Noguchi Taiso (Taiso means gymnastics in Japanese) was developed by Michizo Noguchi (1914-1998), born in Gunma Prefecture in Japan. After working as an assistant professor at Gunma Normal School and Tokyo Physical Education College, he became a professor at Tokyo University of Arts. As a professor emeritus he taught and developed his technique until his death. Noguchi Taiso was particularly popular and well-known among Japanese actors in the 1960s and 1970s. Since some of them later came to the Butoh, his technique has left its mark there too.

In Noguchi Taiso (Taiso means gymnastics in Japanese), the self and nature are explored based on one's own movement as a reference point and thus one's own personal perception. The goal is not the consciously controlled execution of a movement, but the individual perception of the changes inside the body. The resulting sensitization of the senses improves the automatic control of the fundamental movements in everyday actions. Using various models such as hammer, whip, spring or materials, we research the natural principles (spiral, wave, gravity, etc.) on which the movement is based. This allows us to move comfortably, with a feeling of being good to the touch. The main actors in this movement are not the muscles, but your own body weight and its counter-reaction due to gravity. The resulting force is fundamentally different from the usual definition of force; namely the ability to oppose the forces of nature (such as gravity). Rather, power is the ability that brings the whole self as close as possible to actual nature.