Masashi Minagawa speaks about Shintaido as “The Way of Peace”

2026, All Years, Body Dialogue Newsletter

by Jean-Louis de Gandt – Interview of Master Minagawa 

Published:
Minagawa Sensei Giving Gorei
Minagawa-Shin kumite

Please enjoy this interview with Masashi Minagawa sensei conducted on January 25, 2020.

The interview covers a wide range of topics about the martial arts and how Shintaido stands out as a practice of harmony and peace.

“Minagawa sensei heard the Dalai Lama once say, ‘In Buddhism first we have to discard everything inside ourselves and then what is left is joy and light.’ He said we should make the light shine within ourselves, then gradually spread the light to those around us, then spread the light further into society.”

Minagawa realized this is Hei Ho 平法 – the strategy of peace.

“I realized Shintaido is the way of peace. I think the purpose of kumite is to take yourself to zero and with a partner spread joy and happiness.”

Find the article here:
An interview of Master Minagawa 2020

Rich Taimyo Two-Week Experience

Rich Taimyo Two-Week Experience

2026, All Years, Body Dialogue Newsletter

by Jean Marc Otto Bruc

Published:

These words reflect the rich sharing of The Global Taimyo Community (GTC) members during our second worldwide gathering for the year 2026. We had our main gathering on Sunday the 20th of September. Following the Spring gathering that took place Sunday 26 of April, it has been a total of four weeks of practices focused on Taimyo Kata.  The theme, chosen by Connie Borden – Trust in Mind – is inspired by a poem from Sengcan, third Ch’an patriarch:

“The great way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised…the way is perfect like vast space.”

This year, like the previous one, different peoples from around the world offered practices related to Taimyo Kata the week before and the week following the main gathering on Sunday that included Taimyo Kata practice and small and big group discussions. This format has been quite appreciated by the participants, as it offers the possibility of practicing daily for two weeks with leaders from different countries, each of them reflecting a personal appreciation of Taimyo Kata or related thoughts or practices. This made it rich with insights, sharing, and creation – while deepening the connections among the participants.

Robert Gaston, from California, USA, offered a practice of the Sunrise-Sunset Kata. This is a fusion kata of Shintaido and Tai Chi developed by H.F. Ito Sensei. Many of us have seen it evolving through different versions as Ito Sensei was refining it. Robert ended the kata and linked it seamlessly with Taimyo Kata.

Mark Smith and Marianne Van der Tas animated four early morning practices, UK time, with a collegial leading of the three parts of Taimyo Kata each led by a different person, taking a turn. This is a regular practice that they have on scheduled days throughout the year.  Laurent Lacroix, in the UK, led the three parts of Taimyo Kata on two sessions for the Night Owls, a group that practices regularly through Zoom at 9 pm, UK time.

Ula Chambers, in the UK also led parts of Taimyo Kata on chairs for two sessions and introduced in the first session a remarkably interesting and new” image-based” kumite where people were to receive Taimyo Kata Part 1 from an imaginary partner. The practice on chairs was also interesting and reminiscent of the work of Ito Sensei, who had introduced seated practice, such as Tenshingoso seated on a chair.

Fabrice Buonanno, from France, led a practice with relaxation through breathing and then movements and visualizations of flow of energy, circulating around the body, using the image of a lotus flower opening to conclude the exercise and then ending with a practice of the Ten Positions of standing meditation. He also expressed the fact that those sessions give him a sense of a great connection with the peoples attending.

Nicole Beauvois, also in France, spoke about the importance of breathing for calming, she spoke of being in the ocean with fish and letting everything be as it is. She expressed her wishes for us to let go of anxiety.  David Palmer, in the US, spoke about the benefits of Taimyo with the slowness allowing the awareness of stiffness and of which muscles are engaging. He said that he is rehabilitating his right shoulder for about the 50th time, so those ten days give him the opportunity for a rehabilitation program.

Like Robert, I shared a practice of Sunrise Sunset Kata from our open-air dojo in Nice, France. I really appreciate that kata and I practice it usually first in the morning when I do my personal practice. Participants expressed appreciation for it and asked for additional resources. This highlights that these weeks are a great opportunity to share, discover, and enrich our mutual practices.

Tomi Nagai-Rothe, from California, US, started with breathing and relaxing,  eye “yoga” movements followed by face, jaw, and neck massage. Her focus was to calm the vagus nerve, a key part of our parasympathetic nervous system that regulates essential involuntary functions like heart rate, breathing, and digestion. We then went into small room discussions about the effects of that the sharing of Taimyo (or other parts of our lives) can have beyond our relatives, friends, or work circles. We then practiced Taimyo Kata Part 1 trying to embody those ideas and concluded with a large group sharing.

On Tomi’s second session, the discussion was centered on offering an object or material that represented what we cherish most about Taimyo Kata. I offered a bowl of soup and received raindrops of water. Other offerings were a broken tea pot repaired with gold, a Japanese mending technique called Kintsukoroi (also known as Kintsugi) which, instead of hiding cracks highlights the breaks, making the piece unique and more valuable. Other offerings were a ball of warm clay that could be shaped in various forms as well as a ball of energy.

