Shintaido · Atlas

1. Introduction

Version followed: the Shintaido of America (SoA) curriculum as published on its website (class structure, five primary forms, glossary, examination and instructor ranks), supplemented by British Shintaido's description of a class and its safety page, and by the European Shintaido College examination programme (2011); the International Shintaido College is described from a secondary source. Two later systems associated with the founder (Kenbu Tenshinryu, a sword programme, and "Tenshin Taido" 天真体道, the name used in a Japanese academic abstract for Aoki's practice system) are named but not followed. [source: SoA founder page; SoA curriculum; SoA glossary; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido; British Shintaido, Safety; ESC Shintaido Examination Program, 2011; Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Shintaido; Wikipedia, Shintaido; TV Tokyo 2016, translated from Japanese; Sekiguchi, JSPEHSS abstract, translated from Japanese]

Shintaido (新体道, "new body way") is a Japanese movement art, not a psychotherapy. It was developed by Hiroyuki Aoki (born Yokohama, 1936; law graduate of Chuo University; 5th-degree black belt from Shigeru Egami, head of Shotokai karate-do, in 1963) with Rakutenkai, a research group of martial artists, musicians, fine artists and other "independent thinkers" whose stated aim was a physical culture spanning healing arts, creativity, human potential, life-expression and meditation. SoA dates Rakutenkai to 1965 (Wikipedia, citing Hokari's history, gives 23 September 1965); the SoA glossary gives 1966 [uncertain: sources conflict]. The two fundamental forms, Tenshingoso and Eiko, date from 1966 (Eiko is dated to 1 December 1966). Aoki founded the Shintaido Kyokai in 1970 and became its head instructor; in 1980 he became president of the International Shintaido Federation. A 2016 Japanese television profile says he created Shintaido from karate and aikido, founded Kenbu Tenshinryu at 70 as a separate sword programme, and that about 4,000 people practise Shintaido worldwide (translated from Japanese). [source: SoA founder page; SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido; TV Tokyo 2016]

How change is said to happen, as the organisations publish it: a class first loosens the body and settles the mind, then "opens" body and voice through large whole-body movement, then works with partners, and ends in stillness or slow movement; the aim is natural movement beyond everyday patterns, an open body and mind, intuitive connection with others, and the body as a means of expression and communication. Aoki's book is subtitled "The Body is a Message of the Universe". These are claims of the tradition, not tested mechanisms. [source: SoA curriculum; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido; SoA founder page; Wikipedia, Shintaido]

Who delivers it: only Shintaido instructors credentialed by the national and international Shintaido bodies teach Shintaido (section 2). A psychotherapist without those credentials does not lead Shintaido; the psychotherapist's work is to decide whether to suggest it, prepare the client, keep touch and consent safe, integrate what happens in class into therapy, and recognise and pass on harms. A psychotherapist who also holds Shintaido instructor credentials could teach classes, but should keep the teaching and therapy roles separate [synthesis].

2. Framework

2.1 The class (keiko)

SoA describes three stages: a gentle warm-up (jumbi-taiso or kenko-taiso) to loosen the body and settle the mind; opening and balancing exercises (shin-shin-kaihatsu-undo) for coordination, centring and ease; and practice together (kumite or kumitachi), with forms done alone, with a partner or as a group. A class may focus on one or several forms. [source: SoA curriculum]
British Shintaido describes: long, soft warm-ups to release tension; whole-body exercises using voice and vigorous movement to widen range of motion, imagination and expressiveness; partner exercises, including simple Japanese massage (shiatsu) and stretches; and a closing standing or moving meditation to regain balance and breathing. Classes can be energetic and challenging or gentle, depending on the students. [source: British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]
The SoA glossary adds seated silent meditation (mokuso, usually in seiza) at the start and end of training. [source: SoA glossary]
Settings: a dojo; loose white gi; residential camps (gasshuku), where examinations are often held; and winter practice (kangeiko), often outdoors. [source: SoA glossary; SoA examinations; British Shintaido, What is Shintaido?]
No course length is prescribed: Shintaido is ongoing practice, not a fixed number of sessions. [source: SoA curriculum; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]

2.2 The five primary forms (SoA)

Open-hand Shintaido (movements opening body and voice, often with other class members); Soft-hand Shintaido (slow, flowing, meditative movement for relaxation and stress relief, which SoA says draws many seniors); Shintaido Karate (punches, kicks, rolling); Shintaido Bojutsu (six-foot wooden staff); Shintaido Kenjutsu (wooden sword, called "the sword of peace"). The glossary groups practices into kaiho-kei (opening and extension, "emblematic of early shintaido") and yoki-kei (flexible, relaxed practices), and names three "great fundamentals" (dai kihon), of which toitsu-kihon ("unifying fundamentals" based on sword movements) is one. A later gentle kata, Taimyo, is described as suitable for older people and pregnant women. [source: SoA curriculum; SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido]

