Learn self-defense and become a powerful protector in our To-Shin Do program!
To-Shin Do — pronounced “Toh Sheen Doh” — is a modern martial art and self-defense system rooted in Japanese ninja and samurai traditions. It was developed by Stephen K. Hayes and Rumiko Hayes in 1997 as a modern adaptation of historical taijutsu for real-world self-protection and personal development.
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Class Structure
Warm Up: We begin classes by warming up with punching drills and practicing foundational movements such as break-falls, get up drills, and rolling.
Technique: Each week has a set of techniques that will be taught and reviewed. Students take turns being the attacker and the defender in a variety of scenarios.
Free Response (Randori): At the end of class you will have a chance to practice what you have learned under pressure during free response.
Belt System:
To-Shin Do uses a 5 element model with corresponding belts for each level. Earning a black belt in To-Shin Do takes 4-6 years with consistent training.
White and Yellow Belt – Earth Element – techniques that promote balance, stability, being grounded
Blue Belt – Water Element – shifting angles and taking an opponents balance
Red Belt – Fire Element – controlling the timing of conflict, interrupting attacks
Green Belt – Wind Element – learning to move nimbly and avoid being trapped or pinned down
Brown Belt – Void Element – using skills learned in other elements to anticipate and control a confrontation, setting traps
Black Belt – Advanced Applications – now that you have mastered the elemental movements, you will continue to add and refine techniques.
Our Lineage
Lineage
After traveling to Japan in the 1970s and training extensively with Masaaki Hatsumi, the 34th-generation headmaster of the Togakure-ryū school of ninjutsu and head of the Bujinkan organization, Stephen K. Hayes returned to the United States with a vision: to adapt traditional martial methods for the realities of modern self-defense. From that vision, he developed To-Shin Do, a martial art grounded in time-honored tradition yet designed to help students respond effectively to the self-defense challenges most likely to arise in everyday life.
