by David Palmer, Shintaido of America Board member
We are inviting interested members of SOA and the general public to listen to David Palmer speaking on the Value of Touch on Wednesday the 1st of October at 12noon via Zoom. David Palmer, with a massage career spanning 45 years, is speaking on the Value of Touch to the San Francisco End of Life Network (SFEOL). David has been recognized as the “Father of Seated Chair Massage” and in 2007, he was inducted into the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame.
From 1982 to 1989 he was Director of the Amma Institute, the first school in the United States exclusively devoted to traditional Japanese massage. It was during this time he met and studied with H.F. Ito, Shintaido Doshu. David’s study of Shintaido, especially his appreciation for the kata of kenko-taiso (the specific sequence of gentle warmups), continues to the present. David Palmer has been a SOA Board member from March 2024 to the present.
As a colleague of Irene Smith (1946-2021), David has been entrusted with her archive of teaching materials. Smith founded Everflowing in 2001, an organization dedicated to educational outreach and teaching skillful touching as an integral component to palliative care. She also ran Service Through Touch from 1982 until 1999, through which she created massage programs for people living with HIV-AIDS worldwide.
For this presentation David will speak with Connie Borden, SOA President, and Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner about the value of touch for the seriously ill and those at end of life. Join us and bring your questions to this interview that promises to be rich with insights into the ways that human touch can transform our human existence.
We are sharing good news about the Global Taimyo Community (GTC) coming to Shintaido of America (SoA) this month. GTC brings the practice of Taimyo kata as a gateway to reflections on peace and our impact on the world around us. SoA brings 49 years as a non-profit transmitting the form and practice of Shintaido in the U.S., including supporting fledgling local and international groups. We hope this partnership helps deepen Shintaido practice around the world.
What is theGlobal Taimyo Community (GTC)? The GTC originally grew from H.F. Ito’s desire for peace, by practicing Taimyokata around the world both synchronously and asynchronously to create a field of peaceful intentions. Taimyo kata is a specific movement/meditation form from the Shintaido body of practice. Haruyoshi F. Ito and Masashi Minagawa, Shintaido instructors began teaching the Taimyo to the general public as a way of exploring and healing our inner world as well as creating healthier relationships with our outer world — people and nature — beyond time and space. As the network of students grew and became international an informal GTC was born.
How Will it Work? Since 2021 GTC has gathered people from the U.S., Canada, France, the U.K. and Japan a few times per year for practice and conversations via Zoom on themes such as healing, release and transformation, and our soul’s longing.
GTC is organized by the Planning Team – Sarah Baker, Connie Borden, Rob Gaston, Masashi Minagawa, and Tomi Nagai-Rothe – and features a website with many GTC resources including links to video and the Day Street Dojo website.
What Comes Next? As of February 1, 2025 SoA is GTC’s fiscal sponsor and will handle payment-registration for this year’s weeklong virtual gathering July 20 – 26. The GTC website and DayStreetDojo sites will continue.
We hope more folx will take the opportunity to come together across space and time to explore “The Space of Love” 愛空間 this summer. Details on the July workshop and registration to be shared soon.
Organizers Connie Borden, Rob Gaston, and Lee Ordeman are excited to announce that registration is open for a kenjutsu workshop October 11, 12, & 13, 2025.
Our guest instructor will be Pierre Quettier, 5th dan shintaido kenjutsu and shintaido general instructor. With 49 years of shintaido experience, he has made his recent focus teaching shintaido kenjutsu. He was awarded 5th dan kenjutsu at last summer’s international gasshuku, Dokan ’24. Pierre was chief author and editor of the book Shakunetsu: Chronicles of the Creation of Shintaido, published in July 2023.
Everyone is welcome. All levels of experience are eligible, and we particularly encourage those currently teaching or interested in teaching shintaido kenjutsu.
Curriculum will include Goho Batto Ho (5 drawing techniques for sword), Jissen Kumitachi (practical arrangements of kyukajo) and the three kata developed for shintaido kenjutsu: Shoden, Chuden, and Okuden.
During the six keiko of the three-day workshop, participants will study according to their skill levels. We will use bokken (light wooden sword). Practice with an iaito is optional. At the end of the workshop, participants will be provided means for continued study, such as videos and printed materials. The workshop will be held in the town of Rohnert Park, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, just south of Santa Rosa.
