Free Japanese Yoga & Martial Arts Classes!

 

On Thursday, November 3 the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer an introductory class in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation, along with an introduction to Saigo Ryu martial arts. This event is FREE. The classes will take place at 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany, California, right across the bay from San Francisco.

The martial arts class is not required, and it will follow the Japanese yoga program, which starts at 7:00 PM. Since the Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu training will refer to principles of mind and body unification covered in the Japanese yoga class, everyone will want to participate in this first part of the evening. You can read more about both subjects at www.senninfoundation.com.

Wear loose clothing and bring a notebook. Preregistration is needed and easily accomplished. Just leave a voice mail at 510-526-7518. Give us your name and phone number, then indicate that you would like to participate in one or both classes. Let us know if anyone else is coming with you, and we'll see you on Thursday. Please arrive a few minutes early for general registration.

The classes will be taught by Troy Swenson Sensei, who has been studying and teaching at the Sennin Foundation Center for several years. He has teaching certification in Japanese yoga, and he received a black belt from the Shudokan Martial Arts Association Jujutsu Division. He is also the assistant editor of the SMAA Journal.

Don't miss your chance to learn how Japanese yoga and/or martial arts can help you realize better health, deeper calmness, and enhanced concentration in everyday life. 

Halloween

The Sennin Foundation Center will be closed on October 31. Have a Happy Halloween!

Japanese Yoga & Martial Arts for Kids

Since 1981, we've been offering a fun and well-structured program in Japanese yoga and martial arts for children age five and above. These affordable classes are taught by experienced instructors and are non-competitive. Class sizes are small, and instruction is personalized.

Learn an Effective & Traditional Martial Art

The Sennin Foundation Center presents training in Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu, a traditional martial art. While many Westerners use "jujutsu, jujitsu, or jiu-jitsu" to describe their art of self-defense, most of these methods bear little resemblance to the original Japanese jujutsu, Japan's oldest martial art. Both aikido and judo stem from jujutsu, and our dojo is one of few in the USA to offer authentic Japanese jujutsu.
Our class features a wide variety of powerful throwing, pinning, and grappling techniques stemming from older methods (kobudo) originating in the Aizu-Wakamatsu area of Japan. Saigo Ryu also features advanced training in the sword, spear, staff, short stick, iron fan, and other weapons. It is unique and distinct from many more well-known martial disciplines (like karate-do, kendo, and iaido). While training is dynamic, and the practiced self-defense techniques effective, the emphasis is on subduing an opponent without unnecessary injury. Children improve their health while learning martial arts as meditation, which helps them to remain calm under pressure. Some students have likened training in our dojo to "moving Zen."

Combining Self-Defense with Japanese Yoga & Meditation

Instruction in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation is included at no extra charge. Japanese yoga training makes it easier to master the martial arts, and it helps children to realize their full potential in other activities as well. Studying Japanese yoga and aiki-jujutsu gives young people a great opportunity to develop self-discipline, self-confidence, willpower, respect for others, as well as a stronger mind and body. Children learn meditation, stretching, breathing exercises, mind and body coordination drills, along with valuable self-defense techniques. Training in Japanese martial arts is vigorous, but due to the disciplined nature of our classes, we have few injuries. Parents report that their children show increased calmness at home, confidence in social situations, and better grades in school.

An Exceptional Teacher & Teaching Staff

As someone who began studying Japanese yoga and martial arts as a child, H. E. Davey Sensei, one of the highest ranking traditional jujutsu teachers outside of Japan, was ideally suited for creating a program for children. Under his guidance, and with the help of his staff of expert teachers, young people from Albany, Berkeley, and the Bay Area have discovered their true potential and hidden talents for many years.
Parents can learn more about our program for children by visiting Martial Arts & Kids. Give us a call, and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help your son or daughter to become healthier, safer, and more confident.

Testimonials from Top Martial Arts Experts

• Stephen M. Fabian, PhD
• Kawabata Terutaka
• Wayne Muromoto
• Sato Shizuya
• Nicklaus Suino
• Walter Todd

Recommended Websites

• Martial Arts & Kids
• Sennin Foundation Blog
• Shudokan Martial Arts Association Blog

Visit www.senninfoundation.com for more information.