Nagako Cooper offered two Taimyo sessions, which took place from 10:30 to 11:15 on Friday mornings UK time. This Zoom Shintaido class has actually been offered weekly since Spring 2020, so it also provided a wonderful opportunity for regular class members and GTC members from around the world to meet and share the practice together. Each morning, they started with Tenshin Juso-Ho as a warm-up, including the ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ movements. Then they took a moment to connect with all the Taimyo practitioners around the world. On the first Friday, Nagako invited everyone to choose a particular place, person, or group of people to whom they might want to send the healing energy of Taimyo.

On the second Friday, this group imagined holding hands and forming a circle around the Earth. They took three deep breaths together, connecting with the rhythms of the Earth and with each other. Then they offered their Taimyo to our Mother Earth and to all beings who dwell upon this beautiful planet. They ended each session with a closing circle, expressing gratitude to each other for the shared practice and to the nature surrounding us. Nagako ended with a Mokuso.

Jane Yung, who has been a Shintaido student since the mid 1970’s and who has studied calligraphy from the late Kawahatsu Sensei, shared about her learning of Mu and shared what the elements in the kanji Mu represent. Lee Seaman shared the calligraphy of Mu:

Mu can translate as Nothing, Not, or Nothingness. Pure awareness, as existing prior to the experience of knowledge, is a meaning used by the Ch’an school of Buddhism which can summarize in one word the theme proposed this year.

Sunday the 20th of September, for the main gathering, it was with pleasure and emotion that we practiced the third part of Taimyo Kata with the leading of H.F. Ito Sensei through a 2021 French video. Robert Gaston stated:

“This is a practice that carries beyond our life – and continues. Ito has passed beyond the Bardoes, to Heaven, Nirvana or someplace else. This is just a reminder that he is still with us, as we see him on screen today.”

After Connie shared a few words from the poem “The Great Way” two reflection questions were given for the small group discussions: How do you approach living neither entangled in the outer world, nor caught up in inner feelings? And how did practicing with Ito Sensei today bring you closer to understanding this? We had two sessions of discussion in two-person groups, allowing us to exchange and elaborate our thoughts on those questions.

We then studied the last mantra concluding the Heart Sutra with Doshu Masashi Minagawa.  Minagawa Sensei started by explaining that the Heart Sutra is the most popular text in Buddhism, related to the notion of emptiness and the illusion of the reality of things, teaching that all phenomena are empty of inherent existence. He explained that Aoki Sensei considered that the Heart Sutra world and Tenshingoso world are the same. This ending mantra is said to contain the essence of the sutra:

Gate Gate

Paragate

Parasamgate

Bodhi svaha

that translates to:

Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone completely beyond. Awakening!

But Minagawa Sensei also pointed out that in the Dalai Lama’s tradition the translation is:

Go, go, go beyond, go completely beyond. Awakening!

Which is of course very reminiscent of Eiko Dai for Shintaido practitioners, and the phrase “Go, go young people, go beyond!” of the Rakutenkai days.

Minagawa Sensei commented on the universal energy in the vibration of the mantra. He then instructed us on the movement associated with the different words of the mudra and we practiced it together, with a variation of pace and a feeling of getting deeper and deeper.

We concluded the session with one large group discussion. Everyone could listen to what each individual wanted to express about their impressions, feelings and insights after the practices and small group discussions, leaving silent time in between each comment. Our words appear in the ‘word cloud’ shown at the top of this article.

Across Time and Space: Shintaido is Anthropocosmically Symbolic

2026, All Years, Body Dialogue Newsletter

Symbolic Lecture by Michael Thompson – 1987

Published:

Two years ago, I gave a lecture at an East Coast gasshuku (workshop) in which I tried to explain a phrase coined by Aoki-sensei in the Shintaido textbook: “The locus of one swing of a sword is a sign.” (The Japanese word kigo was translated as sign, but it can also mean symbol). This phrase is confusing because it seems incomplete; a sign or symbol of what?  Since then, I have done some research, especially in the writings of the French anthropologist of religion, Mircea Eliade, and have come up with some tentative answers which I would like to share with you today.

In his book Images and Symbols, Eliade lists four characteristics that he says are inherent in any truly religious symbol.

The first is that it will express a deeper or hidden life that cannot be expressed through ordinary language. It is something you can perceive with your five senses that cannot be expressed through ordinary language.

The second is that it is something that can express a paradox such as the unification of opposites which in reality are conflicting or contrasting. A familiar example might be the yin/yang symbol, wherein opposites such as night and day, dark and light, male and female arc unified. The next characteristic is that a symbol will have many levels of meaning. So it is not a simple A = B equation. A = B, C, D, etc., and of course A. (Eiko is just Eiko!)

Lastly, a religious symbol can transcend language. Language tends to objectify, to erect a kind of wall around the thing, person, idea it seeks to define or designate. The use of symbolism can tear down these walls and allow us to experience something inexpressible directly.

True poetry is full of this kind of religious symbolism even when the topic is not specifically religious. In fact, Henry Miller once wrote that religious truths could only be expressed through art and almost never through organized religion because art shows man trying to understand his place in the universe.

