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Toshishiro Obata
Born	Obata Toshiji (小幡 利二) (1948-10-20)October 20, 1948 Gunma Prefecture, Japan
Native name	小幡 利城
Nationality	Japanese
Style	Shinkendō, Aikidō, Aikibujutsu, Toyama-ryū Battōdō, Bōjutsu, Ryūkyū Kobudō
Teacher(s)	Shioda Gōzō, Yagyū Nobuharu, Uchida Tesshinsai, Inoue Motokatsu, Tanaka Shigeho, Nawa Yumio, Nakamura Taizaburō
Occupation	Martial artist swordsman actor stunt coordinator author researcher
Spouse	Obata Michiyo ​ (m. 1976)​
Children	Obata Yukishiro Obata Michishiro Obata Yōko
Website	www.shinkendo.com

Toshishiro Obata (小幡 利城, Obata Toshishiro; born Obata Toshiji, 小幡 利二; October 20, 1948) is a Japanese swordsman, martial artist, actor, stunt coordinator and fight choreographer, author, and researcher. He is the founder and head instructor of the Japanese swordsmanship style Shinkendō and Japanese martial art Aikibujutsu. Obata is recognized for his film and television roles in Japan and the United States, including Hollywood martial arts action films such as Showdown in Little Tokyo and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Obata studied aikidō for seven years as a live-in disciple of Shioda Gōzō, a pre-war student of aikidō founder Ueshiba Morihei. He trained in various modern and classical martial arts and styles of swordsmanship, including Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, Kashima Shinryū, Ryūkyū Kobudō, and Toyama-ryū, and earned a total of 75 dan (black belt) ranks, as well as shihan and menkyo kaiden licenses. Obata is noted for winning seven tameshigiri (test-cutting) championships in Japan, as well as introducing the now widespread use of rolled tatami-omote mats as a test-cutting medium. Earning a livelihood as a professional martial artist, Obata worked in the Japanese film and television industry as a member of the stunt and martial artist troupe Wakakoma Pro, where he trained actors, performed stunts, and acted in various on-screen roles in a number of films and programs, including the annual NHK taiga drama series. His role as martial arts instructor to actors and fight choreographers led to the popularization of aikidō techniques in the Japanese film industry.

After moving to the United States to pursue a career in Hollywood, Obata synthesized his martial arts research and founded the Shinkendō school of swordsmanship (眞劍道) and the Japanese martial art Aikibujutsu (合気武術). He has collaborated with swordsmiths in Japan and the United States as a professional sword-tester, and he holds the world record for kabutowari (兜割), a traditional test of cutting a samurai helmet with a sword. Obata has published a number of books on the martial arts, as well as Modern Bushidō, a modern adaptation of samurai philosophy, and a translation of Heihō Okugisho, one of the earliest Japanese martial arts treatises, compiled by one of his samurai ancestors. In parallel to his martial arts career, Obata has also found success in Hollywood, appearing in nearly twenty Hollywood films opposite actors such as Michael Douglas, Dolph Lundgren, and Brandon Lee, including his breakout role as Master Tatsu in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Early life

Shirasawa-jinja in Numata, Gunma

Obata was born on October 20, 1948 in Shirasawa-mura (present-day Numata) in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, the second son of Obata Kaneyoshi and Obata Tama. Obata's father served in the Japanese military as a combat medic, turning to a career as a carpenter after discharge, and Obata’s mother was employed for a time at a munitions factory.

Obata’s family is of samurai lineage, which he traces back to the fifth century.An offshoot of the Heike clan, the Obata clan included several prominent samurai who were vassals of the Takeda clan during the Warring States Period, among them Obata Nichijō (d. 1514), who served Takeda Nobutora and was later appointed Ashigaru Daishō (Infantry General). Nichijō's son, Obata Toramori (1491-1561), was one of the Five Retainers of the Takeda as well as one of the Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen, serving both Takeda Nobutora and Takeda Shingen, and like his father was appointed Ashigaru Daishō. Toramori eventually became lord of Kaizu Castle in Shinshū Province (present-day Nagano Prefecture). Toramori's son, Obata Masamori (1534-1582), who also served as one of the Twenty-Four Generals of Takeda Shingen, fought in the Battle of Nagashino and succeeded his father as lord of Kaizu Castle. Masamori's third son, Obata Kagenori (1572–1663), served Tokugawa Ieyasu and fought in the Battle of Sekigahara, and between 1615 and 1632 compiled the Kōyō Gunkan, a highly influential military treatise recording Takeda clan exploits as well as military strategy and martial arts techniques promulgated under Takeda Shingen and Takeda Katsuyori. The Kōyō Gunkan was read widely and became a fixture in early modern samurai education, even circulating among non-samurai, and contains the first published use of the term bushidō. Its text also became the basis for Heihō Okugisho (兵法奥義書), one of Japan's earliest treatises on martial arts. Based upon his battlefield experience and the teachings of the Kōyō Gunkan, Kagenori founded the Kōshū-ryū school of military science (also called, variously, Obata-ryū, Takeda-ryū, and Shingen-ryū), which became widely adopted and practiced under the Tokugawa shogunate, and was recorded in the early 18th-century Honchō Bugei Shōden as the foundation for all subsequent military science styles.

From a young age, Obata was inspired to study martial arts and swordsmanship by the examples of his samurai forebears, as well as chanbara films he enjoyed watching as a child and radio dramas like Akadō Suzunosuke. He also cites the examples of Miyamoto Musashi and Yagyū Munenori as sources of inspiration for pursuing martial arts training and the study of samurai warfare and strategy, as well as Kamiizumi Nobutsuna and Nitta Yoshisada, who, like Obata, hailed from Gunma prefecture. As a young child, Obata gained early exposure to swordsmanship through his father, who studied Maniwa Nen-ryū at the local dōjō in nearby Maniwa under the tutelage of the Higuchi family. Obata decided to study jūdō or kendō at his elementary school, but school martial arts practice halted when the gymnasium burned down while he was in fifth or sixth grade. His family lacking monetary means in post-war Japan, Obata recalls spending his childhood exploring the Akagi mountains around his village and "playing" martial arts with other children. Obata credits his weapon proficiency in part to his use of tools and farming implements while doing field and farm work as he grew up. He recalls cutting and fashioning tree branches to make practice swords, and trying out throwing and sweeping techniques he had learned from his father. In addition to a strong interest in martial arts, as a youth he developed a love for films and, in part inspired by the popular Shōwa-era comedian Ōmiya Toshimitsu, a desire to pursue acting.

[NOTE: If there's space, can include akazonae photo with caption: "Obata family akazonae (赤備え) red armor on display at the Obata-machi museum"] [add young photo with dog? may be too informal]

Career and education

1966–1973: Yōshinkan Era

Above: Young Obata holding sword in the seigan-no-kamae (正眼の構え) posture

Obata at age 21 wearing dōgi and geta at Meiji-jingū in Tōkyō

In 1966, Obata left Gunma prefecture to pursue martial arts training in Tōkyō at the age of eighteen. Obata considered studying karate or Shōrin-ji kempō until his roommate showed him a book about aikidō, which piqued his curiosity. He visited the instructors class at the Yōshinkan Honbu Dōjō in Yoyogi led by Shioda Gōzō, a top disciple of aikidō founder Ueshiba Morihei who trained with him before the war. Obata was impressed by the rigor and technique, and joined immediately. A few days after his enrollment, confident that he would pursue martial arts as a vocation, he applied for membership in the full-time instructors class as an uchi-deshi (live-in disciple) under Shioda, and was accepted.

Obata spent seven years at the Yōshinkan as an uchi-deshi of Shioda. The Yōshinkan style was renowned for its toughness and efficiency, and Obata has described the apprenticeship as “military-style training.”

Six o'clock in the morning, like Army style – make breakfast and straight into training... after lunch, again training, then four o'clock training, six o'clock training, eight o'clock training – every day. Monday off – but even Monday sometimes some dōjō members would come, so... training!

