Continued on p. 4 RIGINALS - Shintaidoshintaido.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/BD09.pdf · vs. bo) arrangements, kumitachi (sword vs. sword) nos. 1 - 9. 120 minutes. Set of 6 videos

Journal of the U.S. Shintaido Movement Issue No. 9. 2001

BODYDialogue

Continued on p. 4

Continued on p. 10

Confronting Evilby Michael Bogenschutz, M.D.

w w w . s h i n t a i d o . o r g

BODYDialogue

“Shintaido” means “new body way.” It is a an art form, a health exercise and meditationthrough movement developed in Japan in the 1960s. Shintaido grows out of the roots ofancient martial arts, meditation and yogic traditions, but the aim is to help modern peo-ple re-discover the original wisdom known by the body and realized through movementand gesture.

The last issue of Body Dialogue was packed with wonderfuland varied articles by practitioners about the essence and pur-pose of Shintaido, what it is and why we do it. Related piecesby Matthew Shorten, H.F. Ito and David Franklin grappledwith the issue of violence and how Shintaido may be used to

respond non-violently but effectively. And Michael Thompsonspoke of his commitment to the unpopular spiritual or reli-gious essence of Shintaido. As a Shintaido instructor and apsychiatrist I would like to share my reflections on these top-ics and contribute my own perspective.

Many of my patients have problems with violence, as victims,perpetrators, or both. So I am daily confronted with the reality

Ever since I began studying Shintaido, I have wanted to knowmore about Rakutenkai, the group responsible for the devel-opment of Shintaido. It is intriguing and somewhat mysteri-ous to today’s American students. I knew that the Rakutenkaipractice was extremely demanding in every way— physically,mentally, spiritually. I knew that many of the practice sessionstook place in the middle of the night. I had heard that manydifferent people were involved in the development ofShintaido— men and women, people of different ability lev-els, people from different backgrounds— and I wonderedwhat this meant, considering how rigorous the practices werereputed to be. I had heard some of the Rakutenkai peopledescribed as “dropouts,” and I wondered what they weredropping out from. Finally I had the opportunity to ask someof these questions, and have them answered. I was luckyenough to be able tointerview three of thecore members ofRakutenkai about theirexperiences duringShintaido’s formativeyears.

Haruyoshi F. ItoH.F. Ito, MasterInstructor of Shintaido,began his study of mar-tial arts in 1960. Duringhis college years, he studied Shotokai Karate under theinstruction of Mr. Hiroyuki Aoki. In 1961, he began visitinghis teacher’s house for dinner. From that time on, he became aregular guest of the Aokis, often staying up all night in dis-cussions of subjects such as the history of Japanese art. A cou-ple of years later, the informal get-togethers at the Aokis’house became formalized as Rakutenkai, or “the meeting ofoptimists.” Under Mr. Aoki’s guidance, the martial artists inRakutenkai researched and developed the forms which

Shintaido of America membership . . . . .2

June 2001 Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Total Stick Fighting book review . . . . . . .8

Shintaido and the Sixties . . . . . . . . . .13

Order books and videos . . . . . . . . . . 15

II N S I D E

ORIGINALSinterviews by Eva Thaddeus

…I am daily confronted with the reality ofviolence, its devastating effects, and thequestion of how best to respond to it.

w w w . s h i n t a i d o . o r g

Journal of the U.S. Shintaido Movement Issue No. 9. 2001

He told us that it wastotally anachronistic tobe trying to learn to usethe bo [wooden staff] asa weapon at the end ofthe twentieth century,and that bojutsu [stafftechnique] should instead be viewed as a discipline thatwould help us as we continued along our Shintaido path.From that point, instead of whacking each other with our bo,we began to throw the bo into the air, catch them and roll withthem onto the ground. We would balance them on the tops ofour feet, use them to play catch with a partner, and do dance-like movements in which we would move in tandem with ourbo, alternately leading and following them. The ultimate goalwas to establish unification, even intimacy, with the bo.

In this way we finally learned to regard the bo as a tool withwhich we could achieve greater flexibility in our bodies andminds, rather than as a weapon that had lost all connection toeveryday life. But I felt that this approach was not essentiallydifferent from the way I had begun my own practice of bojut-su; it was just more efficient (and more fun, I admit)…

…[T]he ideal would be to find a qualified bojutsu instructorand study with him or her. But if that is not feasible, why nottry spending a year or so running Eiko and practicing the var-ious techniques for unification of practitioner and bo that aredescribed in this book before moving on to specific kata. Theresults may surprise you.

Michael ThompsonGeneral InstructorCo-Founder, Shintaido of America

BODY Dialogue2 BODY Dialogue 15

Published by Shintaido of America(SoA), a non-profit organization whichproduces educational materials on thepractice and teaching of Shintaido.

Board of Directors

Permanent MembersHaruyoshi F. ItoMichael Thompson

Elected MembersConnie Borden, presidentDavid FranklinEva ThaddeusMario Uribe

Honorary MembersHenry KaiserDavid Palmer

BodyDialogue StaffH.F. Ito, DirectorEva Thaddeus, EditorLee Ordeman, Assistant Editor,

ProofreaderDavid Franklin, Assistant Editor,

Design & LayoutStephen Billias, SoA Project Manager

Subscriptions/MembershipShintaido of America Membership1855 5th Ave #ASan Rafael CA 94901

BodyDialogue is published twice a year byShintaido of America. Entire contents ©2001,Shintaido of America.All rights reserved.

MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION❏ Please add me to your mailing list for information aboutevents and workshops

❏ Please remove me from your mailing list

I would like to support Shintaido of America as a member: ❏ Full-time student member $15.00 ❏ General member $30.00❏ Contributing member $50.00+❏ Sustaining member $100.00+❏ Patron $500.00+(Your contribution to SoA is tax-deductible)

Name ______________________________________Address _____________________________________City, State ___________________________________Zip code, Country ____________________________Phone ______________________________________e-mail address _______________________________

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Join Shintaido of America,a non-profit organization.Includes a Subscription toBODYDialogue magazine.

Please send a copy of this form with payment to:

Shintaido of America Membership1855 5th Ave #ASan Rafael CA 94901

SoA Membership Supports• curriculum development• continuing education for instructors• assistance to new groups• support the Nat’l Instructors Council• development of new publications

Members Receive• subscription to Body Dialogue• directory of Shintaido practitioners• information about workshops /retreats

Only Members May• apply for scholarships at national events• apply for Shintaido examinations

QTY ITEM PRICE AMT

Shintaido Textbook: the Body is $20.00/a Message of the Universe $15.00 *

Untying Knots: $20.00/a Shintaido Chronicle $15.00*

Tenshingoso and Eiko $10.00

Zero Pt. of Consciousness & Ki $5.00

Origins, a History of Shintaido $7.00

Improvisation and the Body $3.50

Student Handbook $3.00

Set of five booklets (above) $25.00

PUBLICATIONS & VIDEO ORDER FORM (Prices include postage and sales tax)QTY ITEM PRICE AMT

Golf-Do video $20.00

Kenko Taiso I video $20.00

Kenko Taiso II & III video $20.00

TaiMyo/Tenshingoso video $20.00

Life, Burn video $20.00

Kata & Kumite video $20.00

Set of six videos (above) $100.00

* Discount for Shintaido of America members

TOTAL ENCLOSED

Mail orders with payment to Shintaido Publications P.O. Box 22622 San Francisco, CA 94122

The Shintaido Textbook is amust-have for all seriousShintaido practitioners.

Taimyo Kata and Tenshingoso ($20)Detailed instruction in Taimyo Kata, concentrat-ing on breathing and energy cultivation tech-niques. Also includes instruction in theTenshingoso reverse-breathing technique, basicTenshingoso, and seated versions of both kata.

