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Taido is a fighting style developed in Japan by Seiken Shukumine.
Taido has its roots in old-style Okinawan martial arts.
Believing that Japanese Budo, particularly karate, were failing to meet the needs of the post-War era, Shukumine founded a school of Budo called Genseiryu in the early 1950s. Later, Shukumine saw karate as simplistic and dead. He decided that the limitations of karate lay in its linear mode of training.
In 1964, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the confines of what could be considered karate and founded Taido. Shukumine thought about how to make defense movements more adaptable and applicable.
Taido's movements offered many innovations: the inclusion of spinning and twisting movements, gymnastic maneuvers, fast and effective footwork, and a changing body axis. The word Taido translates as "way of the body."
So what makes Taido unique? Taido techniques make use of changes of the body's axis in order to facilitate simultaneous defense and attacking movements. 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 underlie each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create powerful strikes and manage the spatial relationship with the opponent. Taido's thought process is based on creative reaction to changing situations instead of pre-determined algorithms of offensive maneuvers and defense. Taido's movements are also designed for improving health and longevity.
According to its creator, Taido's highest goal is to enable its practitioners to function at a high level in society.
There are five main rules in Taido. Keep your thoughts as clear and calm as the polished surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the heart of things. Having a responsive attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be confident. Body and spirit should be as one. Hold yourself correctly and you need never feel inferior. fill your spirit with proper breathing methods. With the right spirit you will never feel weak. In every action, follow the correct precepts you have been taught. By doing so, you cannot act wrongly. Be adaptable in your thought and maintain freedom of physical movement. The best methods will prevent you from being beaten.
Taido employs five classes of body movements: vertical spinning movement, ascending and descending jumping movement, see-saw movement characterized by tilting the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and acrobatic movements. These movements are combined with punches, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, called "tentai," includes gymnastic movements, for instance back-flips, which makes Taido exciting to watch.
Taido has a special method of footwork, known as unsoku, and acrobatic locomotion, termed unshin. Tournaments in Taido include Jissen, forms, and Tenkai, which is a mock combat between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges give scores to the teams in a similar manner as is done in many Olympic sports.
Even after saying all that, unless you've actually experienced Taido, you likely still won't have any concrete concept of what Taido is about. Also, merely knowing about the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is necessarily about. To really get any budo, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are.
To really grok any martial art, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are. Of course, Taido is an evolving art, so no definition can really encompass everything that Taido is. Each student eventually develops their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and skills. Taido itself emphasizes creativity and the development of new techniques.
It is not a martial art that will remain the same for long. Taido is currently practiced in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and the USA.
Believing that Japanese Budo, particularly karate, were failing to meet the needs of the post-War era, Shukumine founded a school of Budo called Genseiryu in the early 1950s. Later, Shukumine saw karate as simplistic and dead. He decided that the limitations of karate lay in its linear mode of training.
In 1964, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the confines of what could be considered karate and founded Taido. Shukumine thought about how to make defense movements more adaptable and applicable.
Taido's movements offered many innovations: the inclusion of spinning and twisting movements, gymnastic maneuvers, fast and effective footwork, and a changing body axis. The word Taido translates as "way of the body."
So what makes Taido unique? Taido techniques make use of changes of the body's axis in order to facilitate simultaneous defense and attacking movements. 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 underlie each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create powerful strikes and manage the spatial relationship with the opponent. Taido's thought process is based on creative reaction to changing situations instead of pre-determined algorithms of offensive maneuvers and defense. Taido's movements are also designed for improving health and longevity.
According to its creator, Taido's highest goal is to enable its practitioners to function at a high level in society.
There are five main rules in Taido. Keep your thoughts as clear and calm as the polished surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the heart of things. Having a responsive attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be confident. Body and spirit should be as one. Hold yourself correctly and you need never feel inferior. fill your spirit with proper breathing methods. With the right spirit you will never feel weak. In every action, follow the correct precepts you have been taught. By doing so, you cannot act wrongly. Be adaptable in your thought and maintain freedom of physical movement. The best methods will prevent you from being beaten.
Taido employs five classes of body movements: vertical spinning movement, ascending and descending jumping movement, see-saw movement characterized by tilting the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and acrobatic movements. These movements are combined with punches, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, called "tentai," includes gymnastic movements, for instance back-flips, which makes Taido exciting to watch.
Taido has a special method of footwork, known as unsoku, and acrobatic locomotion, termed unshin. Tournaments in Taido include Jissen, forms, and Tenkai, which is a mock combat between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges give scores to the teams in a similar manner as is done in many Olympic sports.
Even after saying all that, unless you've actually experienced Taido, you likely still won't have any concrete concept of what Taido is about. Also, merely knowing about the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is necessarily about. To really get any budo, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are.
To really grok any martial art, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are. Of course, Taido is an evolving art, so no definition can really encompass everything that Taido is. Each student eventually develops their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and skills. Taido itself emphasizes creativity and the development of new techniques.
It is not a martial art that will remain the same 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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