As an uchi-deshi, Obata trained from early morning until late at night, routinely performing thousands of ukemi (falls) a day. Obata recollects that although Shioda was small in stature and only reached up to Obata's shoulder, he was in his physical prime as a teacher, and that the age difference between him and Shioda was the same as the age difference between Shioda and Ueshiba, which he suggests was likely conducive to their fruitful student-teacher relationship. Due to his aptitude, Obata soon became a Yōshinkan instructor, and he earned a small stipend and was able to support himself, though this left little for spending money during this period. Obata also assisted with the editing of Shioda's books on aikidō, and appears in technical demonstration photographs in Shioda's Dynamic Aikidō.

As part of his teaching duties, Obata was selected to train police officers during annual training sessions at the Yōshinkan.　The officers all had prior training in martial arts, having been awarded at least third dan in jūdō or kendō, and as a result the training was brisk and intensive; Obata recalls that out of a group of twelve officers, as many as ten would be vomiting by the end of a lesson. Upon reaching shodan level, Obata was loaned out regularly by Shioda as an instructor to the Tōkyō Metropolitan Police, the Riot Police, and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). Obata's contact with law enforcement proved helpful when he sometimes had a few too many to drink and ended up sparring with fellow martial artists in town. Obata was also sent out to teach students at Nippon University and Obirin University.

Despite his full-time commitment to training and teaching aikidō at the Yōshinkan, Obata's interest in swordsmanship and classical martial arts grew during this period. Obata practiced sword techniques with a bokken (wooden sword) as part of aikidō training, and he would closely observe other sword schools performing techniques when he participated in martial arts demonstrations at the Nippon Budōkan. Shioda encouraged Obata to gain exposure to and study other martial arts, including Yagyū Shinkage-ryū. At the time, the Yagyūkai was renting space at the Yōshinkan Dōjō for their practice sessions, and Obata was encouraged to join, thereafter training for several years under headmaster Yagyū Nobuharu. Obata also studied Zen Buddhism with the Shiyūkai, which rented space from the Yōshinkan at this time as well.

While performing aikidō at a martial arts demonstration, Obata witnessed a sword demonstration by Nakamura Taizaburō, a former sword instructor to the Japanese army and an instructor of Toyama-ryū and Nakamura-ryū swordsmanship. Although Nakamura was already in his fifties at the time, the power and focus of his cuts impressed Obata. At demonstrations, Obata observed that whereas some schools only cut thin reeds of bamboo, Toyama-ryū practitioners would regularly cut thick bundles of straw wrapped around a heavy piece of bamboo, intended to simulate flesh and bone. Obata volunteered to assist Nakamura, who had been setting up and cleaning up cutting targets by himself, and decided that he would like to study with him if he had the chance. This encounter with Nakamura and his experience training in Yagyū Shinkage-ryū solidified Obata's resolve to further his study of swordsmanship. However, as a full-time uchi-deshi, Obata was not able to pursue other martial arts seriously, so he made the decision to conclude his seven-year apprenticeship at the Yōshinkan in 1973.

1973-1980: Wakakoma Era

Obata in an episode of Drift Daibakushō

Theatrical poster for Lady Snowblood (1973)

Although licensed by Shioda to open his own aikidō school and teach independently, Obata chose to broaden his martial arts training and focus on swordsmanship, as well as begin to pursue his ambition of acting in film and television. In 1973, Obata joined Wakakoma Pro, a troupe of martial artists specializing in stunts and martial arts training for Japanese film and television, led by action coordinator Hayashi Kunishirō. At the time, the Wakakoma was enjoying prominence due to its ongoing work for the prestigious annual NHK taiga dramas and its recent involvement in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, much of which was filmed in Japan using Wakakoma martial artists.

Obata was introduced to Hayashi through Nakamura, and the two quickly formed a good rapport, with Hayashi soliciting Obata's advice on martial arts matters. Hayashi eventually invited Obata to join him at the Wakakoma as bujutsu shihan (武術師範; Chief Instructor of Martial Arts), specializing in aikidō. Obata accepted, and became Hayashi's pupil at his Tate Dōjō, where he studied action coordination and Japanese film swordplay. Obata recalls that Hayashi's goal was to ensure that Japanese martial arts techniques were accurately and realistically represented in his film projects for the NHK, which aligned with Obata's desire to research and study classical Japanese martial arts. Obata continued to enjoy a good rapport with Hayashi throughout his apprenticeship, and recalls leveraging that rapport on one occasion to convince Hayashi to quit smoking, threatening to quit if he refused. To Obata's surprise, Hayashi agreed, and quit smoking immediately.

After three years of training under Hayashi, Obata advanced to the role of assistant tateshi (action coordinator), and occasionally led training sessions by himself. Obata trained in and later taught historically accurate methods for wearing armor and traditional dress, as well as mounted archery and battlefield techniques of the spear and naginata (glaive). Obata recalls that portrayal of a samurai in keeping with the NHK's exacting standards necessitated exhaustive research and immersive knowledge of samurai life in great detail, to the effect that one became "in every respect a samurai persona." Wakakoma members were expected to be well-versed in samurai etiquette, and be able to handle all manner of weapons skillfully while wearing full armor and on horseback. Stunt work involved falling from horseback safely and performing acrobatics while fully armed. Obata was required to develop action coordination expertise by studying historical records of samurai warfare and treatises on battlefield strategy such that clashes between armies and small-scale skirmishes and ambushes could be reproduced faithfully on screen. Drawing on his Yōshinkan background, Obata also taught and disseminated aikidō techniques among the Wakakoma members and NHK actors. Whereas jūdō techniques had heretofore been a staple in hand-to-hand combat scenes, Obata introduced aikidō to the film industry, and is credited with popularizing aikidō techniques in Japanese film and television.

Obata worked for the Wakakoma and trained under Hayashi for seven years. During this time, Obata was involved in eight annual NHK taiga dramas (11th-18th), in which he performed stunts, choreographed fight scenes, trained actors in martial arts and samurai deportment, and acted in various on-screen roles. Actors he trained included Takita Sakae, Fujioka Hiroshi, Ishizaka Kōji, Ogata Ken, Katō Tsuyoshi, Yamaguchi Takashi, Hamahata Kenkichi, Sekiguchi Hiroshi, Katsuno Hiroshi, Nishida Toshiyuki, Tanaka Ken, and Nagashima Toshiyuki. Obata worked on other NHK productions as well, such as Meiji no Gunzō: Umi ni Hi Wa wo and On'yado Kawasemi. In addition to historical dramas and NHK productions, Obata coordinated action and played roles in popular variety shows, such as Hachiji da yo! Zen'in Shūgō, as well as contemporary police and detective dramas, including Taiyō ni Hoero! and Oretachi wa Tenshi da!. Obata also worked on Lady Snowblood (1973) and its sequel, Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (1974), the former of which served as a major inspiration for Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill films (2003–2004).

See § Filmography for films.

Martial arts training and research

Despite his ascendance as a film industry professional, martial arts remained Obata's primary focus. Obata's tenure at the Wakakoma allowed him, like other professional martial artists, the opportunity to earn a livelihood working for film and television production companies while advancing his martial arts training. Hayashi sent him to research and learn authentic martial arts techniques from the foremost experts practicing at the time so that Japanese martial arts would be portrayed accurately on screen. This afforded Obata the opportunity to train with many prominent martial artists, and he states that during this time he "lived and breathed the martial arts." Obata researched and learned martial arts techniques from kendō, jūdō, karate, and various sword styles, such as Jigen-ryū, and incorporated these techniques into his film work.