2.3 Progression and teaching authority

SoA core ranks, in order: Advanced Student (an evaluation after at least a year of practice); Assistant (Senka-Joshu: sponsorship by a licensed Instructor, application, exam after two years' practice, possibly an interview); Graduate (Jun-Shidoin: at least a year as Assistant and completion of the core curriculum; Graduates may teach); Instructor (Sei-Shidoin: technical proficiency, significant recent teaching, resume to the examination committee); Senior Instructor (Sei-Shihan); General Instructor (Dai-Shihan); Master Instructor (Doshu). Instructors must attend at least one advanced workshop a year to keep credentials current. [source: SoA examinations]
Martial ranks in karate, bojutsu and kenjutsu run from 10th kyu to 5th dan; SoA certifies up to Nidan (2nd dan); higher ranks and instructor-level examinations at international camps go to the International Technical and Examination Committee (ITEC). The SoA National Technical Council (NTC) receives applications, schedules exams and records results. [source: SoA examinations]
Exams: the examinee performs techniques called out by the goreisha; a jury includes at least one General Instructor and one or more Senior Instructors. SoA calls commitment to active expression "a far more important quality" than technical mastery. [source: SoA examinations]
Europe: the European Shintaido College (ESC) publishes an examination programme (in force from July 2011). Student levels: Introductory (Nyumon-ka: tachi jump, Tenshingoso in its sei form, wakame taiso from in front, dojo manners); Elementary (Shoto-ka: Eiko and Tenshingoso in their dai forms, wakame taiso from behind); Intermediate (Chuto-ka: meiso jump, Tenshingoso no kumite, wakame taiso moving around, toitsu-kihon cutting, dojo care); Advanced (Koto-ka: Eiko partner forms, toitsu-kihon, hakama care). Teaching grades: Joshu (Assistant: Eiko, toitsu-kihon, continuous Eiko no kumite with one partner "beyond the limit", leading the warm-up by gorei, care of teacher and group with a written report, an interview on intentions); Jun-shidoin (Graduate); Sei-shidoin (Instructor, including Taimyo and kenjutsu basic kata); Sei-shihan; Dai-shihan; Doshu. Each grade adds duties of teaching, developing a group and organising. [source: ESC Shintaido Examination Program, 2011] A secondary source adds that the ESC holds 1st and 2nd dan exams under a European Technical Committee, that an International Shintaido College meets every four years for 3rd dan and above, that reaching 1st dan takes about ten years on average, and that most Japanese instructors belong to a national non-profit organisation [source: Wikipedia, Shintaido; uncertain: secondary, unverified].
Britain: British Shintaido supports the art, runs workshops and residential events, and requires membership for exams; becoming an Instructor takes at least four years, which it treats as equivalent to a dan grade; instructors are expected to study regularly with the most senior practitioners. [source: British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]
Shintaido teaching is not known to be subject to government regulation; authority rests with the Shintaido bodies above [uncertain].

2.4 Evidence status and health claims

The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine entry on Shintaido says few, if any, controlled studies have measured its benefits; no controlled trials, systematic reviews or clinical guidelines on Shintaido are known [uncertain]. The same entry reports no serious adverse effects, only occasional muscle or joint soreness in beginners who overdo practice; British Shintaido's own safety page states that, because the art draws on martial arts and may use wooden weapons, no class can be entirely free of injury risk. Health benefits appear as the organisations' own descriptions ("healthy exercise"; soft-hand practice for relaxation and stress relief; a "therapeutic dimension" attributed to Taimyo). The only academic item cited here is a theoretical sport-anthropology conference abstract (Nippon Sport Science University) analysing Aoki's "Tenshin Taido" as an integrated body-movement culture; it reports no empirical data. Shintaido is not a treatment for any mental or physical disease, and evidence on tai chi, qigong or other martial arts should not be transferred to it. [source: Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine, Shintaido; British Shintaido, Safety; Wikipedia, Shintaido; SoA curriculum; Sekiguchi, JSPEHSS abstract, translated from Japanese; synthesis]

2.5 Phases for the psychotherapist [synthesis]

Assessment and suitability: physical screening, medical clearance where indicated, trauma, dissociation, psychosis and aggression history; move on when the client is physically cleared and has a stable enough base for expressive group work.
Preparation: choose a class and teacher together; rehearse consent and opting out; agree a plan for strong emotion. Move on when the client can say how they will stop or step out.
Trial classes: a few beginner classes with a brief check-in after each. Move on when the client reports feeling safe enough and no adverse effects.
Ongoing practice with integration: use experiences from class in therapy sessions as they arise.
Review: revisit fit, injuries, group dynamics and meaning at regular points; pause or stop if harm appears.