Kenko Taiso Instruction Video I ($20)Produced by On-Site Enterprises, this 50-minutevideo presents the classic Shintaido kenko-taisowarm-up sequence with detailed explanation.The 15-minute warm-up sequence, done in astanding position, is an easy-to-follow stretchingand strengthening routine that is excellent forthose who are relatively new to body move-ment.

Kenko Taiso II & III: ($20)Demonstrates a series of more advanced healthexercises and stretches that two people can dotogether, and introduction to group warm-upmovements. Also includes sections on self-mas-sage and seiza meditation with the diamondmudra. Excellent for instructors or group lead-ers who want to broaden their techniques forleading group warm-up exercises.

Golf-Do ($20)Master Shintaido Instructor H.F. Ito teaches theWay of Golf, a series of exercises designed tohelp golfers: (1) stretch and limber up; (2) relax;(3) focus and concentrate; and (4) enjoy. Using agolf club instead of the traditional six-foot oakstaff, Ito demonstrates the proper way to stretch,relax the body, and prepare the mind for a plea-surable round of golf. Mr. Ito also providesfocusing exercises for the eyes and mind. Golf-Do provides insights into the unification ofmind and body that produces the best of golf.

VIDEOS

Untying Knots: a Shintaido Chronicleby Michael Thompson ($20/ $15*)This autobiographical memoir by one of the co-founders of Shintaido of America tells of theauthor's cross-cultural adventures in France,Japan, and California of the course of his 25-yearShintaido career.

Shintaido: the Body is a Message of theUniverse by Hiroyuki Aoki ($20 / $15*)For over ten years this textbook has served as agateway and guidebook to the practice ofShintaido. Includes sections on the history andphilosophy as well as detailed explanations oftechnique. 120 pages, illustrated with photos.This second printing features more informationabout the ten Shintaido meditation positions.

Life Burn ($20)Document of the live painting / shintaido /music performance collaborations at the TheaterYugen in San Francisco in August 1992.Featuring painting by Kazu Yanagi; music byHenry Kaiser and others; and Shintaido move-ment led by H.F. Ito.

Kata and Kumite ($20)H.F.Ito gives instruction for kaiho-kei (openingand challenging) exercises with MichaelThompson and Robert Bréant. Includes: kaiho-kei group practice, bojutsu kata (hi no kata, kazeno kata, sho-dan, nidan), jojutsu kata (taishi,hojo), karate kata (sanchin, tensho), kumibo (bovs. bo) arrangements, kumitachi (sword vs.sword) nos. 1 - 9. 120 minutes.

Set of 6 videos above: $100

The following five “mini-books” are availableindividually or as a set for $25 (postpaid):

Tenshingoso and Eiko by Hiroyuki Aoki ($10)This booklet is for Shintaido practitionerswhat the Diamond Sutra is for Buddhists: aconcise yet thorough description of thebasis of practice. Tenshingoso and Eiko aretwo of the fundamental movements ofShintaido, which embody philosophies andprescriptions for human growth.

The Zero Point of Consciousnessand the World of Ki ($5)In this interview Mr. Aoki describes hisexperience of reaching the “space of mu”(nothingness). He also discusses his uniqueunderstanding of ki energy (life force).

Origins, a History of Shintaidoby Shiko Hokari ($7)One of the founding members of Shintaidorelates the stories of Rakutenkai (the groupthat developed Shintaido), and of Aoki-sensei’s early days.

Improvisation and the Body ($3.50)Japanese jazz musician Toshinori Kondodiscusses Shintaido, performance, andmusic. Illustrates how one artist benefittedfrom Shintaido by going beyond his limits.

Student Handbookby Faith Ingulsrud ($3)Written by an American Shintaidoist whogrew up in Japan. Includes a glossary anddescription of the basic structure of aShintaido practice.

BOOKS

MINI-BOOKS

SUPPORT SHINTAIDO Excerpt from theForeword toTotal Stick Fighting:Shintaido Bojutsu(see page 8)

BODY Dialogue 0BODY Dialogue0 314

every day.” Most of my friends had quit, and one day I didtoo, going cold turkey after years and years of daily habitualuse. Naturally enough this left a big void in my life. I hadbecome a somewhat solitary character, spending lots of timealone. This period of my life had its compensations—I wroteseveral books, but the relentless use of cannabis had left me“comfortably numb” in the words of Pink Floyd. I was emo-tionally withdrawn and socially somewhat of a hermit. I wasalso looking for something that would replace the high I’dbeen on for so many years.

After my first few Shintaido classes (actually for severalmonths) I would scurry away, avoiding the repeated invita-tions of people to come out for traditional after-class meals.My favorite dinner was still a taqueria burrito with a sandia(watermelon) agua fresca laced with a half-pint of cheapvodka. The repeated feedback I got in class was about my eyefocus—I was always looking down, a legacy of the dope-smoking that regularly left me both red-eyed and avoidingeye contact.

I had a few early experiences in Shintaido practice, as manypeople do, that began to transform me. Once Lilia Podziewskacut me in Tenshingoso “A”so that I felt like she wasdoing open heart surgerywithout anesthetics andsawing right through myribs to get at the heart (andemotions) beneath. Anothertime I found myself inex-plicably in tears after doingthe most basic movements.And I had one glorious EikoDai (a basic Shintaido form),running down Ocean Beachwith my arms widespreadand outstretched, screaminginto the wind and feelingcompletely and almost psy-chedelically harmoniouswith the ocean and skyaround me.

But I think it was the cumulative effect of Shintaido, bringingme back in touch with my body and my emotions, that hasmost changed me. Through Shintaido I have met and becomeclose to so many people, most especially my wife Bela, whowas also my first teacher, and my great friend and mentor JimSterling, but also many, many others. I found myself becom-ing the person I had always longed to be—confident, outgo-ing, connected to my spiritual side, still creative but withoutthe drain of having to take drugs or be constantly alone toachieve artistic expression. So for me, Shintaido became thevehicle to finally leave the Sixties, where I’d been stuck, andmove forward into an even richer future.

I still believe that we should all love one another, that we cancome together, find a groove, live in peace. In Shintaido, wehave a spirit of fellowship and love, and a spirit of seekingthat I haven’t felt since the Sixties. But like in the Sixties, I findus marginalized, though we haven’t been co-opted yet! Weare stuck on the edges of society. We’re not a safe hobby likeKarate or even Aikido. When will the day come that manythousands of people are practicing Shintaido, instead of thefew hundred of today? Is that a faded dream, or still a realpossibility?

I remember one day inthe summer of 1969,when I was nineteenyears old, wildly high,watching as ghostlike fig-ures kicked up moondusta quarter million milesaway. Later that day I layin a forest, entwined invines and creepers, at onewith the earth, moon,sun, and stars, knowingforever that the Universeis One. Even today, that’sthe real me. I look toShintaido to take mehigher! •••

Come celebrate 25 years of Shintaido in Americaat this retreat / workshop in beautiful NewEngland. Special guests will include H. F. Ito fromSan Francisco, Michael Thompson from Cambridge,and Alain Chevet from Lyon, France. Examinationsand an advanced workshop will be offered. TheDirector of Instruction is Joe Zawielski.

Stoneleigh-Burnham School is located in Greenfield,Massachusetts, about 2 hours west of Boston and 3-4 hours north of New York City. The closest airportis Bradley International Airport between SpringfieldMA and Hartford CT.

If you would like more information, contact:Jed Barnum, Gasshuku Coordinator20 Rugg Road, Allston MA 02134ph [email protected]

It’s early August in New Hampshire and the shoreline of LakeWinnipesaukee gives way quickly to moss-covered rocks andpine forests. The brown needles are soft under foot and thesmell of pine is a pleasant reminder that we have left behindsticky, polluted Northern Virginia. Kesh, Neena, Ravi and Ihave returned for another summer gassuku (retreat, work-shop) in New England. Will it be cold, will it rain, will thekids find something to do, will practice be difficult, will Iremember how to move? The usual concerns niggle at mymind.

