影動

Help & Getting Started

Everything you need to train with confidence — even if you're not techy. If your question isn't answered here, reach out and we'll help.

On this page
  1. What Shadow in Motion is
  2. Getting started
  3. Your training path
  4. Setting up your AI Sensei
  5. Asking the Sensei questions
  6. How belt testing works
  7. Authenticity & respect
  8. Membership & billing
  9. Community
  10. Your privacy
  11. Still need help?

1.What Shadow in Motion is

Shadow in Motion is an online "virtual dojo." You pick the martial art (or arts) you want to train, and the app builds you a structured, personalized plan — what to work on, in what order, and a weekly schedule that fits the time you actually have. It follows a real curriculum with ranks and belt progressions, links instructional video for each technique, and gives you an AI "Sensei" you can ask questions any time.

It's a foundation-builder and an on-ramp — a way to start, stay consistent, and prepare — not a replacement for a real instructor. When you're ready for the real thing, we encourage you to find a qualified teacher and school. Software can't feel your timing or correct your body on the mat; a good instructor can.

2.Getting started

  1. Create your account — click Enter the Dojo, then Sign up. Your first week is free.
  2. Confirm your email — we'll send a confirmation link; click it and you're in.
  3. Build your path — answer a few quick questions (which arts, your experience, how many days a week). The app builds your plan and places you at an honest starting rank in each art.
  4. Start training — your Today tab shows exactly what to do that day.

3.Your training path

Once you're in, you'll see a few tabs:

4.Setting up your AI Sensei

The AI Sensei is your always-available training partner — it answers questions, explains techniques, and (on Test Day) grades your knowledge and technique. It runs one of two ways. You only need to set this up once.

Open the chat with the speech-bubble button in the bottom-right corner, then click the ⚙ gear (Settings).

Option A — Cloud (easiest): use an API key

This uses a paid AI service with your own key. It's the most capable option (and required for video/photo grading). It costs a small amount per use — usually a few cents — billed by the AI provider, not by us.

  1. In Settings, choose Remote (cloud key).
  2. Pick a provider — Claude (Anthropic) or ChatGPT (OpenAI).
  3. Get an API key:
  4. Copy the key (it starts with sk-) and paste it into the matching box in Settings.
  5. Click Save. Done — your Sensei is ready.
Your API key is stored only in your own browser — never on our servers. Your messages go straight from your device to the AI provider you chose. For video/photo grading on Test Day, use a vision-capable model — GPT-4o (OpenAI) or Claude both work.

Option B — Local (free): run the AI on your own computer

If you'd rather not pay per use, you can run an AI model on your own machine. It's free but a bit more technical, and needs a reasonably capable computer.

  1. Install LM Studio (lmstudio.ai) or Ollama (ollama.com) and load a model.
  2. Start its local server (in LM Studio: Developer → Start Server) and enable CORS.
  3. In our Settings, choose Local (LM Studio / Ollama).
  4. Set the Server URL — LM Studio is usually http://localhost:1234/v1; Ollama is http://localhost:11434/v1.
  5. Enter the model name you loaded (e.g. llama3.1). Leave API Key blank unless your server requires one.
  6. Click Save.
Local models are private and free, but many can't "see" images — so for photo/video grading you'd need a vision-capable local model (like LLaVA), or just use a cloud key for grading.

5.Asking the Sensei questions

Open the chat (bottom-right) and just type — like texting a knowledgeable instructor. Some examples:

You can also attach a photo and ask for feedback on your form (with a vision-capable model). The Sensei is there to keep you learning between sessions — use it freely.

6.How belt testing works

Testing lives in the Test Day tab and is designed to mirror what a real grading looks like: you demonstrate technique and you're asked about the knowledge behind it. Here's the flow:

  1. Pick the art you want to test in. You'll see your current rank and the requirements for the next one.
  2. Pass the Knowledge Exam. Tap Start Knowledge Exam and your Sensei quizzes you — one question at a time — on terminology, form names and their meanings, history, and key concepts for that belt. You type your answers; the Sensei grades each one and gives you the correct answer. (Example: "What's the name of this belt's form?" → "What does it mean?")
  3. Demonstrate each technique. For each requirement, tap 🎬 Grade, then upload a short video of you performing it (or a photo). The app pulls a few still frames from your clip and sends them to your Sensei, which grades your form and gives specific feedback plus a pass/needs-work verdict.
  4. Sign off & promote. Once your knowledge exam is passed and every technique item is signed off, the Promote button unlocks and you advance in that art.
The grading is advisory — the Sensei guides you honestly, but since there's no in-person instructor, you can retry, or sign off yourself if you're confident. It's built to help you hold a real standard, not to lock you out.
Your privacy on Test Day: your videos are processed entirely on your own device — they are never uploaded to our servers and never stored. Only a few small still-frames go straight to your chosen AI, and everything is wiped the moment you close the grading window.

7.Authenticity & respect

This matters to us deeply. The curricula and tests in Shadow in Motion are drawn from real martial-arts syllabi and grading requirements — the same kind of ranks, forms, terminology, and standards you'd encounter in an actual dojo or training facility. Testing is built to reflect what real belt tests are like: demonstrate your technique, and answer for the knowledge, history, and meaning behind it.

These arts carry centuries of tradition and the work of countless teachers. We've tried hard to represent them authentically and respectfully. Shadow in Motion is meant to honor the arts and prepare students — not to shortcut them or replace the lineage and mentorship that only a real instructor and school can provide. If you fall in love with an art here, our sincere hope is that you'll seek out a qualified teacher and train under them.

8.Membership & billing

9.Community

The Community tab has a forum (talk technique, ask questions, share your journey), training groups (from Women's-Only to Law Enforcement to MMA), and meetups. We also have a Discord for live chat — jump in and introduce yourself. Martial arts have always been about the people you train with; this is where we build that.

10.Your privacy

11.Still need help?

We're real people and we want you to succeed. If something isn't working or you have a question this page didn't answer:

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