Although Eliade does not talk about the symbolism of body movement, there is no doubt in my mind that Shintaido embodies the kind of symbolism he writes about. The goal of a symbol is to enable us to unify with realms (of reality, of consciousness) we cannot experience through ordinary means. Eliade does write of the symbolism of the body which he calls “anthropo-cosmic symbolism,” symbolism that unifies man and the universe. It seems to me that this is just another way of saying an expression which is familiar to Shintaido: “the body is a message of the universe.” I would like to turn to this symbolism with the caveat that we are not just talking about the body that we are constantly enjoined to keep “fit” or “young.”

The specific image I would like to explore is that of “ten-chi-jin” – heaven, earth, man(kind) which is a key element of all mystical philosophy. For example, a 15th century mystical poet in India wrote: “The body is my scripture, herein the almighty has written his message.” Of course, there are many levels of interpretation beginning with the structure of the spine itself extending from the archaic tail bone to the brain.

When Buddhism moved from India to China, it was greatly transformed in part because the Chinese weren’t very comfortable with the metaphysical abstraction so dear to the Indians, preferring a more concrete and “down-to-earth” approach. Since their language is ideographic wherein pictures represent ideas, it was natural that they preferred to stay close to home rather than taking off on abstract metaphysical speculations.

The word for heaven, ten, is a picture of a man with his arms outstretched standing under something (天). So ten is something both visible and invisible: sky, cosmos, space. Chi (地), on the other hand, is all flesh and blood. It contains two elements, one (土) representing earth, dirt; and the other (也) representing generation or cyclical time. So you might say that jin, according to this idea, exists somewhere between the realms of time/space and timeless infinity. These apparently irreconcilable dimensions can be wedded in man, but he can only become aware of it when he becomes homo symbolicus.

The specific ten-chi-jin image relevant to the martial arts is that of a straight line extending through the earth, through man (人) to heaven. This is a familiar symbol – the axis mundi * which forms a part of the mystical vocabulary of many ancient cultures. All movement to be true, must incorporate this relationship, and it can be found in Shintaido updated, as in various ancient disciplines. It is the way modem man can express Eliade’s “anthropo-cosmic symbolism.”

In the 20th century, we often hear about how alienated modern man has become: alienated from nature, from God, from his fellow man and, ultimately, from himself. A way to express this more simply would be to say that jin has been cut off from ten and from chi. We have isolated ourselves, through our hubris or overweening intellectual and technological pride, from our real selves. This is one reason the opening feeling of Shintaido’s movements is so important. Body movement allows us to bypass that part of our being/ consciousness that dissects, objectifies and destroys.

Henry Miller once wrote that religious truths could only be expressed through art and almost never through organized religion …

 

One way to evaluate the various types of body movements proliferating in our time (in itself, a healthy sign) might be to see whether they reflect or contain ten–chi–jin philosophy without which they might be good for developing certain “useful” qualities and personal well-being, but without which they cannot affect conscious-ness, in other words, can have no symbolic value.

I don’t think it is so difficult to achieve the union of jin and chi. The growing ecological movement is testimony to the fact that we have become, as a species, aware of the need for this union for our survival on this planet. Much of Shintaido keiko is geared toward the attaining of this unification, and this helps to explain why we would much rather practice outside than indoors.

The unification of jin and chi can be achieved with time and a willingness to continue past self-imposed limitations. But this unification is only half the story and can easily degenerate into a kind of mindless romanticism or cultishness in the absence of the ten element.

The original nexus in which Shintaido was developed in Japan was called rakutenkai, which might be translated as the “enjoy ten group.” Of course without chi, the philosophy of ten can also degenerate into other worldliness and abstraction. But without it there can be no inspiration and no real progress. Of course ten is the under-pinning of Shintaido’s movements and of Aoki-sensei’s philosophy. For it is the world of silence, of nothingness, which gives birth to the symbol and to which the symbol points. Ten is expressed most directly in the language of Shintaido by eiko, which is translated as “glory”, and which contains the Chinese ideograph hikari ( 光 ) or ‘light.’ It is the way we can express and discover the world of ten.

              Two of the movements of tenshingoso, ah and um, also express this ten–chi–jin philosophy. But Aoki-sensei also added A, E, Oh because we have to live and act in this world. Much of human history might be represented as an attempt to express A, E, and Oh without Ah and um. In other words, the alienation of jin from ten and chi. So we come back to the point of having to complete the symbol, to expand our horizons, to redefine our concept of self, other, nature and God. All this through body movement? So far, I haven’t found a better way, or at least a way that helps to avoid the pitfalls of ego-centered self-delusion that have gotten us in the mess we find ourselves today.

But as I said before, the Symbol Ah is also just Ah. Eiko is just Eiko: running, stretching, yelling, breathing, suffering, enjoying, being imprisoned, being free. As Verlaine wrote, ”Tout le reste c ‘est de la littcrature.” All the rest is literature.

*Editor’s note:  The axis mundi (Latin for “world axis”) is a mythological concept representing the symbolic center of the world or a connection point between Heaven and Earth.

