Shintaido of America

From Mieko Hirano:

Dear Friends,

We are very happy to announce that you can now register for the next European Forum (opened to the Assistants/2-kyu holders and above) to be held in Verbania from July 3rd to July 6th 2008. This Forum is part of the 2008 Shintaido European Festival (July 2nd to July 7th), between the Quadrennial International Conference of the International Shintaido Federation (opened to sei-shidoin (Instructor)/ni-dan holders and above) and the Tenshin meditation seminar led by Aoki Sensei (opened to general participation).

Program of 2008 Forum

OPENING PLENARY KEIKO

The Forum will start on the evening of 3rd July with a welcome plenary (general) keiko lead by one of our high ranking sempai.

MITORI KEIKO

This will be followed by a full day of “mitori keiko” (watching keiko) of the advanced exams (Sei-shihan/san-dan and above). Mitori keiko is a very important form of keiko, sometimes undervalued, allowing for the “flow of ki” from elder to younger generations of practitioners (
see article by Giovanni Rossi on the subject

on SNRC’s blog).

FORUM

The Forum activities themselves will be going on from the very first evening (3rd July) at various times throughout the 2 ½ days until 6th July whenever time is available. The Forum is a whole new way of structuring a Shintaido event. We have been experimenting with this format and refining it in Europe for the past four years.

The European Shintaido College is very happy to share it with oversea friends on the occasion of this Festival. It consist of an exchange of offers and requests of the following types of practice:

• Classic curriculum keiko
  Keiko based on the classical techniques of Shintaido, with instruction by a goreisha. This may also include practices intended to help prepare for exams.
• Collegial practice
  Group keiko of peers who study some agreed-upon subject, but nobody is the goreisha (
  see article by Ula Chambers on the subject
  
  on
  SNRC’s blog)
• Applications and extensions
  Experimental keiko, unusual applications of Shintaido, discussions. Examples from the past include voice training, Shintaido for prisoners, a discussion about the role of women in Shintaido, etc.
• Master classes
  A chance for individual instruction from Doshu (master instructors), with two possibilities : Performing Participants, who demonstrate a keiko, technique or kumite of their choosing ; and Audience Participants who observe and learn by mitori-geiko.
• Private lessons
  This keiko include not only Shintaido but also include shiatsu, amma, feldenkrais etc.

  They are many indoors and outdoors dojos available on the gasshuku site anytime (day and night). This way, it will be up to you with help of skilled organisers, to propose, choose, negociate and organise your own “way of activities” (teaching and/or learning) during your time at the Forum.

EXAMS

The ESC (European Shintaido College) exams will be held on the afternoon of 5th July, (jun-shidoin(Graduate)/sho-dan and sei-shidoin(Instructor)/ni-dan). Participants from other countries may choose to watch those exams or go on with Forum exchanges or go touring the wonderfull sites of the lakes area.

CLOSING PLENARY

The closing plenary will also be led by one of our high level sempai and it will also be open to the people participating in Aoki sensei’s Tenshin Meditation Seminar.

Information

You will find all necessary information on the
web site and also the

printable version.

For more information, please use the following e-mail addresses according to your favorite language

• english@shintaido.net (Giovanni, David)
• french@shintaido.net (Clélie)
• italian@shintaido.net (Giovanni)
• japanese@shintaido.net (Mieko)

Please enroll as early as possible. If you register by the end of January you will be able to benefit from the very early enrolment price and, this will help the organisation a lot.

Waiting for the pleasure to meeting you in Italy,

For the 2008 Festival organisation team
Mieko Hirano