Greetings from the board of Shintaido of America! It’s time for our annual membership drive. Last year we DOUBLED our membership – can we do that again this year?
Like everyone else, we are slowly getting back to practicing in person, with live people, sometimes in masks, sometimes not touching. Shintaido North East just had its in-person kangeiko (just a little late…). The theme was “connection”, and we revelled in the opportunity to be together again at last.
Connie Borden, Rob Gaston, and Sandra Bengtsson co-teach a weekly Sunday ZOOM class from 9am to 10am Pacific Time. Everyone is welcome to join. Many of these classes are available on the Shintaido of America YouTube channel.
Shintaido North East hosts an online keiko every Saturday from 12.30 – 1.30 EST. A different instructor leads each time. For more information, please contact Brad at brad@bradlarson.com.
PACSHIN hosted Kangeiko 2022 as an online event again. Very pro!
Ito-sensei teaches regularly on Zoom from his home in France.
The audiobook of Aoki Sensei’s Shintaido textbook was launched at an online Zoom party on January 4. Narrated by general instructor David Franklin, it is available on the Shintaido of America YouTube channel, as a podcast and via the Shintaido of America website. Join a monthly podcast discussion group on the last Tuesday of the month. Contact Connie Borden.
Several new scholarships are available to subsidize participation in cross-regional and international events. Your membership makes you eligible to apply! Contact Connie Borden – bordensheets@aol.com.
In addition, Shintaido of America supports our community of practitioners by providing:
Shintaido of America Website (www.shintaido.org) Check it out! New things are happening all the time! We now feature a media page that includes our newsletter, YouTube and Podcast links.
Body Dialogue is now completely digital and appears in real-time as postings on the website.
Curriculum development is ongoing, especially the Kenjutsu curriculum.
Support to our instructors and the National Technical Committee
Communication with International Shintaido Technical and Exam Committee (ITEC)
Leadership by Shintaido of America and ESC as the organizing and sponsoring organizations for international activities.
Shintaido of America examinations and Shintaido of America Diplomas
Membership fees are still only $60 for all supporters. We have kept the same membership level for several years. For ALL of the benefits listed above, your annual membership works out to only $5 a month, or 16 cents a day!
Alternately, a check for $60 payable to SOA can be mailed to: Shintaido of America, 18 Washington St, #115, Canton, MA 02021
Sincerely, Connie Borden, Chair Shintaido of America Board of Directors Shin Aoki, Chair Shintaido of America NTC Brad Larson, Treasurer Nancy Billias David Franklin Herve Hofstetter Michael Thompson H. F. Ito
Here are a couple of comments from new members, one from the East Coast, one from the West:
“The teachers and Sensei of Shintaido are exceptional beings of love, precision, non-judgment and discipline. I get to a place of stillness and peace at the end of my practicing the art of Shintaido that I cannot achieve any other way.”
– Laura Sheehan Barron (San Francisco)
“My introduction to this practice was several years ago at the Day Street dojo in San Francisco, where I was introduced to Taimyo. Because of the pandemic for the last two years, using Zoom, I have taken advantage of being able to practice Shintaido more often. To be able to experience a gasshuku [in person was exciting.]I was apprehensive about the weekend, but not long after walking through the door into the dojo space I could feel the energy. That energy kept growing throughout the day. Not having the years of practice that most of you have had, I enjoyed the instruction and corrections that I was given. I cannot remember if I have ever felt that a potluck dinner was as tasty as what I had that evening. Thank you all for making me feel welcome and sharing your energy.”
Previously I sent a post about “Good is bad, bad is good.” This is my most recent follow-up (February 2022).
Unfortunately, the legal non-profit entity based in France known as International Shintaido Project was dissolved in June 2021. (Thank you Jean-Louis de Gandt, for your hard work to both help write bylaws and then guide the process of dissolution.)
However, I am very happy about several things that happened recently within the international Shintaido movement:
The International Technical and Examination Committee (ITEC) offered SanDan/Senior Instructor and above exams via Zoom in the summer of 2021. *
A Zoom lecture of Shintaido history, given by Peter Furtado at the UK Kan-Geiko at the beginning of 2021, was beautifully recorded and saved for future viewers **
Pierre Quettier’s book of Rakutenkai interviews was successfully published at the end of 2021 ***
The SoA Podcast started this winter, with David Franklin giving readings from the book Shintaido – the body is a message of the universe. ****
British Shintaido broadcasted another fascinating Zoom event on February 20th. SOA instructor Margaret Guay spoke about “The body is a Message of the Universe” looking at it from her Body & Mind Centering practice point of view.
• 天の時 Ten no Toki (the unpredictable timing of heaven) Because of the new Coronavirus, we were confronted with many regulations that slowed us down and prevented us from practicing any group movement in person. This slow-down felt to me like a message from Nature!
• 地の利 Chi no Ri (the strategic benefit of position) When we were confronted by the problem of the Coronavirus, new communication strategies like Zoom emerged almost simultaneously, and those strategies opened new opportunities for human relationships and communication, not only to maintain our previous connections but also to grow and foster them in ways that were previously unimaginable.