In religion, mythology, and folklore, it functions as a central pivot point that connects three cosmic spheres: the sky or celestial realm (Heaven), the terrestrial realm (Earth), and the subterranean realm (the Underworld). It is often viewed as the place where humanity can closest approach or communicate with the divine.

Across Time and Space: Interview with Aoki-Sensei, 1986

Across Time and Space: Interview with Aoki-Sensei, 1986

2026, All Years, Body Dialogue Newsletter

Reprint: Interview with Aoki-sensei on August 24, 1986

By Michael and Leslie Goldberg

Re-Published: September 2, 2026

SoA:  What were your impressions of Shintaido Ten?

A-S:  It was very beautiful, very pretty, very peaceful on the surface yet underneath I felt there was a lot of energy which never emerged, like an egg which hasn’t been broken. But it wasn’t the right time for that energy to emerge. Later, an instructor might help the group break through the shell.

SOA:  Could you compare Shintaido Ten with the first International Gasshuku, which was held In San Francisco In the summer of 1980?

A-S:  The first International was much bigger, much wider, stronger and ROUGH. This time was not rough. It was different: better organized and softer.

SoA:  Did you like the Idea of giving students the opportunity to choose their own type of keiko?

A-S:  It was a very fresh experience for me. And I thought it was good because, say, one person might want very hard training, and another might want to have just deep meditation.

 For instance, Hideko’s group was very soft and peaceful. It was very beautiful, eh? On the other hand, Ken’s group had a very martial arts feeling. Both groups were good. The two give Shintaido balance. Shintaido itself consists of a very open technique and a very soft technique.

SoA:  Please talk about the difference between open technique and soft technique.

A-S:  There are two systems in Shintaido: open and soft. Personally, I prefer the soft system. But when I started Shintaido my body was very strong and I was young and I had many young followers, so I started with open technique.

 It’s better to start, if you can, with open technique. Open your system. After I completed this, then I started to develop soft technique.

 Soft keiko is very good for someone who has a weak body. Open keiko is very strong. If you start with soft keiko and eventually do open keiko, you might find that it’s not so difficult.

Cezanne, Picasso, Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln are all living people for me.
People like Pascal, Dostoevsky, Henry Miller, Basho, all speak to me right now.

SoA:  We understand that over the last five years, you’ve spent a lot of time developing the soft Shlntaldo program in order to bring Shlntaldo to a larger group, including older disabled people. Have there been obstacles or frustrations?

A-S:  Recently we’ve started teaching Shintaido at several “cultural centers” in Japan. Many of the students are elderly. When we started to teach them kai kyaku dai they said, “Oh no, we can’t do it.” They’d take maybe two or three steps, that was it. It took us one and a half months to teach Tenshingoso. For Tenshingoso kumite, they needed one and a half years. It was difficult because they often had a negative attitude. They’d say I can’t do it because I’m very aged or I’m very weak or because I’m a woman.

 We kept at it because of our love of Shintaido and our love for them. We’ve had to work on our teaching methods.

SoA:  Have you ever wanted to quit?

A-S:  No! I’m like a bulldog. I don’t give up.

SoA:  What are your Impressions of the United States?

A-S:  To answer that, I’d need 24 hours! In this country, there are so many people, so many races, so many ages, so many different value systems. So, they’ve made everything very plain, very simple in order to reach the widest number of people. That’s OK, but many American people have become slaves of simplicity. They’ve lost the ability to understand deep matters. Very often people say to me, “Shintaido is very difficult, please explain it more simply. If I were to do that, it might be good for business, but it would be a disservice. “

 Keiko should be very simple. But the philosophy should be very rich . . . keiko becomes simpler, philosophy should become deeper.

Many American people have become slaves of simplicity. They’ve lost the ability to understand deep matters.

SoA:  Could you talk about the “American neurosis?”

A-S:  The psychological dilemma of the American people is very deep. It’s one of the deepest, because this country has so much stress.

Relationships are very distant and the culture reflects that. In America if an individual happens to be very strong or if he has a lot of talent or money, life can be comfortable. But for a weak person, I think American life is too severe, too hard. If he’s weak, he often ends up living a very lonely life. That shouldn’t be. animals should live in a group. But in this country, everybody lives by himself. At least it looks that way to these Japanese eyes. So wakame (seaweed) kumite is very good for American people.

SoA:  Could you talk about the difficulties of Japanese life?

A-S:  In Japan, a lot of the stress comes from so many people living so closely together. It can be exhausting.

SoA:  How does Shlntaldo offer relief for some of the stress?

A-S:  Some people in Japan say Shintaido is a spiritual sunburst. Soft Shintaido relieves people’s tension and softens the body. The body returns to a more natural state. And if they next study “open system,” their possibility is very great. Shintaido people have very bright faces, don’t you agree?

SoA:  What suggestions do you have for teaching the new student?

A-S:  It’s more important to just work with them rather than instruct or teach them. This is especially important with children. If we work with them that’s enough. Then they begin to enjoy it for themselves.

Private practice is essential. If the beginner can just do meditation or Tenshingoso — anything is OK — at home or at a nearby park, then he can find Shintaido himself. Then Shintaido becomes his own. Until then, Shintaido is just given.