Mu

A number of Ways (Do), owing to the fact that a Do is a particular expression of the Way of the universe itself, have used the term mu to point to the sum and substance of the universe. And since it is the mind after all that perceives the absolute universe, various mental states in the Ways have appellations that utilize the character for mu as well. Originating in Buddhism, but having parallels in other religions, mu means, “the void,” or “nothingness.”--H. E. Davey, The Japanese Way of the Artist

"Do not think of work—any work—as a duty. If it is a duty it will become a burden. How do you turn a burden into a pleasure? Live respectfully, correctly, positively, and boldly."--Nakamura Tempu Sensei

About Japanese Calligraphy

Expanded attention, deeper relaxation, increased focus and resolve . . . shodo students have a chance to achieve lasting spiritual transformation through the classical art of Japanese calligraphy (shodo). Simple step-by-step exercises let beginners and non-artists alike work with brush and ink to reveal their mental and physical state through moving brush meditation.

Kanji, or "characters," used in both Japan and China, have transcended their utilitarian function and collectively can serve as a visually stirring piece of fine art. Shodo allows the dynamic movement of the artist's spirit to become observable in the form of rich black ink. In shodo, you can sense both the rhythm of music as well as the smooth, elegant, and balanced construction of architecture. Many practitioners feel that the "visible rhythm" of Japanese calligraphy embodies a "picture of the mind"--and calligraphers recognize that it discloses our spiritual state. This recognition is summed up by the traditional Japanese saying: Kokoro tadashikereba sunawachi fude tadashi--"If your mind is correct, the brush will be correct."

Some Japanese calligraphers and psychologists have written books on the examination of our personality through calligraphy. Just as Western companies have employed handwriting analysts to help them select the best individuals for executive posts, the Japanese have traditionally expected their leaders in any field to display fine, composed script. This stems from the belief that brush strokes reveal the state of the body and subconscious mind--its strengths and weaknesses--at the moment the brush is put to paper. It has also been held that the subconscious can be influenced in a positive manner by studying and copying consummate examples of calligraphy by extraordinary individuals. Japanese tradition teaches that by using this method, we can cultivate strength of character akin to that of the artist being copied. Since shodo is an art form, it's not strictly necessary to be able to read Chinese characters, or the Japanese phonetic scripts of hiragana and katakana, to admire the dynamic beauty of shodo. Within Japanese calligraphy, we find essential elements that constitute all art: creativity, balance, rhythm, grace, and the beauty of line. These aspects of shodo can be recognized and appreciated by every culture.

Holiday

The Sennin Foundation Center will be closed on Monday, September 5, in honor of Labor Day. We hope everyone has a nice holiday. Thanks for your support of our dojo.

About our Dojo

The Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts has been offering instruction in traditional Japanese arts under experienced, certified teachers since 1981. Established in California by H. E. Davey Sensei, it presents separate training in Japanese systems of yoga, healing arts, martial arts, and fine arts. Ongoing classes are available to people of all ages and levels of health, including classes for children ages five and up.

Members of the Sennin Foundation Center have access to the rich traditions of Japan's cultural arts through practice in the group's classical dojo (literally, "training hall of the Way"). Much more than simply a school or studio, an authentic dojo is a gateway into the timeless realm of Asian art and personal development, allowing members of the Sennin Foundation Center to realize vibrant well-being and longevity.

In fact, the word "Sennin" describes the ancient Japanese equivalent of a yogi. The Sennin were known for their high degree of enlightenment, splendid health, and according to some ancient myths, their ability to attain immortality. This same emphasis on spiritual realization and physical fitness is stressed by the Sennin Foundation, thus the use of the term Sennin.

Change

Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.
Dean Acheson

Nakamura Tempu Sensei

Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation. Shin-shin-toitsu-do = "The Way of Mind and Body Unification."

"Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation," is a book focused on the mind and body unification principles and exercises of Nakamura Tempu Sensei. New, signed copies of this book by H. E. Davey can be purchased at http://senninfoundation.com/davey_yoga.html.  

Free Japanese Yoga & Martial Arts Classes!

On Thursday, July 14 the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts will offer free introductory classes in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation, along with a free introduction to Saigo Ryu martial arts. The classes will take place at 1053 San Pablo Ave. in Albany, California, right across the bay from San Francisco.

The martial arts class is not required, and it will follow the Japanese yoga program, which starts at 7:00 PM. Since the Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu training will refer to principles of mind and body unification covered in the Japanese yoga class, everyone will want to participate in this first part of the evening. You can read more about both subjects at www.senninfoundation.com.

Wear loose clothing and bring a notebook. Preregistration is needed and easily accomplished. Just leave a voice mail at 510-526-7518. Give us your name and phone number, then indicate that you would like to participate in one or both classes. Let us know if anyone else is coming with you, and we'll see you on Thursday. Please arrive a few minutes early for general registration.

The classes will be taught by Kevin Heard Sensei, who has been studying and teaching at the Sennin Foundation Center for nearly 30 years. He has Soshihan teaching certification in Japanese yoga, the highest level possible, and he received a sixth degree black belt from the famed Shudokan Martial Arts Association's Jujutsu Division.

Don't miss your chance to learn how Japanese yoga and/or martial arts can help you realize better health, deeper calmness, and enhanced concentration in everyday life.

Wesley Keppel-Henry Receives Menkyo Shodan

Wesley Keppel-Henry and Troy Swenson

practicing Japanese yoga at the Sennin Foundation Center

Wesley Keppel-Henry Sensei was promoted to the rank of Menkyo Shodan in Saigo Ryu martial arts on June 23, 2011. This is the first of a series of teaching certificates issued in Saigo Ryu aiki-jujutsu and related weapon based martial arts.

Keppel-Henry Sensei previously earned Shihan-dai teaching certification in the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga and meditation, which she teaches to children and adults at the Sennin Foundation Center. She is also studying in the Sennin Foundation healing arts program that stems from the principles of mind and body unification found in Shin-shin-toitsu-do.

Keppel-Henry Sensei is originally from Oregon, and she received a B.A. degree in biology from the University of California--Berkeley. She is presently employed as a teacher at a private school in the Bay Area.

Vacation

The Sennin Foundation Center will be closed for our annual summer break from July 2 through July 9. We hope everyone has a nice vacation. Thanks for your ongoing support of our dojo.

Healing Arts at the Sennin Foundation Center

Nakamura Tempu Sensei, founder of the Shin-shin-toitsu-do system of Japanese yoga, also taught a method of self-healing and bodywork (hitori ryoho or hitori massage). His emphasis was on yuki, which is the transference of life energy through a massage-like technique.

In most aspects of life, it is vital to be able to throw 100 percent of ourselves into the moment at hand, and this positive mental state is called Ki no dashikata, or "the projection of life energy." When our life energy freely exchanges with the life energy that pervades Nature, we're in our happiest and healthiest state.

We've all met exceptionally positive and animated individuals, people who project a "large presence." The intangible, but unmistakable, "big presence" an energetic individual is projecting can be thought of as universal life energy, and it is an indispensable aspect of yuki.

And in Japan, the universal essence that pervades all of the Nature has a name. It is called Ki.

       

An understanding of Ki is not something that can be fully detailed on a web site. For the moment, the principal points to remember are that Ki amounts to the animating force that vitalizes all creations, and that a relaxed body, along with a positive mental state, sets it free. On the other hand, physical tension and/or the negative use of the mind cause Ki ga nukeru--"the withdrawal and the loss of Ki."

Ki has been described in a variety of ways, by an equally wide variety of people. In the Sennin Foundation, we are thinking of Ki as the essential building block of nature. That universal substance from which all things emanate, exist as, and revert to . . . the connective membrane of the absolute Universe. (Of course, just as all the cells in the body are inseparable from the body, we can only draw an artificial separation between the Ki that links all creations in Nature and Nature itself.)

