The 16th Soke of Takagi Ryu, Kakuno Hachiheita, divided the scrolls of Takagi Ryu and Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu. His student Tsutsui Tomotaro received Takagi Ryu; Minaki Saburoji Masanori received Menkyo Kaiden in Takagi Ryu and later became Soke of Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu.
After the war Japan was changing, and Minaki adapted his martial arts training to the new era. He withdrew to the mountains near Kobe, close to the Fumon waterfall, to meditate and reorder his mind.
He first called his new style Fumon Yoshin Ryu; only a few years later he renamed it Hontai Yoshin Ryu.
New kata performed standing
For his style, Minaki selected the Takagi Ryu techniques he considered most important and reorganised them. Instead of the kneeling techniques of Takagi Ryu, he created kata performed standing: Gyaku no Kata, Nage no Kata and Oku no Kata.
Kodachi has always been an important part of the school. Soke Minaki trained in Kyochi Ryu Sojutsu and Muto Ryu Kodachi. Selected techniques of today's Hontai Yoshin Ryu come from Kukishin Ryu Bojutsu – especially chobo and hanbo techniques. From Muto Ryu came mainly kodachi, tanto dori and tachi dori.
In the 1990s the 18th Soke, Inoue Tsuyoshi Munetoshi, also developed Hontai Yoshin Ryu Iaijutsu, which is now an integral part of this tradition.