Obata entered into formal training relationships with several noted martial arts instructors during this time. In furtherance of his pursuit of sword instruction, he enrolled at the Shiseikan Dōjō (至誠館) at Meiji Shrine to study Kashima Shinryū under Tanaka Shigeho. Obata also became a pupil of the swordsman Uchida Tesshinsai (内田鉄心斎), from whom he learned Ioriken battōjutsu (庵剣抜刀術). Due in part to growing audience interest in seeing Japanese weapon techniques in film, Obata branched out into other weapon arts. Obata received instruction in the various weapons of Ryūkyū Kobudō from Inoue Motokatsu, renowned for his efforts at preserving Okinawan weapon martial arts, including sai, bō, tonfa, nunchaku, and kama. Obata also studied ninpō, weapons techniques, and Edo-period arresting methods under Nawa Yumio, ninpō researcher and headmaster of Masaki-ryū manrikigusari-jutsu (正木流万力鎖術) and Edo-machikata jutte torinawa atsukai (江戸町方十手捕縄扱).

Having concluded his apprenticeship at the Yōshinkan, Obata was now free to study with the swordsman Nakamura Taizaburō, whose technique he had admired as an uchi-deshi. Obata enrolled as Nakamura's pupil, and studied Toyama-ryū under him, as well as Nakamura's own sword style, Nakamura-ryū. In addition to receiving direct instruction, Obata regularly assisted Nakamura at sword seminars, and used the opportunity to closely observe his technique. Obata also assisted with Nakamura's regular television appearances and extracurricular projects, appearing in Nakamura's books as well as squaring off against Nakamura in a sword duel in the last scene of the 1979 documentary film Budō: The Art of Killing.

Despite the rigors of learning several martial arts while attending to his film production duties at the Wakakoma, Obata "took to martial arts like a fish in water," and maintained his Yōshinkan-era discipline of training several hours each day. Obata went on to earn numerous dan rankings in the various arts he studied, amounting to 75 dan in total, as well as high-level licenses, including shihan (師範), keishō denju (継承伝授), menkyo kaiden (免許皆伝), and menkyo okuden (免許奥伝). During this time, Obata also participated in and won seven national tameshigiri (test-cutting) competitions, setting speed records for cutting targets.

INSERT PHOTO FROM NAKAMURA BATTODO BOOK HERE

Obata recalls that he was "more or less penniless" for the seven years he worked for the Wakakoma and studied martial arts, but that it was "still one of the most enjoyable times in my life." His opportunity at the Wakakoma to concentrate fully on researching and practicing various Japanese martial arts later became the basis for establishing his own school of swordsmanship and martial arts. By the end of his seven-year tenure at the Wakakoma, Obata was qualified to operate independently as an action coordinator in the Japanese film and television industry. However, Obata decided to leave the Wakakoma and elected instead to move to the United States and pursue a career as an actor and action coordinator in Hollywood.

1980-1995: Hollywood Era

Obata on the set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

In 1980, Obata concluded his tenure at the Wakakoma and relocated to Los Angeles, California at the age of thirty-two. Obata had long held a strong desire to travel, and had previously visited the United States once in 1978, admiring the spaciousness, as well as the agreeable climate and relaxed atmosphere of Southern California. His wife Michiyo, whom he married in 1976, remained behind in Tōkyō with their young sons while he attempted to gain traction and earn a livelihood in the United States. As a new migrant, however, Obata faced immediate challenges, as he lacked resident status, money, and employment, and spoke no English.

One of Obata's aims in moving to the United States was to introduce battōdō (the art of sword-drawing) and tameshigiri to the West. Prior to his departure to the United States, Nakamura appointed Obata the head of the USA Toyama-ryū Federation, USA Nakamura-ryū Federation, and USA Battōdō Federation, operating under the corresponding Japanese federations. With Nakamura's fiat, Obata established the United States Honbu Dōjō (headquarters) for Toyama-ryū and Nakamura-ryū in 1981, teaching initially at the Nichiren-shū Buddhist temple in Boyle Heights and later also at the Japanese Institute of Sawtelle, both Japanese-American enclaves in Los Angeles. Students from outside the community became acquainted with Obata's school through referrals from Japan, the Japanese consulate in Los Angeles, and newspaper and magazine articles reporting on Obata in English and Japanese. Early students included martial arts instructors, law enforcement personnel, and a captain in the United States Army.

Obata became a fixture in the Japanese-American community soon after his arrival, giving demonstrations of aikidō, battōdō, and test-cutting at local cultural events and appearing in Japanese-language media. He began writing articles and books on battōdō, aikidō, ninpō, and Ryūkyū Kobudō, as well as filming instructional videos and giving seminars throughout the United States. Obata's dōjō, where he taught not only swordsmanship but also aikidō and taiho-jutsu (arresting techniques), continued to attract law enforcement personnel as students, and Obata was also hired by the Long Beach Police Department to teach criminal apprehension and arresting techniques to its officers. Reuniting with his wife in 1983, Obata and Michiyo, also a Yōshinkan yūdansha, began teaching aikidō to children, with their own children training in the dōjō everyday after school. Obata also continued to teach martial arts and swordsmanship to various Japanese actors who would fly to Los Angeles to study at his dōjō for extended periods, including NHK taiga drama leads such as Takita Sakae.

As his career as an independent martial artist gained momentum, Obata also found purchase in Hollywood. He started working as an action coordinator in films and television programs, training actors in various Japanese martial arts. On set, Obata often encountered superficial regard for martial arts and a lack of thoughtful preparation for fight scenes, including instances of actors in martial arts actions films who had never trained in any martial arts before shooting, and found himself motivated to create movies with "high-quality and perfectly executed martial arts" in the United States. In keeping with his work with the Wakakoma, Obata continued to prioritize accurate representation of authentic Japanese martial arts on screen, and cites this as one of his reasons for venturing into Hollywood. Soon, however, Obata caught the attention of directors and casting agents due to his intimidating appearance, martial arts ability, and personality, and found himself representing Japanese martial arts on screen directly as an actor.

Obata's first on-screen appearance in Hollywood was in the 1984 film Ghost Warrior, also known as Swordkill, a rare Hollywood film that featured a Japanese lead, Fujioka Hiroshi. In some films, Obata served dual roles as actor and action coordinator, such as Showdown in Little Tokyo (1991), in which he trained actors Dolph Lundgren and Brandon Lee in Japanese martial arts, as well as serving as one of the film's lead antagonists. In addition to training Lundgren in swordsmanship and tameshigiri, Obata also recorded lines of Japanese dialogue that appeared in the script in order to aid Lundgren with his pronunciation. Due to Lee's background in martial arts, Obata and Lee were able to freely choreograph their climactic fighting scene in which Obata's character is defeated. Through their work on the film, Obata and Lee developed a strong friendship, and Obata was saddened at Lee's death in 1993.

Obata went on to appear in numerous Hollywood films as well as television programs, and attained sufficient renown that he no longer was required to audition for roles. Notable films in which he appeared include Black Rain (1989), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie (1990) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), Rising Sun (1993), Demolition Man (1993), The Shadow (1994), and The Hunted (1995), appearing opposite celebrity actors including Sean Connery, Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, Ken Takakura, Matsuda Yūsaku, Christopher Lambert, and Alec Baldwin. During the filming of The Hunted in 1995, Obata recollects that he was able to reunite with one of his Wakakoma kōhai (juniors), Tōgō Hidenobu, who served as a special martial arts coordinator on the production. Obata also worked on several films with Cynthia Rothrock and Richard Norton, actors well known for their martial arts action film roles. Obata taught Norton swordsmanship for his role in The Sword of Bushido (1990), and Norton choreographed Obata's fight scene with Chuck Norris in a 1993 episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

[Include photo of training Dolph Lundgren]

Obata's growing success in Hollywood was not without ongoing challenges. His main obstacle was English, having immigrated to the United States at thirty-two, which Obata felt was too old an age to learn English properly. This led to Obata facing difficulty understanding his directors, but his long experience working in the Japanese film and television industry allowed him to intuit their intent and perform well in front of a camera, and he found himself cast in roles that relied more on character or image than substantive dialogue. Frequently, his children would help him practice pronouncing his lines correctly, and at times he requested simpler revisions of his lines from his directors; occasionally, his voice was simply dubbed over entirely.