SoA:  Please talk about the student-teacher relationship.

A-S:  A Japanese will have utmost respect for a teacher. Your teacher is your teacher forever, even if you surpass him. It’s not that way in the United States. Here, someone might study from a certain teacher and then just decide to start his own school. In Japan that would never happen.

SoA:  What are your Influences?

A-S:  I started Shintaido, but I have been given so many things from many sources — senseis who have gone before me, from Western artists, musicians, novelists and theologians. So, they’re all my teachers.

 For me, Van Gogh is not just a historical figure; he’s a person in my life, a living person. Cezanne, Picasso, Walt Whitman, Abraham Lincoln are all living people for me. People like Pascal, Dostoevski, Henry Miller, Basho all speak to me right now.

SoA:  Who are your 10 most favorite authors?

A-S:  It’s very difficult to come up with a list of 10 because. I’m reading a new book almost every day. The question is difficult because it’s like who are the10 most beautiful girls.

 Anyway, I really like ”The Imitation of Christ” by A. Kempis. It means “to follow Christ.” I like Dostoevsky very much. I’ve read the essays of Montaigne over and over again. Walt Whitman is very great. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” – that book is very great. I like Henry Miller, although his sensibility is very different from mine. I would list Stendahl’s “The Red and The Black,” Rimbaud’s “A Season in Hell,” and “A Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

 When I was in high school, I saw the movie “Death of a Salesman.” Oh, that was something!

SoA:  What about music?

A-S:  Ah music! I’m much more influenced by music than I am by karate.

SoA:  Who are your favorite musicians or composers?

A-S:  Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Thelonious Monk, Tina Turner — I like her very much, and Marvin Gaye. Of course, Beethoven and Mozart. Recently, I’ve been listening to baroque music a lot. But I also like folk songs of each country.

 During the last two years I’ve studied Buddhism and Chinese classics. It’s very interesting, but so difficult and deep — too great for me. My center of thought is probably the New Testament.

I’m more influenced by music than I am by karate.

SoA:  Do you think that talking after keiko can enrich one’s Shlntaldo practice?

A-S:  Yes, it’s very important. Students should talk more. After kumite, students should share their impressions. Say, “When you did this, this wasn’t right or it gave me a bad feeling. Or this gave a very nice feeling.” I can’t stress it enough. But you shouldn’t talk about your personal training. Keep private; It’s a source of energy. Of course, when a student has some problem, he should discuss it with his senior instructor.

 Discussion among Shintaido students after kumite is so important because we can share our experience and study many things. We start to recognize that different people get different things or impressions from the same keiko. Also, as you come to understand another, you’re more able to make adjustments in your own perception.

SoA:  Does Shlntaldo recommend any type of meditation?

A-S:  There are several different types of meditation in Shintaido. We have a formal standing mediation which has 10 different poses. We also have seiza; open seiza and soft seiza. There are two lotus poses: complete lotus pose and the half lotus pose. The lying down pose. In yoga they call that the dead man pose. We have wakame kumite. This way we get meditation with movement. So that when we go about our daily life, cooking or cleaning the apartment, we can have meditation or deep concentration.

SoA:  How can Shlntaldo students deepen their “um?”

A-S:  For centuries people have known that meditation is extremely valuable, but of course it’s very hard. Part of the reason I developed Shintaido was that I wanted to make the benefits of meditation available to ordinary working people. I think this can be done by incorporating Shintaido into daily life.

 Shintaido involves deep concentration. In practice we emphasize the lower art of the body. This is very important. It’s a way of rejuvenating the body. Shintaido also tries to make the body straight, so that we can take down our center of gravity. We aim to relax the body and take down our energy all the way to the bottom of the feet — just a half inch from the center of the arch of the foot (towards the toes). If a person does this he can become very quiet.

 If you do this two or three times, you can get very deep concentration and stop thinking. Then you don’t have to take your breath down anymore. Students might then do any one of the types of meditation for 20 or 30 minutes a day. I’m not saying, however, that this is THE way to achieve satori or some enlightenment. That’s not my business.

SoA:  During one of the keikos, you said for people to take rest If they wanted and that this was not a “Shlntaldo ghetto.”

A-S:  We do Shintaido because we like to have a happy time. And also, because we want to be more ourselves and more free. If an instructor is very authoritarian, saying do this, do that, etc., etc., we cannot be ourselves. My gorei is very different. I don’t try to teach so much; rather I try to give them an opportunity to study. If somebody thinks they’re being forced by me, it’s not my idea. I support a student’s aspiration to become free or to become better — that’s all. I can only cook a very good dinner, but I can’t force anyone to eat It. I wouldn’t want to.

SoA:  What advice would you give to parents of children who are studying Shintaido?

A-S:  Sometimes parents bring their children to our dojo and they say my boy is withdrawn or aggressive and please help us. But almost always parents have the same problem! I say OK, maybe Shintaido can help your boy or girl, but then the parents go on and on, saying my boy is this, that and the other. They never give the kid a chance to come to us on his own. Finally, I usually have to say, “No I cannot help. The child is not the problem, you are.” I have to be very honest.

SoA:  How can a parent encourage his child?

