Cultures and conflicts all over the world have given rise to numerous, unique martial arts.
Our martial art is called To-Shin Do, and its story begins on Japan’s Togakure Mountain nearly nine centuries ago with the emergence of one of the most legendary and mysterious heroes in military history:
Have you ever heard of
a ninja?
the Ninja
a legacy of survival
Feudal era special operations required ninja for surveillance, intelligence gathering, psychological warfare, and other missions requiring stealth, secrecy, and discretion.
A kunoichi (female ninja) serving tea to a military official, may overhear him planning the next battle. She then discreetly passes this war-changing intel to her associate, disguised as a stable hand, who would then relay it to someone outside the camp.
These ninja agents survived by going undetected as they worked their hidden missions.
Getting in a fight could mean failure or death. They would do whatever it took to avoid conflict. They were masters of blending into their environment, talking their way out of trouble, and using distraction, diversion, and disguise.
Ninja studied the same hand to hand combat, weapons, and military strategy as samurai (many ninja were samurai), but with a few extra specialized skills to help them escape danger.
If a fight was unavoidable, their rulebook was quite different from the noble, proud samurai. The same blending in they did to avoid a fight, they could do in a fight.
They could conceal their intent from on-lookers or make the attacker think he is winning, or make the entire fight look like a clumsy mistake. Like fighting smoke!
A guard may be so embarrassed, he doesn’t even feel like raising the alarm and telling his fellow guards that he clumsily “slipped” in the mud when trying to arrest the stable hand for running off with the tea server.
This is how the ninja did it.
This is how they survived.
Ninja fact can get muddled with ninja fiction. Did they wear all black? Maybe not. Were they turtles? Definitely not.
But it’s not hard to believe that stealth operatives existed. Our own modern military has clandestine, stealth operations as well.
As a Marine scout sniper, Quest Raleigh’s senior instructor, Bryan Griffin lived the reality.
He operated in a small team, with the mission of infiltrating enemy territory to gather information or to provide precision fire on specific targets. With much less firepower than a full squad or platoon, a sniper attempts to avoid a fight with the enemy.
Much like the ninja, escape is the primary goal of the sniper if direct combat is unavoidable.
Is your goal to teach violent individuals a lesson? Or is your goal to get home safely?
In self-defense, fighting is an absolute last resort. Real fights are unpredictable. You might think the odds are in your favor, then more attackers appear. Weapons get drawn.
Cell phone cameras get drawn, too. Our society has rules about what constitutes self-defense.
“I didn’t want to fight. I was trying to get away!” doesn’t hold up well in court if there is video of you taking an action-movie fighting stance before causing permanent damage.
Self-defense is about survival.
It’s the meaningful life lessons and the fun classes that have kept us coming here for years.
The lead instructor, Bryan Griffin has survived intense, active combat, and he channels that experience into teaching a martial art that prioritizes de-escalation over violence.
This is exactly what I was looking for in a martial arts school for my family. My child has flourished under the skillfully balanced guidance of the teachers at Quest.
Sonja Ciotti
Proud To-Shin Do parent, Poet
The most important factor when choosing a martial arts school—
the people leading the class.
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
Bryan Griffin
Who knew leaving your comfort zone could be this much fun?
Sometimes the people who have been though life’s toughest challenges are the most relaxed, genuinely happy, kind, and encouraging people you’ll ever meet. There’s a liberating freedom that comes from not having to prove yourself to anyone (including yourself). That’s Bryan Griffin.
Bryan has been on the frontlines of military combat in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine Scout Sniper, he has endured the heartbreak of losing a young child, he kept a brand-new small business alive through the pandemic years, and of course he had to walk uphill both ways through the snow just to get to the dojo when he was a young man.
Bryan isn’t afraid to take the challenging road ahead, and he is here to help guide you on a quest to unlock hidden strengths that will enable you to weather life’s storms with a little more grace, dignity, and maybe even enjoyment!