Obata also encountered cultural difficulties as a Japanese immigrant working in Hollywood. Despite his eventual success, he likened the barriers to entry into the American film industry to the Great Wall of China, and found his Japanese set of values at times incongruous with others while working on movie sets. He also found that many Americans held an outdated view of Japanese people as typified by Mifune Toshirō and Shimura Takashi, though Obata opined that this ultimately worked in his favor, leading his samurai ancestry and profession as a martial artist to be highly valued both inside and outside the film industry. Based on his experiences, Obata has published advice for Japanese actors looking to find success in Hollywood.

Despite enjoying his work as an action coordinator and fight choreographer, Obata has also expressed criticism at the lack of recognition afforded to action coordinators in both the United States and Japan for their high level of training and accomplishment in martial arts, horsemanship, and acrobatic ability.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films

Theatrical poster for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Obata's breakout role in Hollywood was playing Master Tatsu in the martial arts action film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), produced by Golden Harvest. Despite mixed reviews from critics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a box-office success, grossing $202 million against a budget of $13.5 million, becoming the highest-grossing independent film up to that time and for the next decade, as well as the ninth highest-grossing film worldwide of 1990. The film also broke the record for the biggest opening weekend for an independent film, and went on to gross $32 million in its opening week, making it the second biggest US opening ever at that point, after Tim Burton's Batman (1989). Within the martial arts action film genre, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles deposed The Karate Kid (1984) as the highest-grossing film, which had earned $130 million. Obata reprised his role as Master Tatsu in the sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991), which was also a box-office success, becoming the thirteenth highest-grossing film domestically that year.

Obata was originally cast as The Shredder, the leading villain role in the film, due to his formidable appearance. He initially turned down the offer, citing his reluctance to put on a mask and obscure his face. Instead, director Steve Barron decided to create another leading role for him to play, and invented the role of Master Tatsu for Obata, which was not in the original script. At Obata's request, Barron also agreed to shorten his lines, due to his difficulty with English.

Master Tatsu is nothing like me, but he has caught people's attention. Strangers come up to me and ask me if my head is all right now because in the movie I was hit with a golf club.

After the film's success, Obata became instantly recognizable overnight. As a result of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films and other films in which he coordinated Japanese-style swordplay or appeared using a sword, Obata has been credited with precipitating the Hollywood "samurai craze," and media dubbed him the "Samurai of Hollywood."

See § Filmography for films.

1990-present: Shinkendō and martial arts development

[Dragon Books yoroi OR seminar photo showing teaching here]

By the early 1990s, Obata had achieved parallel celebrity status in both Hollywood and the martial arts world. Despite his success in the film industry, however, he continued to study and teach martial arts seriously, and considered himself a martial artist who worked in movies rather than an actor who performed martial arts on screen. In interviews, Obata maintained that his primary pursuit was the teachings, development, and dissemination of Japanese martial arts.

I am a martial arts teacher, and I make movies to promote real martial arts. To prosper, real martial arts need a lot of help from the media, and that's what I set out to do. That's why I write books and make videos; that's why I involved myself with Ghost Warrior when I first came to America, and Black Rain, and the reason I got involved with the Ninja Turtles. Having a face that people recognize helps a lot, and it makes it possible to reach the maximum number of people with my message, with a real chance of them listening to me. ... My biggest problem at the moment is working in the movies and training as hard as I like to; but I manage.

Along with radio and television appearances that raised his profile as a martial artist beginning in the 1980s, Obata continued to be profiled regularly in martial arts publications in the United States, Japan, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, as well as interviewed in print and on radio and television. As of 2008, Obata had appeared on the cover of 15 magazines, and been featured in 70-80 magazines worldwide. Obata also wrote magazine articles for martial arts publications, and authored and published several books on the martial arts, as well as produced a number of instructional videos.

Aside from time on set, Obata taught martial arts daily, moving his dōjō to central Hollywood off of Hollywood Boulevard in the 1990s.

Obata also took interest in spiritual/philosophical pursuits as a result of his friendship with the Japanese artist Muramasa Kudo.

Documentary television programs also took interest

• Wrote magazine articles
• Wrote books
• Produced videos (include Bernie Lau)
• Appeared in magazines
• Began giving seminars throughout the United States and internationally
• Demonstrations international - Paris-Bercy
• Sword-testing (mention cursorily)

Outline as timeline:

• 1994? Kabutowari test
• 1998: Visited Japan

Establishment of Shinkendō

In 1990, Obata established the Shinkendō style of swordsmanship, based upon his experience training in and researching modern and classical schools of Japanese martial arts and swordsmanship. Obata originally conceived of developing a swordsmanship style in 1974 during a visit to Kashōzan Mirokuji, a ninth-century Buddhist temple near Obata's birthplace known for its association with tengu.

Shinkendō is a classical in style, as it employs techniques found in the koryū martial arts.

Chose the name shinkendō because...

In 2013, Obata's eldest son, Yukishiro, succeeded him as the second-generation sōke (headmaster) of Shinkendō.

Though Obata did not formally retire from filmmaking, he began declining film opportunities in order to direct his energies more exclusively to developing and teaching martial arts.

As his prominence grew in the West, Obata was invited to give seminars abroad, and traveled to

As Obata continued teaching martial arts in parallel to his burgeoning Hollywood career, he worked to synthesize his martial arts training and research into a comprehensive martial art.

Featured in numerous magazines...Has been the subject of numerous articles, and has appeared on several magazine covers. [include photo of magazine cover]

In parallel with his ...

Practice of tameshigiri: "Many modern schools of iaidō have slowly but surely drifted away from their martial origins by focusing only on the aesthetics of iaidō kata while de-emphasizing the practice of solid, partnered kenjutsu training and actual cutting ability. In order to correct this drift, a number of modern ryū focusing on iaidō or battō, such as the Toyama Ryū and the Nakamura Ryū, include tameshigiri as a major part of their training regimen." (David Hall 493-494) -> i.e. Shinkendo continues in this tradition

Stepped away from Hollywood to focus on martial arts

[Small montage (e.g. 4 images) of covers of martial arts magazine with him on them.]

Also featured in the foreword to an edition of Sun Tzu's The Art of War.

Martial arts

Shinkendō swordsmanship

Main article: Shinkendō

OVERVIEW OF STYLE

Curriculum

[gorin image on right] Shinkendō comprises a five-fold curriculum:

• Battōhō (抜刀法; sword-drawing techniques)
• Suburi (素振り; sword-swinging methods)
• Tanrengata (鍛錬型; solo forms)
• Tachiuchi (太刀打ち; partnered sparring)
• Tameshigiri (試し切り; test-cutting)

Philosophy

[Kuyomon; but on main Shinkendo page, also include Inoue-sensei's calligraphy of Kuyo Junikun and Hachido; and also the shuji from Japan of Jinsei Shinkendo]

Obata has described Shinkendō as not only a martial art but a system of philosophy.

Aikibujutsu

Main article: Aikibujutsu

[note: use photo of sword retention] [Blitz 2002 (and elsewhere) for Aikibujutsu photos; jojutsu too]

Toyama-ryū

Calligraphy by Nakamura Taizaburō presented to Obata in 1980 for establishing USA headquarters for Toyama-ryū and Nakamura-ryū

[Photo of Obata in military harness? Check 1980s books]

Received keishō denju title from Nakamura

Suggested name change to battōdō

Obata established Toyama-ryū in the United States in 1980.

Prior to Obata's relocation to the United States in 1980, Nakamura appointed Obata beikoku honbuchō (United States Headquarters Chief) for Toyama-ryū, Nakamura-ryū, and the Battōdō Federation.

received the titles of the United States headquarters of the Battōdō Federation (米国抜刀道本部), the Toyama-ryū Federation (米国戸山流本部), and the Nakamura-ryū Federation (米国中村流本部).

• "Another [governing body presiding over Toyama ryu battodo] is the International Shinkendo Federation, led by Toshishiro Obata and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, which grew in part from Nakamura's Toyama ryu tradition."

