Taido was thought up Seiken Shukumine. He started this Japanese martial art style in the early 1960s. The definition for Taido karate is “way of the body,” and it’s techniques are based on a classical Okinawan fighting method known as Te.

Taido was not the only time that Shukumine had founded a new martial arts style. When he was still a young man, he created a new kind of karate he named Gensei Ryu.

Karate and other martial arts have been popular in the West for a number of years. In the 1960s, prior to Taido, most practice was simplistic and the original techniques for this “empty handed” style of fighting went without many changes. yet, people’s perception of martial arts was changing and Shukumine was a student of philosophy who could see what would have to be altered as far as how old-style martial arts styles of training were concerned.

Shukumine understood that there were some issues with karate that limited the way it was able to be applied and taught. There wasn’t enough creativity and independence and the repetitions of the essential punches and kicks would quickly cease to challenge many trainees.

This martial arts techniques consisted of rigid and uninspired movements. Karate didn’t adapt over the years as far as the methods and instructions that were given to the students.

Shukumine felt that karate could be accepted as a fighting art form if he could conceive a way to generate more adaptable movements and innovations. He wanted to provide students the chance to become inspired by their practice and for this to happen the work and instructor had to inspire them. These thoughts became the driving force that would help him to create Taido.

before he founded Taido, Seiken Shukumine taught a martial arts form that was called Genseirvu karate. This was universal in its appeal, but still he felt that he could do more.

He decided that he could expand upon {traditional} karate attacks and training methods, and finally after ten years of teaching Genseiryu his new Taido karate form debuted. Taido was a contemporary, sophisticated form of budo that includes many aerial moves. It requires a student to incorporate twists, spins, speed and changing angles of the body. Shukumine’s desire was to use Taido karate to evolve the study and training of karate and other martial arts.

The goal of Taido is to increase the awareness of the students who train this martial arts form. Shukumine had one ultimate goal as far as the study of Taido karate was concerned. He expected to be able to help all Taido practitioners reach their maximum potential in all aspects of their lives.

Taido Principles

A Taido student must make sure that their thoughts are calm and clear. The mind needs to be as smooth as a placid lake. Then they will understand the reality of any situation. If the mind is kept calm and even it will prevent a student from being confused.

In Taido, the mind and body must be harmoniously composed. They must operate as a single entity. When a person behaves in the right manner, any type of insults will not bother him.

Taido students are instructed to practice calling upon the deepest power that is at the core of their being. Once a Taido karate practitioner has achieved this level, they will cease to experience any anxiety of confrontation or battle.

If a Taido student maintains these teachings, he will always manage to conduct themselves in an honorable and correct manner.

Taido teaches free thought, adaptability and flexibility in both techniques and belief. When a person has appropriate moves, their challenges cannot defeat them.

Basic Taido Body Movements

Sen- Taido punches or kicks that employ vertical spinning. Un – movements with wave like motion that ascends and descends. Hen – kicks that are initiated by a toppling motion resulting in tilting of the axis of the body. Nen – movements with horizontal twists. Ten – diving or flipping motions.

In addition to the punches and kicks, there are two different ways to execute the strikes. Unsoku – fast and strategic footwork for controlling space and angle to the opponent. Unshin – propulsion movements that are acrobatic in nature and don’t involve actual stepping on the floor.

A tournament in Taido

There are some special types of Taido Karate competitions that students can participate in. Jissen is Taido’s sparring, Taido style. Taido forms are called “Hokei” – closely related to kata in Karate.  Tenkai- these are bouts that are {acted outenacted} by teams of Taido members in which a defender is given the opportunity to stand against five of his “opponents” and demonstrate challenging or new techniques.