Like any good sniper, Bryan’s personality when teaching is direct and to-the-point. At the same time he is extremely funny, wildly creative, and totally attuned to the needs of each student in the dojo. With more than 25 years experience in To-Shin Do, he can create an experience that will help you overcome your obstacles, face your fears, and experience the excitement of doing things you never knew you could do!
1998 + Began training in To-Shin Do in Dayton, Ohio
2002 + Instructor Dayton Quest Martial Arts
2007 + Enlisted in the US Marine Corps
2009 + Graduated Marine Corps Scout Sniper School
2011 + Senior Instructor Chapel Hill Quest
2015 + Degree in Business Administration
2017 + Opening Quest Raleigh
Ordained Rei-Bu in Blue Lotus Assembly
Currently 7th degree Black Belt in To-Shin Do
I have trained with Bryan Griffin since he was a boy. As a man, he has shown great courage in the face of some heavy challenges. Bryan has been able to transform those experiences into inspiring lessons for others.
For this special ability, I gave him the name Toutoshi—warrior of the blade that slays evil spirits. He will be a wonderful guide for all who take on the self-development, self-defense system of To-Shin Do.
Stephen K. Hayes
An-Shu, Founder of To-Shin Do
INSTRUCTOR
Kaitlin Voith
You don’t have to wait.
You don’t have to get in shape first. You don’t have to hold off until that chronic back pain or knee injury heals. You don’t have to conquer your anxiety or ADHD.
Violence doesn’t wait. If the day comes that you need to protect yourself or others, odds are that you’ll be in the wrong shoes. You’ll have forgotten to eat breakfast. Some part of your body will be hurting.
That’s not to say that Kaitlin has a no excuses attitude. No excuses usually translates to ignore your issues. Instead, Kaitlin invites students to think of their challenges as important elements in self-defense scenarios that are worthy of being explored in a safe, supportive environment.
That’s not to say she’s all sugar and spice (although she is a bit pumpkin spice)—Kaitlin is a tough, no-nonsense martial artist with more than a decade of experience in To-Shin Do. It’s just that “no-nonsense” to her means no one-size-fits-all training! (Also, no sexism. No racism. No homophobia. No ableism. She will not tolerate nonsense.)
Kaitlin is also a wilderness skills enthusiast and a certified personal trainer. She may not have been to war like Sensei Bryan, but she has proven that she’s got a strong stomach for chaos and gore in her years as a veterinary technician.
Kaitlin is ready to help you re-write the stories that have you trapped in perfectionism, over-training, comparison, unrealistic expectations, and other forms of self-sabotage that are so prevalent in our culture. You can train! You can enjoy training! You don’t have to wait!
2011 + Wilderness Skills Training
2012 + Began Training in To-Shin Do at Dayton Quest
2014 + Martial Arts Instructor for Youth in Foster Care
2014 + Instructor at Dayton Quest
2018 + Instructor at Quest Raleigh
2019 + ACE Personal Trainer Certification
Currently 4th Degree Black Belt in To-Shin Do
I can’t imagine running this dojo without Kaitlin.
A great teacher isn’t just good at their craft. They are also tuned in to the needs of each student, and they genuinely care, from the heart, about each person’s success.
Kaitlin is so engaged and ready to jump in and help everyone on the mat. As soon as I finish showing a technique, she’s already on the move heading over to assist whoever may need a little extra guidance.
I can always rely on her to do what is best for the students and the dojo. And I couldn’t ask for a better training partner. I can always count on Kaitlin to give me a true punch, right on the nose.
We are all very fortunate to have her as a leader in our dojo and role model in our martial art.
Bryan Griffin
Senior Instructor, Quest Raleigh
ASSISTANT
Brian Haines
Old dogs can learn new tricks.
Brian started and stopped studying martial arts a pawful of times. Sometimes it was the dojo. Too macho. Humorless. Sometimes life got in the way. (Lyme disease got in the way, too.)
Having just turned 50, he wasn’t imagining getting back into training, but his daughter wanted to learn some self-defense before college. She chose Quest Raleigh. Brian joined mostly so that the two could bond, but when she went off to college—he stayed.
Brian stayed because Quest accepts you where you are in life—your quirks, your level of conditioning—essentially, your authentic self. And now that old dog is a few months away from testing for his first black belt.