My last formal Shintaido practice was 12 months ago on thissame site. Since then I ve done a little Yoga, walked the dogand done Tenshingoso (a basic Shintaido form) when the spir-it moved me. Not quite the stuff of which warriors are made.

I protect myself from disappointment by keeping my expecta-tions low. I tell myself that I am here simply to enjoy time

Mountain Girlby Annelie Wilde

with my family and catch up with old friends. Since I have noreputation to uphold, no students to disappoint and no examsto take, I plan on enjoying myself and opt out of the advancedworkshop. After the first two practices I am forced to admitthat nothing is right in my keiko (practice; lit., “studying theancient”), in fact I am feeling quite bored. Now how couldthat be? The teaching is precise and rich, my partners arecommitted, my concentration is good, my body isn’t sore, yetI am drowning in lassitude. I can barely move because mylimbs feel so heavy. I feel that I have been practicing alone,not connecting with anyone.

Perhaps, I reason, this is a consequence of my more recentYoga practice which discourages competitiveness and encour-ages focusing inward.

Saturday morning is sunny and gorgeous for practice sessionno. 3, yet I am now in deep trouble dragging my ass aroundthe field from the get-go. There is no bright feeling, no light-ness of spirit. I feel totally depleted and begin to fantasize thatI am ill, anemic perhaps, or terminally depressed, conditionswhich I have experienced previously. So I quit. This is the lastgassuku, I decide. No point in coming anymore. The food isunattractive, the bathrooms ghastly, there is nothing for mychildren to do, and clearly I am just too old and out of shape

25thAnniversary

GasshukuJune 14 - 17, 2001

Stoneleigh-Burnham SchoolWestern Massachusetts

Continued on p. 11

Shintaido, the S ixtiesand mecontinued from previous page

There is no bright feeling, no lightness ofspirit. I feel totally depleted and begin tofantasize that I am ill, anemic perhaps…

BODY Dialogue0 BODY Dialogue 04 13

ORIGINALScontinued from p. 1

David Franklin asked me to write this article as we talked on theseemingly endless bus trip from Tokyo to Haguro in May of 2000,on the way to the Shintaido International. We wondered together:what was the connection between the practice of Shintaido and thespirit of the Sixties? This article is not a history of Shintaido in theSixties, or the story of Rakutenkai, but a personal reminiscence.

axis: bold as love’ (again)

i don’t care that i’m too old for rock and roll.i don’t care that you only hear jimi’s musicsampled in commercials nowadays.

the world has passed me by.they’re all forgotten, those who threw their lives away,

but music plays in my head,and for a millisecond i’m nineteen again,

high, electric, cosmic,feeling all of life in every movement,

tore up, ripping through the worldas if six was nine.

somewhere, lost in the synapses,my stone soul, floating free.

there will never be another time like that.

When I look at old photos of Ito with a ponytail, or hear sto-ries of the intense practice, and of Michael Thompson and hisragtag group of Hobart graduates who made up the early coreof Shintaido practitioners in the Bay Area, it makes me won-der: what attracted these fringe people to this fringe practice?

Shintaido was born in the Sixties, in Japan, far from the hip-pies of San Francisco and Berkeley, the riots in Paris, on theColumbia University campus and the streets of Chicago, andvery far the commune in Pennsylvania where I lived andexperimented with psychedelics in 1968 and 1969.

Shintaido is about personal expression. So were the Sixties.Shintaido is about the search for an ultimate truth. For someof us, so were the Sixties. Shintaido is about pushing the enve-lope, stretching yourself, exploring the unusual, the ecstatic,the mystical. So were the Sixties.

But most of all, for me the Sixties were about two ideals: free-dom and community. We were seeking freedom in all ways:civil rights freedoms, free love, freeing our minds with con-

sciousness-expanding drugs, freedom from governmental,societal, and corporate strictures. We believed we were estab-lishing a global commune, a community of like-minded indi-viduals. We wanted to share rather than possess the world.We turned our backs on war and embraced peace instead. Yetthe promise of those years, the idea that anything was possi-ble, that the world was about to change radically and forever,has not been fulfilled in my life. I heard it said once that therevolution happened, and we lost. I still hold to the beliefs Ihad in 1969, but my life is much more ordinary than I wouldhave imagined. Except for Shintaido.

Many people got lost in the Sixties. Some of them never cameback. I have a tattered photo of myself from 1969 that containsall the classic elements of hippiedom: I’m standing in front ofa battered Volkswagen van, electric guitar in hand, waif-likegirlfriend in cut-off jeans by my side. I have long hair (ofcourse), I’m wearing rolled-up jeans and a farmer’s plaidworkshirt. We’re both barefoot. I look a lot like Meatloaf. I’drigged a battery-powered amplifier so that I could createshrieking feedback even in the backcountry, or wherever wewere camping in our quixotic wanderings.

If I had it to do all over again,would I follow the painful pathof drug use, radical politics, ofhaving no professional careeruntil I was well into middle-age, a path that made me apacifist, a vegetarian, a per-son on the fringe of estab-lished society? I suppose Iwould. That path also ledme to Shintaido, to [wife]Bela and [daughter]Sophia, to act in plays andwrite books. So for me,Shintaido is the only partof my life (other thanwriting) that still echoesthe high ideals of the Sixties.

When I started practicing Shintaido in 1990, I had juststopped smoking dope after twenty-three years of constantindulgence. I had given up psychedelics some years before,but found myself one of the last of the last of the steady dop-ers. If people asked me if I still smoked, I said— “Only all day

became Shintaido. I had the opportunity to ask Mr. Ito severalquestions about his years in Rakutenkai.

Who were some of the most interesting people you knew inRakutenkai?

The most interesting for me was Etsuko Aoki, Mr. Aoki’s wife.She was a kind of Christian role model. Her lifestyle had astrong influence on me.

Did she practice with you?

She hardly practiced any martial art, but when Rakutenkaihappened she was our teacher of tea ceremony. I think shewas very open and could see people’s character directly, soshe ended up encouraging us, or giving us good criticism,good feedback. Also, compared with the people who camefrom martial arts training, physically she was quite weak andvery sensitive, and so for instance if we had bad concentrationor bad energy, she ended up throwing up, though not on pur-pose— her body was a kind of litmus test.

Mr. Aoki really trusted and respected her character, so when-ever he had a question he asked her very openly for her feed-back. That was pretty interesting for me because althoughnowadays, men’s and women’s relationships have changedeven in Japan, in the old days Japan was based in masculineculture. The husband said what to do and the wife wouldusually follow. But I recognised, when I started eating at theAokis’ house, that they were quite equal, even forty years ago.She is the one who started doing a short meditation before themeal started. Nobody forced her to do it, but she was doing it

naturally, so we naturally ended up following that kind ofkata, or form. It became a kind of Rakutenkai tradition thatbefore we ate a meal we did a short meditation to expressappreciation for the food.

In those days, living as a Christian was still unusual. Ofcourse, in the Japanese constitution it’s guaranteed that you

can choose your own religion, but in Japan being a Christianwas very difficult. Today, maybe it’s not so strange becausethere are so many strange fashions and styles in Japan, but inthe old days, although nobody persecuted you, you wereindirectly criticised. But Mr. Aoki and Mrs. Aoki were very

open, and not afraid to show their Christianity. They neverbelonged to a church; they kept their own faith, their life prin-ciples that were based on Jesus’ teaching. I was fascinated bytheir philosophy and their discussions.

Did you study the Bible together?