• 人の和 Hito no Wa (the transcendent harmony of human communication) Shintaido is blessed with a networked circle of well-trained Shintaido instructors who now can teach not only in local groups, but also anywhere in the world with no travel requirements and no scheduling restrictions. So, the body wisdom of Shintaido is now available in places where – and to people for whom – it used to be out of reach.
The many difficulties and opportunities that face Shintaido today remind me of a Bible verse that I memorized as a very young man, when I was involved heart and soul in the Rakutenkai community:
“…No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. “(from 1 Cor 10:13, NIV)
So, let’s keep going!
H.F. Ito (thanks to Lee Seaman and Tomi Nagai-Rothe for their help with editing)
Shintaido of America’s new podcast has recently launched (find it at http://www.shintaido.org/podcast/), and as readers may know, the first season is an audio book: a reading of Shintaido: the body is a message of the universe by the founder of Shintaido, Hiroyuki Aoki.
I recently came across an article I wrote in 1998 for the Cambridge Shintaido newsletter when we had classes at the Dance Complex — it touches on Shintaido’s ‘origin story’ and the principles on which Shintaido was founded. Here it is:
When you come to a Shintaido class, one thing that may strike you in comparison to other health exercise practices or martial arts is that there is relatively little explaining. I don’t mean explaining of how to do the movements, because most instructors do that as much as needed. And depending on the instructor and the type of event (a workshop or retreat is different from an ongoing weekly class), there may be some discussion of the background, history, or philosophy of Shintaido. But what is rare in Shintaido is a specific explanation of the purpose of each technique: “This movement is for such-and-such, and it will do so-and-so for you.”
It certainly is possible to view the techniques of Shintaido through this kind of framework. For example, one of the basic kata (forms) of Shintaido called Tenshingoso could be viewed through the framework of traditional Chinese medicine and could be explained as a powerful technique for opening all the meridian pathways. Or one could refer to the system of Indian yoga and the explanation would be phrased in terms of opening the chakras. The benefits and purposes of the movements could be analyzed from the point of view of scientific physiology and body mechanics, or from the aspect of artistic and emotional expression, and so on.
But I wonder if this need for explanation isn’t a particularly Western or even American urge. I believe Alexis de Tocqueville (who wrote Democracy in America in 1835) remarked that as a people, Americans seemed to him almost obsessed with the pragmatic and the practical. This fits with the constant urge to have an explanation, to want to know: What is the purpose of this? What use is it? Often for us, the very meaning of a thing, it’s significance, is tied up with its usefulness.
This is very different from a more poetic or philosophical view of the world, where things have more meaning when you have to fill in the blanks. Shintaido lives a little more in this artistic world. An example of this can be seen in the rules for membership in the Rakutenkai group. Rakutenkai, literally meaning “the meeting of optimists” or “optimistic group,” was the group that developed Shintaido in Japan in the 1960s. The original group was loosely structured and had no clear lines of organization or regulations. Anyone who wanted could be a member, and the only guidelines were:
1. Do not go beyond your own morality.
2. Do not forget your original spirit.
3. Do not judge others.
4. Love your neighbor as yourself.
5. ___________ (fill in the blank yourself).
There is an alternative to being spoon-fed a practical, down to earth, ready-made explanation for each Shintaido movement technique. The alternative is to let yourself first experience Shintaido, to feel what is happening in you when you do these movements, and to strive to improve your technique. Second, consider the philosophy of Shintaido. There are many sources of written material on Shintaido, and each instructor you study with may have their own interpretation.
As with any art form, there are many different approaches; even Hiroyuki Aoki, the leader of the Rakutenkai group and founder of Shintaido, does not have the last word on interpreting its meaning and philosophy. Let yourself be open-minded in this pursuit. And third, there may be some gap between your intellectual understanding and your experience. That’s OK. Be honest. Don’t try to force your experience to conform to what you think it “should” be. There is meaning in the gap that may exist between the philosophy and your experience.
The ancient Taoists of China constantly emphasized the value of the “useless” thing, the hollow vessel, the empty space, the uncarved block of wood or stone, the unformed lump of clay. Don’t demand that all gaps be filled immediately with practical explanations. Give it time. This gap is what makes Shintaido a lifelong journey.
In the London subway (the “tube” or “undergound” as they call it), there are constant reminders to be careful when stepping from the platform into the train cars. “Mind the gap,” they say. Good advice, in my opinion.
For US participants: 12.00 noon PST 3.00 pm EST UK and European participants: 8.00 pm UK, 9.00 pm Europe
Online Via ZOOM
Margaret Guay is a Shintaido Instructor on the East Coast of the US and has taught in Europe at the Semi-International Gasshuku in 2019. She is also a teacher of Body-Mind Centering®, an integrated and embodied approach to movement, the body and consciousness, developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen. The 2022 lecture will take the form of an illustrated and somatic conversation between Margaret, Peter Furtado and Ula Chambers. Margaret will guide us to look at Shintaido movements and ideals through the prism of Body-Mind Centering®, and reflect on what we can discover about “The Body is a Message of the Universe”.