3. Guiding principles

Principles published by the Shintaido bodies:

Non-competition. Kumite tests technique without competition. Practical meaning: frame classes to clients as practice, not contest. [source: Wikipedia, Shintaido]
Not about performance; partner work relaxed and supportive. Practical meaning: a client may scale down and still be practising. [source: SoA curriculum]
Expression over technique. SoA examiners rank committed active expression above technical mastery. Practical meaning: expect invitations to move and sound fully; some clients will find this freeing, others exposing. [source: SoA examinations]
Beginners do not learn combat techniques. British Shintaido says kicking, punching and throwing are not normally part of early years; gentle rolling may occur. Practical meaning: ask the specific teacher what beginners do. [source: British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]
Open to all abilities. Rakutenkai is described as open to people of all abilities, including people with physical limitations. Practical meaning: adaptation is consistent with the tradition; ask for it. [source: Wikipedia, Shintaido, citing Hokari 1989]
Rakutenkai rules. Its rules reportedly included "Love your neighbour as yourself" and "Never judge others". Practical meaning: these are the tradition's ethical ideals, not guarantees about any dojo. [source: Wikipedia, Shintaido, citing Hokari 1989]
Learning stages and teaching authority. The glossary names shu-ha-ri (a progression of learning) and ichigo ichie ("one life, one chance"); teaching follows a credentialed sensei within a graded curriculum and examination system that British Shintaido presents as being for safety and quality. Practical meaning: check a teacher's grade and organisational standing. [source: SoA glossary; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]
Spiritual and energy concepts belong to the tradition. The glossary defines ki as "vital energy"; Tenshingoso is glossed "five expressions of heavenly truth" and Eiko "Absolute extension of being towards the infinite"; Aoki speaks of the body as a message of the universe; Wikipedia reports influences from modern Western art and Christianity; a Japanese abstract names the concept 天地人々ワレ一体 (roughly "heaven, earth, people and I as one", translated from Japanese) and a philosophy of 天真 (tenshin). Practical meaning: present these as the tradition's language; the client may take or leave them. [source: SoA glossary; SoA founder page; Wikipedia, Shintaido; Sekiguchi, JSPEHSS abstract]

Principles for the psychotherapist [synthesis unless cited]:

Consent before and during touch; the right to stop at any moment; never sexual touch. Body-psychotherapy codes require assessing whether touch suits each client, informed consent before touch, and the client's right to refuse or end any touch at any time, and they state that genital or other sexual touch is always inappropriate. Practical meaning: rehearse refusal before class; treat any sexualised touch as misconduct. [source: USABP Code of Ethics, section VIII; EABP Ethics Guidelines, principle 7]
Stay in your role. Do not lead partner or hands-on work with your own therapy clients unless your profession's code allows it and you hold the training; therapy codes bar sexual contact with clients. Practical meaning: you prepare and integrate; the instructor teaches. [source: APA Ethics Code 10.05; EABP Ethics Guidelines 6.b; synthesis]
No health claims. Practical meaning: describe Shintaido as movement practice with unknown clinical effects.
Client controls intensity. Practical meaning: agree in advance that sitting out, softening or leaving is always acceptable.
Physical safety first. Practical meaning: screening and medical clearance before vigorous, partner or weapons practice.
Trauma-informed pacing. Practical meaning: voice work, receiving attacks and continuous contact can activate trauma responses; prepare and debrief.
Respect the tradition without proselytising or debunking. Practical meaning: ask what the client makes of the spiritual language instead of offering your own view.

4. Intervention inventory

Part A covers the practices a credentialed Shintaido instructor teaches, described as the Shintaido bodies publish them, so the psychotherapist knows what the client will meet. They are not instructions for the psychotherapist to lead, and no counts, durations or intensities are given. Part B covers the psychotherapist's own interventions, which are [synthesis] unless cited.

Part A. Practices taught in Shintaido classes

A1. Opening and closing meditation (mokuso; closing standing or moving meditation)

Purpose: settle attention at the start; restore balance and breathing at the end. [source: SoA glossary; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]
Steps (as published): silent seated meditation, typically in seiza, opens and closes training; British Shintaido ends each class with a standing or moving meditation meant to leave students relaxed and aware. The glossary also lists meiso (meditation) and mudra (full-body meditation positions). How attention is guided is not specified in the published material [uncertain].
Example language (illustrative): "Classes open and close with a short quiet time. If kneeling hurts, ask the teacher whether you can sit on a chair or cushion instead."
Watch for: knee or ankle pain in seiza; dissociation or intrusive memories in silence. Working: the client describes leaving class calmer or more aware.