In 1986, Obata published Naked Blade: A Manual of Samurai Swordsmanship, which introduced Toyama-ryū to the English-speaking world.

As Obata developed Shinkendō, he continued to teach and grade Toyama-ryū and Nakamura-ryū, but as a part of the larger Shinkendō system, etc. Obata incorporated Toyama-ryū into Shinkendō as gaiden waza (外伝技),

Therefore, it is not taught independently of Shinkendō, but it is ranked separately using the kyū-dan system.

Nakamura initially taught Toyama-ryū guntō sōhō after the GHQ ban on certain martial arts practice was lifted. He later modified the techniques by incorporating the kesagiri (袈裟斬り; diagonal cut) technique, which he found more effective in his battlefield experience, as well as added an eighth test-cutting form, and changed the name to Toyama-ryū battōjutsu in 1975. [They were looking for a generic name for what they did, and Obata suggested Battodo; then Battodo Federation was created (KunisawaInterviewGeneral)]

Nakamura was later ordained a Living National Treasure for his contribution to Japanese martial arts.

Jokyu innovations

Obata has preserved the chronological developments of Toyama-ryū as a formal curriculum, including his jōkyū variations.

• Guntō no sōhō (軍刀の奏法) – the original seven techniques taught at the Toyama army school
• Battōjutsu (戸山流抜刀術) –
• Battōdō (戸山流抜刀道) –
• Jōkyū (上級) – advanced variations created by Obata

[Include a short video of one of the jōkyū forms, i.e. No 1, 2, or 6. 1 or 2 probably best due to resheathing]

Bōjutsu Tanrendō, Ryūkyū Kobudō, and other arts

Obata has published one video on his system of bō technique

Although mostly devoted to the kama (sickle) of its title, Obata's book Kama: Weapon Art of Okinawa also contains short technical demonstrations of sai, tonfa, bō, and nunchaku.

OUTLINE: Studied Ryūkyū Kobudō from Inoue, who was _____ (some background on Inoue; maybe how they met). Obata teaches RKK. Has published a book on kama, written articles? Has performed tameshigiri with kama.

Obata has established his own system of bōjutsu, called Bōjutsu Tanrendō ("The Way of Forging Long Staff Technique"). Combines RKK with samurai staff arts.

Obata has also published a book on ninpō

Criticism

Obata studied kendō as a member of the Wakakoma, and while he has expressed admiration for it as a martial sport, he is skeptical of claims that kendō teaches effective handling of a samurai sword.

Tameshigiri (test-cutting)

Obata is well known for his practice and championing of tameshigiri (試し斬り), the Japanese swordsmanship practice of test-cutting targets with a sword or other bladed weapon. Like his teacher Nakamura, Obata has argued for the importance and value of the role of tameshigiri within Japanese swordsmanship training as a method for validating technique and as a prophylactic against ineffectual or even dangerous teachings. Obata's position aligns with those of notable pre-modern and modern swordsmen and commentators, including Hagakure author Yamamoto Tsunetomo and Nakayama Hakudō, who advocated for tameshigiri as an essential practice for a swordsman. Obata maintains that tameshigiri practice is necessary to attain any significant degree of combative ability with a Japanese sword.

Unless you can actually cut with a sword, you cannot claim to be a swordsman. If you want to be a marksman you have to shoot a gun: if you want to learn to use a sword, you have to practice cutting!

Obata cites examples of high-ranking swordsmen unable to cut through a straw or tatami-omote target. Conversely, Obata has cautioned against tameshigiri practice without formal training in swordsmanship, warning of extreme danger to the practitioner and also bystanders. Along with Nakamura, he has also emphasized that cutting through the target is not the ultimate goal of tameshigiri, but rather testing the soundness of a sword practitioner's technique.

NARRATIVE

Obata first began practicing tameshigiri under Nakamura in the early 1970s. At the time, there was a resurgence of tameshigiri practice via Toyama-ryū, Nakamura-ryū, and some other sword-drawing schools in order to correct a drift away from martial viability that had occurred in many modern schools of iaidō in which aesthetics and tadashii katachi (正しい形; proper form) had become the primary focus. Nakamura played a prominent role in publicizing and revitalizing tameshigiri practice in post-war Japan, displaying cutting demonstrations on numerous television programs, at which Obata often assisted.

Obata went on to distinguish himself as a young martial artist by winning seven tameshigiri tournaments in Japan.

Introduced tatami-omote as a cutting medium

sword-testing for three different smiths

Credited with bringing tameshigiri to the US[NEED CITE FOR THIS]

In 1994, he set a world record for his performance of kabutowari, a historical form of tameshigiri in which a swordsman attempts to split a samurai helmet. In 2005, he published a treatise on tameshigiri, styled as "the world's first tameshigiri manual."

-- participated in tournaments

-- suggested tatami-omote

Obata cuts bamboo. Bamboo is a traditional target for tameshigiri.

Include photo from Tameshigiri book of cutting through many bamboo at once

Note: Nakamura's book has tameshigiri chapter that can be used as a general reference

Obata also performs nitōken (二刀剣) tameshigiri, with two swords at once, as well as tameshigiri with two kama.[Cite to shokai video and to kama book or magazine article; can include photo of cover of him cutting with kama -- or this can simply be captions to the two photos]

Tameshigiri tournaments

Photo from tournament (Nakamura Taizaburo's book?)

10 targets over 10 meters (?) -- verify with sensei; list times

received heirloom sword from a fellow participant

started shitōka relationship with Kobayashi

After interview clarifying this, can make a note about why other sources state six victories. Make a small note. The longer story can be in the interview. Obata's home was burglarized in the early 1980s and several swords and other items were stolen, among them one of the certificates. Thereafter, he reported that he had six victories because he could not substantiate the seventh.

Obata's impact at the tournaments lasted after he immigrated to the United States. In 1981, he received an eighth menjō awarding him the top prize in the tameshigiri championship, even though he had not participated that year, or had even been in Japan.

In __, one of the certificates was among several items stolen during a burglary. Thereafter, Obata reported six tameshigiri victories instead of seven.

Introduction of tatami-omote as cutting target

Close up tatami-omote; stack of rolled targets Photo of tatami in a room:

Obata pioneered the use of tatami-omote as a cutting target for tameshigiri in the 1970s.

OUTLINE:

• Tatami-omote (畳表), the woven-rush surface layer of tatami flooring mats, is nowadays one of most common materials used for cutting targets.
• "The target material of choice for tameshigiri cutting practice is the tatami omote."
  • "The standard target for modern cutting is the rolled tatami cover (tatami omote)."
  • The practice of cutting tatami-omote mats has also been adopted in Historical European Martial Arts.
• ""In more modern times, test cutting has been performed on standardized rolled reed mats, the number of mats in each roll and the number of rolls being recorded."
• Mats are rolled into a target
• Mats are rolled and soaked
• When Obata started training, practitioners either cut bamboo or wara (straw)
• But wara was labor-intensive to prepare. And for tournaments, it made judging difficult, since it was not a uniform target
• Obata lived near a tatami shop, and one day asked for discarded tatami-omote, which he rolled and used as a target. Since the tatami-omote is fairly uniform, it is easy to make standard targets for tournaments.
  • "In the past, it was the discarded tatami omote that were acquired by swordsman [sic] for testing their cutting ability."

There was a tatami store near my home and I would go and get leftover tatami-omote, which I used for target practice. I used this instead of wara (straw) since straw was hard to come by in the middle of Tōkyō. I started using tatami-omote sheets (the top layer of a tatami floor board), which I would roll up and soak in water for a short time. ... As I continued to use tatami-omote, it was later incorporated (at my suggestion) for demonstrations of Wakakoma's stage performances, and later for the battōdō tournaments (because of the consistency of the targets and the ease of clean up). Soon, tatami-omote became the standard in all test-cutting competitions and target-cutting practice.