As a training assistant, Brian believes self-improvement begins with challenging yourself—getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Occasionally barking at the moon is good, too.
After high school Brian spent 7 years working with children with special needs where he instilled a love for the outdoors and regular exercise through hiking, camping, canoeing and more. He would later go on to be a case manager in a group home for people recovering from mental illness, and an assistant manager working in a home for people with autism. After college he was a journalist for 4 years and later spent a year working in a public separate school working with high school students with behavioral difficulties and another teaching English.
You can imagine that in these diverse environments, he had to learn many strategies for deescalating crisis situations! These experiences also instilled in him a love for teaching and that a little self effacing humor goes a long way.
Brian’s latest career started in the North Carolina Forest Service where he worked as a public information officer before his current work in emergency management. Whether it is providing information to the public about a wildfire, hurricane, or other natural disaster, or providing preparedness information, he believes through education and awareness we can all improve our situations.
A life long learner Brian has studied photography, film making, and writing and has a bachelor degree in English. He is currently teaching himself woodworking and has managed to keep all his fingers so far. He intends on learning all he can from everyone he meets and to mentor others using humor and a little old dog wisdom.
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ASSISTANT
Ren Zatopek
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.
This could a statement about Tai Chi or Somatic bodywork. Take a breath. Slow it down. (Ren is trained in both and ready to help you weave awareness of your nervous system into your self-defense training.)
But that phrase (Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.) comes from the Navy SEAL handbook. Ren is definitely not a Navy SEAL. She’s disabled and has a genetic and (mostly) invisible chronic illness. She’s got 99 problems and her connective tissue is one. Low blood pressure is another.
But sometimes it’s the broken folks that know the most about healing. The folks with the least natural ability and athleticism know the most about how to become skillful and empowered against all odds.
Outside of the dojo, Ren has been a teacher of meditation, trance-journeying, mysticism, and folk magic for nearly 20 years. She’s an experienced ritualist with additional training in death midwifery and home funerals.
Inside the dojo, in addition to assisting on the mat, Ren is the webmaster and spreadsheet specialist at the front desk.
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Stephen and Rumiko Hayes spent decades travelling the world, sharing what they had studied in Japan.
Their new students had different questions about effective self-defense training. They were concerned about different kinds of violence and methods for defending against popular styles of fighting.
Stephen and Rumiko recognized a need to update and adapt their historical training to something that answered the questions of this new age.
They recognized that the best way for them to honor the ninja’s legacy of adapting and blending in to survive—was to commit themselves to continuously adapting their training and their teachings to fit in to the modern world.
a new name for a new age
a new name
for a new age
Rather than using the already established historical name of ninjutsu, they needed a term to differentiate between the classical training in Japan and the modern adaptations they had developed.
They carefully created a new name, based on the structure of the old name. “Nin” is the first part of ninja and ninjutsu. It can mean both “stealth” and “perseverance.”
The kanji character for nin is made of two parts plus one small added brush stroke. The top half is “To” for blade, and the bottom half is “Shin” for heart or spirit. “Do” is a word for road or pathway.
To-Shin Do represents the things we do and the attitudes we take as we walk the path of life.
SWORD
TO
What We Study
the skills and strategy
The Sword symbolizes the techniques we study in our training.
Born of Mount Togakure and cultivated in the mists and marshes of Iga, the ninja combat training methods provide the foundation of our physical protection techniques.
Nine historical training schools of the ninja and samurai contribute their unique skillsets to our contemporary To-Shin Do curriculum.
HEART
SHIN
Why We Train
The Intent and Willpower
The Heart symbolizes the energy and mindset behind our practice.
From the kuji intention-channeling training of the shugenja spirit seekers of Mount Yoshino, come the essence of our program for personal discovery and development.
We can achieve a more focused and disciplined understanding of the cause and effect dynamics that lead to success and fulfillment in life.
PATH
DO
Who We Become
The Path to Mastery
The Path symbolizes our lifelong endeavor toward growth and personal evolution.
