August 29, 2026 was a beautiful sunny (and windy) day at Bunny Meadows in Golden Gate Park, where about 10 of us gathered for an all- day Shintaido Bohjutsu event. Sally Gaston led warm-ups in the morning, then Rob Gaston taught a fun class with lots of jumping, rolling, running, and throwing of bohs, causing lots of joyful smiles and laughter. Next came exams, with examinees Sally Gaston and Martha Rodríguez-Salazar (results below). Then we all had a break for a potluck picnic lunch and exam deliberations, before reconvening for exam results and a final keiko, with Martha leading warmups, and me teaching. I focused on teaching hino kata, then breaking it down and creating partner interactions based on movements from the kata. The day finished with a casual sort of Q&A and demonstrations, such as how to roll with a boh, various kumibo routines (with two bohs, with a boh and a jo, and with freehand receiving of boh attacks) and a couple of katas (shoshi no kon, moses no kon). It was a delight to do this event for two years now, and I hope we continue to make it an annual summer tradition.
- Jennifer Peringer
SOA exam results:
Sally Gaston: Karate: 5 kyu, Bohjutsu: 1 kyu
Martha Rodríguez-Salazar: Karate: 3 kyu, Bohjutsu:1 kyu, Kenjutsu: 5 kyu