A-S:  If parents study Shintaido with the child – that is the best way. It doesn’t matter if the parents are very unskillful. Kids don’t expect their parents to be so great. They are just happy to have their parents do Shintaido with them. The atmosphere in the home can become very nice. Communication improves.

 In terms of raising a child, I say if you find 10 good points in a kid, praise him 10 times. But if you find 10 weak points, please mention only one. Parents usually point 10 times to each weak point.

SoA:  During the gasshuku you lectured on the haiku poet Basho. For those who weren’t there , what can we learn from Basho’s example?

A-S:  Basho studied only one thing — haiku, which is a very simple kata. Haiku is so simple, but it offered him limitless possibilities.

 If you try to study all sorts of different things, it’s no good. Also, Basho did meditation continuously. Through that he became himself. But he wrote haiku with his disciples. He lived with many people and he did meditation, therefore he had very good balance. And he did a lot of traveling.

 Basho also studied nature. He touched nature. He became one with nature. This is very important, especially in the United States. You have many opportunities to commune with nature. It’s very nice: the beach, the desert, the forest. Because most people live in cities, this is even more important than before.

SoA:  Why are gasshukus so Important?

A-S:  Like the other animals, humans are supposed to live in a group. Sometimes we forget that. We don’t respect our neighbor. We think the world revolves around us. So, it’s very important to work with many people, to have that experience. If we have a gasshuku, we can study so many things from neighbors. Of course, a piano solo is very nice, but an orchestra is very great.

About the Authors:

Leslie Goldberg

https://www.directactioneverywhere.com/dxe-in-the-news/2016-6-15-why-dxe-wednesday-xv-leslie-goldberg

Michael Goldberg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Goldberg_(writer)

Across Time and Space: In Memoriam

Across Time and Space: In Memoriam

2026, All Years, Body Dialogue Newsletter

Image of Ito Sensei “looking forward,” as he named the image when sharing it.

by Connie Borden

Published:

As we celebrate our 50th Anniversary of the founding of Shintaido of America, it is important to pause in memoriam for those who died over these years. Each contributed to Shintaido. We still practice across time and space in Aikukan, a space of love, with these unique and special people.

(If you can’t find a linked article, please note that most should open in a new tab.)

      • Barbara Barnard, Christophe Bernard, Christina G. Cross
      • James Cumming, Juliette Farkouh, Anne-Marie Grandtner
      • H.F. Ito, Brad Larson, Bill Peterson
      • John Seaman, Russ Staples, Joe Zawielski
      • Marielle Bernier, Sarah Prince

Barbara Barnard – Barbara was introduced to Shintaido by her cousin Pam Olton. In this article in 2015, BD36_May2015, Barbara reflects on her practice of Shintaido.  Barbara died in early 2016, here are people’s memories of Barbara: BD38_May2016.

Christophe Bernard – Many memories are shared about Christophe in this 2013 edition of body dialogue – of his being an excellent French chief, of his ease at kumite, and the joy he brought others. He achieved ranks of Shintaido Graduate (1991), and 8 kyu in both Karate and Bojutsu. BD33_Sep2013

Christina G. Cross – died June 2021, She was active in the SF Bay Area in the1980s, she became a licensed acupuncturist in 1985. Christina was awarded Provisional Instructor (now call Graduate) in 1986 at Shintaido Ten. She also held a 5 kyu rank, awarded in 1985, in Bojutsu.

Barbara Barnard

Christophe Bernard

Christina G. Cross

James Cumming – On May 1st, 2023, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease, James Cumming took the MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) medicine, which is legal in the state of Vermont where he lived. He passed away peacefully with his wife Evangelina “Vangie” Holvino by his side. James was a longtime Shintaido practitioner in England. He also spent time in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he stayed for a time with Bela Breslau and Ito-sensei. Read more about his life: Remembering James Cumming 

Juliette Farkouh – Shintaido Graduate and equipment manager for over 10 years, died Dec 12, 2009. In her 16 years of study, she also achieved 5 kyu in Shintaido Karate and 8 kyu in Shintaido Bojutsu. Here is an article: BD27_Jul2010

Anne-Marie Grandtner – died Dec 18, 2018. She taught Shintaido in Montreal, Canada. Read more here: Anne-Marie Grandtner

James Cumming

Juliette Farkouh

Anne-Marie Grandtner

H.F. Ito – 1942 – 2023, established Shintaido movement in USA and Canada, co-founder of Shintaido of America. Read his full bio here: H.F. Ito | Shintaido of America

Brad Larson – Shintaido Instructor and Kenjutsu Shodan, Brad Larson died unexpectedly on November 2, 2023. Here is our tribute to Brad’s teaching showing his love of nature and the Boh. Sunday 2023-07-09 Nature as Keiko Partner. Read more about Brad in this Body Dialogue article: Celebration of Life for Brad Larson

Bill Peterson – Died May 13, 1996 of AIDS while receiving Hospice by the Bay services. H.F. Ito writes of holding Bill in his arms to visualize eiko in this article: Body Dialogue # 6. In this same newsletter, Bill’s writes about a past experience of doing sensei care.

