Rec and Sports

Describing a Dynamic Art

Taido is a fighting style founded in Japan by Seiken Shukumine. 

Taido has its foundations in pre-modern Japanese fighting.

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 1965, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the boundaries of karate and established Taido. 

Shukumine thought about how to make techniques more flexible 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.



Taido’s original objective was, and continues to be, the application of scientific methods and classical values to the evolution of the martial arts. According to its creator, Taido’s ultimate objective is to equip its students to function at a high level in society. 





There are five main principles in Taido. Keep your thoughts as clear and uncluttered as the polished surface of a still pond. This allows you to understand the heart of things. Having a responsive attitude will allow you to make the best decisions. Be well-prepared. Body and mind should be united. Bear yourself with dignity and you need never fear insult. Invigorate your spirit with proper breathing methods. With the right spirit you will never be threatened. In every action, follow the correct precepts you have trained. By doing so, you react quickly. Be adaptable in your thought and keep freedom of physical movement. The right technique will prevent you from being defeated.



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 unique method of footwork, which is called unsoku, and non-stepping locomotion, termed unshin. 

Tournaments in Taido include Jissen, forms, and Tenkai, which is a mock fight between one “hero” and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges give scores to the competing teams in a similar manner as is done in many Olympic sports.



Even after this explanation, unless you’ve actually experienced Taido, you likely still won’t have any solid idea of what Taido is about. Also, merely watching the techniques doesn’t tell you what Taido is intended for. To truly understand any budo, you must get an idea of why the techniques are developed 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.

To find out about Taido, visit Taido/Blog – the world’s most complete resource on Taido technique and jissen.