To-Shin Do
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To-Shin Do is a martial art style established by Stephen K. Hayes as a means of teaching Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu in a format more accessible to American audiences. His prior organizations, the Shadows of Iga Ninja Society, and the Nine Gates Institute, relied more on classical martial arts methods of instruction. To-Shin Do was founded to be a blend of classical martial arts techniques taught with more modern educational methods.
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Lineage
To-Shin Do encompasses the nine schools passed down from Toshitsugu Takamatsu:
- Togakure Ryu
- Koto Ryu
- Gyokko Ryu
- Kukishinden Ryu
- Takagi Yoshin Ryu
- Shinden Fudo Ryu
- Gyokushin Ryu
- Gikan Ryu
- Kumogakure Ryu
To-Shin Do blends the classical traditions with modern education theory.
History
To-Shin Do was founded in 1996 as the curriculum for the HGI Quest Centers, a corporation founded by Shidoshi Hayes, along with business developer Bill Poett and Joseph Koenig. A couple of years later, Poett's role in the corporation decreased, and the business was renamed SKH Quest, Inc.
In 2003, Tom Maienza took over the business development role, and SKH Quest began to offer distance learning systems via DVD, along with the original concept of Quest Center martial arts franchises. Along with the To-Shin Do goshin taijutsu modern self defense, SKH Quest has begun to offer classical certification in individual lineages.
Ranks
To-Shin Do has a number of different belt ranks corresponding roughly to the former Marishi-Kai belt system above the rank of black belt, with a new, more differentiated ranking system below the rank of black belt. Ranks are based on the go-dai elemental system, historically used as a counting system in Japan.
- White belt - jugokyu 15th class student
Earth
- Yellow belt - juyonkyu 14th class student
- Yellow/black stripe belt - jusankyu 13th class student
Water
- Blue/white stripe belt - junikyu 12th class student
- Blue belt - juikkyu 11th class student
- Blue/black stripe belt - jukyu 10th class student
Fire
- Red/white stripe belt - kyukyu 9th class student
- Red belt - hachikyu 8th class student
- Red/black stripe belt - nanakyu 7th class student
Wind
- Green/white stripe belt - rokkyu 6th class student
- Green belt - gokyu 5th class student
- Green/black stripe belt - yonkyu 4th class student
Void
- Brown/white stripe belt - sankyu 3rd class student
- Brown belt - nikyu 2nd class student
- Brown/black stripe belt - ikkyu 1st class student
Black Belt Ranks
- Black - shodan 1st degree student
- Black - nidan 2nd degree student
- Black/bronze stripe - sandan 3rd degree student
- Black/bronze stripe - yondan 4th degree student
- Black/silver stripe - godan 5th degree student
- Black/silver stripe - rokudan 6th degree student
- Black/gold stripe - nanadan 7th degree student
- Black/gold stripe - hachidan 8th degree student
- Unknown - kyudan 9th degree student
- Unknown - judan 10th degree student
Founders
An-shu Stephen Hayes - hermitage director
An-shu Rumiko Hayes
External Links
- To-Shin Do Homepage (http://www.Skhquest.com/)
- To-Shin Do discussion list (http://www.quest-l.com/)