Another event that took place in the Shindenfudo Ryu, was when a member of the Sekiguchi Ryu Jujutsu,
came to the Dojo to issue a challenge. The seating pattern in the Dojo, placed young, and skillful members
in the lower area, older, and not so skillful in the higher seats. One member of the Dojo aged 37, and f rom
the higher seats, was covered in burn scars across his face, and he was new to the dojo. He took up the
challenge, even when the other students tried to stop him. He got up from his seat, and ran down the dojo
screaming a loud Kiai. Immediately the man from the Sekiguchi Ryu backed away in fear, and cancelled
the contest. When questioned by Toda, he said he had to quit, because the attacking man looked so
frightening, and powerful.
When Takamatsu was 17 years old, an old man who was famous for his martial arts in Japan, called Ishitani Matsutaro Takekage. came to the Match factory owned by Takamatsu's father. He was using an old oak Bokken for a walking stick. Ishitani's ancestors were related to the Takamatsu family (maybe for this reason he came to the match factory). Takamatsu's father gave Ishitani a job as security guard, and Ishitani was also given a small area of the factory to use as a Dojo. With another person Takamatsu leapt at the chance to study under the old man. From him he studied the "Kuki Happo Biken no Jutsu" (Kukishinden Ryu) "The skill of the hidden weapons against nine demons in eight directions". Ishitani also trained in various aspects of Ninjutsu. Ishitani also taught Takamatsu two other schools of which he was also Soke of. These were Hon Tai Takagi Yoshin Ryu, which he was also studying with Mizuta, and Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu.
On one occasion the sleeping area for the Match factories workers caught fire. As everyone ran around screaming, Takamatsu was observed to be smoking a cigar, watching the fire. He then got one of the thick training Gi jackets, soaked it in water, put the jacket on. He grabbed a Hanbo (3ft stick), and running into the burning area. started to knock down the sliding walls with the hanbo. The collapsing walls helped extinguish the flames, saving the rest of the factory
Ishitani died a few more years, moments after passing the scrolls onto Takamatsu. it is said that he "died with his head in Takamatsu's lap".
Toda once told Takamatsu that "even when you are faced with death, die laughing".
Toda died 6th December 1909. Takamatsu received his Menkyo Kaiden from Toda when he was 22 years old.
Toda once told Takamatsu these two things
1. Even when you are standing in front of defeat, do it smiling.
2. Never talk about your knowledge, it might make it disappear.
Toda was also a senior instructor in Bikenshin Ryu Kenjutsu, a school that taught the Tokugawa shoguns. He also taught at a military academy in Nakano.
When Takamatsu was 18 years old he was working for his father at the Match factory. He would every day fetch the 330 gallons of fresh water the factory needed. The water came from a spring, which poured from the mouth of a stone turtle called "Kamae no mizu" (turtles water), on the Maruyama mountain, near to the Jinma shrine, in Akashi. this was sited 2/3 of a mile from the factory. The normal load, per trip, by the workers was two buckets, but Takamatsu would fetch four at a time, he made ten trips, each one weighing 529 pounds. He did this to condition, and strengthen his waist, and legs.
One morning one of the workers was talking to Takamatsu, and other workers at the match factory. He complained that the night before, while on a errand, he crossed the Shinbashi bridge,. It was on the bridge that his path was blocked by a man much larger than himself. The worker tried to move to the left so that he could pass him, but as he moved, the man also moved to still block his way. So the worker moved to the right, and again the big man followed. The big man then grabbed him by the collar, and he was then thrown into the water. The worker then begged not to be sent on any more errands over the Shinbashi bridge at night. As he talked he was overheard by another worker, who said that a few nights before the same had happened to him. The Shinbashi bridge is very close to the Akashi shore, and Takamatsu decided that he would cross the bridge himself. That night he crossed it several times, but nothing happened.