• At least one school disagrees, finding that used tatami-omote creates inconsistent targets for the purposes of cutting competitions, and advocates using new tatami-omote instead.
• Also, since whole tatami mats had been used historically, it was arguably a traditional tameshigiri material.
• Obata proposed tatami-omote for Wakakoma stage performances, into which it was incorporated
• Obata proposed tatami-omote to Nakamura as a cutting target.
• Tatami-omote was ruled to be the standard for cutting tournaments.
• Soon this became the standards in regular practice as well.
• Nakamura even advises in his book to inquire at local tatami shops for discarded tatami-omote.
• Tatami omote is easy to prepare by rolling and soaking, as opposed to straw.
• It is a more difficult to cut target than straw. (cite to materials hardness chart in tameshigiri book)
• The cut pieces of tatami omote are instructive in showing technical deficiencies in the execution of the swing, or in the cutting ability of the sword.
• Now it is the standard worldwide.

Tatami-omote is now one of the most common tameshigiri target materials, and test-cutting on tatami-omote targets has appeared in films, television commercials, and Japanese animation.

At the time, a challenge for judging tameshigiri competitions was the lack of a uniform target. "Straw can be hard to get hold of, does not come in standard thickness, and is thus not a fair target to use for tameshigiri competitions. By comparison, the upper layer of a tatami mat is usually of uniform dimensions, and so it has been ruled that these are to be used in national competitions instead. If you can get a tatami shop to give you their old mat uppers that have been exchanged for new ones, then those can be even better for cutting than straw." (Nakamura, 119-120)

Mat is rolled into a target. (Nakamura pg. 120, Tameshigiri book pg. 81)

Sword-testing

Obata is also known for his role as a professional sword-tester for modern swordsmiths. Historically, the practice of tameshigiri began as a method for testing the capabilities of a sword, and later became a test of a swordsman's skill, two separate but interrelated practices which Obata terms shitō (試刀) and shizan (試斬), respectively. Swordsmen tested swords as a professional exercise of quality control in selecting armaments or within a formal relationship with a swordsmith in an effort to improve the swordsmith's smithing technique. Materials used for sword-testing included straw, bamboo, wood, deer antlers, coins, iron sand, tsuba (sword guards), and kabuto (helmets), as well as pig and human cadavers. On occasion, the results of a sword's cutting performance would be inscribed upon its tang.

Sword-Tester for Kobayashi Yasuhiro

By virtue of Obata's growing renown resulting from his victories in tameshigiri tournaments, he was introduced to Kobayashi Yasuhiro (小林康宏), a noted swordsmith.

Kobayashi was known for rejecting modern sword-marking methodology in an effort to recreate how to make older swords. He refined his steel himself, and employed (was a proponent of) the maru-gitae (one-piece forging) method rather than the prevailing sanmai-gitae composite method.

Kobayashi produced several notable students, including Ōsaki Yasumune (大崎繁春).

shitō (sword-testing) tests the capabilities of the sword, and presumes the expertise of the swordsman. Historically,

[Kobayashi photo]

Met Paul Champagne, and used his sword for kabutowari

Met Phill Hartsfield

Obata has broken 14 swords while testing them. Like other forms of destructive testing, sword-testing was not without its dangers.[CITE for it being dangerous] Obata recalls

From his sword-testing experience, Obata has delineated a set of recommendations for creating a sword that cuts well, oriented toward swordsmiths, as well as a set of criteria for choosing a suitable sword for tameshigiri, oriented toward swordmanship practitioners.(Tameshigiri 129)

Many smiths these days are making art swords that are not suitable for combat, which Obata criticizes. However, at least some smiths are trying to make functional swords ready for combat.

Kabutowari (helmet-splitting)

Obata holds the world record for kabutowari (兜割; helmet-splitting), a traditional form of tameshigiri that is performed by striking a samurai helmet with a sword. Records of kabutowari date back to at least the Nanboku-chō period (1336-1392), including battlefield exploits of splitting an adversary's helmet with a sword as well as formal tests conducted before feudal rulers, high-ranking persons, and even the emperor. Historically, the kabutowari test was considered a superlative standard of tameshigiri, to the extent that the Shōwa-era swordsman Takano Sasaburō derided the cutting of straw as a "children's game" and declared that "tameshigiri in the past was performed on iron helmets."

A form of katamonogiri (硬物斬り; the practice of cutting hard objects), the helmet-splitting test became a contest between the swordsmith and the armorer in which each sought to outdo the other – the swordsmith by forging a sword that could pierce a helmet, and the armorer by forging a helmet that could not be cut. The kabutowari test was notorious for its difficulty and was rarely performed, as it risked the reputations of the swordsman performing the test, the swordsmith whose sword was used, and the armorer whose helmet was to be cut. The safety of the performer was also put at risk; commonly, a surgeon would be retained on site in the event injury resulted from flying shards of a snapped sword. On the other hand, a successful kabutowari performance increased the prestige of the swordsmith and the swordsman, as well as the actual sword that was used, which sometimes would be christened "kabutowari" in honor of its performance. Successful kabutowari attempts were few, and were well documented by ōmetsuke (official examiners), who would record the length of a cut upon a helmet in the event of a success.

One of the most famous instances of kabutowari took place before the Emperor Meiji in 1886 at the Kioi-chō mansion of Prince Fushimi Sadanaru in Tōkyō. Three prominent swordsmen participated in the helmet-splitting: Ueda Yoshitada, the strongest of the shitennō (top four disciples) of Kyōshin Meichi-ryū; Henmi Sōsuke, an expert of Tatsumi-ryū and an instructor for the police bureau; and Sakakibara Kenkichi, fourteenth headmaster of Jikishinkage-ryū and a former professor at the Kōbusho military academy, as well as bodyguard and fencing instructor to the shōgun. The test was conducted using a Myōchin peach-shaped helmet (明珍桃形兜). Neither Ueda nor Henmi were able to penetrate the helmet, their swords instead bouncing off of it. Sakakibara's was the final attempt, and he succeeded, swinging down his heavy Dōtanuki sword and cleaving a 10.58-centimeter (3 sun, 5 bu) gash upon the helmet. His blade remained undamaged. Sakakibara's record stood for one hundred years.

In 1986, on the one hundredth anniversary of the Kioi-chō mansion kabutowari, swordsman Kawabata Terutaka (川端照孝), a hachidan in kendō and iaidō and holder of menkyo kaiden in Tenshinshō Jigen-ryū, successfully split a helmet in a televised kabutowari performance. Kawabata used a sword forged by renowned swordsmith Yoshihara Yoshindo to cut a red-lacquered Hineno-style helmet from the Momoyama era (1573-1602). Kawabata's cut measured 12 centimeters, besting Sakakibara's record of 10.58 centimeters set in 1886.

On February 25, 1994, Obata undertook the performance of a kabutowari test. Obata used a katana forged by Paul Champagne, who at that point had been practicing as a swordsmith for only three years. The helmet used in the test was a black-lacquered Hineno-style kabuto from the Momoyama era. Obata declined the assistance of special preparations that had been used historically to stabilize the helmet or facilitate cutting, such as filling the helmet with cooked rice or iron sand or covering the helmet with a sheet of wet paper, instead opting to simply place the helmet upon a tree stump. Obata also decided to forgo the use of a special testing hilt, instead wrapping the tang in nylon cord. To split the helmet, Obata employed the dotangiri (土壇切り) technique, consisting of a single powerful downward stroke with his sword.

Looking at the playback at 1/250th of the shutter speed, you can see the blade embedded 13 centimeters deep in the helmet, the peeling, broken lacquer, and at the time of the cut something that looks like steam or vapor rising due to the frictional heat of the strike.

Obata succeeded in cutting into the helmet, creating a gash measuring 13 centimeters (4 sun, 3 bu) in length. His cut broke the previous records set by Sakakibara Kenkichi (10.58 centimeters) in 1886 and Kawabata Terutaka (12 centimeters) in 1986. Obata's sword was undamaged.

