Career
Specialising in various weapon forms (Bojutsu, Sojutsu, Iaijutsu, Naginata) and unarmed fighting methods. He is also an author and has appeared in numerous world media. In 1988 he traveled to France as part of the Nihon Budo delegation selected by the Japanese Ministry of Education and the Agency of Cultural Affairs.
Since then he has frequently been invited to teach in Germany, Italy, England, France, Denmark, Kuwait and Sweden.
In 1963, Fumon Tanaka was accepted as a disciple by Nichikan Kobayashi, 10th of the old school of sword. The Odachi sword employed in this school is more than 2 meters long, a compromise between the large sword, the lance and the halberd.
In 1975, Tanaka was selected to succeed his master as the head of the school and became the 11th after having received, in 1973, the certificate of complete mastery (menkyo kaiden). He thus received in 1975 Gokui kaiden, (transmission of all the major techniques) of the school, concerning:
Koden iai (the art of quick drawing the greatsword, called Sengoku Ōdachi in this school)
Kenjutsu and Jūjutsu
Kumiuchi Hyogo (fusion of kenjutsu and jujutsu)
bojutsu (staffs)
sojutsu (spears)
naginata (glaives)
Honmon Suemonogiri Kenpo - techniques of cutting objects with the sword.
In 1973 Tanaka Sensei is accepted as a secret disciple of the Head-Master Minaki Saburoji Masanori 17th Master of the Kukishin-ryū and Hontai Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu (Bō and Hanbō).
In 1985, he receives the licens of Menkyo Kaiden. The 18th Soké of the schools, Kyodo Matsuda was Sōke only one day. He then named Sōke Tanaka as 19th Soké of the Kukishin Ryu and Hontai Yōshin-ryū Jujutsu.
Fumon Tanaka is currently Sōke of the following ryū:
19th Sōke - Kukishin Ryu Bujutsu
11th Sōke - Koden
4th Sōke - The restored school Honmon Suemonogiri Kenpo
19th Sōke - Tenshin Hyoho Shoden Kukamishin Ryu
Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryu
Bokuden Ryu
Shinden Fudo Ryu
Asayama Ichiden Ryu
Shindo Tenshin Ryu
Modern Kendō - 4th dan
Modern Bōjutsu - 5th dan
Kumiuchi Hyōhō Soden Yawara-no-jutsu - 7th dan
Kyoshi battōjutsu - 7th dan
Hanshi kobudō - 8th dan
Koga Ryu ninjutsu
Iga Ryu ninpo
1989 - he received the title of Hanshi 8th Dan at the age of 46 years, he is the youngest person so highly graded in an Official Japanese Federation.
He is 9th Dan of the World Jujutsu Federation. Fumon Tanaka has appeared in the British Broadcasting Corporation series Mind, Body & Kick Ass Moves and is shown in episode 7.