Unfortunately, discussions of Ki are frequently covered in mystical tones, and some writers have suggested that Ki is invisible. This depends on one's point of view. Certainly it is hard to observe the motion of Ki as something which is apart and different from the various and boundless different aspects of Nature.

A nondualistic worldview does not inevitably reject the relative world, but instead, sees the absolute oneness of Nature that underlies all relative differences. In this case, a willow tree is Ki, and when the wind causes the tree to lean, it is Ki blustering. And we are Ki watching the motion of Ki in the Universe, which is Ki itself. The wind blowing the willow, the swaying tree, the mind that sees and moves with the wind and willow--all are external reflections of diversified elements of Ki, or of the sum total of the Universe. Ki is then not some much preternatural, invisible, or elusive, but it is instead, all encompassing. Ki's genuine far-reaching and down to earth character is reflected in the Japanese language itself, which uses this ordinary term in a seemingly immeasurable number of popular compound words and expressions.

Yuki means "transfusion of Ki," and it functions in a way that is not dissimilar to a blood transfusion (yuketsu). In essence, it is possible, by studying methods of mind-body coordination and Shin-shin-toitsu-do meditation, to learn to transfer Ki from the thumbs, fingertips, and palms to weakened parts of the body, as a way of boosting the natural healing process. Students at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts can receive instruction in this unique art of healing.

       

"I've found the healing arts instruction at the Sennin Foundation Center for Japanese Cultural Arts to be logical, simple, and comprehensive. Of equal importance, I've been able to use these techniques to help heal my own injuries and illnesses as well as those of some of my friends."--A Sennin Foundation student.

Japanese Yoga & Meditation

Shin-shin-toitsu-do is the form of Japanese yoga and meditation offered at the Sennin Foundation Center. Shin-shin-toitsu-do, "The Way of Mind and Body Unification," was founded in the early 1900s by Nakamura Tempu Sensei.

Nakamura Tempu & Japanese Yoga

Nakamura Sensei lived in India, where he studied the art of Raja yoga, the yoga of meditation. After studying medicine at Columbia University, he blended Indian meditation and health improvement with his background in medicine, psychology, Japanese healing arts and meditation, and Japanese martial arts. He taught for many years in Japan, authored best-selling books, and counted among his students a large number of Japan's top executives, politicians, fine artists, athletes, martial artists, and people from every walk of life. But few Westerners have yet been exposed to these extraordinary teachings.

 

A Dynamic Teacher of Mind/Body Unification

H. E. Davey Sensei, Director of the Sennin Foundation Center, has studied with several of Nakamura Sensei's top students, including Hashimoto Tetsuichi Sensei and Sawai Atsuhiro Sensei. Both teachers are Senior Advisors to the Sennin Foundation Center. Davey Sensei began studying Shin-shin-toitsu-do as a child. He is the award-winning author of the book Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation (Stone Bridge Press), which was featured in Yoga Journal in the U.S. and Tempu magazine in Japan. He's also a member of Tempu-Kai, the Japanese association that preserves the legacy of Nakamura Sensei.

 

Unique Methods to Improve Physical & Mental Health

Our Shin-shin-toitsu-do class offers you practical forms of seated and moving meditation, breathing methods for health, stretching exercises, autosuggestion for altering negative habits, stress management, and self-healing techniques that are little-known in the West. Emphasis is also placed on the development of ki (chi in Chinese). Ki amounts to life energy, and its cultivation has a profound effect on mental and physical health. You, like many of our students, may experience greatly enhanced concentration, willpower, calmness, relaxation, and physical fitness.

Make a positive and life-altering decision. Consider adding Shin-shin-toitsu-do to your life, and discover a way of living rooted in health, happiness, and harmony.

 

Testimonials from Japanese Yoga Experts

• Hashimoto Tetsuichi
• Sawai Atsuhiro

Recommended Websites

• Art of Japanese Yoga
• Japanese Yoga: The Way of Dynamic Meditation
• Japanese Healing Arts
• Nakamura Tempu & Japanese Yoga
• Sennin Foundation Blog