THE ART – EXPERIENCE PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION THROUGH THE UNIQUE MARTIAL ART OF TO-SHIN DO®
Ancient Secrets
The Ninja of ancient Japan were martial arts wizards who unlocked the secrets of subtle movement in order to protect their community. For hundreds of years nine families have passed down these lessons in secret to the current generation.
Discovered Once More
In the 1970’s a young man, Stephen K. Hayes, traveled to Japan with the unlikely goal of finding the ninja. He succeeded, joined them, became a direct student of the last ninja grandmaster Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi and through his seminars, books and videos introduced the world to the art of ninjutsu.
For the Modern World
Today these lessons are taught around the world and made applicable for westerners in the twenty-first century through Stephen K. Hayes’ art of To-Shin Do®. Boulder Quest Center, with over a century of combined martial experience, can be your guide.
SENSEI – YOUR GUIDES ON THE WARRIOR’S QUEST
SCOTT BRAGG
Mr. Bragg is a 7th Degree, Senior Master and is the senior-most student under the guidance of the highest ranked To-Shin Do Senior Master in the world, 9th Degree Black Belt, Mark Sentoshi Russo.
He has been training since the age of 16, commuting back and forth from Orlando, FL to Tampa, FL and traveling the country seeking out the secrets of To-Shin Do Ninjutsu training for over 30 years.
“At this point in my own training, I’ve realized that Martial Arts, in its essence, should be a platform for self-discovery. Not to compete and conquer the world, but to be an actively engaged part of it. How one approaches this endeavor will directly reflect how one views their own life. It can open you up, show you your strengths and guide you through areas of growth. Doesn’t that seem like a journey worth taking?”
Mr. Bragg’s approach to sharing his Martial Arts experiences comes from his career as a professional entertainer: Include everyone, have fun, be honest with yourself and energize the experience!
“This is a living, breathing Martial Art. You get out of it what you put in to it, ‘IT’ being your own personal approach. Everyone has there own unique reasons why they want to start training. Thinking back, the reasons I began training are completely different as to why I continue now. Even to this day, with more than 30 years of experience, I am still receiving new lessons from my mentors around the world. I’m so grateful to know my plate will never be full”
IAN SANDERSON
Ian Leitoshi (ray-toh-shee) Sanderson holds the rank of Yondan 4th Degree Black Belt and has studied martial arts for over 20 years. His Warrior name means “Warrior Knight of the Encouraging Blade.” Prior to finding his home in To-Shin Do, he trained variously in Mizongyi Kung Fu, Tai Chi Chuan, Pa-Kua, Brazilian Jujutsu, Daito-Ryu Aikijujutsu, Arnis, Iaido, and Capoeira. He has also spent his life as a wilderness experience facilitator and brings his wilderness and martial arts backgrounds together in his teaching of awareness, stealth, camouflage, tracking, and many other outdoor skills. A member of the Mohawk Nation, Turtle clan, Ian is from the Six Nations of the Grand River reservation in Ontario, Canada. He has also spent many years studying and teaching Indigenous cultural traditions, rights, history, and modern issues. Additionally, he is senior adjunct faculty at Naropa University and has facilitated 800-900 group training and speaking engagements over the last 20 years serving a diverse array of organizations. He sees the ninja lineage as a living history that has much to teach us today about how the disenfranchised can find freedom, prosperity, and happiness now.
In between all this, Ian can be found hanging out with his amazing wife, housemates, two dogs, two cats, eight chickens, a bunch of fish, and a whole lot of bees as they all try to figure out small-scale sustainable community.
KEEGAN SMITH
Keegan Meitoshi (may-toh-shee) Smith holds a fourth-degree black belt in To-Shin Do at the Boulder Quest Center, as well as a third-degree black belt in Shaolin Kempo, and a first-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. His Warrior Name means “Warrior Knight of the Celebrated Blade”. He is the mind behind BQC’s youth program, but with over 10 years of martial arts teaching experience, he enjoys teaching all ages. Boulder born and raised, he started his movement journey with classical ballet and has experience with several forms of healing arts including Reiki and Clinical Kinesiology.
Outside of the dojo, Keegan has developed proficiency in the Japanese language and food culture from working at and helping to run some local Japanese restaurants. His specialty is izakaya style dining and sake pairings.