A2. Gentle warm-up (jumbi-taiso, kenko-taiso)

Purpose: loosen the body and settle the mind before opening work. [source: SoA curriculum; SoA glossary]
Steps (as published): a set sequence of gentle warm-ups (the glossary calls kenko-taiso a "health exercise"); British Shintaido describes long, soft movements to release tension. The sequence itself is taught by the instructor and is not reproduced here.
Example language (illustrative): "The warm-up is meant to be gentle. You can go smaller than everyone else and still be doing it."
Watch for: pain in existing injuries; pushing past limits to keep up. Working: the client notices tension easing and can tell the teacher about limits.

A3. Opening and balancing; Open-hand Shintaido (shin-shin-kaihatsu-undo; kaiho-kei)

Purpose: open body and voice; widen range of motion, imagination and expressiveness; build coordination and centring. [source: SoA curriculum; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido; SoA glossary]
Steps (as published): whole-body movements that use the voice and vigorous movement, often together with other class members; the glossary calls kaiho-kei practices of opening and extension "emblematic of early shintaido" and lists kiai (a sound made with movement) and kokyu (breath or exhalation used to support concentration and expression).
Example language (illustrative): "Some parts of class use big movements and shouting. People sometimes feel exhilarated, embarrassed, tearful or angry. Any of that is understandable, and you can step back at any point."
Watch for: strong emotion, hyperarousal, panic, shame, dizziness or breathlessness (stop and rest), and anger that feels out of control. Published Shintaido sources say little about emotional reactions or how instructors respond to them [uncertain]; British Shintaido states that there is no obligation to continue beyond the point of discomfort [source: British Shintaido, Safety]. Working: the client reports more freedom of movement or voice without feeling flooded.

A4. Soft-hand Shintaido, yoki-kei practice and Taimyo

Purpose: relaxation and stress relief through slow, flowing, meditative movement; gentler exercise and group involvement. [source: SoA curriculum; SoA glossary]
Steps (as published): slow, flowing movement; yoki-kei denotes flexible, relaxed practices; Taimyo is a later, gentle kata described as suitable for older people and pregnant women, with a "therapeutic dimension" claimed. [source: SoA curriculum; SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido]
Example language (illustrative): "If the more vigorous classes feel like too much, ask whether the school runs soft-hand or Taimyo sessions."
Watch for: claims that it treats illness (not supported); pregnancy needs obstetric clearance and teacher experience [synthesis]. Working: the client finds a pace they can sustain.

A5. Wakame taiso (seaweed exercise)

Purpose: develop sensitivity, relaxation and physical communication between partners. [source: SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido; TV Tokyo 2016, translated from Japanese]
Steps (as published): a yoki-kei partner exercise in which one person is the "seaweed" and the other the "ocean"; a Japanese television report describes it as a partner warm-up stressing relaxation over rigid posture. The ESC examination programme places wakame taiso at the first three student levels, done from in front, from behind and moving around [source: ESC Shintaido Examination Program, 2011]. Exactly how and where partners touch is not described in the published material [uncertain].
Example language (illustrative): "In this exercise a partner moves you while you stay loose. Before it starts, you can tell your partner where not to touch, or choose to watch instead."
Watch for: freezing, bracing, holding the breath, going floppy and absent (possible dissociation), or discomfort with a particular partner. Working: the client can stay relaxed and present and can speak up about contact.

A6. Partner massage and stretches

Purpose: physical communication and care between partners. British Shintaido notes that partner practice may involve massage or other close physical contact. [source: British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido; British Shintaido, Safety]
Steps (as published): British Shintaido lists simple Japanese massage (shiatsu) and stretches among partner exercises, and says instructors take responsibility for ensuring that no inappropriate, uncomfortable or painful contact takes place [source: British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido; British Shintaido, Safety]. The specific techniques are not described in the published material cited here [uncertain].
Example language (illustrative): "Partner massage is optional. 'No thanks, I'll stretch on my own' is a full answer."
Watch for: any touch near the chest, buttocks or groin, any touch that continues after a no, or a partner who seems to seek contact for their own ends; these are boundary violations to raise with the instructor or the organisation. Working: the client experiences touch as chosen and stoppable.

A7. Eiko

Purpose: described as the core of Shintaido: "Absolute extension of being towards the infinite"; with a partner it is said to develop timing and concentration. [source: SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido]
Steps (as published, general terms): a whole-body extension movement adapted from swordsmanship, in which the arms (or a sword) are raised vertically and then lowered towards the horizon; it can be done alone, with a partner or in a group (SoA shows "Group-Eiko"). The glossary describes related practices (age-oroshi, shoko) that involve very prolonged repetition or holding; these are not given here as instructions.
Example language (illustrative): "Eiko is about reaching out with the whole body. You decide how far and how long. Lower your arms whenever you need to."
Watch for: shoulder, neck and lower-back strain; light-headedness; pressure to endure fatigue as a test of commitment; heightened or altered states during prolonged practice. Working: the client describes a sense of expansion or focus without injury or overwhelm.

