Daienshu 2026 Musubi
This was a joyous and deep occasion, full of warmth, connection and brightness. The organization was impeccable, everyone fulfilled their roles wonderfully, and the teaching was extraordinary.
So, what happened?!
After arrival we went to the field on a typical grey English spring day. Charles sensei did a warm-up, which included many Aozora taiso, and some linking arms, when we could greet each other, arm in and arm out, palms in, palms out, starting the process of creating threads between us in line with the theme of Musubi. Then we also did kongo taiso up and down, out and in, faster and faster. Ula led us in wakame which we did many times, from the front, from the back, eyes open, eyes closed, taking in the sky and the earth, and the people. Then we practised Ah and Un including back to back, and finally, as we stood in Un it was suggested that we could go deeply into the space, finding the past and those who lived there, as well as into the earth and discovering its treasures, to experience any connections which might arise.
I could feel the doshus holding the space and helping us to stay in this inner and outer place.
Tenshingoso followed, as kumite, two hands, one hand. We experienced very tight Ma as we enjoyed wakame looking up and down to the ground, swaying together in a circle as one, softening any tensions from the journey or any apprehensions.
Having unpacked and eaten supper, the opening ceremony took place. Laurent introduced the team, and then Peter presented Minagawa sensei’s new book Aikukan, and described something of the process of editing and publishing while Minagawa sensei thanked Peter, Nagako and Laurent for their work, presenting each of them with a beautiful calligraphy.
Ula sensei spoke about understanding each other’s heart and taking time to get to know each other during the daienshu, to find a diamond there. Heart was very much a theme in the discussion: pure heart, heart connection, Love, learning about love through the other’s heart.
A discussion on Musubi ensued. Musubi means thread, knot, rope, string, connection. Some comments which struck me, though others will doubtless remember other things: ropes help us ascend to different levels of being, as is suggested at shrines in Japan:
In Kanki, at the beginning of Taimyo, there is a slight movement as the hands reach as far they can go, which may represent flicking a string to create a vibration in us from Ten. That vibration can help us to release unnecessary things in ourselves such as tensions.
The position musubi dachi involves standing on a very small space straight, in the vertical connection between Heaven and earth passing through us. This can help ground our core.
Allusion was made to the three fates and the cutting of the string of our life. How ropes are made was discussed, first staring small and getting stronger as new threads are added. This is one of the oldest practices in human culture.
Laurent had brought some threads for making knots and everyone enjoyed trying to explore and create some lovely examples. The process brought people together very naturally.
The next morning Viola led Taimyo. I am told that it was quite beautiful and everyone could follow easily. I did not go outside to do it but joined from my room and I experienced that Taimyo as very powerful, receiving a special quality of energy in the room as I followed. I was very grateful for this experience.
The next keiko began with a warm up by Nagako with plenty of clapping to enliven us and then bringing the golden thread down into us with Ah and going to tenshinken, and Un. We did kumite of tenshingoso with one person trying to get to Ah and then to Eh and adjusting as they did so with small movements. There was something very forgiving in this, that maybe I do not get to Ah or Eh and need to keep trying to find it.
Taking our bokutohs in their cases, we began with kongo taiso, a sort of warming up based on Diamond Eight, and then with one bokutoh and a partner we made very small but deep cutting and flowing movements. We continued with Diamond Eight sei and dai, standing, and with one step, three steps and finally eight steps with partner doing eiko dai, while the other made the eight cuts of Diamond eight. These represent earth, water, fire, wind, and ether or void as we see portrayed on pagodas in Buddhist countries. Eiko dai, tenso or tenshinken represents the final stage.
After lunch exams were held in which everyone was successful: Sally and Craig in bohjutsu fifth kyu and Laurent and I in Jun Shidoin. I have never enjoyed an exam in any way before but there were moments in this one where I felt relatively free, able to express myself, in the huge space, and supported by the encouragement and attention of the watchers.
Keiko continued and we sat on chairs to do tenshingoso one handed, and then Oh holding underneath the attacker’s hand and sending energy from our koshi diagonally up into and through our partner. We also enjoyed renki in its various forms, hooking the little finger, pulling, and stretching and then moving. We received tsuki in our palm also. Finally we received and after moving a little we sent them off with Ee.
Uchite attack followed, receiving with Eh at the wrist and arm.
Then we did wakame on the chairs facing each other, and Minagawa sensei showed how we could manage an aggressive attack by dropping our own energy. This was done through Oh and Ee.
The evening comprised a very good discussion of Tenshin philosophy led by Peter. He asked how many times we had done Tenshingoso, the five steps to Heaven and said that each was a step in that direction towards Heavenly Truth. But how to define this in words? Tenshintaido or Tenshin philosophy could be the energy which fills the vast universe, space and time. The great Life energy, Amitabha Buddha, Dainichi Nyorai, Tao, Sophia, Dharma, the cosmic Buddha of light. All life is interconnected through or in this energy. We then looked at emptiness, or no phenomena, or Muso-I, everything finished, given, gone, the space where we do nothing but just stay. In the Heart Sutra the words “gate gate paragate parasan gate bodhi svaha” has a vibration helping us in this direction.
How do we reach Tenshin? According to Aoki sensei, through kumite where 1 + 1 equals 0, emptiness, meditation. Keiko brings us clarity and shows us who we really are. Kata has the imprint of the performer on it, and when it is finished there is nothing, all is gone. When you practise the kata you can get the sense that you meet its creator. Before the word Tenshin was used, Aikukan was the word for this state.
In the morning we began with Tenshingoso lead by Kim who suggested that we do it ten times at least but explore it as we felt, one hand, two hands, at the tempo we felt right. This was so well held that we could all explore and discover new things about tenshingoso together even if each person did it according to his or her feeling.
It was soon time for the last keiko, led by the two doshus. First Charles took us through kongo taiso with bokutoh still in their cases. Then Masashi gave us a lightning ‘history lesson’ as we revised bokutoh and Diamond eight, with different foot positions and stepping, including the eight step kumite, and saw a display of Kongo Happo by David and Charles, showing how the simple form contains everything.
There was then eiko sei with first one partner and then two, side by side, and although the middle person could not move their arms, this person was still the leader with the outer people listening and following. Whereby someone was in the middle.
We also revisited renki and practised tsuki received with hand clasping it as well as eh and oh. This was done with one partner, then four and then in groups of eight. A further kumite was done where the partner did Diamond eight kata with eyes only while the other person had eyes closed and tried to respond with the movements in their body. Even if we were not sure about the exactitude of the movements we could feel a deep sense of connection to each other.
Finally we practised hikari, or playing with light, a formless form, just following energy. Writing this a week later, it feels as if we visited a place out of time like a dream, distant now but yet remembered in the body somewhere.
The closing ceremony followed at which everyone expressed their gratitude for what was received and to those who had enabled it. The Ma was very sticky when departure arrived, and it was clear that threads had been created and strengthened between the participants and to other dimensions.