Shintaido has been called an "avant-garde martial art". It is still a young discipline, but it as begun to enjoy popularity around the world - in Japan and in the United States and Europe. It was created in 1960s by author Hiroyuki Aoki - who trained for many years in karate and bojutsu stick fighting before going on to establish this new system. Shintaido draws deeply on various ancient martial arts. A form of meditation in motion, it is a way to increased self-awareness and serenity. The spiritual basis of shintaido is the desire to reawaken the natural properties of the body, to open the consciousness and to strengthen the bonds between people and between people and nature. Technically it is a very comprehensive program of body movement, ranging from ancient practice and sparring techniques that have been completely reshaped and adapted, to new and original techniques for heightened awareness and concentration. Here then are some of the greatest kata from the ancient Ryukyuan (Okinawan) stick-fighting techniques, combined with a comprehensive array of kihon waza and various meditative techniques, all arranged so that they are accessible even to beginners. Within the broad field of Shintaido are various sub-disciplines such as Shintaido karate and Shintaido kenjutsu (sword techniques). One of the most popular of these is Shintaido bojutsu, which uses a very long (six-foot) wooden staff, or bo. Shintaido bojutsu is considered by many to be the most exciting area of Shintaido. One reason is that the use of the big bo allows practitioners to feel the Shintaido spirit more expansively. For instance, one of the most basic and profound meditation exercises involves stretching toward heaven and then toward the horizon. Doing this with a bo naturally extends one's reach greatly, increasing the sense of connectedness to all of nature. Likewise, the bo offers great freedom when doing kumibo, or partner practice. Since any hitting is done bo on bo, and not directly against a person, it is possible to use full force and to follow the movements through. The bo allows practitioners To move and communicate even more freely than one could empty-handed. Total Stick Fighting, heavily illustrated with nearly 700 photographs, is the first book to be published in any language on this area of Shintaido. Aimed at beginners through intermediate-level practitioners, it starts with such simple but crucial exercises as bo juggling, bo balancing and catch-bo - which help develop ambidextrousness in handling the bo and a sense of intimacy with it - and moves on to detailed introductions of the basic techniques that are the building-blocks of longer kata (series of movements) and kumibo (sparring). It outlines three of the most important kata, and goes on to describe in detail three kinds of sparring: basic kumibo, applied kumibo and soei kumibo. It also introduces Tenshingoso, a lengthy, meditative kata that is nearly "sacred" to Shintaido practitioners. A definitive text written by the system's founder, Total Stick Fighting can be used to amplify and reinforce study under a teacher, or for study on one's own. It is sure to be of interest to students of martial arts and to people who are looking for an enjoyable from of exercise that also offers a way to greater spiritual centeredness.
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