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Story of the Mongolian Tiger - Part 2

Takamatsu received his Menkyo Kaiden from Toda in 1909 when he was 22 years old. Toda died that same year on the 6th December, 1909. Toda once told Takamatsu , "Even when you are faced with death, die laughing". Other pieces of advice he had given him were:

1. Even when you are standing in front of defeat, do it smiling. 
2. Never talk about your knowledge, it might make it disappear. 

Koto Ryu training involved strong conditioning of the hands and feet, especially the fingers and toes. As a result of constant striking of rocks and hard objects, Toshitsugu's finger nails were 4 to 5 millimeters thick. He could not cut them with nail cutters. It is said he could tear the bark off of a tree with a simple sweep of his hand. He later said that this kind of training is of no use today.

During his young age Takamatsu also studied Takagi Yoshin Ryu in Mizuta Yoshitaro Tadafuse Sensei's Dojo , and he received his Menkyo Kaiden in 1906. In the same year he met his family's cousin, Ishitani Matsutaro Takekage Sensei , who worked as a bodyguard in the factory of matches which was owned by Takamatsu 's father. Ishitani Sensei , who was known in all of Japan by his warrior arts, built a small Dojo in the factory, and there he taught young Takamatsu Kukishinden Ryu, Hon Tai Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Gikan ryu, Shinden Muso ryu and also some other aspects of ninjutsu schools.

On one occasion the sleeping area for the match factory workers caught on fire. As everyone ran around screaming, Takamatsu was observed to be smoking a cigar, watching the fire. He then got one of the thick gi training jackets, soaked it in water and put the jacket on. He grabbed a hanbo (3ft stick) and running into the burning area, started to knock down the sliding walls with the hanbo. The collapsing walls helped extinguish the flames, saving the rest of the factory. Ishitani is reputed to have watched  Takamatsu as he ran about knocking down the walls and commented that he was truly a great martial artist. Ishitani died a few years later, just moments after passing the scrolls on to Takamatsu . It is said that he died with his head in Takamatsu 's lap. 


Since the summer of 1910, at the age of 21, Toshitsugu entered the Maya mountain in Kobe to continue his rigorous practice dwelling in the mountains by the Kame no Taki water fall. He acquired spiritual transmission together with various inner secrets from the outstanding ascetic Tamaoki. This strengthened his mind and body.

Soon after leaving the mountain, Toshitsugu moved to Tien Qing in Quing Guo ( China ), and encountered life and death situations in true fighting when he walked from Manzhou to Beizhi.  He won a match with Zhang Zi Long who was a Shaolin specialist. Later they became friends and maintained a good relationship.  Toshitsugu also won a tournament for the purpose of selecting a chairman for the newly established Nippon Minkoku Seinen Butou-kai (Japanese Martial Arts Federation in China ).  After the tournament, Toshitsugu, as a chairman, taught the martial arts of Jujutsu to several thousand people.

He went there ( China ), across Korea , where he met teacher Kim Kei_mei_a and he learned from him. Later he mastered eighteen Korean and Chinese martial arts.

In China and Mongolia he lived for a period of 10 years, and was called " Moko No Tora ", " The Mongolian Tiger ", because of his way of fighting. He played a crucial role in martial art community in China , and 1914 he founded Sino-Japanese martial arts community . In order to survive, he held lessons in martial arts during the time he had spend in China , and he also had numerous matches with the leading masters of that time, and he never lost a single match, and many of these matches were duels to life and death.

While in China he fought in several battles. In one of these battles a mounted soldier was charging at him. Takamatsu was at this point not armed, but a sword lay on the ground before him. As the horseman started to draw a pistol intending to shoot, Takamatsu ran forward, did a dive roll, picked up the sword, and sprang into the air cutting off the man's head. He later told his students that it is of the greatest importance to be able to roll correctly in as many different ways as possible. 

While he was in China , the Kuki family keepers of the Kukishin Ryu scrolls lost touch with him and doubting his return to Japan , granted Iwami Nangaku, Menkyo Kaiden. Thus when Takamatsu Sensei returned, his position had been filled.

Later the Kuki family scrolls were destroyed by the fire resulting the allies bombing in WW2, however Takamatsu Sensei was able to reconstruct the scrolls from his notes and memory and presented them to the Kuki family 3 years later. For this service he was given permission to create a sub school called Kukishinden Ryu containing what he thought to be the best and most appropriate of the Kukishin Ryu teachings.

There are countless stories of Takamatsu adventures and martial prowess. Once said he fought 12 fights to the death (the result of challenges) and 7 competitive matches.

At the age of 26 Takamatsu while in China . He taught many students and because of this was challenged by a Shorinji Kung Fu master named Choshiryu. Though he twice refused to fight, he later accepted Choshiryu's third challenge so as not to offend his martial valour.

Choshiryu was taller, stronger and weighed much more than Takamatsu . But when the referee called the match to begin, neither hesitated, both leapt to attack. A crowd gathered and the battle raged. Choshiryu launched punches and kicks at Takamatsu who defended and reciprocated with attacks of his own. They were evenly matched and the fight seemed to last for hours. Then, just as Takamatsu was about to strike down the out of breath Choshiryu, the referee called the match over. Catching his breath, Choshiryu approached Takamatsu and congratulated him for such a good fight. Admiring each other's skill, both went out to a nearby restaurant, talked and drank late into the night. In time, both became the greatest of Buyu, "martial friends."