H.F. Ito

Brad Larson

Bill Peterson

John Seaman – John, a long-time Shintaido instructor, passed away in April 2018.  John and Lee started their practice during the early days of Shintaido in Japan. Read how Tomi reflects about the impact John had on her life: How John Seaman Helped Shape My Life 

Russ Staples –  died in 1987. Joe writes in memorial for Russ here; 1987_1Winter-SOA_News and a donation was made in the name of Russ Staples: 1987_2 Spring-SOA_News.  In 2007, a gazebo to honor Russ was completed at Shintaido Farm in Deerfield, Massachusetts. The gazebo stands in a meditative spot on a hillside overlooking a wooded valley. Tall trees offer shade, privacy and beauty. There is an engraved stone that commemorates Russ. Read this article about the dedication of gazebo: BD22_Jan2008, pg 9: SHOOTING STARS

Joe Zawielski – Shintaido General Instructor, Kenjutsu Sandan, and Bojutsu Sandan, Joe Zawielski died August 1, 2018.  Gianni Rossi led a final keiko on July 21, 2018 with 50 people, including Joe. Here is an article about Joe: Joe Zawielski .  Here is what Joe wrote about his diagnosis of cancer in this Body Dialogue article: “The Joy of Life”  BD41_Oct2017.

John Seaman

Russ Staples

Joe Zawielski

Marielle Bernier – Part of Ito-sensei’s original Quebecois group. Wife of Yves Hudon. Participated in many Shintaido events in Montreal, Quebec City, and at the Shintaido Farm.

Sarah Prince – longtime Shintaido Northeast (SNE) practitioner. Unofficial photographer for SNE. Took many photos at keikos and gasshukus, including the three blowups that graced the walls of the Shintaido Farm dojo Ten Shin Kan.

Marielle Bernier

Sarah Prince

If you have photos you find more flattering or expressive, please send to use and we will consider placing it in the article. Send to president@shintaido.org

Reprint: Ito’s Stream Of Consciousness 1983

2026, All Years, Body Dialogue Newsletter

by H.F. Ito 

Published:

Reprint from Shintaido of America newsletter Issue #2  January 10, 1983

ITO’S STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS

I

When I took a trip to Mexico last summer, I was still looking for my next goal to reach. But when I had a meditation on the Teotihuacan Pyramid, I understood that my philosophical searching age was finished. What I need from now on is not on the surface.

Recently, I have felt that there is something within me which only I can transfer to people, That is, exactly what has been transferred to me from my ancestors, Now I have confidence to start my own school where I can express or transfer “something”. This “something” can never be expressed or described in words. The only way I can transfer it is through body movement, through correcting people’s posture, form and movement.

II

About Master Funakoshi

If you are familiar with the history of karate, you may know that Master Funakoshi is the first person who organized today’s karate program, after he had studied three major fighting techniques in Okinawa.

Originally, he was an instructor of the Shurite school which was known for its quick and sharp movements. After he became a master of Shurite, he had an aspiration to organize all of the martial arts in Okinawa. He was open and humble enough to ask for special instruction from his rival school, Nawate, which was known for its slow and steady movements, It was extremely unusual for a martial artist, who were generally conservative and stiff-necked, to do such a thing in that age.

If you write karate in English, it does not make any difference, but originally karate’s kara (唐) was the character for China and karate was known as the fighting technique which came from China. But when Master Funakoshi set up his new program, including Shurite, Nawate as well as Chinese styles, he used a new character for kara (空) which means “empty,” Thus, karate in this age means “empty hand.” Even though the meaning of karate became very popular as free-hand fighting techniques, I wonder how many karate instructors understand Master Funakoshi’s wish he put into the letter kara, which he took from the Buddhist Hannya sutra, one of the most respected sutras in Buddhism.

Just as Gurdjieff went to Paris, the center for artists at that time, after he had found the secret truth in Tibet, Master Funakoshi also had a destiny to follow and went to Tokyo with his new method. He was unusually brave to do so at that time when Okinawa was looked down upon by the great martial artists in Japan.

By the humbleness he showed when he went to his rival school, by the bravery with which he followed his destiny, and by the hope which he expressed in the character he used for karate, I think he is respected as the founder of karate in this age.

Accomplishment of Master Egami

Even those who are very familiar with the history of Japanese martial arts, do not know that Master Ueshiba Morihei, who is well-known as the founder of Aikido, was originally a successor of the Shin-kage-ryu Sojutsu (spear technique) and that Master Inoue Hoken, who is respected among Aikidoists as the first disciple (uchi deshi) of Master Ueshiba, was originally the successor of the Itto-ryu kenjutsu (sword technique).

Before World War II, as the highest disciple of Master Funakoshi, Master Egami was appointed by the Japanese army as the coordinator of all the martial arts in Japan. Later, when he was 40 years old, he became a disciple under Master Inoue, who had started Shinwataido, emphasizing the idea that heiho (兵法), war strategy, should be heiho (平法) tactics to engender peace.

Fortunately Master Egami who was following the wish of Master Funakoshi and the true meaning of “karate” could exactly adjust his philosophy to Master Inoue’s and finally received all of the grace of traditional martial arts which had been passed down to Master Ueshiba and Master Inoue.

