In the Oho era (1161 – 1162), Nishina Daisuke was born in Shinayu, near to Azumino province. Daisuke’s father was Nishina Yukihiro; he was a senior vassal of Kiso Yoshinaka. In the 1180’s Daisuke after fighting on the losing side in a battle, he escaped across to Japan; finally he ended up in Togakure village.

Here he studied the Shugendo sect, and learnt Ninjutsu under Kagakure Doshi. Another theory is that after the battle he went first to Iga, where he was found by Kain Doshi (another name for Kagakure Doshi). Kagakure Doshi was a ninja from the Hakuun Ryu. Kagakue also taught Shima Minamoto (who was to become the second Soke), and Daisuke, who later on, took Shima into his care.

Kiso Yoshinaka was Minamoto Yoritomo’s nephew (the first full Shogun of Japan), and the son of Minamoto Yoshikata, the younger brother of Minamoto Yoritomo. When Kiso was still a baby a Taira Samurai called Saito Sanemori was sent to kill him and his mother. Kiso’s mother escaped with him to a home of a peasant farmer loyal to the Minamoto cause.

The mother of the farmer took the Minamoto clans white flag, and ran away, hoping to lead the Taira Samurai in the wrong direction. When she reached lake Biwa she started to swim, and there in the fog she saw boats with Samurai aboard.

The boats contained Taira Samurai, who tried to cut at her with they sword. In doing so they cut off her arm, which held the flag. She and her arm still holding onto the flag sank to the bottom of the lake. Several days later, her son found her body and the arm holding the flag.

When Sanemori saw Kiso and his mother, he could not fulfil his mission, so the carried the arm of the farmer’s mother to his lord, claiming that it was off Kiso’s mother. Yoshinaka was the taken to Kiso village in Shinano. He later abandoned the name Minamoto, which was his family name, and changed it to "Kiso".

This was common practice in that era.

It was from then on that he was known as “Kiso Yoshinaka”. The army of his half brother Minamoto Yoshitsune attacked Kiso’s army. Here Minamoto fought Minamoto; Kiso was killed at this conflict called the “Battle of Awaza”. He rode in to battle with his wife Tomoe Gozen, and her half brother Imai. While sat on his horse he turned to face the opposing army, as he did so an arrow struck him in the face.

When he hit the ground two Samurai cut off his head from Yoshitsune army. Higuchi Matashichiro a descendant of Kiso found the Maniwa Nen Ryu. Garyu Doji found the Hakuun Ryu of Ninjutsu, but was later completed by Hakuun Doji who was the teacher of Kagakure Doshi.

It was Hakuun who later gave the name to his school thus giving the Ryu its name. Daisuke adopted Kagakure’s warrior teachings to his own Shugendo training, and the beginnings of the Togakure Ryu were formed.

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