Not at all. They didn’t do anything like that. Their style of liv-ing itself was Christian.

The lifestyle in Japan based on Buddhism or Confucianismhas many taboos. Obviously, there are some people whoknow that taboos have no meaning, but still, they are afraid tobreak the taboos that many Japanese blindly follow. Mr. andMrs. Aoki were really free from this kind of taboo. Of coursewhen I met Mr. Aoki, he was alreadly a senior practitioner ofkarate, so it wasn’t a surprise to me that he was free— if hewas strong he could be free! But that a weak woman likeEtsuko should also be free, not afraid of taboos, do’s anddon’ts— that was really— wow!

When Rakutenkai began, we started meeting more formally.“Let’s get together on Monday night.” Mr. and Mrs. Aoki rec-ommended a book to read, and then we would get togetherand share our impressions. The total membership ofRakutenkai was maybe 30 or 40 people, so maybe 10 or 15people would come to this kind of meeting.

Gradually we started the outdoor practices. But this kind ofpractice— nobody forced us to do it. Mr. Aoki always hadinteresting ideas, and wanted to test them. We were almostaddicted.

I think that Mr. and Mrs. Aoki’s personalities attracted people.Karate students came, and Etsuko’s tea ceremony studentscame. I came from the university Karate club, but Mr. Aokialso taught at the local dojo (training hall), and when youteach in a local dojo, many different types of people come.Some people were schoolteachers, other people social work-ers, others restaurant owners. Not only martial artists. Bothwomen and men. Etsuko Aoki was also running a school offlower arrangement. Usually, it’s a Japanese tradition that a

Continued on p 5

PRACTITIONER’S CORNER

Shintaido, The S ixties,and meby Stephen Billias

Continued on p. 14

…[I]f we had bad concentration orbad energy, she ended up throwing up,though not on purpose— her body was

a kind of litmus test.

BODY Dialogue 5BODY Dialogue12

teacher of tea ceremony also teaches flower arranging. Sothrough her group people always ended up coming.

Rakutenkai was not only martial arts training. It was peoplecoming from two different directions, more intellectual andmore physical. There were Buddhists and Shintoists, tea stu-dents and flower arrangers, social scientists and natural scien-tists— for instance, Mr. Hokari [inter-viewed below] is a chemist. Mr. Aokialways wanted to keep balance in thegroup. He had no prejudice about intel-lectuals, non-intellectuals, people’s edu-cational background— he acceptedeveryone. So in Rakutenkai we hadmany kinds of people. People who lovedto have a discussion, who wanted tostudy Mr. Aoki’s philosophy, were alsothere.

Did they attend practices too?

Occasionally, yes. For example, after Mr.Aoki found Tenshingoso (a basicShintaido form; lit. “five expressions ofheavenly truth”), then other people triedit. Hard training happened at midnight,but one weekend a month we usuallywent hiking or camping, and then itwasn’t just martial artists. The studentsof tea ceremony and flower arrangementcame, and they studied Tenshingoso—kind of kenko taiso (health exercise) style.

Most of us weren’t sure what Mr. Aokiwanted to do. When we were inRakutenkai we just enjoyed practicingand having discussions, but we reallydidn’t understand where he was goingto take us.

What is meant by the description of some ofthe Rakutenkai members as “martial artsdropouts”— what exactly were they drop-ping out from?

In a university martial arts class, usually100 to 200 people signed up to studyKarate and paid the membership fee.But obviously, the dojo was too small. Sowe did very brutal practices to reducethe number of members, in order tokeep the money without having to takecare of so many people. Mr. Aoki didn’t like that idea. He wasnot really popular among the club’s senior students, becausethey were having a nice time spending this money by them-selves. Mr. Aoki’s idea was that, as long as they kept this tra-dition, most of the really talented, smart young freshmenwould drop out, and then some who were sadistic— not

sadistic but masochistic, who loved to be beaten— would stay.But traditionally, there were many senior students who reallybelieved this was the right way— survival of the fittest. Mr.Aoki felt very sorry about the people who had to quit Karatetraining because of this brutal and unreasonable survivalgame. So he kept contact with the people who dropped out,

and because of his openness and hos-pitality, even after they dropped out,many ended up visiting him. That’show some of them ended up comingto Rakutenkai. Later we recognizedthat the ones who dropped out weresmarter, more sensitive, had talentand good sense. So I think his way ofappreciating, his way of finding tal-ent, is of course different from that ofmost of martial arts traditionalists.Mr. Aoki liked to quote St. Paul’swords:

What is more, it is precisely the partsof the body that seem to be the weak-est which are the indispensable ones.(I Corinthians: 12/22-25— TheJerusalem Bible)

What was the range of physical abilitythen, compared to the range of physicalability seen among Shintaido practition-ers today?

Obviously, Shintaido practionerstoday are in better physical condition,because the diet is very different. Wewere so poor, we couldn’t afford anyanimal protein besides fish. Most ofus were really skinny. Nobody wasfat. We put money together, cookedtogether, but we were always hungry.Most of the money that we earned,we used for practice and food.

That’s why, traditionally, “sensei care”(sensei: teacher, maestro) was soimportant. If we wanted Mr. Aoki toprovide good leadership, we had togive him good food. Because general-ly speaking, he was poor, he was noteating well. Nowadays at a Shintaidogasshuku (retreat), everybody’s eatingwell, so the sensei care intention is

different. You have to find out about the sensei’s diet— whathe or she likes to eat. In the old days, providing good carewas simpler: a good beefsteak, which was quite expensive.

Another thing— I think in the Rakutenkai days we didn’thave as much information about our bodies as you have these

ORIGINALScontinued from previous page

Continued on p 6

last practice. He begins with a gentlesmile and tells us we will be openingourselves to nature. Then he cautions,Don’t try to take pieces of nature intoyourself, let nature absorb you, pro-ject outwards into your surroundings.It is a new approach and it helps meget out of myself.

Now Shin instructs Let’s do seaweedexercise, or wakame-taiso. But first youmust make yourself soft before youcan help your partner to be soft. Weplay with these movements for awhile. Now do kaikyaku-dai (vigorousopen jumping) with a partner. Projectyour vision through your partner asyou give support. My partner wasintense and very serious in his effort.His body was stiff and unyielding ashe launched himself backward in abig Ah, face grimacing from theeffort. My face matched his as I strug-gled to support his weight on my out-stretched arms. I let him collapse onme, focused on the pine trees andgave everything I had. When it wasmy turn to receive, there was nothinggoing on behind me.

So I reached down into myself and crossed the field alonefeeling that I was now pulling my partner back. Shin’s feed-back was for all of us but might as well have been directed tome: Don’t sacrifice yourself for your partner, putting all yourenergy forth and leaving yourself drained. First get your ener-gy from nature, fill yourself up and then share this energywith your partner.

We changed partners and kumite (partner practice) to kiri-oroshi (freehand cutting down from above). Shin’s instructionswere, First get your vision of heaven, then open up in Ah andtake your partner to heaven, then cut back down into society.My new partner was experienced in Shintaido but not some-one with whom I had practiced much. We began our kumiteuncluttered with prior expectations. There was no sacrifice, noseriousness, no effort! Our kumite was clear, deep and sweetlyprofound. We stepped away from each other, looked into eachothers eyes, smiled and bowed deeply. No words were neces-sary. Words in fact would have spoiled the exchange that hadjust occurred.

Here then, was the answer to my isolation in keiko. First makeyourself whole, by becoming absorbed into the larger world,take this vision to your partner. Give of yourself but don’t laydown on the altar of sacrifice. Be sincere not serious.

