I take Taido seriously for the most part, and you've probably noticed in these tips that I can be very intense when it comes to certain details. So far, I've given you a lot of detailed information on developing certain skills and attributes that will improve your Taido. But in this installment, I want you to take a step back and do two things:

  1. Look at a somewhat larger picture of Taido, and...
  2. Have some fun with your practice.

One of the cool features of the Asia Pacific meet in Australia was the inclusion of an original hokei competition. In this event, competitors create their own hokei and perform it on the court. It's always a lot of fun to try new things and see others' ideas.

I create new hokei all the time, sometimes spontaneously. Sometimes they're really cool, and sometimes, they just don't work at all. Who cares? It's fun, and sometimes, that's more important than the details.

So that's what I'd like you to try: Make your own hokei.

It can be long, short, fast, slow... whatever.  You can share it with others or keep it to yourself. You can try new things or put old things together in a new way. Up to you.

I've assigned this exercise to my students before, and the results are always interesting.

Try it for yourself, and if you're feeling especially brave, post a video on YouTube.  Here's one I came up with for a local tournament a few years ago:

I'd really love to see what you come up with too.

Have some fun with this, because Taido doesn't have to be serious all the time.