Ninja Master or Not?

Takamatsu, Beriberi, and the Origins of Modern Ninjutsu For decades, the historical claims surrounding Takamatsu Toshitsugu (1889–1972)—the man credited as the source of modern Ninjutsu lineages like the Togakure Ryu—have been fiercely debated. While his student, Masaaki Hatsumi, passed down traditions claiming an unbroken line of ancient ninja grandmasters, independent historical evidence has remained notoriously elusive. What if the explanation for these extraordinary claims isn't a secret history, but a medical one? In this video, we explore a compelling alternative theory: the connection between Takamatsu’s documented battle with severe Beriberi (Vitamin B1 deficiency) and a neurological condition known as Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome. Could the outlandish stories of his youth—from defeating sumo wrestlers at thirteen, to fighting duels to the death in China—be the result of confabulation rather than deliberate fabrication? We dive into the history of the Toda lineage, the mystery of the "recreated" scrolls lost to fire, and how memory, illness, and early 20th-century Japanese popular culture may have combined to create one of the most powerful martial arts mythologies in history.