Hatsumi-sensei was born on December 2, 1931, in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He studied Asian 
and Western martial (including judo, karate, and boxing), fine arts, soccer, gymnastics, acting, and dancing. At the age of 27 he began studying the martial arts traditions taught by Toshitsugu Takamatsu.
As Takamatsu’s last and only “true” student, in 1972 Hatsumi-sensei succeeded to Takamatsu-sensei’s nine school of ancient Japanese martial arts. He founded the Bujinkan Dojo, where he teaches the martial art derived from these nine traditions, which he has named “Budo Taijutsu.”