About Shintaido

Shintaido ( 新体道 ) – a Japanese word translated as ‘New Body Way’, is a unique combination of martial arts and body movement that cultivates the spirit along with the mind and body created in Japan in the 1960’s under the leadership of Hiroyuki Aoki. Hiroyuki Aoki became a master of Shotokai karate in his twenties under Egami sensei – the founder of Shotokai karate.

Shintaido has been called a moving meditation. Its forms exemplify openness and freedom. The movements of shintaido provide a new way of experiencing our relationship with ourselves, others, nature, and the spiritual world. As well as being a practical martial art Shintaido aims to be a form of artistic expression, a healthy exercise, and a path of self-discovery and transformation.

Shintaido is practiced with open hands, but the shintaido curriculum also includes shintaido karate, bojutsu (棒術), involving the use of the long staff (or bō, 棒), and kenjutsu (剣術), using a wooden sword (or bokuto, 木刀). Its roots lay in the traditional Japanese martial arts, Chinese medicine and Buddhist meditation techniques, while its creator Hiroyuki Aoki was also influenced by modern Western art and spirituality.

In 1976 H. F. Ito (1942-2023) and Michael Thompson, together established the shintaido movement in the United States and are co-founders of Shintaido of America (SOA).