Manaka Fumio was born in the Ibaraki Prefecture (Japan) on the 14th December of 1945. During his childhood his health was rather weak. To improve his health & strength, he took up swimming, judo, kendo,...

In 1959, at the age of 14, he won a local judo-championship in Noda-shi (Chiba Prefecture), where he was introduced to Masaaki Hatsumi - Soke of the Bujinkan-federation. After this encounter Manaka Fumio became a personal student of Masaaki Hatsumi.

The next few years were very tough. Manaka Sensei was mainly being used as a training dummy by the other students. During the first three years he only learnt striking, kicking, and ukemi ("receiving with the body"). As time went by, his fellow-students of those days chose different paths. and Manaka Fumio became the 'senior' student himself.

After high school Manaka-san chose a career in the military. He graduated from the Japan Defense Academy in March 1968 and became a Major within the Jieitai (founded in 1953 - armed forces, japanese army). Sensei was stationed in the Ground Self Defence Ordinance School. He also studied at the Hawk Missile Ordinance School in Huntsville, Alabama (U.S.A.).

Manaka Fumio stayed in the army (the japanese navy to be more precise) for the next 33 years, until he retired as Lieutenant-Colonel in 2001.

During his years in the navy being a long way from home (and from his teacher) was not a rare occurrence. Thus to compensate this rigorous solo-training was used to perfect what he had already been taught.

Manaka Sensei's time as a student of Hatsumi Masaaki lasted almost four decades, in which he attained menkyo kaiden in three ryu-ha: Koto-Ryu Koppojutsu, Gyokko-Ryu Kosshijutsu, and Togakure-Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu; as well as instructor-licenses in Kukishin-Ryu Happo Biken, Takagi Yoshin-Ryu Jutaijutsu, and Shinden Fudo-Ryu Dakentaijutsu / Jutaijutsu. His received bugo then were Gyokko (Jewel Tiger) and Ohgo (King of Tigers). In 1968, when Hatsumi Sensei was ill, he ordered Manaka Fumio to copy the densho.

In October 1996 his own organisation was founded: Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan (hall of the natural where old realistic martial arts are taught); and Manaka Fumio chose Unsui (wandering priest, independent seeker of enlightenment), as his warrior name, referring to Shizen Koun Ryusui (the natural floating clouds and streaming water).

Unsui also refers to a zen-buddhist novice who's on a pilgrimage (angya).

According to Sensei nothing in nature is identical, there are similarities but everything is unique. As is the warrior, and by being unique everyone becomes unpredictable and thus invincible.

At the same time Manaka's own school was also founded, Jinen-Ryu (Jissen Kobudo): bikenjutsu, nitojutsu, tantojutsu, juttejutsu and kusarifundojutsu. The purpose of Jinen-Ryu is mastering moving like the wind or like water (soft or supple) or like a whirlwind or tsunami (very powerful).

“Of all elements, the sage should choose water as his teacher. Water is all victorious...water evades all confrontations with a kind of deceptive modesty, but no power can prevent it from following its predestined course to the sea. Water conquers through humility, it never attacks but nevertheless wins the final battle. The sage who makes himself like water is distinguished by his humility. He works through passivity, acts through non-action and thus conquers the world”...

Having been to the United States several times before, in 2001 Manaka Unsui decided to actually go and live there for a few years. This with the purpose of creating a more direct contact with his american and european students, as well as raising the level of the Jinenkan on an international basis. After deciding that this was indeed the case by 2004, he returned to Japan, where the Jinenkan Honbu Dojo has been located henceforth.

Since retiring from the Navy in 2001, training as well as transmitting the old japanese martial arts has been a full-time job for Manaka Sensei - in an open, honest, and thorough manner.

Twice a year Sensei travelled abroad (alternately to the United States and Europe) to lead an international seminar. In May of 2007 & April of 2011 Manaka Sensei was our guest in Ghent for a whole week which resulted in two very successful events.

The seminar in Ghent of April 2011 was Manaka Unsui's very last international seminar. To train with Sensei one now has to travel to the Jinenkan Honbu Dojo in Japan.