This was/is Nick Kemp's class - he now lives in Coventry and teaches there but I think may also come back to do some teaching in Loughborough. Nick trained as an artist at LCA&D, then as a teacher and through his interest in Tetsudo as a physio which he now practices in a hospital in Coventry. He is a very dedicated practitioner.

Nick is a very old and close friend.

The Beacon and the forest are favourite places for outdoor training - there are bits of film - Dhali's intro to a video is very aesthetic plus others. I used to take a Sunday morning group at Windmill Hill in Woodhouse Eaves until I got ill. It was very beautiful to train here with a clear view over the Soar Valley. A clear fresh start to the day with our families still stirring in their beds and back for breakfast!

my foot falls softly
lightly on the leaf mould
such strength in a breath

from a moment at the bottom of Beacon Hill training on uneven ground in the middle of trees. Kata Chakran - the Circle Form

breath in breath out
thoughts rise, rest and fall
in the gap nothing

from a moment running a meditation workshop on the top of Beacon Hill

naming the named
a song uniting us
our child's joy

a naming ceremony on Beacon Hill with about 30 friends/children - 'a community art'

mouthing wind blown words -
slow dance on the Beacon
unmoved by the gale

for three very early mornings in August I did a slow 45 minute Tai-chi like dance on Beacon Hill in 1988. The first time there were lots of people 'dancing', the second time fewer and a most tremendous gale that invigorated every ounce of one's being. I could see people mouthing words before the dance but the wind was so strong you couldn't hear people a few feet away. On the third day I danced alone. May the world ever be returned to us in peace.

I am glad the Beacon keeps coming up - it's such a very special place. There are connections between the Beacon with many places around the world - as part of the 'artwork' described above I gave small stones to many people travelling around the world and parts of Britain to make a symbolic link with Beacon Hill. Some returned a small token from the place they buried the Beacon stones. I also made links in Wales and the West Country.

When I was dancing I felt that the dance was 'travelling out' to these places - I think the Beacon is the highest place between here and Russia and I was also conscious of this as I danced facing East towards the rising sun.

All these things are wishes - in one sense all art is stimulated by wishes or the absence of them.

Kevin Ryan Charnwood UK 12th September 2000

Links

Tetsudo Site - Here you can find out more about Tetsudo