The Shintaido Farm is a new venture, consisting of an outdoor field, an indoor dojo (martial arts practice space) and two houses, on sixty-four acres of land in Deerfield, Massachusetts.
The new dojo is a 40' x 64' space with 12' high walls extending to an 18' peak at the center of the space. It has an ash hardwood floor, pine walls, and many windows, including two large picture windows with views of the hills across the Connecticut River.
The Farm is also an experiment in "living in community". Shintaido people are living in both the old farmhouse next to the keiko field and also in the new house that is attached to the dojo.
We foresee many uses for the Farm:- for local and regional classes within Shintaido NorthEast (SNE)
- for national events like SNE Kangeiko
- as a place where people come from all over the country and the world to study for extended periods and live on the Farm
- as a place where senior Shintaido teachers come to stay and teach for weeks or months at a time
- as a resource for other nonprofits. We are currently pursuing a link with Kids Kicking Cancer a group that teaches karate to children with cancer.
- as a space for groups outside of Shintaido, with the proviso that we teach a Shintaido class to every group that rents the space. This is one way we hope to expand the name recognition of Shintaido.
You can view more pictures of the Farm in the SoA photo gallery.
Other Shintaido Links
Info on other Shintaido groups in the U.S. can be found on the Shintaido of America web site.