First there is a mountain,

then there is no mountain,

then there is

•••

Mountain Girlcontinued from previous page

Rakutenkai was not onlymartial arts training. It

was people coming fromtwo different directions,more intellectual and

more physical. There wereBuddhists and Shintoists,tea students and flower

arrangers, social scientistsand natural scientists…

Chi Pai-Shih: Blum Blossom(detail)

Tesshu Yamaoka:Snail Climbing Mt Fuji


without wearing keiko-gi (traditional uniform), and withoutgoing to the training hall.

On the other hand, physical practice has a strong effect inreminding you of this fundamental meaning and trains you tobehave in accordance with it— whether you realize it or not.

Many people in Rakutenkai, including Mr. Aoki, Mr. Ito andmyself, came out of Shotokai Karate. Mr. Aoki collected notonly elite martial artists from Shotokai, but also dropouts,because he wanted to give an opportunity for dropouts to re-challenge. I’d say that out of maybe ten core people inShintaido, nine were from Karate. The core people were sharpand strong and highly trained, mentally quite strong.

Most of the Rakutenkai practice was concentrated on the corepeople, but it wasn’t purely for them. There were practice ses-sions opened up to other people. In one retreat, Mr. Aoki even

arranged different levels of practices in the same place and atthe same time. Because he wanted to make some kind ofutopia, not only Shintaido practices but also other things wereincluded in Rakutenkai activities, such as tea ceremony andmusical performances.

Of course, if you look only at the practice for core people, itwas very rigorous. But if you include all the people in andaround Shintaido, the physical ability of the group was notnecessarily better than it is today. It was quite mixed.

In my opinion, Rakutenkai was a big experiment, an attemptto develop something new, out of many elements mixedtogether. It was not necessarily martial art, or new art— it wassomething mixed, and in the end the Rakutenkai movementcame out with Shintaido. So Shintaido is a kind of crystalliza-tion of people’s dreams. •••


days. For instance, especially in California, there are so manybody therapies. So these days, people who study body treat-ment have their own ideas that certain movements ofShintaido are no good for their bodies. And it’s true. Some ofour jumps are no good for the discs of the lower back if youdo too much. And if you do too much jumping not thinkingabout your body weight, you end up hurting your knees. Butin the old days we didn’t think about that. We didn’t know somuch about body mechanics.

Also, of course, Rakutenkai members came from a Japaneselifestyle, so generally they had strong and flexible lowerlimbs, and could jump around. But when I came here andstarted teaching, I found the Westerner’s body was different.The upper body is much bigger andheavier, and of course the lifestyle isdifferent. So if I taught jumping, orsome kinds of stretching originallydesigned for Japanese bodies, manypeople had a bad reaction.

But thanks to California culture, peoplebecame smarter. They love Shintaidophilosophy and they appreciate thebasic idea of Shintaido, but they letShintaido ideas go through their ownfilter, and then accept them. Shin taiishki (body consciousness) is differentfrom in the old days.

What aspects of Rakutenkai do you think wekeep in our Shintaido practice here inAmerica? What have we lost? What havewe gained or learned since those days?

At the end of a Shintaido gasshuku,[Masashi] Minagawa, MichaelThompson, and I like to say we get astrong Rakutenkai feeling— a strongcommunity feeling. Michael calls it“sticky ma” (ma: space)— we don’twant it to end. I think that’s reallyRakutenkai. In Rakutenkai we sharedeverything— ended up eating fromsomeone else’s bowl, and didn’t care.Even now in a workshop we end upcreating this kind of thing.

Of course, in the Aikido and Judo workshops I’ve attended,people become a little closer too. But Shintaido’s familyatmosphere is so unusual. I think one of the reasons is thatShintaido has a concrete embodiment of unification beyondconflict. Most of Shintaido kumite (partner exercise) is likethat.

One thing we’ve gained is that now we have a specific pro-grams, meaning yokitai (nurturing life energy), kaihotai (open-ing and expressing energy), seiritsutai (meditation posture),

and jigotai (holding energy). In the old days, everything wasmixed, with more of it from Karate, with a a little bit of bohjut-su (staff technique) and kenjutsu (sword technique), a little bitof Tenshingoso with partner or something like that. Now wehave a wide-ranging arrangement from soft to hard— fromhealing and meditation, to physically demanding dynamicpractice. And the bohjustu, kenjutsu, Karate and Shintaido pro-grams are separated and well organized.

What we’ve lost is a strong commitment. “One life, onechance”— now or never— this kind of feeling. It’s a differenttime. For example, in the old days a bokutoh (wooden sword)was very expensive— so once we bought it, we had to treat itvery well. Of course, it is tradition to take good care of equip-

ment, but if you break something orlose it now, you can buy another one.Now that we’re wealthier, we’re morerelaxed. For another example, say aworkshop is happening. In the olddays, if we missed one, we might nothave another chance, so everyonewould go.

Compared with dance or Yoga orother martial arts, Shintaido practi-tioners always commit themselves alot, even now. But comparing thesedays with the old days, during prac-tices sessions, their commitment isvery different from “one life, onechance.” “It doesn’t have to be rightnow”— that kind of feeling.Individually, of course, for peoplewho commit themselves, it doesn’tmake a difference.

I remember the old days— when Iwas conducting a group, people’scommitment was so strong that I asthe goreisha (group leader, conductor)had to commit myself too, almost likegoing to a duel. If I didn’t prepareenough, they’d get me. Nowadaysthings are much easier, so I don’t haveto be too serious. If I’m too serious, if I

prepare too much, it ends up becoming overkill, so it’s almostbetter I don’t prepare too much. In the old days, in the work-shops, the tension was strong. Of course, the period is differ-ent now. That was the “R and D” phase, but now theShintaido program is established, and we are going to provideit to the world. So it’s difficult to compare.

What does it mean to keep the spirit of Rakutenkai alive?

Shugyo and shakai-kaikaku, or a life-long practice to regeneratesociety!

ORIGINALScontinued from previous page

Continued on p 7

must rely upon the states of mind acquired through practiceof Shintaido techniques, rather than the techniques them-selves. It is difficult to generalize these states of mind to othersituations, but it can be done and must be done if Shintaido isto make much difference in our lives. First of all, Shintaido asa spiritual practice is an effective means of confronting andsubduing the evil within ourselves. This is a fundamentalmoral responsibility, and the place we are most likely to beable to make a difference. Second, in Shintaido we practicesincere and loving interactions with people we trust. Thispractice can help us in our relationships with people we trust,those close to us.

When we are dealing with the evil intent of others who do nottrust us or care about us, the situation is much more difficult.In the last issue of Body Dialogue, Mr. H. F. Ito described someexperiences during the Rakutenkai days (the group that origi-nally developed Shintaido) in which his teacher, Mr. HiroyukiAoki, set up life-threatening situations which the practitionerswere supposed to break out of without harming the attackers.Here they were actually practicing non-violent resistancewithin the framework of Shintaido (or pre-Shintaido). Myexperience in Shintaido really does not include such situa-tions. Perhaps it would be too difficult for most of us. Since Ibelieve that there are cases when violent resistance is neces-sary, I hope that under such circumstances I would be able touse a compassionate cut against the enemy, like the master ofthe “Sword of No-abode.” The intention remains pure, andthe enemy is harmed as a consequence of his own evil. At anyrate, I believe that the practice of Shintaido has made mesomewhat more courageous and less attached to my personalcomfort and safety, therefore more likely to do the right thing.

