Taido
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| Taido | |
|---|---|
| Japanese Name | |
| Japanese | 躰道 |
| kana spelling | たいどう |
| Modified Hepburn | Taidō |
| Kunrei-shiki | Taidô |
| Nihon-shiki | Taidō |
A Taido match in Japanese taido championship |
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Taido ( 躰道 / taidō ) is a Japanese martial arts or budo created in 1965 by Seiken Shukumine (1925 - 2001). The word "Taido" can be translated as the way of the mind and body (or internal and external self). Taido has its roots in traditional Okinawan Karate. Feeling that the martial arts were not adapting to meet the needs of a changing world, Shukumine first developed a style of karate called Genseiryu around 1950.
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[edit] Founding
Eventually, he became convinced that the limitations of karate lay in its two-dimensional nature. He considered how to adapt the martial arts to a three-dimensional world and introduced the new art as "Taido." Taido's techniques offered many innovations: the inclusion of spinning and twisting movements, gymnastic maneuvers, speedy and effective footwork, and a changing body angle make Taido a thoroughly modern martial art.
Taido's purpose was, and continues to be, the application of scientific methodology and traditional values to the evolution of the martial arts. The concepts that make Taido unique include three-dimensional movements, combination of defense and counter-attacks, application of scientific principles to body movement, outlined methods of creating new techniques, and emphasis on the practitioner's relationship with society.
[edit] Five Types of Body Movements:
- Sen - Vertical spinning movement
- Un - Ascending and descending wave-like movement
- Hen - Falling movement characterized by changing the body's axis
- Nen - Horizontal spinning movement
- Ten - Rolling and tumbling movement
These movements are combined with punches, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, Ten, includes acrobatic movements, for instance back-flips, which makes Taido spectacular to watch. Taido has a special kind of foot-work, which is called unsoku, as well as non-stepping (acrobatic) locomotion, called unshin.
[edit] Competition
Competitions in Taido include Jissen (sparring), Hokei (which is similar to kata), and Tenkai, which is a made up fight, where one "hero" defeats five opponents during the last part of a 30 second bout. In Tenkai the judges give points to the competing teams in a similar manner as is done in e.g. figure skating.
Taido is practiced in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia and the USA.
There is also another Japanese martial arts named Taido ( 太道 / taidō ), but it is only practiced in Japan.
