Rolfing workshops in Japan - The report on the magazine Sotokoto Online
At the end of last year, Mr. Masahiko Kushizaki, a Rolfer who completed the European training, emailed me that; “Nicola, a Rolf movement faculty member of “European Rolfing Association”, is hoping to teach classes in Japan with Mr. Tahata,” I tried to sound out my feeling about the request. of Mr. Kushizaki, who loves surfing and has been enthusiastically pursuing waves around the world, wishing that I meet Nicola. According to him, Nicola seems to favor and be very interested in the method using the concepts of “Ma”and “Yield” that I have been reporting in the Journal of the Rolf Institute.The Rolf Movement ™,. In recent years, Nicola has been further developing a unique theory that uses perception introduced by a European instructor, Hubert Godard. How does my work appear in Nicola’s eyes as he follows this trend? Co-hosting a workshop with someone that I have never met must be quite challenging. But, I decided to follow Mr. Kushizaki's intuition.
One of the major themes throughout the two workshops was how to create a safe and secure “place”, which is the most basic in the treatment and session. The keyword was embodiment. The morning started with rooting awakenings guided by Nicola. By touching and contacting the pillars and tatami mats of the venue one by one, you were processing that you were inhabiting the space at that moment. The venue gradually became familiar, changing into a room where you felt home.
Nicola speaks English, German and French in addition to his mother tongue Italian, and has a profound knowledge of Latin.He tried to convey the meaning of each word from the etymology and the sound. There is “silence” in the sound of his voice, in the way to pause between words and in the subtlety of every movement. Even the occasional dynamic movements did not disturb the flow or the field. The reason for that must be partly because of his experience as a dancer. In the first half of the class, like a freestyle rap, one demo determined the following one.. . Most of those practica were works I had never tried. At the end of the third day, Nicola was deeply moved to tears.
.The second workshop aimed to embody Dr. Rolf's quote; “gravity is the therapist”, and to practice the material learned in the first three days workshop, mainly on the massage table. The cycle from Nicola's demos and exchange sessions between students, sharing experiences, and then, to my demos continued. Nicola showed demos focusing on the importance of “silence” as the sound of gravity;whereas I demonstrated my work with an emphasis on the intersubjective “Ma” to feel comfortable.
As an instructor, I experienced a feeling of vitality and a sense of tension as if conducting an experiment. Students were inspired by the demonstrations and practiced creatively.. By sharing the experience as a whole, participants deepen their three-dimensionally understanding, which are embodied throughout the body before understanding in their brain. It became such a deep experience that the silence of each individual got deepened, and the affinity not only for gravity but also for the space gradually increased as practica were repeated..At the end , Costas, a Greek participant, gave us praiseful feedback quoting Aristotle's words for seeing us, instructors, inspiring each other. “One of the ideal that was considered to be the most valuable in ancient Greece was a friendship between good-hearted individuals who share the same values. I saw the friendship between you two. I hope that you keep the relationship.”
A few months have passed since the workshops,, but the sound still is in my mind. Just as the sound of waves attenuate but never disappear, the vibrations that resonated together throughout the class seem to continue resonating in and around the body.
The article is edited from the January 2020 issue of Sotokoto Magazine for this website.
The contents described are the information at the time of publication and may differ from the situation as of today. We would like to ask for your understanding.text by Hiroyoshi Tahata*Rolfing®, Rolfer ™, and Rolf Movement ™ are trademarks of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, registered in countries including Japan besides the United States. Rolfers and Rolf movement practitioners who are active in Japan can be searched on the official website of the Japan Rolfing Association (https://rolfing.or.jp).KeywordIssued in January 2020.
Masahiko Kushizaki (center) obtained the required 30-day credits at the completion of this class and was certified as a Rolf Movement ™ practitioner. I would like to pray for his future success.The materials covered in this class should have been significantly helpful to foster the proper attitude and awareness before technique as a practitioner and for practitioners looking for creative sessions. I cannot thank enough to Mr.Masahiko Kushizaki, the coordinator of the course; Ms.Tomomi Furukawa, an interpreter; and the participants who subscribed to the course..
Nicola Carofiglio studied dance in Italy and Germany and has been a successful dancer and choreographer for over 25 years. He deepened understanding of the body through shiatsu and began exploring the mind and body. Then, he learned Rolfing® and Gyrotonic Expansion System®. He has his base in Italy, currently working as a Rolf Movement® faculty member at the European Rolfing Association (ERA). He has assisted many Rolfing trainings and is tremendously popular among other instructors and students, having a high reputation as an enthusiastic talented person.
itHiroyoshi Tahata
After working as a researcher at Hayashibara Biochemical Research Institute, he became certified as a Rolfer by the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado, USA in 1998.
He designed Rolfing® as a delicate intervention with a dynamic sensation, mainly offering personal sessions. In 2009, he was appointed as a Rolf Movement® faculty at the Rolf Institute, providing a Rolf Movement certification program in Japan and abroad that integrates the cell biochemical perspective and the unique concept from Japan;"the art of Yield" and the concept of " Ma".
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