A8. Tenshingoso

Purpose: described as Aoki's masterwork, "five expressions of heavenly truth", combining the essence of martial movement with the phases of human life. [source: SoA glossary]
Steps (as published, general terms): a kata of five expressions performed with sound and movement; it is interpreted as a distillation of key budo techniques, a metaphor for the life cycle, and a set of meditation positions (mudras). [source: Wikipedia, Shintaido, citing Aoki 1989; SoA glossary] The form is taught by the instructor and is not proceduralised here.
Example language (illustrative): "Teachers often say Tenshingoso follows a life from beginning to end. If that brings up thoughts about your own life or losses, we can talk about it here."
Watch for: grief or existential themes; discomfort with the religious-sounding language; voice work triggering shame. Working: the client can hold the tradition's meaning lightly and connect it to their own life on their own terms.

A9. Kumite and receiving forms (kumite, chi-no-kata, ten-no-kata, jiyu-kumite)

Purpose: test technique with a partner without competition; move from formal movement into free movement. [source: SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido]
Steps (as published): kumite are partner exercises with hands only; chi-no-kata and ten-no-kata involve receiving punching attacks (tsuki) at belly or face level; jiyu-kumite is free attack and receive; the receiver is called uke.
Example language (illustrative): "Some partner forms involve someone coming towards you with a strike that is controlled. If that ever feels like real threat, step out and tell the teacher."
Watch for: startle, freeze, flashbacks, rage, or a partner who uses excessive force; for clients with histories of violence, either as victim or perpetrator, plan in advance. Working: the client can stay oriented, use the agreed stop signal and feel the difference between practice and threat.

A10. Hikari and hikari to-tawamureru ("playing with light")

Purpose: free-form partner movement aiming at a sense of freedom. [source: SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido]
Steps (as published): the glossary says it emerged when Aoki received continuous attacks from students while keeping active contact; Wikipedia describes Hikari as totally free, with no set form, and so not teachable as a form.
Example language (illustrative): "Free practice can feel wonderful or chaotic. Notice whether you still feel you can say stop."
Watch for: loss of orientation, collisions and falls, continuous contact without check-ins, and very high arousal; not suitable early for clients with trauma, dissociation or psychosis [synthesis]. Working: the client describes play and freedom while staying in control of their participation.

A11. Karate, bojutsu and kenjutsu

Purpose: focus, energy expression and basic self-defence (karate); staff and sword forms. [source: SoA curriculum]
Steps (as published): Shintaido Karate uses punches, kicks and rolling and draws on a reduced Shotokai curriculum (taikyoku and heian kata); bojutsu begins with the bo (a six-foot wooden staff), then the jo, with named beginner kata; kenjutsu uses the wooden sword (bokuto) and paired sword forms (kumitachi). British Shintaido says beginners do not normally learn kicking, punching or throwing in the early years. [source: SoA curriculum; SoA glossary; Wikipedia, Shintaido; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido]
Example language (illustrative): "Weapons work comes later. When it does, ask how partners are kept at a safe distance."
Watch for: impact injuries from wooden weapons, falls when rolling, joint strain; weapons may carry particular meaning for clients exposed to violence. Working: the client practises with control and no injuries.

A12. Group leading and examinations (gorei; gasshuku; kangeiko)

Purpose: lead groups by called commands; assess progress by examination; deepen practice at residential camps. [source: SoA glossary; SoA examinations]
Steps (as published): a leader (goreisha) calls out movements; examinations are often held at gasshuku, with the examinee performing techniques called by the goreisha before a jury; kangeiko is winter practice, often outdoors. [source: SoA glossary; SoA examinations] The ESC programme lists, level by level, the forms the examinee performs (Tenshingoso, Eiko, wakame taiso and jumps at the first levels; partner Eiko practice, continuous with one partner, at Assistant level), together with dojo manners, care duties and, for teaching grades, leading a group by gorei. [source: ESC Shintaido Examination Program, 2011]
Example language (illustrative): "Exams and camps are optional. Before you sign up, let's look at what the days involve and how you'll look after yourself."
Watch for: exhaustion and sleep loss at intensive camps; cold exposure outdoors in winter, especially with heart disease or alcohol use [synthesis]; status pressure around grades. Working: the client chooses events by their own goals, not to please the group.

