Students have asked how to get one of those beautiful metallic gold-striped Shihan black belts worn by Mark Sentoshi Russo, James Kentoshi Norris, and Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney. I always reply with the same 3-part answer:

• First, train for decades to develop incredibly refined martial arts skills.
• Next, perfect the art of looking at a student’s movement and listening to their questions and knowing just what they need to see, hear, and experience in order to break through and advance.
• Third, realize a commitment to promoting To-Shin Do martial arts in the world and attracting large numbers of new students to our dojos and our NinjaSelfDefense.com web-based training hall; without any doubt, To-Shin Do will have become your identity, and people will see you as more committed to To-Shin Do the art than to your own personal dojo.

Shihan service and responsibilities include overseeing To-Shin Do belt and diploma testing and promotion, developing ever-expanding training program curriculums for world-wide dojos and our internet “dojo without boundaries”, and actively advising and guiding To-Shin Do Licensed Affiliate Instructors.

Shihan is not likely a role many people will choose to pursue. As An-shu I demand a lot from my Shihan team. I expect the highest possible personal martial skill. I expect an ability to teach powerfully motivating and inspiring classes and workshops. And I require full undiluted proven-through-experience faith in our To-Shin Do as the most significant and needed martial art for personal defense and self-development in the world.

Shihan will be joining my seminar teaching activity, picking up more seminars around the world to help me build To-Shin Do and empower millions of people. Please contact us at seminars@to-shin-do.com if you are serious and have a group that would like some up-close, personal instruction. Depending on the size of the group and the dates requested, one of us will be happy to visit.

James Kentoshi Norris, long-time “right hand man” at my Dayton Quest Center has now moved out into the bigger world as Shihan. He is available to travel and get new training groups established and supported. Contact the Hombu headquarters dojo if you would like to invite Kentoshi Norris for dojo-building help.

More and more teaching videos are being made available through our online training library at NinjaSelfDefense.com . We will soon have a generous offer for those who take this art so seriously that they would jump at a “lifetime membership” opportunity.

“To change is to grow, and to have changed much is to have grown much.” I like that sentiment. Cruising into 2014, my fervent commitment is to take our unparalleled To-Shin Do ninja tradition martial arts further into more people’s lives. I totally believe in what we are building. I totally believe that what we offer is one important answer to many of the problems that we as a world society are facing. Looking at the many heartbreaking modern problems that challenge so many people around the world right now, my Shihan and I stand for the ideals of the noble warriors of the past. We are willing to share all the secrets for how to build an authentic life through the path of assisting others to find courage and intelligence in the face of conflict and confrontation.