Confronting Evilcontinued from previous page

Most evil in the world is much more subtle than a single-minded physical attack. Aggression does not have to be phys-ical, and harmful intentions are often mixed with good inten-tions and with fear. Most people are not perfect masters orsingle-minded doers of evil. Rather, they contain a complexmixture of thoughts, feelings, motives, and impulses, whichmay be contradictory. In most of our interactions with realpeople the possible outcomes are much more nuanced andvaried than life vs. death. This gives us a great advantageover the swordsman: It may be possible to destroy the eviland leave the good. Since in reality we also contain evil aswell as good, we can hope for a similar outcome for our-

selves. Perhaps the “Sword of No-abode” can cut both waysin a single encounter: evil annihilates evil (ai-uchi) and goodpreserves good (ai-nuke). Since none of us is perfect, I believethat this is what actually happens in Shintaido partner prac-tice. Outside of practice the same ideal applies, but since wecan not control the intentions of others, even if our intentionsare good it is possible that we or our partner could get hurt.•••

Shintaido as a spiritual practice is an effec-tive means of confronting… the evil withinourselves. This is… the place we are most

likely to be able to make a difference.

for all this anyway. No need to wait, Idecide I’ll start by skipping the eveningpractice. While exams are going on I takethe opportunity to walk my kids to thebeach. On the walk down I inform themof my decision to cut the evening class.My young son is delighted that Mom willbe available for company and to walk himback through the scary dark woods. Mydaughter surprises me. I had thought shewould be happy to be relieved of the com-

pany of her brother for a few hours andwould be only too happy for Mom to skipclass. Instead she lists all the reasons whyI should go to class. (You can’t doShintaido in Virginia, Shintaido is goodfor you, you’ve never skipped a practiceat a workshop before, and so on). I ampleasantly surprised to find our rolesreversed. Usually I am the one cajoling,coaching and cheerleading for her.

At the beach I nap for a while then playwater frisbee. Returning to the site I amsurprised to find that I do feel better, thatthe intense lethargy has lifted. Practice

after supper is for all levels and turns outto be a playful one. We play with the ideaof “sticky ma” (ma: space), first mirroringour partners movements with hand con-tact, then with no contact, and finally atthe end of a piece of string with eyesclosed. The mood is light and joyous. (See,Mom, my daughter whispers — aren’tyou glad you didn’t skip this). I am and Itell her so and thank her for taking care ofme when I couldn t take care of myself.

Sunday morning dawns bright and clear.Shin Aoki, guest instructor, is teaching the

Continued on p. 12

Mountain Girlcontinued from p. 3


And I would like to add this quote from “Origins,” by Mr.Hokari, where he says:

The aim of Rakutenkai was clearly stated in its foundingdeclaration:We pursue truth through daily lifeto acquire perfect liberty, to live with the light of libertyand become the light of the world.

Mr. Masashi MinagawaI was able to hold shorter interviews with two Rakutenkai memberswho live outside the United States. Masashi Minagawa was one ofthe younger members of Rakutenkai. He became involved in 1969,when he was nineteen. He described the spirit of Rakutenkai in thisway: “To have a creative and positive life, and to be free with grati-tude.” He shared with me the story of his involvement withRakutenkai:

I was a beginner in the Rakutenkai time, and I accidentallyentered the group. At the university I had been part of theKarate club, and sometimes we asked Mr. Aoki to lead ourgroup. I heard that our senior members said, “We did a verystrange practice”— that was actually Eiko (a basic Shintaidoform).

When I graduated, I did Karate every day, but my body had avery dark feeling, and I was depressed. I lived in darkness. Isaw the Rakutenkai members and they were so bright. Mr.Aoki said “Just do Eiko.” When I did Eiko, my life changed,

and light came into my body. I stopped Karate— I was 19—and became completely involved in Shintaido practice, andthen I decided to work for a Shintaido life, to devote my lifeto Shintaido. Even the people who stopped Shintaido, we arekeeping their dream alive. This is my destiny.

At that time I was not so talented or physically strong. I had astiff body, so I always followed the women in their practice.

The sensitivity of the women’s groupwas great, and the movement so quick.I studied strength through them, notpower. Gentleness is more effective,stronger than force. Chiko was my bohteacher. You may have seen the beauti-ful photograph of her doing boh tenso(stretching up to the sky with boh).

Everyone has a picture of Rakutenkaipractice being very hard and rigorous,but I really enjoyed it. People laugheda lot, just like today. Mr. Ito showed avery joyful but very serious practice. Ifit had been too heavy, I couldn’t havecontinued. I hated the competitive way,and gave it up. I saw that theRakutenkai members were droppingout of the violent and competitiveaspects of martial arts because theycould see there was something moreimportant beyond that. They weregoing toward much more freedom toimprove and develop themselves. The actual meaning of budo[normally translated as “martial way”— ed.] is “peaceful art.”or “to have no enemies.”

The members of Rakutenkai were all very specialized in theirdifferent areas, so it was like a project team— Mr. Aoki pulledthem all together and then they researched different aspects,and repeated them over and over again, through trial anderror, making them very simple so that anybody would beable to do the movement. That’s how Shintaido came togeth-er. The original ideas came from Mr. Aoki— he said I want tostudy this— but everyone contributed. They were alwaysvery surprised by his crazy ideas. For example he’d get themto do all sorts of things they couldn’t even imagine, or possi-bly do. Sometimes Mr. Ito does this kind of thing now.

I was one of the youngest members of Shintaido when itbegan to be presented to the public. Mr. Ito began managing aShintaido office in Tokyo that had just opened. When Mr. Itodecided to move to the United States, and Mr. Aoki went on aworld tour, I took over the management of the office.

We thought Rakutenkai’s work was completely finished, butthen Mr. Aoki traveled, and after that he created the bohjutsucurriculum, and then yokikei. Internationally, the movementbegan to grow when Mr. Ito moved to the United States in1975. There used to be so many young people my age, now ofmy generation there’s just me. So I can’t stop, actually.

It’s very difficult to compare those days and these days,because in those days the people practicing were specializedpeople who had been chosen to train. They were all in the topof their class, very young and at the peak of their physical

ORIGINALScontinued from previoius page

Continued on p. 9

of violence, its devastating effects, and the question of howbest to respond to it. In talking about violence and otherdestructive behavior I will use the word “evil.” I want to beclear that I am using the word in its most general sense, simi-lar to the definition of “sin” as “that which comes betweenone and God,” but without the theistic implication. I also usethe word “enemy” by which I simply mean some-one who is trying to hurt us or something wevalue.

How to respond to the evil and violence in theworld is one of the fundamental, unavoidableexistential choices of life. I believe pacifism is avalid and honorable choice, but I am not a pacifist.I think there are clearly cases in which a violentresponse to aggression has a net positive effect onthis world. Examples that come to mind are theallies fighting World War II and a person success-fully fighting off a would-be rapist. I could consid-er violence to be wrong in all cases only if Ibelieved that we are all linked to another worldwhich is more important than this one, and thatany violence in this world has negative conse-quences in that other world.

To me it is useful to distinguish between the formof the action, such as physical aggression towardanother person, and the intention of the action. Ithink a quote from the chapter on Zen andSwordsmanship in D.T. Suzuki’s book Zen andJapanese Culture will make my meaning clear. Hedescribes, as follows, the state of mind of the mas-ter swordsman according to Ichiun (school of the“Sword of No-abode”):

As far as the master himself is concerned, he harbors nomurderous intent in his mind. The inevitability of the sit-uation has compelled him to face the enemy. It is theenemy who is filled with the evil spirit of killing, hismind is not at all free from the egoism of destruction.Therefore, when he comes before the master of the“Sword of No-abode” the evil spirit possesses him and heis killed by this evil spirit while the master is not evenaware of having struck the opponent down.

A western example of the same state of mind is found inMelville’s Billy Budd, when Billy, the Christ-like protagonist,kills his evil overseer Claggart. Such actions, made withoutanger or evil intent, are fundamentally different from ordi-nary violence.