Obata's kabutowari performance was recorded on film at a television studio in Los Angeles, and footage of the test is contained in Obata's video Shinkendo: Samurai Swordsmanship (1994).

Safety

Photo of mekugi, or dual mekugi; reinforcing koiguchi

Like his teacher Nakamura, Obata has been a vocal critic of poor safety practices in tameshigiri and in the practice of swordsmanship in general.

Based on his experience in martial arts and as a sword-tester, Obata has advocated a set of safety measures for the practice of tameshigiri. And has been a vocal critic of poor safety practices.

Has encouraged sword safety reform in both martial arts practice and sword manufacture.

In several instances, he has reaffirmed safety teachings espoused by Nakamura, including the use of two mekugi-ana, with an posterior mekugi made of metal;

Like his teacher Nakamura, whose has written a chapter in one of his books dedicated to sword-related injuries, some of which are crippling, resulting from practitioner misuse.(Nakamura, 239-252)

Nakamura: "All swords used in iaido today have a single mekugi pin, and the vast majority of these pins are made from bamboo. ... As the members of my organization mainly practice tameshigiri alongside iaido kata, we aim for absolute safety and use two mekugi pins inserted into separate holes. One pin is made of bamboo, but the other is fashioned from iron and made to fit snugly into its mount so that the hilt will be firm and will not shift, allowing the practitioner to bring out their technique and skill." (Nakamura, pg. 86.

Mentions mekugi breaking and flying out: "At a martial arts tournament held at the Taiwan police headquarters during the War, he witnessed a certain respected practitioner of iaido fail to check his sword's mekugi before performing. During the display the peg snapped and the blade flew out into the audience and pierced the chest of one of the spectators. The spectator apparently later died from this injury." (Nakamura, 84)

Nakamura on position of menuki ornaments: Pre-Edo (Muromachi swords) were wrapped in han-dachi style, with the ornaments in the palm. "...ornaments fit into the user's palm, making the grip more fluid and bringing out the user's technique. ... menuki can aid one's technique if wound into the hilt in the handachi koshirae style." (Nakamura, 58) Obata advises the reverse position,[cite Tameshigiri book] which is also favored by Yagyu Shinkage Ryu.

Obata advises against using thin and wide blades designed specifically for tameshigiri.

Filmography

In addition to his roles in feature films and television programs in Japan and the United States, Obata has participated in several documentary programs on martial arts and samurai swordsmanship.

On-Screen Roles

Obata and Terri Treas filming Rage and Honor

Obata and Brandon Lee on the set of Showdown in Little Tokyo

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1973	Lady Snowblood (修羅雪姫)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles
	Kuni Tōri Monogatari (国盗り物語)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	11th NHK Taiga drama
1973-1980	Hachiji da yo! Zen'in Shūgō (8時だョ!全員集合)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	Various episodes
	Taiyō ni Hoero! (太陽にほえろ!)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	Various episodes
1974	Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance (修羅雪姫 怨み恋歌)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles
	Katsu Kaishū (勝海舟)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	12th NHK Taiga drama
1975	Oretachi no Kunshō (俺たちの勲章)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	Produced by Toho; broadcast on Nippon TV
	Genroku Taiheiki (元禄太平記)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	13th NHK Taiga drama
1976	Meiji no Gunzō: Umi ni Hi Wa wo (明治の群像 海に火輪を)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	NHK special
	Kaze to Kumo to Niji to (風と雲と虹と)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	14th NHK Taiga drama
1977	Kashin (NHK) (花神)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	15th NHK Taiga drama
1977-1980	Drift Daibakushō (ドリフ大爆笑)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	Various episodes
1978	Ōgon no Hibi (黄金の日日)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	16th NHK Taiga drama
1978-1979	Sugata Sanshirō (姿三四郎)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	Produced by Toho; broadcast on Nippon TV
1979	Budō: The Art of Killing (永遠なる武道)	Swordsman	Appearing opposite Nakamura Taizaburō
	Oretachi wa Tenshi da! (俺たちは天使だ!)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles
	Kusa Moeru (草燃える)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	17th NHK Taiga drama
1979-1980	Keppare! Dai-chan (けっぱれ!大ちゃん)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	Various episodes
1980	Nacchan no Shashin-kan (なっちゃんの写真館)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	25th NHK serial TV novel
	On'yado Kawasemi (御宿かわせみ)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	NHK series
	Shishi no Jidai (獅子の時代)	Action coordinator, stuntman, various on-screen roles	18th NHK Taiga drama
1984	Ghost Warrior (a.k.a. Swordkill)	Japanese Officer	Credited as Toshiji Obata
1989	Black Rain	Mediator
1990	China O’Brien	Sommers’s Henchmen Fighter	Uncredited
	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie	Tatsu
	The Sword of Bushido	Yamaguchi
	China O'Brien II	Man with Claws
1991	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze	Tatsu
	Showdown in Little Tokyo	Sato
1992	Ulterior Motives	Bull Neck Yakuza
	Rage and Honor	Chan Lu
1993	Walker, Texas Ranger (TV Series)	Japanese Karate Instructor	Episode: A Shadow in the Night
	Rising Sun	Guard at Imperial Arms
	Demolition Man	CryoCon
1994	Blue Tiger	Kunimatsu
	The Shadow	Mongol
	Red Sun Rising	Oyabun
1995	The Hunted	Ryuma
2009	Art of War	King Helu	History Channel documentary movie

Fight Coordinator and Stunts (Hollywood)

Obata filming scenes on the sets of Demolition Man, Ghost Warrior, and The Sword of Bushido.

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1984	Ghost Warrior (a.k.a. Swordkill)	Fight Consultant	Credited as Toshiji Obata
1990	China O'Brien	Associate Fight Coordinator	Credited as Toshiji Obata
	The Sword of Bushido	Sword Action Choreographer
1993	American Yakuza	Sword Action Coordinator

As Self

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2003	The Samurai (TV Movie Documentary)	Self/Swordsman
2006	Fight Science (National Geographic TV Series Documentary)	Self/Martial Artist
2007	Modern Marvels (History Channel TV Series Documentary)	Self
2015	Forged in Fire (History Channel TV Series)	Self
2016	60 Second Docs (YouTube)	Self

Personal life and honors

(include a family photo here; or wedding photo; kids training at dojo? Marimo with sensei?)

Appearance: “Boasting a shaved head, mustache, manly eyebrows, and a sharp gaze, his appearance on the screen makes you think “this is a true practitioner of martial arts.”” – Obata’s intimidating appearance...

In his teaching, he has been noted for his regular use of film analogies. (see if example exists)

In 2006, Obata was nominated and inducted into the Martial Arts History Museum Hall of Fame.

Books and research

Obata has authored a number of books on the martial arts. Obata has also written numerous articles for martial arts magazines, including _____ (CITE).

Translations of Obata's books have appeared in German and Hungarian.

Also edited and translated works

Modern Bushidō, Obata's philosophical opus, consists of pre-modern and modern .... As an appendix, it also contains a translation of the family precepts (家訓; kakun) of the Edo-era daimyō Uesugi Yōzan (1751-1822), whose leadership of his clan was admired by United States President John F. Kennedy.

Obata's book Samurai Aikijutsu (1987) has been cited in medical journal articles examining the anatomical principles underlying aikidō techniques.

Despite authoring several technical books, Obata has cautioned readers against attempting to learn or practice techniques directly from books, without formal instruction.[CITE]

Collaboration with Willis M. Hawley

In the early 1980s, Obata met Willis M. Hawley (1896-1987), an author and scholar of East Asian art whose book The Japanese Sword was considered the definitive work on the subject by many sword collectors.