From the originally Himalayan esoteric mikkyo mind sciences of Mount Hiei, comes the cultivation of our unlimited physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual potentials.
We can learn skillful ways to transform the inner and outer challenges of life into success, and ultimately experience directly the significance of life’s every moment.
AN-SHU, Founder of To-Shin Do
Stephen K. Hayes
An-shu Stephen K. Hayes is everyone’s image of the iconic master warrior sage. Black Belt Magazine calls him “A legend; one of the ten most influential martial arts masters alive in the world today” for good reason.
He is peerless in his ability to share real and honest ninja combat secrets enriched by unparalleled insights from the Himalayan meditative mind sciences. His genius is his ability to translate exotic esoteric concepts from ancient cultures into practical useful understanding for Western seekers. His gift is his ability to deliver a complete and all-inclusive approach to personal security and personal power.
Stephen Hayes is one of those people you meet and think, “wow they should make a movie about this person’s life!” He recalls a feeling of frustration and helplessness in middle school as his friend was harassed and attacked by a school bully. He wanted to help but didn’t know how.
Hayes’ first exposure to martial arts was in an episode of Lassie. From that moment he was hooked. His Mom had to check out books about martial arts from the library for him because the librarian thought they were too dangerous for kids to read. In high school study hall, he first read about ninja warriors in a James Bond novel. Eventually, Stephen chose a college because he heard they had a judo club. It turned out to be an ROTC Tang Soo Do club, but Hayes managed to convince the instructor to let him train. He was elated to finally be practicing the martial arts. Hayes trained diligently, earning several degrees of black belt in the art. He even opened a martial arts school of his own, but deep down he knew there was much more than his sport martial art had to offer. He had to find a way to Japan and learn the truth of the ninja.
By miraculous events, he found himself in Noda City, Japan, where he was able to meet Masaaki Hatsumi, the 34th generation headmaster of the Togakure Ryu school of ninjutsu. After a brief initial visit, Hayes was able to obtain a rare cultural visa that allowed him to stay in Japan for 5 years. He trained tirelessly, learning everything he could about real fighting, weapons skills, combat psychology, methods of building mental and spiritual power, and whatever information he was able to gather from the grandmaster and others in the dojo. He meticulously took notes, and began putting his lessons into books. Stephen Hayes’ books about ninja training flew off the shelves. He officially set off the “ninja boom” of the 1980s. The small dojo in quiet little Noda City was about to become a destination point for tens of thousands of aspiring martial artists from around the world. Masaaki Hatsumi would become a famous world figure thanks to Hayes’ 20+ books on the subject of ninja martial arts and esoteric mind studies.
To make a living in Japan, Hayes took a job for Canon Camera making instructional videos in English for their products. It was there he met Rumiko. As a theater major, he also sought out roles in Japanese film, and even had a part in the original SHOGUN miniseries.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Stephen and Rumiko Hayes toured the world teaching seminars, and returning to Japan regularly for their own personal training and development. This was a period of putting their training to the test. It was apparent to Hayes that cultural differences between Western and Japanese audiences required certain adaptations to the training to best serve those who would learn the ninja methods. Americans and Europeans seemed more interested in effective, modern applications than historical stylized training. Masaaki Hatsumi instructed Hayes to find the best way to convey the teachings to his students in the West.
Through other unbelievable connections, Stephen Hayes served as personal security escort and advisor to His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the Dalai Lama of Tibet throughout the 1990s. Hayes’ interest in Japanese spiritual training first led him to esoteric mountain training with the yamabushi, and eventually all the way to India and the mountains of Tibet. There, he studied ancient methods of understanding the human mind and how to overcome personal shortcomings and obstacles of the spirit. He had obtained what he sought after all those years ago in middle school. He now had real answers, for how to overcome both internal and external dangers that we may face in life.
In the late 1990s, Stephen and Rumiko Hayes developed the modern self-defense and self-discovery martial art of To-Shin Do. They continue to share their 50+ years of experience in their home dojo and seminar events around the country.
