Toshiro Nagato: A Lifetime of Martial Arts Mastery

Toshiro Nagato is a dedicated Japanese martial artist who has been training for over 60 years. He began his journey with judo, where he earned a high-level black belt and taught judo to military officers and veterans in the United States. Later, he took up kickboxing and even won a Japanese middleweight title as a newcomer in the 1970s.

However, despite these achievements, Nagato Sensei always felt that judo and kickboxing, though enjoyable, seemed more like sports to him than the traditional martial arts he was truly searching for.

While teaching judo in the U.S., one of his students—a close friend and Vietnam War veteran—mentioned ninjutsu, an ancient Japanese martial art that combines physical skill with mental focus, spiritual awareness, and inner strength. This veteran suggested that Nagato Sensei, as a Japanese martial artist, was meant to explore this art. The idea stuck with him, and eventually, he returned to Japan, driven by a strong desire to learn something deeper.

This led him to Masaaki Hatsumi, a grandmaster of ninjutsu and the founder of the Bujinkan.

Nagato Sensei remembers being a little intimidated by Hatsumi Sensei at first, but he quickly realized that Bujinkan/ninjutsu was unlike anything he had experienced. It wasn’t a sport—it was training for real life, survival, and well-being. Under Hatsumi’s guidance, Nagato Sensei dedicated himself to studying Bujinkan, a commitment that has spanned nearly five decades.

In 2019, he took on a major responsibility, stepping in as the head of Shinden Fudo Ryu, one of the Bujinkan’s nine traditional schools.

In the Bujinkan community, Nagato Sensei is often called the “gentle giant”—he’s a tall, muscular man who looks like he could be a security guard. But when he moves, you can see the control and precision he brings to his practice. His movements are so smooth that it can be hard to tell if he’s fighting or performing a dance.

Although his presence can be intimidating, he’s known for his humility, kindness, and calm approach, which reflect the real spirit of martial arts.