Tetsushin Murata (Shihan)

 

My thoughts on Tetsushin Murata (Shihan)

In July 2025 I traveled to Japan to participate in the Kōka Ban Bujutsu Training Camp, led by Tetsushin Murata (Shihan). Tetsushin Murata is a senior student of Jinichi Kawakami, the 21st Head of the Kōga Ban family Ninjutsu/Bujutsu lineage). Murata Shihan along with his students from Spain met me at my hotel. What most people don’t know is that I worked in the Federal Background investigative field for over twenty years, and I could really understand a lot about a person in just a few minutes of meeting them. Upon meeting Murata Shihan I knew that I was in the presences of a truly dedicated Martial Artist. He was very polite as he welcomed me, but I could tell that he devoted his life to these Martial Arts. He was in tremendous shape, and you could see that his hands were well-conditioned from striking.

The training

For two weeks we trained seven to eight hours a day, one of the days we trained ten hours. We were training Shinden Fudo Ryu, Yawara, Bo, Jutte and Kusarigama. To be honest, I was like a fish out of water. I had never really practiced with a Jutte or a Kusarigama. I have seen bits and pieces, but now I am training with a real expert. Throughout the long training sessions, Murata Shihan remained patient, but we would train for perfection. Once the training was completed, we were taken to see Jinichi Kawakami, the 21st Head of the Kōga Ban family Ninjutsu/Bujutsu lineage, to demonstrate all we have learned. The demonstration when well, although I made a few mistakes Kawakami sōke was pleased with the overall group performance.

After the demonstration

I woke up feeling great and excited because I had learned so much, and we were planning to take a hike and see the countryside. I did not realize that we were going to be hiking about ten miles uphill. I have never sweated that much in my life, as I did that day.   Murata Shihan led the way; in my mind I am thinking “he must be a machine”. During the hike we passed many historical sites, and had a chance to see the simple beauty of the Japanese countryside. We ended our hike at the base of a scenic waterfall, where we all just watched in amazement. That night was the best sleep I had ever had. The very next we woke early, and we were taken by Murata Shihan to another waterfall, for water meditation. Each of us took turns going into the icy waterfall to meditate. The waterfall was so cold, but I felt so alive. That day, I left something in that waterfall, it was my old self. I left feeling reborn, it was the perfect ending to a wonderful training camp. I trained hard, became a part of a warrior Family art and had the honor to be taught by my Sensei, Tetsushin Murata (Shihan), I will be forever grateful.