Welcome to the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Taiho Jutsu & Ch'uang Tzu Chi Website
www.iw-taihojutsu.com
Simply defined, Taiho Jutsu means "control and restraint" techniques. Taiho Jutsu was created for the Japanese police force in 1947 and includes the study of "toshu" (unarmed), "keibo" (baton), "seijo" (handcuffing) and "hikitate-oyobi" (forcing a prisoner to their feet). The Shudokan Taiho Jutsu system is based upon techniques from Yoshinkai Aikido (the system taught to the Tokyo Riot Police), and techniques from Goju Sabudokai, Hapkido, Japanese Jujitsu and Ninjitsu.
During the Edo Period, the police developed many techniques to arrest dangerous criminals, who were usually armed and frequently desperate. The martial arts used by the feudal police and their assistants to arrest suspects is taiho jutsu.
Chuang Tzu is believed to lived in the Fourth or Third Century BCE, at a time when China was split up into a number of states weakly held together by the Chou dynasty. He was a minor government official for a while and was offered higher office, but declined on the grounds that it would limit his freedom.
Chuang became an influential Chinese Philosopher and his writings is at once trascendental while at the same time being deeply immersed within everyday life.
Chuang is regarded, by some as one of the most important figures in taoism after Lao Tzu and is credited with the expansion of Taoist philosophy as well as a founder of religious Taoism.
Taiho Jutsu: Law and order in Feudal Japan. (ISBN: 0804835365) This book by Don Cunningham presents a history of the criminal organizations, hooligans, feuds, and vendettas that developed in feudal Japan and the civil government, police system, and criminal investigations that arose to counteract them.
Way of Chuang Tzu. (ISBN: 0811201031) Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk, read and compared several different translations of the writings of Chuang Tzu over a five year period. He made notes and from them created a free verse style interpretation of various passages that he liked and were meaningful for him. From those notes this book was born.
Judo in the United States: A Century of Dedication . (ISBN: 1556435630) This book describes the history of judo in the United States, from its first introduction in the early 1900s to the present. The book identifies and discusses six periods of history, starting from the rooting of judo by immigrant settlers from Japan and judo ambassadors, through the period of growth and cultural activity, World War II, and the founding of national judo organisations.
The benefit of learning Taiho Jutsu is to provide yourself with the ability to defend your own safety when confronted with an unarmed or armed attacker. It is not to be used as a way of provokation. As well as a sense of confidence and assurance, it provides as a way to maintain a level of fitness not to mention the social side of the meetings.
To get the best from Taiho Jutsu requires dedication and plenty of practice. As you progress through the grades, demand both physical and mental increases on your body as you demonstrate more and more skill in the art.