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Hiroyuki Aoki, who became a master of
Shotokai karate in his twenties under Egami
sensei, was charged with the task of
creating a new kind of martial art for the
modern age. He formed the group Rakutenkai,
or "Meeting of Optimists". This
group of approximately 30 people, including
some of Japan's top martial arts instructors
and a variety of artists, musicians and
actors, men and women, young and old, set
about to create a new art from their own
ideals and sense of optimism. The result of
their labours is what we know today as
Shintaido, a truly avant guarde
system of body movement.
Shintaido is a radical response to
traditional martial arts, The Rakutenkai
group sought to create a new form of
movement that would embody the modern desire
for peace, co-operation and mutual
understanding among people of all cultures,
rather than to cultivate a fighting art.
Influences
Shintaido movement was strongly
influenced by contemporary and ancient arts
such as classical music, jazz, tea ceremony,
Noh theatre and abstract painting. It
synthesises individual expression with
meditative practice, energy awareness and
health exercises.
Within the present Shintaido curriculum
there are clear influences from traditional
martial arts such as kenjutsu (sword
technique, cutting movements with both open
hand and wooden weapons), karate (punching
and kicking), judo (throwing techniques),
bojutsu (long staff) and jojutsu (short
staff). However despite these influences the
emphasis of the movement is on developing an
open, soft body, and on giving and receiving
rather than strict attack and defence.
Who is it for?
Shintaido is open to everyone and can be
enjoyed by athletic and non-athletic people
alike. Students are encouraged to extend
their range of movements, each working at
their own pace. The movement is co-operative
rather than competitive: students must be
prepared to work with others, rather than
against them, in groups and pairs as well as
individually.
Curriculum
The Shintaido curriculum is very broad,
incorporating both open vigorous movements
and soft or meditative movements. Shintaido
encourages open joyful expression and
co-operation. We are competing only with
ourselves and our own limits - so Shintaido
practice can be a positive experience, when
all that is required is that we should enjoy
moving our bodies and come to respect and
work with the range of movement of other
individuals.
Beginners' classes are run according to a
structured programme recognised by the
European Shintaido College, and aim to give
students a grounding in the core movements. |
