Toby Threadgill

Toby Threadgill began his martial arts training in 1978 in Santa Barbara where he studied western fencing under USN Capt. Hart Kait. He has since trained extensively in Wado-ryu karate, muay thai boxing, jujutsu, aikijujutsu and Jeet Kune do. In 1985 Toby Threadgill initiated training under Takamura Yukiyoshi, headmaster Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin ryu. In 1992 he founded the Soryushin Dojo and in 1994 was appointed a branch director of the Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Kai. In 1999, he was one of three people to be awarded a menkyo kaiden in Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin-ryu. Following the passing of Takamura Yukiyoshi in 2000, he was asked by the other TSYR branch directors to accept the position of administrative head (kaicho) of the Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Kai. He currently oversees instruction at the Shindo Yoshin Kai Hombu Dojo and maintains a busy international teaching schedule. Toby Threadgill as the TSYR kaicho inherited an extensive collection of historic documents and densho associated with his teachers research into the numerous branches of Yoshin ryu jujutsu. He continues the research started by his teacher and is now working in partnership with budo historian and author Shingo Ohgami. Their first book is currently in progress.