By Mark Bannon
The announcement for the Shintaido Northeast Kangeiko 2025 went out in January. Kangeiko means cold-weather practice and is a time to come together for keiko. This year’s Kangeiko theme was Cultivating Inner Life: Finding Freedom in the Form. The event was held at the Montague Meeting House, in the Berkshires of Massachusetts.
Finding Freedom in the Form
In Shintaido, the phrase “Ten Chi Jin Ware Ware Ittai” (天地人我々一体) embodies the unity of Heaven (Ten), Earth (Chi), and Humanity (Jin)—a philosophy that extends beyond the dojo into a way of life. At its core, it teaches that true mastery comes not from isolated skill or strength but from a seamless integration of mind, body, and spirit. Through disciplined practice, a practitioner transcends mere technique and steps into a deeper form of Freedom—the ability to act without hesitation, move without resistance, and live without internal conflict.
In a stressful situation, the principle of Ten Chi Jin manifests in how a seasoned practitioner moves with balance, awareness, and adaptability. Earth (Chi) represents grounding and stability, the foundation of any practical stance or technique. Heaven (Ten) symbolizes intuition and perception, the ability to read an opponent’s intent before they act. Humanity (Jin) is the bridge where skill and spirit merge to create seamless action. Senior Instructor Bela Breslau demonstrated using the bokuto and free hand Shintaido that when a practitioner unites these three elements, they achieve a state of flow where techniques arise effortlessly, free from fear or doubt.
This integration leads to Freedom in movement—the ability to react instinctively rather than being bound by rigid Form. In Shintaido, it’s not simply learning to fight but responding to life with fluidity, adapting to challenges with the grace of water encountering a stone. This way of practicing is the path to internal and external Freedom—one that cannot be achieved through brute force but only through deep understanding and unity with the world.
Freedom Through Oneness
Instructor Stephen Billias led the second Keiko with a strong emphasis on oneness. A notable exercise was a two-person Shoko sword meditation. One person performed Shoko for an extended period while assisted and supported by a second person. This exercise was a powerful reminder of the spiritual truth expressed in ‘Ten Chi Jin Ware Ware Ittai’-that the separation between self, and the universe is an illusion. In Shoko’s meditation, suffering arises from resistance—from seeing oneself as separate from the flow. When practiced with awareness, Shoko becomes a tool for dissolving this illusion. The two-person Shoko meditation exercise Stephen led was a poignant reminder that we need each other to succeed in humanity (Jin).
Path to True Freedom
Senior Instructor Margaret Guay, a highly respected teacher in Shintaido, led the third Keiko with bokken sword techniques. Margaret showed that Freedom is not an absence of rules but a mastery of them—the ability to transcend limitations not by ignoring them but by understanding them so profoundly that they cease to be restrictive. With a beautiful Dai Jodan cut, she showed not to fear confrontations but to overcome them. ‘Ten Chi Jin Ware Ware Ittai’ is to live aware, grounded, and free. It is to see no separation between action and stillness, force and surrender, self and universe. The Kangeiko emphasized that Freedom in the Form is not just how to cut but how to live with a mind unburdened, a spirit untamed, and a body in perfect harmony with nature.
Thank you to Senior Instructors Margaret Guay, Bela Breslau, Instructor Stephen Billias, and Master Instructor Micheal Thompson for leading and organizing this successful Kangeiko.
