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Bodydialogue Dialogue Journal of the U.S. Shintaido Movement Issue No. 13, 2003 BODYJourney to the Shintaido and Autism West (a very personal view) (part II) by Charles Burns Charles Burns practices Shintaido in Great Britain. Far Side of Beijing They say children grow in the image of their parents. In my case this simple observation has led me on a particular jour- by David Franklin ney of self discovery which I could never have expected to make, and which still leaves me staggering under its implica- When H.F. Ito, master Shintaido instructor, generously offered tions! me a frequent flier ticket to Beijing if I would come as translator Nicholas was born to Kazumi & me in 1991, and right from and logistics and travel assistant, I knew it was a rare opportu- the start he seemed to be subtly different in some indefinable nity. My interest in Chinese culture started in high school when way. He was, in fact, an ideal baby. Quiet and self-contained I was studying Tai Ji (T’ai Chi), and I am close to fluent in spo- (except when hungry!), he adapted easily to our routine and ken Mandarin. An old friend of Ito-sensei’s from the Shotokai then kept us to it. Left alone in a cot he would lie awake and Karate days, Mr. Miyamoto, had been in Beijing for about a stare for hours, as though mesmerized, by the pattern on the year, researching Tai Ji and the origins of some Shotokai kata inside of the hood. Always smiling, always happy, and yet (forms), and teaching Shotokai at Qing Hua University. I also curiously quiet, living silently in a world of his own. had some contacts with artists near Beijing, and went about a He was late doing everything. Walked at 18 months, uttered week before Ito to get oriented and make contact with them. his first words at 2 1/2, but couldn’t really string a sentence The first thing you notice, especially if you are (as I am— and together until he was 4. Nicholas is the only child I’ve ever jetlag only helps) in the habit of going outside first thing in heard of who quite literally learned to use a computer before the morning for a bit of exercise, is that China really has a cul- he learned to talk! He always preferred to play on his own, ture of body movement. Every morning the parks are filled with mostly middle-aged and old people exercising individu- Continued on p. 3 ally and in groups, including Tai Ji, Tai Ji push-hands, and other martial arts; fan dancing, qi gong (movement/breathing exercises to circulate vital energy), standing meditation, I N S I D E sword and staff forms, singing, chanting and vocalizing; also badminton, ballroom dancing, and small ensembles playing Shintaido of America membership . 2 traditional Peking Opera music. Many parks also have exer- cise machines that you can use for a variety of stretching and range-of-motion exercises (thus fulfilling one of the phrases The Voice of Big Nature . 2 used to describe Shintaido, “a playground for grown-ups”). Soei Kumibo (poem) . 4 And then there are what I call the “light-saber grandmas.” I saw several elderly ladies gathering one morning in the park. Changing Body, Changing Keiko . 12 One pulled from her handbag what at first looked like a weird gun. A flick of the wrist and it expanded into a sword. Order books and videos . 15 The other ladies produced identical segmented telescoping Continued on p. 7 www. shintaido. org 2 BODY Dialogue THE SUPPORT SHINTAIDO VOICE OF IG ATURE B N WITHIN US Join Shintaido of America, SHINTAIDO NORTH EAST KANGEIKO WEEKEND WORKSHOP a non-profit organization. FRIDAY FEB 28 - SUNDAY MAR 2, 2003 Includes a Subscription to CAMP BURGESS, CAPE COD (MASSACHUSETTS) Body Dialogue magazine. $195 INCLUDES LODGING, MEALS & INSTRUCTION SoA Membership Supports • curriculum development In the myth of Orpheus in the underworld, a youth who sings with a voice of indescribable sweetness descends into the depths of the • continuing education for instructors earth to find his lost love, Eurydice. Along the way, Orpheus encoun- • assistance to new groups ters a series of monsters and challenges. He discovers that with his • support the Nat’l Instructors Council voice alone, he can overcome any obstacle. • development of new publications At this retreat, we will explore the use of voice both within and Members Receive beyond Shin Tai Do movement technique. Aided by the remarkable • subscription to Body Dialogue teachings of special guest Anne Harley of the Voice Institute and the • directory of Shintaido practitioners teaching faculty of Shin Tai Do North East, we will aim not only to • information about workshops /retreats discover our own true voices, but also the voice of “big nature” or the cosmos that lives in all of us. Instruction will be provided for all Only Members May levels from beginner to advanced practitioner. • apply for scholarships at national events • apply for Shintaido examinations FOR INFO CONTACT MARIA AT 508. 