Jodo

Jodo is a little known Japanese martial art centered primarily around the use of a short staff, called a jo, particularly as it is applied in the defense against the Japanese swordsman. The classical form of the art, Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo, consists of 64 kata, divided into sets, each with a different character.

In 1968, the 25th headmaster of the school, Shimizu Takaji, developed a more compact form of the art. He called this new form Zen Ken Renmei Seitei Jodo, or Seitei Jodo for short. Seitei jodo aimed at teaching kendo students and modern police forces. Seitei Jodo, which is taught at Windsong, focuses on the study of 12 kata (ten which were chosen from the three first series of SMR kata seen to best represent the art, plus two other kata created specifically for the new system), and 12 basic techniques or kihon.