AN-SHU, Founder of To-Shin Do
Rumiko Hayes
Dangerously awesome. Rumiko Hayes is easily one of the most inspiring martial artists in the world. As a smaller person, she has meticulously perfected her taijutsu movement to handle attackers of any size. Watching her effortlessly defend against the biggest guys in the dojo is always an impressive experience. And she does it with a smile on her face.
An-shu Rumiko grew up in a fishing village on the coast of Kyushu, the Southernmost region of Japan. As a child she was captivated by a cartoon ninja show called Kaze no Fujimaru. “When I was little, ninja were very popular on television, in movies, and in comic books. To me, the ninja was a superhero, and I wanted to be one too. I used to play with swords and pretend that I was a ninja even though I knew they weren’t real anymore.”
After graduating from college in Toyko, Rumiko was hired at Canon Camera, where she met Stephen. Soon after, she discovered that he was in Japan to study the mysterious art of ninjutsu, and even helped him to translate some of the ninja grandmaster’s books into English. In studying these books, her passion for the ninja was reignited, and she had to visit the dojo to experience the training for herself.
“The training was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. Everything we did was designed for us to overcome any challenges we may encounter in real life. In the end, what I gained as a person was how to look at life from a higher perspective. By that, I mean how to really value yourself, your relationships and others — it’s what I call the ninja mind.”
An-shu Rumiko’s training never slowed. She continued to perfect her movement, and even mastered the naginata, a 7ft long Japanese halberd. This weapon is large and heavy. Swinging it around will quickly tire the arms and shoulders. It requires skillful positioning and footwork to use effectively against a dangerous opponent.
“I am a small person. So for me, the best part of close quarters training was learning that by using precise timing and proper body positioning, the self-defense techniques put me at an advantage against a much larger adversary.”
An-shu Rumiko assisted her husband in the development of To-Shin Do. Additionally, she teaches the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. She created a yoga-like system called Ryu Tai, “Dragon Body” to enhance strength and flexibility for all students of martial arts. She is also a skilled organic cook, and a musician. She has been playing the Japanese Koto stringed-instrument for over 30 years.
An-shu Rumiko continues to teach at training events and seminars across the country. She always strives to be an encouraging presence in the dojo, helping others see for themselves the great strength and power they hold within. She is often reminding us to SMILE (See Miracles in Life Everyday!)
What does the title An-shu mean?
The founders of our martial art, Stephen and Rumiko Hayes thoughtfully chose a new title befitting the head of a martial arts organization.
At the time, they had already dedicated 30+ years to sharing martial arts in the world. But lofty titles like “grandmaster” didn’t feel right. They decided that An-shu better described their role as helpful facilitators to all who would study their art.
The Japanese word “An” refers to a small retreat hut on temple grounds in which a warrior or scholar could rest and recharge. “Shu” is like “hand”, or “caretaker”. So An-shu means “caretaker of the retreat hut.”
A most humble title, and a reminder that true leadership is about taking responsibility and care of those who would follow. It is a title of honorable service – a commitment to all who would take up the practice of To-Shin Do.
No need to sell all of your earthly possessions and wave goodbye to everyone you know in hopes of being accepted as a student in a hidden dojo on the other side of the world.
(That’s what the founder of our martial art did!)
We believe that these techniques are not just for military operatives or people who work in dangerous professions. To-Shin Do was crafted to prepare everyday people to face life’s challenges with a little more awareness, skill, and freedom.
To-Shin Do gives busy people with jobs and families the opportunity to study and practice the once secret strategies of Japan’s legendary warriors.
We believe To-Shin Do is ultimately more capable of bringing positive change to the world if we can share it with people right here in our community.
Think of a noble hero on an adventure.
There are obstacles, opponents, disappointments, delights, and dangers. Through all the ups and downs, the hero is transformed.
They learned new skills, made new friends, and they see the world differently because of all they endured.
Our life is no different.
We are on an endless quest of personal refinement to empower ourselves to overcome our fears, hang-ups, and limitations.
We seek the courage to leave our small comfort zone behind, so that we can experience a bigger reality.
We work to gain strength of body, mind, and heart. We become able and willing to assist others on the path of life.