We cultivate the same state of mind as the master swordsmanwhen we practice kumitachi (partner exercises with sword) inShintaido, but the situation is different in two importantrespects. First, of course, we are not in physical danger. Wepractice with wooden swords and are careful never to strikeanyone. Shintaido is not a practical fighting art. This meansthat the consequences are not disastrous if our intention is

impure or if our technique or understanding is lacking. Wecan learn from our mistakes. On the negative side, the absenceof physical danger makes it possible to take the encounter lessseriously than actual life-or-death combat.

Second, we assume when we practice Shintaido that our part-ner is pure of intent, not “filled with the evil spirit of killing.”

This, rather than the weapons we use or thepracticality of our techniques, is the fundamen-tal difference between Shintaido and the practi-cal fighting arts. The relationship between part-ners in Shintaido is one of mutual love: I am try-ing to help my partner liberate himself and he istrying to help me liberate myself. We do not dealwith the situation where one partner is filledwith hateful intent, the other with loving intent.Of course we all deal with negative feelings dur-ing Shintaido practice, but I would never inten-tionally express such feelings in a way thatwould hurt my partner, and I trust that shewould not intentionally hurt me. According toIchiun, when two masters of the “Sword of No-abode” meet, the result is not ai-uchi (both com-batants are killed) but rather ai-nuke (both escapeunharmed). I think this is the ideal we are striv-ing for in Shintaido kumitachi.

To put it another way, the difference betweenShintaido and practical fighting arts is that fun-damentally Shintaido is, as Michael Thompsonindicated in issue No. 8 of Body Dialogue, a spiri-tual practice, rather than a form of fightingwhich uses spiritual techniques. My definition ofa “spiritual practice” is any organized activity

whose purpose is self-transcendence. In the case of Shintaidothe practice consists of the cultivation of mindfulness whileperforming movements, alone and with partners, which arebased in part on those of Japanese martial arts but have beenmodified and augmented to better suit this spiritual aim.Shintaido is many other things as well, but this is what it isbasically about for me.

Although swordsmanship may have been fundamentally aspiritual practice for Ichiun, the swordsmen he encounteredand fought with did not necessarily share this view. He wouldhave encountered individuals filled with evil intent and thedesire to kill. In modern martial arts too, there are studentsmotivated by egotism and competitiveness. But in Shintaidowe find this only as an aberration. Unlike the ancient swords-man, we do not practice the actual techniques of our art withothers who use these same techniques for evil ends. So wehave very little experience of confronting evil in Shintaido,except that which we find in ourselves.

So how can Shintaido help us confront evil in the world?When we face the world outside the dojo (practice space), we

Confronting Evilcontinued from p. 1

Continued on p. 11

I think that any keiko contains basic formswhich symbolize a certain pattern seen indaily life. By repeating forms during prac-

tice, you can realize the fundamentalmeaning of the pattern in daily life.


Total Stick Fighting: Shintaido Bojutsu.By Hiroyuki Aoki. Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2000;220 pp.; illustrations. $27 US hardcover (ISBN 4-7700-2383-9).

review by Bill Burtis

What martial artist would not want to own a book called TotalStick Fighting? It just has such a great kind of Jackie Chanmeets Chuck Norris thing going for it. But for those who arefamiliar with the sometimes-martial art called Shintaido, see-ing the book with this title and a picture of Shintaido founderMr. Hiroyuki Aoki on the cover (why does he have his indexfingers pointing up in the air?) is… well, a little disconcerting.Stick fighting? Sounds a little Hollywood… commercial, crass,offensive. Look what they’ve done to my pure, spiritualShintaido!

But have no fear. The cover may be commercial, but the con-tents are full of the inner light, the white light, the spirit ofShintaido. In fact, I suspect the content would send ChuckNorris screaming off into the night. For example:

Shintaido bojutsu is above all else a body art meant topurify the mind and soul, refine the ki and elevate thespirit by means of the extraordinarily simple tool of thebo. (Introduction, p. xi)

[Boh: wooden staff; bohjutsu: staff technique; ki: life energy].

Or this, the explanation of where the nagewaza (throwing tech-niques), which Mr. Aoki notes are the factor most distinguish-ing Shintaido bohjutsu from traditional “stick fighting,” camefrom (p. x, Introduction):

I returned to Japan art the end of March, 1978, and for thenext month or two began having a vision every day inwhich a man would suddenly attach me with a bo. Eachtime, I would see this vision once and then it would berepeated, but the second time I would see a man step outof my body and use stick-fighting techniques that I hadnever seen to throw the attacker off his feet. At first all Icould do was just watch. The waza [techniques] were soamazing that they took my breath away. Then it occurredto me that I should be recording the techniques, so I beganto take notes each time.

Mr. Aoki goes on to note that he rejected about a third of the75 or so techniques he observed as being “too difficult for reg-ular students.” Indeed. Later on, in the introduction to thesegment on kihon (basic techniques), he points out that “basic”techniques are so-called “because they are fundamental, notbecause they are easy to perform.”

In these statements, for me, lies a paradox. On the one hand,of course we (who are familiar with Shintaido) would all like

as many people as possible to “purify the mind and soul,refine the ki and elevate the spirit.” We’d like to do that our-selves! On the other hand, I find it impossible to conceive ofanyone who is unfamiliar with Shintaido bohjutsu successful-ly using this book to learn it.

I mean this as no criticism of the author, the photographers,practitioners and designer, all of whom did an excellent job.The book has an excellent glossary, and includes chapters onkihon and kata (forms); basic and applied kumiboh (partnerexercises with boh) and soei kumiboh (soei: lit., “creative man-agement”); nidan kata; Tenshingoso and meditation; appen-dices on the structure of Shintaido; the precise position of cutsand stances; and how to get in touch with Shintaido interna-tionally. The forward by Michael Thompson and introductionby the author are in themselves worth the price of admission.

My concern is, as one who has labored long and (fairly) hardin the attempt to reach a relatively low level of proficiencywith a boh, that I know the error that will haunt one’s formand blunt one’s proficiency for years occurs in the spacesbetween the photographs.

I am sure, for instance, that a dedicated and careful studentwith good eyesight could master boh taiso (warm-ups withboh) using this book. I have far less confidence, however, in a


ability, and that’s all they did, their whole life was devoted tothe study of that particular movement. Now Shintaido hasbecome something that anybody can do, so for example thosewho are not very strong, of all ages, and different physicalabilities can do Shintaido. But the people who are practicingnow have greater mental ability and experience of life. Theyare better off because they have such a wealth of experience tofall back on, whereas the Rakutenkai people only had their

martial arts. Plus, they were all Japanese, and now we have somany different cultures contributing, all over the world.

I think the American people have a very pure spirit ofRakutenkai. Also you are still growing and developing— ithas become very rich because of Ito and Michael Thompson’sleadership. Michael Thompson, though not an original mem-ber of Rakutenkai, is incredibly talented— a sort of ideal forme. You have lots of experience to fall back upon.

Mr. Shiko HokariMr. Shiko Hokari was an original member of the Rakutenkai group.He is also the author of “Origins,” an account of the early days ofShintaido.

Before beginning Shintaido I had already been doing ShotokaiKarate for several years. The Karate practice was so hard, sosevere, that many people stopped, but somehow I couldn’tstop. I myself didn’t know why I couldn’t stop it, but when Imet Mr. Aoki I realized that he should have an answer for me,whatever it might be. That was the biggest reason why Ijoined his group, Rakutenkai.

It took me 20 years to reach a point where I was convincedthat now I had the answer. It came to me with a very clearimage and I was no longer puzzled. The answer was that theRakutenkai practice gave me a means to figure out the mean-ing and direction of my life. And when I completely under-stood the message given through Shintaido practice, I said,OK, I can now stop practicing. That was 25 years after I start-ed Karate, and 20 years after I met Mr. Aoki.

