Kangeiko 2026 – Musubi

This is a report of Kangeiko 2026 held from the 9th to the 11th of January 2026. It was led by Nagako Cooper and Ula Chambers and held at Douai Abbey.

Theme Musubi (結び)

This event introduced the British Shintaido theme for 2026: Musubi (結び).

This is quite a difficult concept to grasp, but meanings include to connect, to tie , to unify, solidify and bind together. The word is most familiar to shintaido practitioners from the musubi-dachi stance, which literally means with feet ‘tied together’.

However, Musuhi (from which the word comes) has long been a spiritual idea in Japanese culture.

Mu-su means to birth, to generate. Hi means spiritual energy force.

The origin of musubi lies in the ancient concept of musuhi (産霊).

In Shinto, musuhi has long been a key spiritual idea. 産 (Mu-su) means: to birth, or to generate, while 霊 (Hi) means: spiritual energy, a divine force. So, musuhi (産霊) can be interpreted as “a divine power generated through connection or union”.

Group Preparation

We prepared for this event by meditating as a group, but without any Zoom connection, from 30th of December to the 8th of January. The instructions were to connect to the heart’s centre and practice on our own at 9pm each evening.

I found this a good preparation: connecting and imagining the other participants. The timing 9 pm was difficult for me as I have been going to bed early in winter, but I managed to concentrate and found this a wonderful exercise before bedtime!

Looking at the welcome pack, sent out in advance, I was slightly worried about the different locations, as I wasn’t familiar with the place. But I felt sure this friendly bunch of people would show me where to go. I was already exercising my trust and communication!

Friday: First Keiko

Peter and I were the first to arrive at Pangbourne Hall and he was able to open up and do his dojo care. Soon afterwards everybody started arriving, it was so nice to see each other in real life. Everyone was in time for the first Keiko including Susan and Dan.

The warm up for this Keiko was led by Viola. I was pleased to be able to join this first BSC Keiko which I haven’t been able to join in the past. The Keiko was introduced by Nagako and Ula and included a number of stepping, wakame, and group-kumite practices. Then we practiced Tenshingoso, standing in a big circle, and using voice all together. Later on, Charles led a number of simple bokuto kihon practices for the BSC members, reminding the group about the differences between Shintaido (bokuto) form and Kenjutsu (bokken) forms.

Just before this bokuto practice the non BSC members (Jackie and me) were taken to another room by Nagako to familiarise ourselves with the bokuto itself (a heavy, straight, wooden sword) before rejoining the group. I remember thinking “my lower back is hurting and I won’t be able to sustain this holding,” but miraculously the back pain disappeared after a little while . It must have a balancing effect!

The White Cottages

Getting ourselves to the White Cottages at Douai Abbey was next. We were greeted by an Abbey with a warm glow in the dark. Miraculously a nutritious and delicious supper appeared, planned by Viola and cooked by a team of participants. Everything was well organised in a friendly and seemingly effortless way.

The open ceremony followed at 8.30pm in the cosy sitting room. There were 11 of us, Dan had left but Susan was still with us.

A few things stand out for me from this evening:

• The pictures of Ito sensei and Geoffrey Fitch on the mantelpiece
• Ula saying “we are not here by ourselves but are connected to others”
• Charles speaking about his connection with Geoffrey Fitch, and others too
• Nagako talking about the beginning of the year – her explanation of musubi – two gods coming together to unite Fire and Water
• Tying a knot – uniting (like a wedding)

The sharing of people was honest and open, like a group of old friends!

Saturday the 10th of January

The next morning we stepped out early onto a crispy, frosty lawn. Above us we could still see a half moon, and the morning star. Gradually, as Charles led us into Taimyo, we could see the sky lightening with a tinge of red. I felt totally at one with the nature and movements of Taimyo. When we finished, the red tinge in the sky had gone!

Keiko Two

Keiko 2 was held outside at Douai Park, under a clear blue sky. The warm-up was by Peter, followed by a long keiko led by Nagako with input from Ula.

We spent a long time practicing chudan tsuki in a variety of ways, including running far into the distance. We combined this with a variety of stepping exercises and then used wakame taiso (seaweed exercise) to receive the tsuki. Finally we moved into a group wakame experience.

We finished with Ula’s Tenshingoso (I really appreciated Ula’s explanations before each practice). We stood in a circle, then took a step closer towards the middle, another tenshingoso, then another step. We could now feel the warmth of our bodies and the connection with the universe with our hands.

Lunch was delicious and nutritious again and this time I had been involved with the  of the food . I was amazed how smoothly it all went. Everyone just knew what to do under Viola’s expert leadership. The timing was perfect.

Keiko 3 at Pangbourne village hall

For the afternoon keiko we moved back to the village hall. Susan led the warmup. This was followed by a quieter, more reflective keiko, beginning with a study of irimukae (entering and receiving) using the bokuto. We then studied various arrangements of renki kumite, moving into tenshingoso kumite. This led us gently towards hikari movement.

As I was leaving the hall I came upon Peter and Charles doing a kumite practice together called hikari-tawamureru or “playing with light”. Aoki sensei called it the third pillar of Shintaido alongside Eiko and Tenshingoso.

I watched most of it, and thought how nice that would have been to incorporate into the programme. Another level of practice to grow into and aspire to! So happy I had that experience too.

Supper time was enhanced (how could that even be possible…) by Laurent’s delicious homemade Three Kings Cake. Nagako got the hidden rainbow unicorn in the cake and got the crown! Connected with the year of the horse in the Chinese calendar!

Then the evening social event which was not terribly energetic as quite a lot of us are getting older but we had good conversations a poem and “togetherness”, or dare I say Musubi?

Sunday the 11th of January

Last Keiko and closing ceremony

For the morning meditation we walked out to the lawn and into the sounds of the nature. Diamond Eight was led, quite slowly by Peter. He was inspired by Minagawa, whose book he is editing .

We started doing the movements very small, “like caring for a baby”, then increasing bigger movements. We did this in sei and dai on both sides. In the meantime the sky was working with us and slowly getting redder and redder. Then when we finished the red had disappeared again!

Keiko 4 at Elstree gym

The warm up for our last keiko was led by Terry Bickers.

The keiko began with taikimai exercise, before moving from more wakame exercises into an exploration of Eiko (one of the three pillars of shintaido). We practiced some bokuto kihon, and explored the Eiko aspects of the Daimond 8 (kongo-happo) kata in both dai and sei forms.

Ula asked us to stand in a circle and close our eyes for the last final Diamond Eight. We performed this with our eyes only, keeping our bodies still, while she talked us through it in a calm and quiet way.

When we got back, the baked potatoes were already baked for a lunch at 1.00pm. What perfect timing!!

At the closing ceremony it was mentioned how when you get to the end you can’t quite believe you got there – and that was just how I felt! Thank-you’s to all got mentioned without leaving anyone out. Then going round each person’s experience individually of the event.

For most, the whole event was a deepening experience. I just want to mention the words of a few people that resonated with me:

• Katrina’s dedication to her mother, Anne Horne (a good friend of mine who passed away)
• Terry Bickers thankfulness for having been given the opportunity to lead. It reminded me that it was one of the jewels of the event how there were opportunities for everyone to take a turn
• Jackie Calderwood for staying with us and dedicating herself while there was a horrific storm going on in the area she is living in Cornwall.

Ula’s and Nagako’s present from BS was a handmade felt scarf by me. Well what can I say?

“I never felt a felt like that felt felt when first I felt that felt!”

I’d like to give honour and respect to everyone and the whole event, and to thank others for their help in getting this report together: Charles, Peter and Nagako.