to develop specialties which would keep them useful in the much larger scale of sieges and battles raging throughout their countryside. Refusing to ally themselves to a major daimyo would have been suicide for the clans. They became adept at "playing ends toward the middle" and mastered those arts that would serve the principal players in the unfolding national drama.

Other clans, like Saito's, were much further from the central action. One could argue that their arts developed differently because of the different political environment. Warlords and brigands continued to roam the territories. Innovations of defense and counter-offense were still evolving, however, there was little need to develop the specialties that became synonymous with the cult of "ninja" over the decades to come. In fact, it would be a distinct disadvantage for such warrior cults as the Saito clan to allow themselves to be linked to such a despised element of society as ninja. They would risk either being wiped out or being coerced out of their homes to fight.

Through the decades, the walls closed in on the northern provinces, and soon all of Japan was under siege by the great warring daimyos. The last thing these small northern clans needed was to be branded as "ninja sects." Better to agree that tengu demons and mountain sorcerers played havoc in the hinterlands against the encroaching warrior bands. Therefore, it would make sense that clans that had not already been branded as ninja would do everything possible to avoid the linkage.

The theory is that cults evolved in different but still recognizably parallel ways. A very interesting example of this evolution among these cultic arts might be reflected in, of all things, the sword.

The ninja sword is quite famous as the unique mark of the ninja fighting system. It is a short sword, as opposed to the samurai's katana. Like most of the weapons developed by such groups, the ninja to was a multipurpose weapon. It didn't have the structural strength of the curved katana, nor was the steel of such high quality. It was lighter and faster and could be easily used with one hand. The shorter length made it a much more portable weapon, obviously an advantage for silent stalking and quiet night marauding. It was carried over the shoulder, which left the hands free for easier climbing. This is the same reason the Navy SEALs preferred the sliding stock Car-15 over the full-sized M-16 during the Vietnam war. These were later replaced with MP- 5's and other, more advanced submachine guns. What they lose in long-range accuracy and heavy-caliber firepower, the advanced models make up for in portability, which is more important in the small-unit reconnaissance or ambush tactics.

Nevertheless, the ninja sword was a highly functional weapon designed for clandestine operations, but probably more defensive than offensive. All else being equal, it was no match in a duel with a katana but that was not its purpose. The ninja was not going to challenge a samurai at high noon on Main Street.

In contrast, the tengu sword of the Saito clan is a very different weapon, which seems to reflect the very different environment in which it was born. Like the ninja to, it is slightly shorter than the katana and could also be worn over the back. But here the similarities end. Just as Saito observed, "Make the world upside down and see the Truth," the tengu sword, said to be the secret sword of the Dai Tengu himself, was "upside down" from the samurai katana. It is two- thirds handle, made of wood, and one-third blade, double-edged, but maintains the structural curve of the katana. The double-edged blade can cut from any angle. A wooden sheath covers the blade so that the unpolished wood looks more like a stick. It could be carried by farmers without alarming a soldier. Because it is two-thirds wood it is much lighter than a katana. The long handle allows it to be used like a small staff or jo, striking without cutting. It is a spinning sword with the balance point in the middle so that it can be easily shifted from hand to hand. This allows the weapon to be spun like a rotating fan, which has three advantages. First, it is faster due to inertia--"an object in motion tends to stay in motion"--the blade is always on its way to the target (it becomes a disc). Second, the blade becomes invisible because there is no way to determine the plane or direction of attack. Third, it presents an "animal" unknown to the enemy; he has no reference points from which to figure out what he is confronting--it captures the mind. The sheath, only thirteen inches long, can be used as a yawara stick or it can be thrown. Because of its center balance point, the sword can be thrown like a horizontally rotating fan or a spear. It was a weapon for all contingencies--not the user's "soul."

Technically, a "clandestine" operation is one in which the attackers are attempting to conceal themselves from detection. The use of camouflage or dark of night allows them to "steal" up on the enemy and attack with surprise and violent action. This is typical of a small-unit, commando-style raid, in which there is no attempt to challenge a more powerfully armed enemy straight on.

Conversely, "covert" refers to an operation which appears to have no military purpose. There is no attempt to hide, but rather to appear harmless. In today's rules of engagement, those engaged in clandestine operations still acknowledge their military sponsorship and are protected by the Geneva Convention. Covert operations deny any sponsorship and are, therefore, not protected under international law. Those involved can be tried as spies.

For the Iga and Koga ninja, who executed clandestine attacks against an entrenched or fortified enemy, stealth and concealment were necessary. Therefore the swords, though functional in ways similar to Saito's tengu sword, were not weapons designed for covert missions but were modified katanas used in military campaigns. However, in an environment where a warrior was in convert status almost all the time as a simple farmer and in a defensive rather than an offensive mindset, his sword also had to be a covert weapon. The Saito tengu sword may represent an ingenious inspiration based on local necessities.