• "The two rare swords recovered Thursday were part of a $1-million collection stolen in a 1981 Hollywood Hills burglary, police said. Mayes’ officers and Hawthorne police officers said they found the swords Thursday in a search of the home of Richard Gonsalves. ... The two swords were among 150 taken eight years ago from the home of Willis M. Hawley, a leading collector and expert on Japanese swords, Martin said."
• "Willis Hawley collected swords and Japanese artifacts for 65 years. Hawley is an expert on Japanese swords. He's written several books on the subject in Japanese, a language he's taught himself. His specialty: antique Japanese swords. Last weekend, Hawley got home from a meeting to find that all but two of his priceless swords, his lifelong collection, had been stolen. The cupboard was nearly bare, the swords that had been purchased nearly 60 years ago for several dollars each are now valued in the tens of thousands. This is the third time the old man has been robbed over the last 18 months. He's also been beaten. He got through that, and many of the items were recovered by police when the suspect tried to sell them. (YouTube news report, KCBS, Channel 2, Nightly News interview with Willis M. Hawley, reported Bonnie Strauss with Channel 2 News, January 1981)
• Long biography in his volume Hawley's Japanese Swordsmiths
• Became curator of Japanese section of the W.M. Hawley private library
• "Hawley was an orientalist -- bookseller, calligrapher, published -- in Hollywood, California, whose correspondence with Pound began in 1946 and did not end until after 1958 when the charges of treason against Pound were dropped and he returned to Italy."
• "...W.M. Hawley, the orientalist who provided the stone-text characters for Pound's bilingual translation of The Great Digest and Unwobbling Pivot, counseled Pound..."
• "W. M. Hawley, a bookseller and orientalist who admired the terseness of Pound's translation and was concerned with the aesthetics of reproducing the Stone-Classics text"
• "In the summer fo 1948, Pound turned to Willis Hawley, the Hollywood orientalist who was supplying Pound and New Directions with the Chinese text for the publication of The Great Digest and Unwobbling Pivot.
• "Willis M. Hawley (1896-1987) had spent the greater portion of his life collecting, trading and preserving books and artifacts of the Far East. In addition he had authored and compiled a number of books and papers unmatched at the time by any other author in the English Language. His goal was the preservation of these books and artistic works of historical significance via the printed page -- the reprinting of old, valuable manuscripts so that others could benefit from their reading also. // The Hawley Library and Hawley Publications shall continue to be a resource offered to the public in order to perpetuate the availability of subject matter that has due to the whims of history, been so nearly lost to society." (Heiho Okugisho cite)

Heihō Okugisho: The Secret of High Strategy

[Include image of Heiho Okugisho, including art of swordsmen (and maybe photo of manuscript cover)]

Worked on Bows, Arrows... "A reprint of a volume from the Shuko Jisshu (Epitome of ancient arts); originally printed in 1700." (from book description)

Among Hawley's collection was a (YEAR) copy of Heihō Okugisho, considered one the earliest martial arts treatises in Japan. The text was originally part of the Kōyō Gunkan, ______

Turnbull, Stephen (2000). The Samurai Sourcebook. London: Cassell & Co. p. 299. ISBN 1854095234.: "Similar sentiments are echoed in the Kōyō Gunkan, which contains one of the earliest treatises on martial arts. This is the Heihō Okugisho, attributed to Yamamoto Kansuke, one of Takeda Shingen's 'Twenty-Four Generals', who was killed at the fourth battle of Kawanakajima in 1561. His thoughts on strategy were incorporated into the classic Kōyō Gunkan, begun by Kōsaka Danjō, and finished after his death by Obata Kagenori in 1616. It includes practical advice on how to wield a sword, spear, bow and gun from the point of view of the...[page 300 -- buy/borrow book to extend quote]"

Since no English translation existed at the time, Obata decided to translate it in collaboration with Hawley (whose idea was it?)

Obata noted that the text was sparse and included Edo-era kanji, making it challenging to translate.

Obata's translation has been reviewed favorably.

Year	Title	Publisher	ISBN	Notes
1986	Naked Blade: A Manual of Samurai Swordsmanship	Dragon Books	ISBN 9780946062188
	Ninja Training Manual: A Treasure of Techniques	Dragon Books	ISBN 9780946062164	Under pseudonym Yukishiro Sanada
1987	Kama: Weapon Art of Okinawa	Dragon Books	ISBN 9780946062140
	Crimson Steel: The Sword Technique of the Samurai	Dragon Books	ISBN 9780946062195
1988	Samurai Aikijutsu: Techniques of the Samurai Swordsman	Dragon Books	ISBN 9780946062225
1990	Japanese Crest Designs	Hawley Publications	ISBN 0-910704-71-6	Editor
1994	Bows, Arrows & Quivers of Ancient Japan	Hawley Publications	ISBN 9780910704915	Credited as translator
	Heiho Okugisho: The Secret of High Strategy	Hawley Publications	ISBN 9780910704922	Translation
1995	Japanese Sword Terms and 400 Named Blades	Hawley Publications	ISBN 9780910704427	Editor
1999	Shinkendo: Japanese Swordsmanship	International Shinkendo Federation	ISBN 0-9668677-0-X	Second edition 2020, ISBN 0-9668677-9-3
2005	Shinkendo Tameshigiri: Samurai Swordsmanship & Test-Cutting	International Shinkendo Federation	ISBN 0-9668677-5-0
2008	The Art of War	Sweetwater Press	ISBN 978-1-49244-394-0	Credited as contributor and martial arts consultant
2012	Modern Bushido: Samurai Teachings for Modern Times	International Shinkendo Federation	ISBN 9780966867763

Videos

Obata has published a number of martial arts instructional videos. The subjects of these videos are variously shinkendō, aikidō, battōdō, martial arts footwork, and bōjutsu (long staff technique), with footage of Obata and his children and students demonstrating the techniques.

The videos Crimson Steel: The Sword Technique of the Samurai and Samurai Aikijutsu were published as complements to Obata's books of the same names. The video Shinkendo: Samurai Swordsmanship contains footage of Obata's 1994 performance of the kabutowari helmet-splitting test.

Year	Title	ISBN	Notes
	Crimson Steel: The Sword Technique of the Samurai	978-0-9668677-8-7
1988	Samurai Aikijutsu	0-9668677-4-2	Produced by Bernie Lau; published by Washington Budokan
	The Spirit of Bujutsu
1994	Shinkendo: Samurai Swordsmanship	978-0-9668677-9-4
	Self-Defense Aikido: The Techniques of the Samurai	0-9668677-1-8
1995	Molten Fire: The Ritual of the Sword		With Living National Treasure swordsmith Miyairi Shōhei
2005	Budo Ashisabaki	0-9668677-3-4	"Footwork for Martial Arts" (武道足捌き)
	Bojutsu Tanrendo	0-9668677-2-6	"The Art of Training in the Long Staff" (棒術鍛錬道)

See also

• Shinkendō
• Tameshigiri
• Aikidō
• Aikibujutsu
• Toyama-ryū

General bibliography

• Nakamura, Taisaburo (2013). The Spirit of the Sword: Iaido, Kendo, and Test Cutting with the Japanese Sword. Translated by Poffley, Gavin J. Berkeley: Blue Snake Books. ISBN 9781583945421. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
• Obata, Toshishiro (2005). Shinkendo Tameshigiri: Samurai Swordsmanship & Test-Cutting. Los Angeles: International Shinkendo Federation. ISBN 0-9668677-5-0. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
• Obata, Toshishiro (2012). Modern Bushido: Samurai Teachings for Modern Times. Los Angeles: International Shinkendo Federation. ISBN 978-0-9668677-6-3. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
• Obata, Toshishiro (2020). Shinkendo: Japanese Swordsmanship (Second ed.). Los Angeles: International Shinkendo Federation. ISBN 0-9668677-9-3. Retrieved August 30, 2022.

External links

• "Shinkendo Japanese Swordsmanship and Aikibujutsu Shokai Video" on YouTube
• "Samurai in the Modern World // 60 Second Docs" on YouTube
• International Shinkendō Federation (国際眞劍道連盟)
• International Toyama Ryū Federation (国際戸山流連盟)
• Aikibujutsu Tanren Kenkyūkai (合気武術研究会)
• Toshishiro Obata at IMDb
• ShinkendoTube's channel on YouTube