Part B. The psychotherapist's interventions

B1. Deciding whether to suggest Shintaido [synthesis]

Purpose: match the practice to the client's goals (embodiment, expression, connection with others, gentle exercise in a group) and rule out poor fits.
Steps: (1) Ask what draws the client to a movement art and what they hope to feel or do differently. (2) Explain plainly what classes involve: voice and vigorous movement, partner contact, partner massage in some schools, later weapons work, and Japanese and spiritual vocabulary. (3) Say that its clinical effects are unstudied. (4) Consider gentler routes first (soft-hand or Taimyo classes) for older, deconditioned or highly anxious clients. (5) Agree that trying it is an experiment the client can stop at any time.
Example language (illustrative): "Shintaido is a movement art that uses big movements, voice and partner work. It hasn't been studied as a treatment, so let's treat it as an experiment and see what it brings up."
Watch for: the client seeking a cure, or wanting to please you by going. Working: the client chooses it for their own reasons and with realistic expectations.

B2. Physical-safety screening and medical clearance

Purpose: reduce injury and medical risk before vigorous, partner or weapons practice. British Shintaido states that no class can be entirely free of injury risk, asks students with particular health issues to tell the instructor in advance, and says there is no obligation to continue beyond the point of discomfort; the SoA curriculum advises consulting an instructor or physician about health concerns. [source: British Shintaido, Safety; SoA curriculum]
Steps [synthesis except where cited]: (1) Ask about heart disease, high or low blood pressure, fainting, epilepsy, pregnancy, recent surgery, osteoporosis, joint replacements, spinal, shoulder or knee problems, balance problems, and anticoagulant use. (2) Recommend a GP or physician review before starting if any are present, and before intensive camps or outdoor winter practice. (3) Encourage the client to tell the instructor about conditions and injuries before the first class, as British Shintaido asks [source: British Shintaido, Safety]. (4) Note that rolling, receiving strikes, prolonged raised-arm work, kneeling and wooden weapons each carry their own injury risks. (5) Remind the client that stopping at the point of discomfort is allowed [source: British Shintaido, Safety].
Example language (illustrative): "Before you start, it's worth checking with your doctor about your blood pressure and your knee, and telling the teacher too."
Watch for: new pain, dizziness, chest symptoms or injuries; stop and get medical advice. Working: the client is cleared, and the instructor knows about relevant conditions.

B3. Psychological screening [synthesis]

Purpose: identify clients for whom expressive, high-arousal or contact practice needs delay or adaptation.
Steps: (1) Assess for current or past psychosis or mania, dissociative disorders, PTSD (especially interpersonal violence or sexual trauma), panic disorder, self-harm, eating disorders with over-exercise, and problems controlling aggression. (2) For current psychosis or mania, advise postponing. Psychotic reactions associated with intensive meditative movement practice have been described for qigong ("qigong deviation") [source: Shan 2000, Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry]; none are documented for Shintaido in the sources cited. (3) For PTSD and dissociation, plan a gradual start in gentle classes and agree grounding and exit plans. (4) For aggression, discuss partner-strike forms and how the client will keep control.
Example language (illustrative): "Given what you've been through, let's think together about which parts of class might feel too close, and how you'll look after yourself if they do."
Watch for: sleep loss, unusual experiences or grandiosity after intensive practice; increased flashbacks. Working: the client starts at a pace that stays within their window of tolerance.

B4. Choosing a class and teacher [synthesis, with cited credentials]

Purpose: make sure the teacher is properly credentialed and the class suits the client.
Steps: (1) Check the instructor's grade and organisation: in the USA through SoA's certified instructor listings (Graduate or above may teach; Instructors keep credentials current through annual advanced workshops); in Britain through British Shintaido; in Europe through the European Shintaido College. [source: SoA examinations; British Shintaido, Studying Shintaido; Wikipedia, Shintaido] (2) Suggest the client ask the teacher: what beginners do; whether partner massage and contact are optional; how someone opts out of an exercise; how the teacher responds when a student becomes upset; and whether gentle or soft-hand classes are offered. (3) Suggest watching a class first if possible.
Example language (illustrative): "It's fine to ask the teacher how they handle it if someone gets upset or wants to sit out. A good teacher will be glad you asked."
Watch for: a teacher who dismisses questions, insists that all exercises be done, or claims healing powers. Working: the client feels respected before joining.

