In recent years, MM has become the most dynamically developing professional direction of SBC, not independent of the general mental and physical state of society, which increasingly underlines the importance of the practical knowledge offered by MM as a group experience-based, body-conscious direction. This vacuum has been felt so far, but COVID-19 and the situation that has emerged in its wake have made it more urgent to respond to it at the level of the organisation, the students and the teaching (methodology, techniques, conditions). It was within this framework that we formulated the three main objectives of our project: 1) to acquire a set of easy-to-use knowledge complementary to Movement Medicine, which can support community development and the mental health of individuals 2) trained and motivated volunteers to strengthen community cohesion by organising activities outside formal classes 3) training for trainers, particularly in the use of a mix of online and live learning opportunities.
The Shinbukan Association (SBK) was founded in 2005 with the aim to show and spread the values of the traditional Japanese martial art, Budo, and to teach its modern and contemporary applications. Over the years our program has evolved in response to the needs of adult learners. While maintaining the Japanese foundations, we now teach complex skills, personal development tools and life-enhancing skills in 3 disciplines. Alongside Budo (1), we have also added outdoor education (2) and a consciousdance discipline, Movement Medicine (MM) (3). This project was exclusively aimed at developing this last discipline. MM is a Gestalt-based body-awareness system. It develops physical and emotional flexibility, enhances the capacity for joy and play, and mobilises the resources of individuals and communities. It can be learned through experiential learning with a lot of repetition, but its theoretical foundations are also part of the teaching. MM has been present at SBK for six years - since 2018 we have had our own instructor who is currently working on her "fully qulaifeid" certification exam.