The lecture will last approximately 45 minutes followed by a questions and answers.
A link will be sent to all registered participants.
Whilst the lecture is free to attend, donations will be welcome to support the work of British Shintaido and continue this lecture series. Paypal address: events@shintaido.co.uk.
Releasing on January 5, 2022 – join our release party on January 4, 2022!
Our motivation to start a podcast
When Shintaido of America was founded in 1976, we set a few goals that we wanted to achieve. From supporting local groups, providing a high-quality educational environment for upcoming Shintaido instructors to spreading the knowledge of Shintaido in America.
Shintaido is a physical practice, the knowledge and understanding come through our bodies via movement. At the same time, Shintaido is a complex system of thoughts and values that can be approached intellectually.
In 2022, it is going to be exactly 40 years since Shintaido of America first published the English translation of the original book by Master Hiroyuki Aoki Shintaido – The body is a message of the universe. In this book, Master Aoki introduces Shintaido not only as a set of physical forms but also as a manifestation of human beings’ relationship to the world.
This book highly influenced Shintaido’s spread around the globe – practitioners who relied on their physical practice now had a chance to learn in more detail about the philosophical background of Shintaido and look for new ways to deepen their experience.
The old needs to be supported by the new
Relying on the original goal of Shintaido of America to spread the knowledge of Shintaido, we decided to go back to the roots and take a closer look at Master Aoki’s book. But this time, in the form of an audio podcast series.
We are very excited to announce the release of the first podcast dedicated to Shintaido. And, we are going to devote the first season to reading Shintaido – The body is a message of the universe. In the 20-episode season, our narrator instructor, David Franklin will read the entire book divided into separate parts for better understanding.
The first season is going to be released regularly throughout the year 2022 with the first episode published on January 5.
On January 5, 2022, you will be able to find the podcast on the majority of podcast applications, our website and our YouTube channel. On our website, you will find a page dedicated to the podcast where we will publish the episodes to list along with additional materials such as pictures, related articles and reflections.
Welcoming the podcast together on January 4
One does not release a podcast every day. We feel very close to our community and we wish to invite you to our release party of the podcast.
The release party is going to take place on January 4, 2022, via ZOOM and the program is more than exciting!
🔴 We will introduce you to the producing team who is behind the podcast creation, our president Connie Borden is going to speak in more detail about our motivation to start a project like this.
🔴 Our special guests HF Ito sensei, Masashi Minagawa sensei and other important figures of Shintaido will talk about their relationship to the original text as well as about how the podcast can help us to reflect on Shintaido from new perspectives.
🔴 Those of you who decide to join us will also have the unique opportunity to listen to a short excerpt from the podcast. You will be the first public audience of our podcast!
🔴 And together, we will make a toast to welcome the podcast.
Save the Date, January 4, 2022, and join our online release party. Let us know about your presence in our Facebook event and feel free to invite your friends. If you prefer to skip social media, we will be more than happy if you will share this article or simply tell your friends about it.
We can accept up to 100 participants to the ZOOM call so make sure to be on time. For those of you who might not find a place at the release party or simply wish to participate from a distance, the whole party is going to be live-streamed on our YouTube channel, shared on our Facebook and then uploaded to our YouTube channel.
Help us spread the word about the podcast
The idea of creating a Shintaido of America podcast came to mind one year ago. Since then, we have been working hard to find the right way to do it so you can enjoy the best audio podcast.
We care about this project and one of our deepest wishes is to reach as many listeners as possible. Which is something you can help us with. Do you know someone who might be interested in this? Let them know – share this article with them, show them our social media or simply tell them to subscribe to our podcast and give it a try.
Are you feeling generous and wish to support our project even more? You can donate whatever amount you feel is adequate. Shintaido of America is a non-profit organization and we rely on the efforts of volunteers but some things require even more than that and we are grateful for any support you can provide.
The narrator of the Shintaido of America podcast, instructor David Franklin
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the Shintaido of America podcast?
Regularly in 2022, we will publish the Shintaido of America podcast on most of the podcast applications, our website and our YouTube channel.
How do I subscribe to the Shintaido of America podcast?
First of all, you need to download a podcast application. You can take a look at this list of recommended applications to help you choose. Once you have the application downloaded, it needs to be installed.
Then, open your podcast application and look for “Shintaido of America podcast”.
What is a podcast anyway?
A podcast is an online audio show focused on a specific topic that you subscribe to via your smartphone. If you prefer to read more about what a podcast is, we recommend taking a look here.
But don´t worry – if you do not have a smartphone or if you prefer to keep things simple, you can always listen to our podcast via our website or on our YouTube channel.
When can I start to listen to the Shintaido of America podcast?
The official release of the first episode is January 5, 2022. Before that, you can follow our Facebook, Instagram and website to learn more about the content of the podcast.