B5. Preparing for touch and consent

Purpose: protect the client's control over touch in partner practice. Touch is consensual, never sexual, and stoppable at any moment. [source: USABP Code of Ethics, section VIII; EABP Ethics Guidelines, principle 7] British Shintaido says partner practice may include massage or other close contact, that instructors are responsible for ensuring no inappropriate, uncomfortable or painful contact takes place, and that people who do not want physical contact may find Shintaido is not the right path for them. [source: British Shintaido, Safety]
Steps [synthesis]: (1) Explain which practices involve contact (wakame taiso, partner massage and stretches, kumite and receiving forms, free practice). (2) Help the client identify body areas or kinds of contact they do not want. (3) Rehearse short refusals and a stop signal in session. (4) Agree that the client may tell the instructor before class about any limits, without giving reasons. (5) Explain that any sexual or genital touch, or touch continued after a no, is misconduct, and say what to do (B9).
Example language (illustrative): "Let's practise saying 'I'll sit this one out' and 'please don't touch my back' out loud a couple of times, so the words are ready if you need them."
Watch for: fawning (agreeing to touch to avoid conflict); later reports of feeling violated even when consent was given. Working: the client uses refusals in class and reports feeling in charge of contact.

B6. Preparing for voice and emotional activation [synthesis]

Purpose: help the client handle strong feelings that may arise in open-hand practice, kiai, Tenshingoso or free practice.
Steps: (1) Name the range of possible responses (relief, joy, tears, anger, shame, numbness). (2) Agree a personal plan: slow down, step to the edge of the room, sit, use grounding (feet, breath at a natural pace, naming objects), and tell the teacher if needed. (3) Agree that the client need not resolve anything in class; it can come to therapy. (4) Avoid framing emotional release as the goal or as proof the practice is working.
Example language (illustrative): "If something big comes up, you don't have to push through it. Step aside, feel your feet, and bring it here next session."
Watch for: chasing catharsis; prolonged distress after class; shame about crying or shouting in public. Working: feelings arise and settle, and the client brings them into therapy.

B7. Integrating class experiences in therapy [synthesis]

Purpose: turn bodily experiences from class into therapeutic material.
Steps: (1) Ask what happened in the body, emotions and relationships during class. (2) Track themes: comfort with being seen, with sound, with being moved by a partner, with receiving an attack, with authority and grades. (3) Link these to the client's history and goals. (4) Explore the meaning the client gives to the tradition's language (heavenly truth, ki, universe) without endorsing or dismissing it. (5) Note shifts in posture, breathing or expressiveness in session.
Example language (illustrative): "When your partner moved you during the seaweed exercise, what did you notice in yourself? Is that familiar from anywhere else?"
Watch for: using class to avoid therapy, or idealising the teacher. Working: insights from class show up in the client's daily life and relationships.

B8. Liaison with the instructor (with consent) [synthesis]

Purpose: coordinate safety where the client wants it.
Steps: (1) Obtain written consent and agree what may be shared (for example limits on contact, a stop signal, an injury). (2) Share the minimum necessary. (3) Do not ask the instructor to act as a therapist. (4) Keep the roles distinct, in line with professional guidance to consider parallel services and discuss them with the client to avoid confusion. [source: EABP Ethics Guidelines 6.b]
Example language (illustrative, to the client): "Would it help if I let the teacher know you'd like to skip partner massage for now? I'd only say what you agree to."
Watch for: over-sharing; the client feeling talked about. Working: the client feels supported, and confidentiality holds.

B9. Recognising and passing on harms [synthesis, with cited routes]

Purpose: respond to injury, misconduct or harmful group dynamics.
Steps: (1) Ask regularly about injuries, pressure to keep going while hurt, touch that felt wrong, humiliation, pressure to attend camps or pay, and isolation from outside relationships. (2) For injury: medical care, and review whether to continue. (3) For boundary or sexual misconduct: support the client to report to the organisation (in the USA the SoA National Technical Council oversees instructor credentials [source: SoA examinations]; in Britain, British Shintaido, which states that it aims to keep children and vulnerable adults attending classes safe from abuse and publishes a child protection policy [source: British Shintaido, Safety]), and to the police where a crime may have occurred; follow your own safeguarding duties for children or adults at risk. (4) For coercive group dynamics: name what you observe, support the client's own judgement and outside relationships. No documented reports of abuse in Shintaido groups appear in the sources cited [uncertain].
Example language (illustrative): "What you describe doesn't sound like normal teaching. You have every right to stop going and to report it, and I'll help you think it through."
Watch for: self-blame, loyalty conflicts, fear of losing the community. Working: the client is safe and has made an informed choice about reporting.

B10. If the psychotherapist is also a credentialed Shintaido instructor [synthesis]

Purpose: avoid dual-role harm.
Steps: (1) Teach Shintaido only within the credentials the Shintaido bodies give you. (2) Do not teach your current therapy clients in Shintaido classes unless your professional code allows it and the dual relationship has been carefully weighed in supervision; mainstream therapy codes require avoiding harmful dual relationships and bar sexual contact with clients [source: APA Ethics Code; touch provisions in USABP section VIII]. (3) Do not do partner or hands-on work with your own therapy clients unless your code permits it and you hold the training. (4) Keep class and therapy records and boundaries separate.
Example language (illustrative): "Because I'm your therapist, I think it's better if you train with another teacher. I can suggest some."
Watch for: blurred roles, the client feeling obliged. Working: each relationship keeps its own clear frame.

