About Shindokan
Shindokan is dedicated to the training and study of the traditional martial arts of jujutsu and aikijujutsu. We seek to keep alive and pass on the traditions and techniques of the Japanese fighting arts that have endured for centuries before us.
Shindokan (translated as the Way of the Mind) is founded on the precept that the heart, mind, and body must be united together in harmony for a person to reach their fullest potential in life and as a martial artist. Of the three, the mind is the most important to this process of unification. The mind must be able to perceive and direct the training and discipline to the physical body while linking the intangible concepts of the heart such as courage and fortitude. It must also be able to control the debilitating, and sometimes deadly, states of mind such as fear, ego, and doubt. The importance of the mind to the Japanese arts and their culture was exemplified in their embracing of the Zen concepts of mushin or shin mushin (Mind of No Mind).
Shindokan also stresses the importance of intelligence and education to our arts. The martial arts of jujutsu and aikijujutsu demand at the very least a basic understanding of certain areas of knowledge, such as physics and anatomy. This knowledge is important to the student. Any new student in any martial art does nothing more than mimic what he is shown for some time. There is a point in training, however, where the martial artist must evolve. He must begin to do and combine, not because he is shown, but because awareness develops of the underlying principles and foundations. Knowledge, coupled with this awareness, leads to the evolution of the student.
A student must also cultivate knowledge about the history and culture surrounding our arts. The arts we train in are Japanese in origin although certain Okinawan and Chinese influences have their place in what we do as well. Becoming educated about these cultures and histories helps one to see why the arts are as they are, where they fit in with the present, and where they might go in the future. It has been said that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. It can also be said that those who do not think about the future tend to stay where they are…
Shindokan (translated as the Way of the Mind) is founded on the precept that the heart, mind, and body must be united together in harmony for a person to reach their fullest potential in life and as a martial artist. Of the three, the mind is the most important to this process of unification. The mind must be able to perceive and direct the training and discipline to the physical body while linking the intangible concepts of the heart such as courage and fortitude. It must also be able to control the debilitating, and sometimes deadly, states of mind such as fear, ego, and doubt. The importance of the mind to the Japanese arts and their culture was exemplified in their embracing of the Zen concepts of mushin or shin mushin (Mind of No Mind).
Shindokan also stresses the importance of intelligence and education to our arts. The martial arts of jujutsu and aikijujutsu demand at the very least a basic understanding of certain areas of knowledge, such as physics and anatomy. This knowledge is important to the student. Any new student in any martial art does nothing more than mimic what he is shown for some time. There is a point in training, however, where the martial artist must evolve. He must begin to do and combine, not because he is shown, but because awareness develops of the underlying principles and foundations. Knowledge, coupled with this awareness, leads to the evolution of the student.
A student must also cultivate knowledge about the history and culture surrounding our arts. The arts we train in are Japanese in origin although certain Okinawan and Chinese influences have their place in what we do as well. Becoming educated about these cultures and histories helps one to see why the arts are as they are, where they fit in with the present, and where they might go in the future. It has been said that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. It can also be said that those who do not think about the future tend to stay where they are…
Shindokan Dojo offers training in the traditional Japanese arts of jujutsu and aikijujutsu. There are no sport or tournament components to our training. Traditional Japanese dojo etiquette is followed at all times. The classical disciplines and techniques are adhered to along with a deep regard for the safety of the student.
