Season Two – Shintaido of America

Shintaido of America podcast: Season 2

Audiobook performance of

Untying Knots: A Shintaido Chronicle

written by Michael Thompson

And a collection of interviews with long-time Shintaido practitioners

Begin by watching the Season Two Trailer.

Watch/Rewatch the release party for season 2 of the podcast and the presentation of an award to Michael Thompson on February 5, 2023 here.

Episode 1 of season 2 of the Shintaido of America podcast will be published on February 6, 2023. Find the podcast on most of the major podcast applications, our YouTube channel or listen directly from our website here. Links are to be provided in due time.

This Shintaido of America podcast series was produced by a group of volunteers. Technical support funding was generously provided through the Joe Zawielski Memorial Fund and Shintaido of America membership dues.

If you are not already a member, please consider a Shintaido of America membership today, or help support us by making a tax-deductible donation to this 501(c)(3) organization.

EPISODES

Episode 1   :   Episode 2   :   Episode 3   :   Episode 4   :   Episode 5
Episode 6   :   Episode 7   :   Episode 8   :   Episode 9   :   Episode 10
Episode 11   :   Episode 12   :   Episode 13   :   Episode 14

Episode 0: Season Two Trailer

Trailer:

Episode 0:

In Season Two of the podcast, we will read from a book Untying Knots: A Shintaido Chronicle by co-founder of Shintaido of America, Michael Thompson. By reading from this book, we wish to celebrate Michael´s contribution to the Shintaido community and his 85th birthday.

Each month will have a reading from the book and later in the month will be followed by an interview. David Franklin will talk about Shintaido-related topics with various people who are familiar with our practice. Among our guests are visual artists Mario Uribe, rock musician Amanda Palmer and many others.

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Episode 1: “Untying Knots chapter 1 and an interview with artist Mario Uribe”

Section of the Book: Chapter One
Interview with visual artist Mario Uribe

Episode 1:

In the first episode of Season Two, you’ll hear a reading from Untying Knots by master Shintaido instructor Michael Thompson and an interview with artist and Shintaido practitioner Mario Uribe. While Micheal sets the scene for his first encounter with Shintaido in France in the early 1970s, Mario discusses his education as an artist/activist and his interest in tea ceremony – also set in the early 70s.

Episode 2: “ Untying Knots and an interview with orchestral conductor Kent Nagano”

Section of the Book: Chapter Two
Interview with orchestral conductor Kent Nagano

Episode 2

Episode Two Season Two includes an interview with renowned conductor Kent Nagano, who discusses the leadership skills needed to conduct an orchestra and their application to other aspects of life. He also describes the time he invited master Shintaido instructor H.F. to lead his orchestra in a Shintaido practice during their rehearsal in the concert hall.

We’ll also hear Chapter Two of Untying Knots: A Shintaido Chronicle, master Shintaido instructor Michael Thompson’s autobiographical essay. In this episode, Michael returns to France with the intention of throwing himself into “…a hedonistic bohemian lifestyle, succumbing to decadence if need be.” His plans are thwarted, however, and he ends up quitting both alcohol and cigarettes – without suffering a religious conversion.

Kent Nagano’s Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_Nagano

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Episode 3: “Chapters 3 and 4 of Untying Knots: a Shintaido Chronicle”

Section of the Book: chapter 3 and 4

Episode 3:

All of Marc Bassis’ students had been affiliated with the French branch of Shotokai karate and when he left to join Shintaido, they had to make a choice. Most of them were not much interested in artistic or philosophical explorations, so most parted ways with Marc when he decided to follow Aoki. The latter’s creation, Shintaido, no longer looked much like a martial art and featured bizarre and unrecognizable forms that seemed of little practical use. As a result, only a handful of Marc’s students decided to follow him, influenced mostly by his strong and charismatic personality, because they really had no more idea of what Shintaido was about than I did.