KUMOGAKURE RYU NINJUTSU
"Hiding in the Clouds School"
The taijutsu of Kumogakure Ryu is very similar to Togakure Ryu. The Kumogakure Ryu may have been created by the Toda family (also of Togkakure Ryu) in the 1600's, as a ninjutsu school of thought- centering it's techniques on the non-violent side of Ninpo. (The Togakure Ryu teaches that violence is to be avoided). The ninja of Kumogakure Ryu went into combat wearing armored sleeves to protect themselves. Another interesting feature of the ryu was the Demon Mask, sometimes worn by members of the system. Kikaku-ken (Demon Horn Fist, or head butt) gives rise to another theory of the Demon Mask. One of the special weapons of the style is the kamayari, or hooked spear. Used in combat against swordsmen, the hooks were used to parry and trap the incoming blades. It was also used to hook opponents from above. The Kumogakure Ryu densho mentions a ninja named Sarutobi Sasuke, who used the kamayari when leaping from tree to tree, hooking it onto the branches.
Another Kumogakure Ryu speciality involved survival training, and being able to light fires under all conditions.
Iga Heinaizaemon had a son, Kami Hattori Heitaro Koreyuki, who was the ancestor of Hattori Hanzo, the famous ninja.
This Ryu is famous for its Demon Masks that were worn to play on the myth surounding ninja and scare the enemy. A technique rarely if ever seen in other systems was kikaku ken - deamon horn strike (head butt).
This is one of the three ninpo ryuha in the Bujinkan and is known for its tobi (jumping techniques) and kamayari (sickled spear).