Carlos R. Febres - outline of his experience with the Takamatsuden - Beginning with the 1987 Second Annual World Ninja Summit, Dai Shihan Febres was personally invited to attend events by instructors in Togakure Ryu, and trained with such martial arts luminaries as Grandmaster Shoto Tanemura and Master Higuchi in Ohio. At that time, he joined Bujinkan Fellowship International, and was awarded Study Group Status for his Dojo in Puerto Rico.
In 1988, he attended the Third Annual World Ninja Summit, where he was asked to perform an official demonstration of the techniques of Nindo Ryu to the attendees of the Summit. He continued in his study of Togakure Ryu NinJutsu (as it was called at the time), and moved to the United States mainland in September of that same year. He established the first Nindo Ryu dojo in the continental US in November 1988. At that time, he was also comparing and exchanging information in his system with Hector Rodriguez (Genbukan/Koga Ryu) in New York.
In the spring of 1989, Dai Shihan Febres traveled to Ohio to continue training with Higuchi Sensei in Togakure Ryu, as well as Higuchi's other arts - IaiJutsu/Iaido, KenJutsu/Kendo, and Taiho Jutsu. He also attended the Forth Annual World Ninja summit in July of that year, in which Dai Shihan Febres was invited to participate as a member of the teaching staff at the event. At that time, He was first offered to test for rank in Togakure Ryu NinJutsu, but declined the opportunity. He kept in communication with Higuchi Sensei, but for all practical purposes, he focused on perpetuating Nindo Ryu. He established the second US Nindo Ryu dojo in that same year.
In 1990, he continued to train with Sensei of various KoRyu as well as modern BuJutsu. In 1991, Dai Shihan was once again approached by a Togakure Sensei withan opportunity to test for rank in their system, and Febres again was not able to accept that offer.
"As Nindo Ryu progressed and became a more complete Bujutsu system, and other Ryu were developed/included into the curriculum, so Nindo Ryu was changed from a description of one style to the name of the Kokusai in general, in the manner of many KoRyu. So a distinction had to be made, between the practitioners of Nindo Ryu NinJutsu per se, and the practitioners of other arts that were coming into the other Departments of the Kai - thus the Nine Shadows of Nindo Ryu were born." (taken from a conversation with Dai Shihan Febres)