I think that any keiko (practice, discipline) contains basic forms(kata) which symbolize a certain pattern seen in daily life. Byrepeating forms during practice, you can realize the funda-mental meaning of the pattern in daily life. When you reachthis point you do not necessarily continue the same practice.If you practice in daily life what the form has taught you inthe training hall, you can continue the practice in daily life,

BOOK REVIEW

Bohjutsu “for Dummies”… not!

There used to be so many young people myage, now of my generation there’s just me.

So I can’t stop…

new practitioner’s ability to proceed correctly from yoi (readyposition) to fudodachi (forward stance), for instance, withoutdeveloping a quirk that would leave some permanent “tic” inhis or her movement forever! I won’t bother to comment onthe likelihood of success with the 115-photograph serieswhich illustrates nidan no kata.

All of which is only to say that there still remains nothing likelive instruction to insure proper movement. As a parent and,therefore, a regenerating adult, I am keenly aware that wereally only learn, at any age, by seeing and doing, seeing anddoing, seeing and doing. No book, no matter how good, canaccomplish this without the aid of a live, moving human.

I am left, therefore to recommend this excellent volume as aresource for Shintaido boh practitioners who wish to under-stand the form more deeply and to have a great reference fortheir continuing study… with a more experienced teacher!Finally, anyone interested in Shintaido from any point of viewwill relish Mr. Aoki’s comments about the development andmeaning of Tenshingoso and Eiko (two fundamentalShintaido forms). Also a relief is the definitive 10-photosequence of standing meditation, complete with terminologyand meaning for each of the ten parts! There are also severalhelpful hints for successful meditation. And, anyway, you cantake off the cover wrap and have an elegantly bound bluebook! •••

Continued on p. 9

Bohjutsu BOOK REVIEWcontinued from previous page

The cover may be commercial, but thecontents are full of the inner light, the

white light, the spirit of Shintaido.

is available from

Amazon.comgo to www.Amazon.com

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TOTAL STICK FIGHTING:SHINTAIDO BOJUTSU

Continued on p. 12


And I would like to add this quote from “Origins,” by Mr.Hokari, where he says:

The aim of Rakutenkai was clearly stated in its foundingdeclaration:We pursue truth through daily lifeto acquire perfect liberty, to live with the light of libertyand become the light of the world.

Mr. Masashi MinagawaI was able to hold shorter interviews with two Rakutenkai memberswho live outside the United States. Masashi Minagawa was one ofthe younger members of Rakutenkai. He became involved in 1969,when he was nineteen. He described the spirit of Rakutenkai in thisway: “To have a creative and positive life, and to be free with grati-tude.” He shared with me the story of his involvement withRakutenkai:

I was a beginner in the Rakutenkai time, and I accidentallyentered the group. At the university I had been part of theKarate club, and sometimes we asked Mr. Aoki to lead ourgroup. I heard that our senior members said, “We did a verystrange practice”— that was actually Eiko (a basic Shintaidoform).

When I graduated, I did Karate every day, but my body had avery dark feeling, and I was depressed. I lived in darkness. Isaw the Rakutenkai members and they were so bright. Mr.Aoki said “Just do Eiko.” When I did Eiko, my life changed,

and light came into my body. I stopped Karate— I was 19—and became completely involved in Shintaido practice, andthen I decided to work for a Shintaido life, to devote my lifeto Shintaido. Even the people who stopped Shintaido, we arekeeping their dream alive. This is my destiny.

At that time I was not so talented or physically strong. I had astiff body, so I always followed the women in their practice.

The sensitivity of the women’s groupwas great, and the movement so quick.I studied strength through them, notpower. Gentleness is more effective,stronger than force. Chiko was my bohteacher. You may have seen the beauti-ful photograph of her doing boh tenso(stretching up to the sky with boh).

Everyone has a picture of Rakutenkaipractice being very hard and rigorous,but I really enjoyed it. People laugheda lot, just like today. Mr. Ito showed avery joyful but very serious practice. Ifit had been too heavy, I couldn’t havecontinued. I hated the competitive way,and gave it up. I saw that theRakutenkai members were droppingout of the violent and competitiveaspects of martial arts because theycould see there was something moreimportant beyond that. They weregoing toward much more freedom toimprove and develop themselves. The actual meaning of budo[normally translated as “martial way”— ed.] is “peaceful art.”or “to have no enemies.”

The members of Rakutenkai were all very specialized in theirdifferent areas, so it was like a project team— Mr. Aoki pulledthem all together and then they researched different aspects,and repeated them over and over again, through trial anderror, making them very simple so that anybody would beable to do the movement. That’s how Shintaido came togeth-er. The original ideas came from Mr. Aoki— he said I want tostudy this— but everyone contributed. They were alwaysvery surprised by his crazy ideas. For example he’d get themto do all sorts of things they couldn’t even imagine, or possi-bly do. Sometimes Mr. Ito does this kind of thing now.

I was one of the youngest members of Shintaido when itbegan to be presented to the public. Mr. Ito began managing aShintaido office in Tokyo that had just opened. When Mr. Itodecided to move to the United States, and Mr. Aoki went on aworld tour, I took over the management of the office.

We thought Rakutenkai’s work was completely finished, butthen Mr. Aoki traveled, and after that he created the bohjutsucurriculum, and then yokikei. Internationally, the movementbegan to grow when Mr. Ito moved to the United States in1975. There used to be so many young people my age, now ofmy generation there’s just me. So I can’t stop, actually.

It’s very difficult to compare those days and these days,because in those days the people practicing were specializedpeople who had been chosen to train. They were all in the topof their class, very young and at the peak of their physical

ORIGINALScontinued from previoius page

Continued on p. 9

of violence, its devastating effects, and the question of howbest to respond to it. In talking about violence and otherdestructive behavior I will use the word “evil.” I want to beclear that I am using the word in its most general sense, simi-lar to the definition of “sin” as “that which comes betweenone and God,” but without the theistic implication. I also usethe word “enemy” by which I simply mean some-one who is trying to hurt us or something wevalue.

How to respond to the evil and violence in theworld is one of the fundamental, unavoidableexistential choices of life. I believe pacifism is avalid and honorable choice, but I am not a pacifist.I think there are clearly cases in which a violentresponse to aggression has a net positive effect onthis world. Examples that come to mind are theallies fighting World War II and a person success-fully fighting off a would-be rapist. I could consid-er violence to be wrong in all cases only if Ibelieved that we are all linked to another worldwhich is more important than this one, and thatany violence in this world has negative conse-quences in that other world.

To me it is useful to distinguish between the formof the action, such as physical aggression towardanother person, and the intention of the action. Ithink a quote from the chapter on Zen andSwordsmanship in D.T. Suzuki’s book Zen andJapanese Culture will make my meaning clear. Hedescribes, as follows, the state of mind of the mas-ter swordsman according to Ichiun (school of the“Sword of No-abode”):

As far as the master himself is concerned, he harbors nomurderous intent in his mind. The inevitability of the sit-uation has compelled him to face the enemy. It is theenemy who is filled with the evil spirit of killing, hismind is not at all free from the egoism of destruction.Therefore, when he comes before the master of the“Sword of No-abode” the evil spirit possesses him and heis killed by this evil spirit while the master is not evenaware of having struck the opponent down.

A western example of the same state of mind is found inMelville’s Billy Budd, when Billy, the Christ-like protagonist,kills his evil overseer Claggart. Such actions, made withoutanger or evil intent, are fundamentally different from ordi-nary violence.

We cultivate the same state of mind as the master swordsmanwhen we practice kumitachi (partner exercises with sword) inShintaido, but the situation is different in two importantrespects. First, of course, we are not in physical dan

Continued on p. 4 RIGINALS - Shintaidoshintaido.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/BD09.pdf · vs. bo) arrangements, kumitachi (sword vs. sword) nos. 1 - 9. 120 minutes. Set of 6 videos

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