The tengu sword is not a cane sword, that is, a cane with a spike hidden within it. The blade is a thirteen-inch steel blade in the same shape as the katana's blade, though double-edged. The tip is rounded off rather than pointed so that the cuts from either direction will not snag or clothes or bone. It is not a jabbing weapon but slices like the katana. The blunt end, almost as lethal, gives the weapon more flexibility, saving the blade for only the most life- threatening situations. Discussing the legends of old, Mr. Saito once confided that, when the ninjitsu master used the sword, he almost never exposed the blade, but when it became necessary, the enemy was never allowed to live to report the incident.

Ultimately, one must rationalize that the vast repertoire of techniques within the tengu sword system exemplifies the genius of this farmer clan or accept that it was just what Saito claims it was--a gift from the Dai Tengu of old. Historically, good ideas normally catch on and, over time, become widespread. The fact that the Saito family is the only group I have discovered anywhere, including Japan, who has any familiarity with this remarkable sword's tactics gives credibility to Saito's claims that his family was the sole inheritors of this unique sword art--directly from the Dai Tengu himself!

It is fascinating to keep in mind that Saito is, as I said, first-generation American-born in the Hawaiian Islands. He has never lived in Japan and was raised by the Hawaiian side of his family rather than by the Japanese. Therefore, he had little contact with his Japanese heritage other than through his "grandpa," whom he knew to be the grand master of the family art (Grandpa emigrated to Hawaii circa 1903). Grandpa taught "Mark San" in secret--even the rest of the family was unaware. Mr. Saito did no learn to read ore speak Japanese as a child, so we cannot be sure of the original kanji for "ninjitsu" used by the Saito clan. He grew up long before the martial arts craze began and certainly before Western martial arts magazines existed, let alone began to publish on such issues. Nevertheless, his unparalleled mastery and understanding of the role of tengu, the Shorinjin, Ninjitsu Magic, improvised weapons, and non-samurai martial strategies--otherwise unknown in Hawaii--predates the Western ninja boom by forty years!

Is there a generic link between the Shorinjin-ryu Saito Ninjitsu and the more popular ninjutsu arts that have been recently exploited? The Saito art of Fukushima, no doubt because it was removed from the court intrigues of Kyoto and Edo, avoided the same nefarious developments of its counterparts to the south. Perhaps this is why Mr. Saito is so adamant about his art not being the ninja art. It wasn't--in the same way that it was not necessary for the clan to stoop to mercenary assassination plots to avoid annihilation by the great shogun contenders.

Does Saito Ninjitsu represent a living relic of a more pristine form of the indigenous peasant cults' martial discipline that developed parallel martial skills in the shadow of the samurai culture? It may be a country cousin to the relatively urbanized and highly organized traditions of the more notorious Iga and Koga clans. I should note that I have researched everything I could get my hands on about the ninja tradition, in English and in Japanese, and have yet to find anything in the physical, mental, psychic, or spiritual levels of the ninja art that I have not already trained in during my more than twenty-five years under Grand Master Saito--and as he periodically reminds us, he has not taught us everything.

But Mr. Saito never claims a relationship with the Iga or Koga clans. He is adamant that his is the "magical art" and is the unique gift of the Shorinjin. And in the final analysis, I believe he is right. This is one of the last great lineages that refuses to be diluted by apologetics, that is, by a deluge of modern intellectual rationalizations, clarifications, and explanations.

Its power lies in the psychic energy of primordial images, pregnant with universal archetypal meanings. It comes from a mythic world view that gives credit to unseen masters with sacred gifts rather than taking all the credit for oneself, accepting the universe as sacred and all creation as having a sacred origin, believing that power is universal and that the human mind and human heart have the capacity to tap into this power.

If the universe is truly a spiritual realm in which the most insignificant creature has a purpose linked to the grandest of cosmic plans, then the warrior spirit of Saito Ninjitsu is directly in tune to encourage the harmony between mind and body for moral and spiritual purposes. The ninjitsu master overcomes the fickleness and indecisiveness, the hypertension and anxiety in himself, and discards judgmentalism and condemnation toward others. He is a leader and encourager of the spirit. "Mastery," then, may be defined as out successful integration and application of our innate talent, education, and life experience along with those special "gifts" from sources beyond ourselves through which we recognize and take responsibility for living by those beliefs we freely choose to follow.

Master Saito himself said it best--as one evening he loomed over us, demonstrating the magical hand gestures of the Shorinjin:

"Listen to that small voice; it is your inner soul.... The goal of Saito Ninjitsu is peace!"