Cost of workshop, including instruction, 6 keiko, 3 lunches, and dojo, is $320. No one is turned away for financial barriers. SOA members can contact Connie Borden at president@shintaido.org for information on SOA scholarships. The cost of lodging and meals other than lunch are separate.
We will gather for our evening discussions and dinners at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Sonoma Wine Country Hotel. The hotel room rate includes breakfasts, access to a swimming pool, hot tub, and sauna. Parking is $22/day. Please consider staying at the hotel for several reasons: The first is that staying there makes a daily commute unnecessary, it simplifies holding gatherings in the evenings, and there are very limited options for staying with SoA members nearby. Please book directly with the Hotel.
Lunches on each of the three days will be served at the dojo and are included in the registration fee. We are planning a combination of “family style” meals by means of crock pot and/or deli platters. Having meals at the gym decreases travel time and allows for more relaxation time.
As is expected and traditional at gasshuku, all participants contribute to its success by sharing in a number of tasks. These include various preparations before the event, and jobs during the event. Jobs would include supporting the instructors with “sensei care” and hakama care, dojo prep, transportation assistance, and event recorder.
We want to share an invitation to an introductory Shintaido class. This is a great opportunity to learn the very basics of Shintaido.
The class is suitable for absolute beginners, so if you know of anyone who might be interested, please share this invitation! However, we believe that it can also be beneficial for experienced practitioners. Everybody is welcome.
This introductory class is intended to share simple body movements paired with vocal expressions that can lead to mind-body unity and a peaceful connection with others. This class is led by Nicole Masters.
When? Sunday June 8th, 2025 from 3 to 5 PM Where? Energy Wave Center® EESystem™ Energy Spa 120 Pleasant Hill Ave North Suite 330, Sebastopol, CA 95472
The registration fee is 35 USD
Register online and find all the information here: https://energywavecenter.com/shintaido/
The Shintaido of America Board of Directors and National Technical Committee invite all SOA members to a community meeting on 15 June 2025. This meeting will be held on ZOOM. Over the ninety-minute meeting, the SOA board will share updates on activities, the NTC will present planning for 2026 and the active teachers will share about their teaching activities. There will be time for discussion with our members.
The ZOOM meeting will start at 9am West Coast time//12noon East Coast. We will start doing Shintaido movements so we can connect across time and space. ZOOM link to be sent to SOA members closer to the date. Check your email!
Shintaido of America is planning two keiko to celebrate H.F. Ito on the weekend of 17 & 18 May 2025. Since 1975, Ito Sensei practiced and taught Shintaido on Mt. Tam and at Ocean Beach. These are two places where he gained inspiration for his teaching. So, following his last wishes, we have planned keiko at these locations. Nicole Beauvois, who lives in France, will be in the SF Bay Area for these events. We will also gather for a potluck dinner & music and a potluck brunch.
All are welcome. No charge. Donations can be made to the H.F. Ito Memorial Fund – http://www.shintaido.org/store/. (indicate donation for H.F. Ito Memorial Fund)
17 May 2025. Taimyo at Mt. Tam, Marin County 8:30AM — arrive at Hang Glider site #1 on Mt. Tam. This site is 1.2 miles from Rock Springs trail head parking; at the “T” where Pantoll Road ends – take a left onto West Ridgecrest Blvd to Hang Glider Site #1.
Rob Gaston will lead Taimyo. After our practice, let’s enjoy a meal—bring your own picnic breakfast. There is limited or no internet connection on Mt. Tam. Carpooling is recommended. Check your navigation guides for specific information. Allow at least one hour for travel up this mountain road that is frequently shared with bicyclists. A large map of the Mt. Tam site is available upon request.
6PM- Potluck dinner and music at Jennifer and Martha’s home. Bring a dish to share. Bring music, poetry, or other creative expressions to share. Address to be shared in May.
CHANGE OF LOCATION 18 May 2025 Keiko at Lake Temescal in Oakland, CA. (not at Ocean Beach, San Francisco) 8am to 10am — Keiko led by Shin Aoki
11am to 1pm — Potluck brunch at Connie and Mike’s. Bring a dish to share. Basics of coffee/tea, egg dish, and soup will be provided.
Interested? Contact Connie Borden at president@shintaido.org. While no registration is required, it is helpful to know an approximate number of attendees for planning of keiko and meals.
