with his 8th dan, and also gave him a post-dated 9th dan certificate for the future. Shintani revealed his 9th dan certificate in 1995. Shindō One night, Shintani had a dream that he was fighting a swordsman, and the only weapon he had was a short stick. In his dream, he was able to defeat the swordsman with this stick. This dream is what inspired him to develop Shindō or "the straight/pure way". Shindō incorporates the techniques and applications of Wado-ryu karate. Shintani developed Shindō with the idea that the same techniques could be used either empty handed, or with a Shindō, a stick approximately 36-inches in length, essentially a shortened Bō staff. Shintani began teaching Shindō to his students in the early 1980s. Later life In the last years before his death, Shintani spent much of his time developing Karate and Shindō concepts and travelled to various regions of North America and overseas to conduct seminars. On April 29, 2000, Shintani travelled to Kapuskasing, Ontario to conduct some Karate seminars. On May 6, 2000, he had a mild heart attack and was taken to Kapuskasing Hospital where his condition was stabilized. The next day, with his condition being upgraded to stable, the doctors decided to have Shintani returned to Hamilton via air-ambulance to be under his physician's care. Shortly after take-off, Shintani had a massive heart attack. The air-ambulance returned to Kapuskasing Hospital where Shintani was declared deceased. Legacy Three separate groups continue to teach Wadō-ryū karate as passed down from Sensei Ohtsuka to Sensei Shintani. Shintani Wado Kai Karate Federation (SWKKF) - the largest of the three groups, representing approximately 94 clubs. Wado Karate Association of Canada - representing 12 clubs. World Congress Karate Shintani References 1928 births 2000 deaths Canadian sportspeople of Japanese descent Sportspeople from Vancouver Wadō-ryū practitioners Canadian male karateka