Shintaido and Master Aoki

I don’t think it is only me who has found and secretly enjoyed the soul relationship between Dostoyevsky, Beethoven, and Van Gogh. But if someone found the common truth which they shared, it would be almost impossible for him to deny their influence into his life, even though he is an oriental martial artist. Sometimes I think Master Aoki was a sprout which came out in oriental soil sharing roots with these Western seniors.

As the head instructor of the Shotokai karate school, Master Egami’s freedom to directly develop a new holistic martial art was limited. Master Aoki was appointed to study and test all of the ideas which were collected by Master Egami. It was a heavy but graceful duty to complete Sogo Budo, or ‘holistic martial art’, during his apprenticeship period.

People who have read the Shintaido book must already know how hard and rich this training was. It was a great honor for me too, to be allowed to study with them, about twenty years ago, at a time when these two masters had their most harmonious relationship.

Ito-sensei, during an examination.

However, for Master Aoki, who grew up in a post-war democratic environment and who fell in love with Western fine arts, and the story of Jesus Christ’s life, it is the matter of time and the fate of genius to start his own movement, especially after he had found Eiko and Tenshingoso, which were not understood by the other instructors of the Shotokai school.

If you read this kind of history of martial arts just on the surface, you may be reminded of the story that Jung had to go in his own direction after he finished his apprenticeship under Freud. But what I want to describe is the younger generation naturally has a wider point of view, as their world broadens, even though they are exactly following their roots.

As proof to show that Shintaido is still an orthodox oriental martial art, I would like to present two examples here.

One of the top secrets of karate-do which is called Sankaku-tobi (triangle jump) was transferred only through the Funakoshi-Egami-Aoki line and has been programmed as one of our basic movements in Shintaido.

Even though most kendoists have lost the chance to do so, any student of Shintaido will experience the great dignity of Ittoryu school when they study Shintaido kenjutsu.

III

Principle and paradox of a double-edged sword

In Aoki-sensei’s textbook, Shintaido is described as a double-edged sword, For example, each form or movement must be meaningful both from a martial arts point of view and from a health movement point. of view, Thus, every particular technique in Shintaido was established after it had been checked to see if it was effective enough for killer techniques to “control life”, as well as for human development “to develop life”.

However, some people who study Shintaido a little bit and then go on to start their own independent style have already arranged the basics of Shintaido. In these days, some of them teach techniques or movement which work well in terms of “feel good” exercises, but which have lost all their martial arts meaning. Others, teach techniques which are useful and effective in terms of martial arts, but which have completely lost the well-considered aspects for human development. Therefore, the more they practice their own arrangements, the worse they are going to be spiritually and physically.

Since people believe in free enterprise in this country {North America}, it is true anyone can start his or her own school of martial arts or exercises. But if you are going to participate in spreading Shintaido, which was founded by Aoki-sensei, I would like to ask each of you to remember the principle of the double-edged sword which Aoki-sensei put into the Shintaido program.

Let me give another example of a double-edged sword. It someone studies or practices Shintaido in a country where there are old, strong traditions and a very strict social system, they will often experience a satori (awareness) that everyone should be entitled to equal rights, opportunities and freedom of expression. However, if people who grow up in a society based on freedom and independence, always look for these same goals in Shintaido, I may say they are using a one hundred dollar bill for only fifty dollars value. Just as a chemist uses a catalyst in experiments, I am sure these people can use Shintaido to improve themselves and to let their society go beyond its limitations.

Generally speaking, when the well-controlled society or person reaches certain limitations, we may have to break certain traditional restrictions or taboos which inhibit free-thinking so that new ideas will surface to improve society and the individual. On the other hand, when people reach limitations because they misunderstand freedom, interpreting it as selfishness, and they misunderstand independence, as only individual profit, society needs certain restrictions and the individual needs to develop consideration for others so that we can go beyond these limitations to build a new society and new individual selves.

For those who study Shintaido in the United States in this age, I recommend the study of well-developed consideration and discipline more than the aspects of freedom and independence in Shintaido. This is especially true for those who have studied for more than two or three years and who are still willing to continue. If the advanced student forgets these aspects, there is no way to develop a new stage for Shintaido of America and to give a good influence to this society.

IV

Truth is not information. Even if you collect a lot of information, you can never reach Truth; you will be a walking encyclopedia. In the Shintaido book, Aoki-sensei said, Truth never comes to you unless you approach it. I am not going to twist Sensei’s word, but let me give you a word of warning: If your way of approach is wrong, the truth will elude you. As Emily Dickenson has written about Beauty:

Beauty – be not caused – It is –
Chase it, and it ceases –
Chase it not, and it abides –

In the same way, if you find the correct way to approach Truth, you can live with it. I believe the basic way to approach Truth is related to the attitude of a child who wants to study and who is filled with both curiosity and awe. This attitude is automatically apparent in his or her physical posture. That is why in Shintaido, to acquire the correct form, posture and movement is very important.

If you are still willing to study these kinds of basics, please come to talk with me or invite me to talk with you. I am available here as a Shintaido missionary from Japan.