On February 5, 2023, we will launch season 2 of the Shintaido of America podcast. Because we enjoy Shintaido literature, we will be reading another book. In season 2 of the podcast, we would like to honor Master Instructor in residence and Shintaido of America co-founder Michael Thompsons by reading from his autobiography Untying Knots: The Shintaido Chronicle.
The book is the personal story of Michael Thompson. In a frank and reflective way, he tells of his youth in America and his breakthrough trip to France, where he first encountered Shintaido. The very title “Untying Knots” refers to the Buddhist practice of non-attachment.
It suggests that together with Michael, we will embark on a journey of understanding and acceptance of self and the transformation Michael has experienced through Shintaido.
Lifetime achievement award for Michael Thompson Michael was first introduced to Shintaido in 1971 in France where he met Aoki sensei in person. Michael eventually traveled to Japan and studied Shintaido with the Rakutenkai group for two years.
In 1976, Michael co-founded the Shintaido of America organization which he lead for four years. In 2004, he became the first non-Japanese Shintaido Master Instructor. In 1996, Michael wrote an autobiographical book, Untying Knots: The Shintaido Chronicle, in which he reflected on his 25 years of international Shintaido experience.
This year, Michael turns 85 and we would like to recognize his work with a lifetime achievement award. We will honor Michael at the start of the launch party, to which we have invited many of his students who are now Shintaido instructors including Bill Burtis, Stephen Billias, Gianni Rossi and many others.
The program of the launch party 🔴 start at 11AM West Coast / 2PM East Coast / 7PM UK / 8PM Europe 🔴 honoring Michael Thompson with a lifetime achievement award 🔴 inviting Michael´s students to reflect on his impact 🔴 introducing season 2 of the Shintaido of America podcast 🔴 toast
How to participate On February 5, 2023, we will meet online via ZOOM and we would be delighted if you decide to connect and celebrate with us. Join the ZOOM call via this link or write us at president@shintaido.org.
Follow the release party event on Facebook We will publish all the news and details on the Facebook event of the release party. Click on “Interested” or “Going” to let us know you are coming! There, we will introduce our party guests in more detail, talk about the book and other news.
Listen to season 2 of the Shintaido of America podcast Season 2 of the podcast is dedicated to the book Untying knots: The Shintaido Chronicle by Michael Thompson read by Shintaido General Instructor David Franklin. Each episode will be followed by an interview. David will talk about Shintaido-related topics with various people who are familiar with our practice.
On February 6, you will find the first episode of season 2 of the Shintaido of America podcast on most of the usual podcast applications.
Support us Shintaido of America produces this podcast and many educational materials such as articles, videos, practice meetings and others on a shoestring budget. Even a small donation will help us continue.
You can help us by telling your friends about us.
You can also subscribe to our e-mail newsletter.
You will receive 2 e-mails per month with detailed information about what we are working on, invitations to workshops and much other interesting news. By following Shintaido of America on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube you can be sure to always receive the freshest news about our projects.
Buy the book If you wish to expand your collection of Shintaido books in your library, you can buy Michael´s book in our store. There, you will find other Shintaido publications such as textbooks, anthologies, and booklets.
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.”
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.
This summer of 2021 introduced the opportunity for Shintaido practitioners to take high level exams. Given the COVID pandemic, in-person exams during an international gasshuku were not possible. International Technical and Examination Committee (ITEC) worked with two of the doshu, HF Ito and Masashi Minagawa, to offer video/ZOOM exams. These exams had two parts: a video performance and then participating in a ZOOM Masterclass exam (ZME). For SOA, the video filming was done in the Bay Area on 6 June and on the east coast on the 18/19 of June. The ZME was held 8 August in the Bay Area
Congratulations to the following people who successfully passed their examinations!
Shintaido Kenjutsu: 3-Dan Lee Ordeman
Shintaido Kenjutsu: 4-Dan Connie Borden Shin Aoki Robert Gaston
Shintaido Senior Instructor Lee Ordeman
Watch the video of the Zoom Master Class on YouTube below and for more details take a look here.
Nominations for Shintaido of America Board members are now open. A Shintaido of America Board member works with other board members and SOA officers to help fulfill the mission of supporting keiko and instructors in the US and Canada.
Joining the SOA Board is a way to give back and support the people who teach and practice Shintaido. We are looking for folks who want to express their appreciation for Shintaido and dedicate a few hours a month to help the organization keep moving forward.
Being on the Board of Directors of a non-profit corporation is an important position that should be included on a resume or job application.
What are some of the things a board members have done?
A sub-committee of the Shintaido of America Board worked with an amazing marketing/branding professional, Robert Friedman. They devised a fresh and inventive way to describe Shintaido.
With this revitalized way to think of Shintaido as “Opening to Life”, the Teachers’ group led by Lee Seaman and Nancy Billias designed a five-week ‘soft hand’ curriculum for beginners which is designed to be conducted over Zoom.
Board members contributed to articles and worked with Body Dialogue editor Jim Sterling for our Body Dialogue.
The Shintaido of America YouTube Channel now offers new videos every few weeks led by Sarah Baker, who works with the SOA Board and officers.
Shintaido of America board members set the strategy for Shintaido of America, establish the annual budget to accomplish these strategies while also maintaining the infrastructure of a national nonprofit organization.
How to answer this call? It is quite easy.
Write us a short letter or shoot a video where you introduce yourself. We are keen to know more about your motivation to become a board member and if you already have an idea of what we can do together, let us know!
A board member serves a term of 2 years. The term is from September 2021 to September 2023. A board member attends 4 board meetings each year and participates in committee work throughout the year.
The nominations close on the 24th of July and the elections will happen from 1 August to 14 August 2021.
A person may self-nominate themselves. If nominating another person, please have their agreement before making the nomination.
Are you wondering who is in the Shintaido of America Board now?
The members from September 2019 to 2021 are Nancy Billias Connie Borden David Franklin Herve Hofstetter Brad Larson, all elected voting members