873. 0803 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION ❏ Please add me to your mailing list for information about FULL DETAILS & ON-LINE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT events and workshops WWW. SHINTAIDO-NE. ORG ❏ Please remove me from your mailing list I would like to support Shintaido of America as a member: ❏ Full-time student member $15.00 ❏ General member $30.00 Published by Shintaido of America Body Dialogue Staff ❏ Contributing member $50.00+ (SoA), a non-profit organization which H.F. Ito, Director of Publications ❏ Sustaining member $100.00+ produces educational materials on the Eva Thaddeus, Editor ❏ Patron $500.00+ practice and teaching of Shintaido. David Franklin, Assistant Editor, (Your contribution to SoA is tax-deductible) Design & Layout Board of Directors Stephen Billias, SoA Project Manager Name ______________________________________ Permanent Members Subscriptions/Membership Address _____________________________________ Haruyoshi F. Ito Shintaido of America Membership City, State ___________________________________ Michael Thompson 1855 5th Ave #A Zip code, Country ____________________________ Elected Members San Rafael CA 94901 Connie Borden, president Phone ______________________________________ Body Dialogue is published twice a year by David Franklin e-mail address _______________________________ Shintaido of America. Entire contents ©2003, Jennifer Peringer Shintaido of America. Eva Thaddeus All rights reserved. Please send a copy of this form with payment to: Honorary Members Henry Kaiser Shintaido of America Membership Kesh Narayanan 1855 5th Ave #A David Palmer Mario Uribe San Rafael CA 94901 BODY Dialogue 3 Shintaido and Autism continued from p. 1 and would spend hours repeatedly driving toy cars in straight dren around him. Whereas autistic children tend to withdraw lines across the floor. from this world altogether (without a lot of patient work from Kazumi became very concerned, and her concern increased as those who care for them), the Asperger’s child is often outgo- the years went by. He seemed to grow out of one obscure ing and sociable by nature, but lacks completely the social phase after another, but always into yet a third. skill and imagination necessary to interact successfully with others. For myself I didn’t mind so much. My own parents kept say- ing: “Oh don’t worry, but he’s just like his father at that age, The causes of Asperger Syndrome, like autism, are obscure, and he grew up OK!” but it does seem linked to a strong genetic pre-disposition in some families. As grandparents all over the world do, of course. Kazumi found a lot of information about Asperger Syndrome, The Montessori nursery school couldn’t teach him, nor could and presented it me one evening, saying the description his primary school. In Year 2 Nicholas was placed on the spe- seemed to fit Nicholas like a glove, and perhaps we should cial needs register (although his school neglected to tell us seek a diagnosis for him. As I read it I experienced a shock of about that!) as he couldn’t (seemed to them like wouldn’t) recognition which I’ll never forget, and then the doors seemed concentrate on anything, or finish any of his work. He was to close in my mind, and I rejected it utterly. often left on his own in the reading corner, reading and re- reading books until he exhausted all their library. “This isn’t Nicholas” I said, “Our son doesn’t have this kind of problem at all!” To me it seemed as though he was teaching himself to speak by reading. The awful truth was that it wasn’t my son I seemed to be reading about, but me! It was about this time that Kazumi began to read about What followed were some of the Asperger Syndrome. worst years of our lives for Kazumi and myself. That our Often described as “able marriage survived at all is a autism”, Asperger Syndrome miracle, and testimony to describes fundamentally autistic Kazumi’s tolerance and stamina. people who somehow seem to Kazumi went ahead and sought have the ability to cope with a diagnosis anyway, and the their difficulties, and thus con- process turned out to be a long tribute to the real world. It’s a and painful one. She did this difficult thing to sum up, but it with no support from me, and seems to be far more common in the teeth of opposition from than the more extreme “classic Nicholas’s school, who insisted autism” which is very obvious that such things should best be to spot in young children. left to professionals. Asperger’s children are typical- Natasha and Charles In the course of the battles ly quiet, aloof, individuals, which followed it became clear often very talented in certain that Nicholas’ school was letting obscure ways, but seeming oddly handicapped in the matter him down completely.
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