My Ninja Way

The ninja art of To-Shin Do continuously inspires me to strive for greater capability, understanding, and skills. But why? As a long-time practitioner this isn’t always the easiest question to answer, because there are myriad reasons I keep training. At this current juncture in my path, here are the core reasons I have come to.

It has given me the ability to choose who and how I want to be. Let me be clear, this isn’t “deciding” how I want to be. It is choosing. There is a difference. - You see, "decision" is based on preconceived notions of how things ought to be. We could call this our story. It is all the experiences we have encountered that have shaped our thoughts and our bodies. Choice, to me, is the ability to determine an outcome, not based on our story, but rather the current, direct experience of reality. Over years of training, I feel like I now experience the ability to choose my destiny, rather than decide what will happen to me.

Have you ever wanted the ability to “own the room”? That is another core value I have gained from training in To-Shin Do. My continued passion for, and study of the art, allows me to be a person of presence. My ability to have “presence” has come from developing confidence, communication, authenticity, and improvisation, in equal measure. I have learned the ability to command my space and own my experience.

Of course, I can’t deny the cool factor. If I’m being honest it feels really cool to wear an all-black ninja uniform and be able to send someone tumbling head over heels. Even better... I get to feel cool with my friends. The people I have trained with can also do really incredible things in the middle of simulated conflict, and they look totally bad-ass while doing it.

If you want to be able to choose your experience, have presence, or simply want to feel cool, I encourage you to get in touch and we can discuss how you can start your quest on the ninja path.

To-Shin! -Casey Boutoshi (茂刀士) Toland