5. Handling problems

Published Shintaido sources say very little about handling difficulties, emotional reactions or adverse events; nearly all of this section is [synthesis].

Overwhelm in class (tears, panic, flashbacks, rage, numbness). Response: use the agreed exit and grounding plan (B6); next session, slow the timeline, suggest soft-hand or Taimyo classes, avoid receiving forms and free practice for now, and work on the trigger in therapy. Do not frame overwhelm as a breakthrough. [synthesis]
Dissociation during partner work or meditation. Response: shorten exposure by stepping out, keep eyes open, use orienting; prioritise stabilisation work in therapy before returning to contact exercises. [synthesis]
Unusual experiences, sleep loss or grandiosity after intensive practice or camps. Response: pause practice, assess for emerging psychosis or mania, involve medical care if needed. Psychotic reactions linked to intensive meditative movement practice have been described for qigong [source: Shan 2000]; none are documented for Shintaido in the sources cited. [synthesis]
Unwanted or sexual touch, or touch after a refusal. Response: believe the client, attend to safety, support reporting to the instructor's organisation and, where a crime may have occurred, to the police; follow safeguarding duties. Sexual or genital touch is never part of legitimate practice. [source: USABP Code of Ethics, section VIII; synthesis]
Injury. Response: medical assessment; return only with clearance; ask the instructor how practice will be adapted; question pressure to train through pain. [synthesis]
Pressure to endure (prolonged holds, exhaustion, cold outdoor practice). Response: explore what enduring means to the client (proving worth, punishing the body, belonging); the client sets limits; physical risk overrides group expectations. The glossary describes some practices as very prolonged, and the ESC Assistant examination includes continuous partner Eiko practice "beyond the limit"; British Shintaido states there is no obligation to continue beyond the point of discomfort. No durations are endorsed here. [source: SoA glossary; ESC Shintaido Examination Program, 2011; British Shintaido, Safety; synthesis]
Discomfort with spiritual or religious language. Response: explain that terms such as "heavenly truth", ki and the body as a message of the universe are the tradition's own language, which practitioners interpret variously; the client can practise without adopting any belief, or choose a different movement practice. [source: SoA glossary; SoA founder page; synthesis]
Idealisation of the teacher or group; dependency. Response: notice when the dojo replaces other relationships or therapy; explore it as relational material; support the client's own judgement. [synthesis]
Signs of a harmful group (demands for money or time, isolation, humiliation, secrecy, a teacher claiming healing powers). Response: name concerns plainly, support the client's choice to leave, and point to the organisation's technical council or national body. No documented reports of such dynamics in Shintaido appear in the sources cited [uncertain]. [synthesis]
Non-attendance or dropping out. Response: explore without judgement: physical difficulty, shame about being seen, interpersonal discomfort, or simply poor fit; stopping is a legitimate outcome. [synthesis]
Stuck or flat experience ("it's just exercise"). Response: that is a valid outcome; explore whether the client wants more from it; do not push towards emotional release. [synthesis]
Rupture with the therapist over the suggestion ("you sent me there and it went badly"). Response: acknowledge your part, repair, review what went wrong, and agree a new plan together. [synthesis]
Cultural considerations. Response: for clients of Japanese heritage, or those with strong religious commitments, ask how the practice's Japanese and spiritual elements sit with them; avoid exoticising it. [synthesis]
Children and young people. Response: check the school's safeguarding policy, instructor vetting, parental consent and the child's own assent; contact and weapons work need age-appropriate supervision. [synthesis]

Sources

Web sources:

Books cited (as referenced by the pages above):

Aoki, Hiroyuki (1982). Shintaido: An Art of Movement and Life Expression. Shintaido of America (as listed by the Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine; Shintaido of America currently sells Aoki's book under the title Shintaido: The Body Is a Message of the Universe).
Aoki, Hiroyuki (2000). Total Stick Fighting: Shintaido Bojutsu. Kodansha International.
Aoki, Hiroyuki (1989). Tenshingoso & Eiko. Shintaido of America.
Hokari, Shiko (1989). Origins: A History of Shintaido. Shintaido of America.
Burns, Charles (2007). The Shintaido Handbook. British Shintaido.
Shan HH (2000). Culture-bound psychiatric disorders associated with Qigong practice in China. Hong Kong Journal of Psychiatry 10(4):12–14 (cited for qigong-related psychotic reactions only)

Statements about the International Shintaido College and the Japanese national Shintaido organisation rest on a secondary source [uncertain].

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