Taido is a martial art developed in Japan by Seiken Shukumine.
Shukumine was trained in the classical budo tradition of Okinawa. After WW2, he began to feel that karate no longer met the needs of a changing society. In 1953, he founded his Genseiryu school to address those changes.
After ten years of teaching Genseiryu, Shukumine grew to see karate as stagnant and unchanging. He realized that the limitations of karate lay in its two-dimensional nature. In 1965, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the confines of what could be considered karate and founded Taido.
Shukumine thought about how to make techniques more flexible and universal. Taido's movements offered many innovations: the addition of spinning and twisting movements, gymnastic maneuvers, speedy and effective footwork, and a changing body angle. The name Taido means "way of the body."
So what makes Taido different from karate? Taido techniques use changes of the body's bearing in order to expedite simultaneous defense with attacking techniques. Taido also emphasizes the use of footwork to take advantageous angles and distance to the opponent. This footwork is functionally connected to the body mechanics that form the basis of each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create strong techniques and control the spatial relationship with the opponent.
Taido's thought process is based on appropriate responses to changing situations rather than preset algorithms of offensive maneuvers and defense. Taido's movements are also designed for promoting health and longevity.
Taido's original ideal was, and continues to be, the application of scientific thought and traditional values to the improvement of the martial arts. According to its founder, Taido's ultimate goal is to enable its practitioners to function at a high level in society.
There are five main principles in Taido. Keep your mind as clear and calm as the reflective surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the reality of things. Having the right attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be composed. Body and mind should be as one. Hold yourself correctly and you need never feel inferior. Invigorate your spirit from the source of energy deep in your abdomen. With the right intention you will never be threatened. In every thing you do, follow the principles you have trained. By doing so, you cannot act wrongly. Be adaptable in your techniques and keep freedom of physical movement. The right technique will prevent you from being dominated.
Taido makes use of five types of body movements: vertical spinning movement, ascending and descending jumping movement, lever-like movement achieved by changing the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and acrobatic movements.
These movements are connected with strikes, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, called "tentai," includes gymnastic movements, for instance somersaults, which makes Taido spectacular to watch. Taido has a unique kind of footwork, which is called unsoku, and acrobatic locomotion, termed unshin.
Competitions in Taido include sparring, Hokei, and Tenkai, which is a mock combat between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges award scores to the competing teams in a similar manner as is done in figure skating.
Even after this explanation, unless you've actually experienced Taido, you probably still won't have any solid idea of what Taido is about. Also, just seeing the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is intended for. To truly grok any martial art, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are.
Of course, Taido is changing martial art, so no explanation can really encapsulate all that Taido is. Everyone eventually forms their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and how they move. Taido itself emphasizes creativity and the development of new techniques. It is not a martial art that will stand in one place for long.
Taido is currently practiced in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and the USA.
Shukumine was trained in the classical budo tradition of Okinawa. After WW2, he began to feel that karate no longer met the needs of a changing society. In 1953, he founded his Genseiryu school to address those changes.
After ten years of teaching Genseiryu, Shukumine grew to see karate as stagnant and unchanging. He realized that the limitations of karate lay in its two-dimensional nature. In 1965, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the confines of what could be considered karate and founded Taido.
Shukumine thought about how to make techniques more flexible and universal. Taido's movements offered many innovations: the addition of spinning and twisting movements, gymnastic maneuvers, speedy and effective footwork, and a changing body angle. The name Taido means "way of the body."
So what makes Taido different from karate? Taido techniques use changes of the body's bearing in order to expedite simultaneous defense with attacking techniques. Taido also emphasizes the use of footwork to take advantageous angles and distance to the opponent. This footwork is functionally connected to the body mechanics that form the basis of each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create strong techniques and control the spatial relationship with the opponent.
Taido's thought process is based on appropriate responses to changing situations rather than preset algorithms of offensive maneuvers and defense. Taido's movements are also designed for promoting health and longevity.
Taido's original ideal was, and continues to be, the application of scientific thought and traditional values to the improvement of the martial arts. According to its founder, Taido's ultimate goal is to enable its practitioners to function at a high level in society.
There are five main principles in Taido. Keep your mind as clear and calm as the reflective surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the reality of things. Having the right attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be composed. Body and mind should be as one. Hold yourself correctly and you need never feel inferior. Invigorate your spirit from the source of energy deep in your abdomen. With the right intention you will never be threatened. In every thing you do, follow the principles you have trained. By doing so, you cannot act wrongly. Be adaptable in your techniques and keep freedom of physical movement. The right technique will prevent you from being dominated.
Taido makes use of five types of body movements: vertical spinning movement, ascending and descending jumping movement, lever-like movement achieved by changing the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and acrobatic movements.
These movements are connected with strikes, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, called "tentai," includes gymnastic movements, for instance somersaults, which makes Taido spectacular to watch. Taido has a unique kind of footwork, which is called unsoku, and acrobatic locomotion, termed unshin.
Competitions in Taido include sparring, Hokei, and Tenkai, which is a mock combat between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges award scores to the competing teams in a similar manner as is done in figure skating.
Even after this explanation, unless you've actually experienced Taido, you probably still won't have any solid idea of what Taido is about. Also, just seeing the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is intended for. To truly grok any martial art, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are.
Of course, Taido is changing martial art, so no explanation can really encapsulate all that Taido is. Everyone eventually forms their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and how they move. Taido itself emphasizes creativity and the development of new techniques. It is not a martial art that will stand in one place for long.
Taido is currently practiced in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and the USA.
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