Friday, October 2, 2009

A Description of a Modern Budo

By Bill Williams

Karate master, Seiken Shukumine created Taido as a modern martial art.

With its foundations in the martial traditions of Okinawan Karate, Taido was Shukumine's attempt to crate a budo that evolved to meet the changing demands of modern society. This was only after establishing his Genseiryu Karate school in 1953.

Eventually, Shukumine saw karate as simplistic and dead. He determined that the limitations of karate lay in its linearity. In 1965, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the confines of what could be considered karate and founded Taido.

Shukumine meditated on how to make defense movements more adaptable and universal. Taido's techniques 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 "art of the body."

So what makes Taido unique? Taido techniques utilize changes of the body's bearing in order to facilitate simultaneous defense with attacking movements. Taido also relies on 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 dynamic body movement to create powerful strikes and manipulate the spatial relationship with the opponent.

Taido's thought process is based on appropriate reaction to dynamic situations instead of preset patterns of attack and protection. Taido's movements are also designed for improving health and longevity.

Taido's original purpose was, and continues to be, the application of scientific methodology and traditional values to the evolution of the martial arts. According to its founder, Taido's ultimate objective is to enable its practitioners to perform at a high level in society.

There are five main rules in Taido. Keep your thoughts as clear and calm as the reflective surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the reality of your environment. Having the correct state of mind will help you make the best decisions. Be composed. Body and spirit must be united. Hold yourself with dignity and you need never feel inferior. fill your spirit from the source of energy deep in your abdomen. With the right frame of mind you will never be threatened. In every action, follow the principles you have practiced. By doing so, you react quickly. Be adaptable in your thought and keep freedom of physical movement. The right methods will prevent you from being defeated.

Taido makes use of five types of body movements: vertical spinning movement, rising and falling jumping movement, dropping movement characterized by changing the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and rolling and tumbling 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.

Tournaments in Taido include Jissen, forms, and Tenkai, which is a pre-arranged combat between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges give scores to the players in a similar manner as is done in many Olympic sports.

Even after saying all that, unless you've actually witnessed Taido, you likely still won't have any concrete concept of what Taido is about. Also, just knowing about the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is aiming for. To really grok any budo, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are developed as they are.

Of course, Taido is changing martial art, so no definition can really encapsulate everything that Taido is. Each student eventually develops 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 remain the same for long.

Taido is currently taugh in Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the USA.

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