SHUGYO means the deepest possible physical and spiritual training. Join us at Korinji (www.korinji.org), a Buddhist monastery on 17 forested acres about 50 miles from Madison, Wisconsin, for a weekend of intensive shugyo focused on profound martial and spiritual disciplines:
Aikido
Iaido (Muso Shinden Ryu and Seitei Gata)
Battoho (Gunto no Soho)
Buke Sado (warrior tea ceremony)
Zen Meditation (Rinzai style)
The training will be taught by Meido Moore Shihan and Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan (see bios below).
Beginners are welcome. All classes will be divided as needed, allowing inexperienced persons to participate along with advanced practitioners. Instruction in Rinzai Zen meditation will be given for those without experience. Fundamentals of each martial art, and tea ceremony, will be taught, allowing new students to experience and "enter the gate" of each training...hopefully to continue into the future! (Please note, while attendees are encouraged to participate in all disciplines, it is not required.)
Schedule:
Training will be held as follows:
Saturday, May 2- 7:00 am - 5:00 pm/Sunday, May 3- 7:00 am - 1:30 pm
Registration Fees:
Full Weekend: $175 (includes lodging at Korinji Friday and Saturday, breakfast and lunch Saturday, and breakfast Sunday)
Saturday only: $150 (includes breakfast and lunch Saturday)
Sunday only: $125 (includes breakfast Sunday)
Please use the PayPal link below to register. (For those with financial constraints please let us know as we have some scholarship options available.)
Accommodations and Meals:
Participants will stay overnight at Korinji, thereby getting a taste of Zen monastery life (the fee for this is included in the Full Weekend cost, optional: stay in a hotel nearby...the nearest town is Reedsburg, at participant’s expense).
Our training starts Saturday morning, but you are welcome to arrive Friday evening and stay over that evening as well.
Saturday breakfast and lunch, and Sunday breakfast, will be provided (vegetarian temple-style cuisine).
We will have a group dinner in town on Saturday evening (not included in registration fee).
What to Bring :
A sleeping bag, pad, and pillow (if you are staying as a guest in the monastery).
Practice uniform and training weapons. If you are a beginner not yet owning these things, please just wear modest clothing suitable for exercise (no shorts or tank tops) in neutral colors, without words or printed designs.
For the Iaido and Battoho classes, you may use iaito if owned (no shinken). If not, we suggest a bokken (wooden training sword) with plastic saya (sheath) (available from E-bogu.com). We have a few to lend, but not enough for everyone!
Outdoor sandals or shoes that can be quickly slipped on and off, for walking between buildings.
Toiletries, bath towel, personal medications
Flashlight or headlamp
Traveling and Arriving
The closest airport to Korinji is Dane County Aiport in Madison, Wisconsin (MSN). This is about 50 miles away. We regret that we cannot provide transportation, so please determine the best way to arrive at Korinji on your own. Many students have taken an Uber from MSN. You may also wish to explore trains that arrive in Wisconsin Dells or Portage, WI.
Korinji's parking lot address is S470 Hirst Road, Reedsburg, WI. This is the address for all guest arrivals. Google Maps or a similar service will give you accurate directions. When you arrive at that spot, you will not see buildings from the road; you will only see forest and a blue sign “S470”. Next to the sign is a gravel drive opening up to a parking area. Please enter there and park your car in a manner that allows other vehicles to do the same. DO NOT park on the side of the road anywhere: you will be towed by the county.
If the parking area is full, we can provide overflow parking down the street at S410 Hirst Road (same side of the road, a short distance north). Please do not come there unless it is impossible to park at S470.
After parking, walk to the trail which begins at the back of the parking area. This will take you through the forest to the Korinji gate and up to the monastery buildings. Walk carefully, as the forest trail is sometimes uneven and can be slippery depending on conditions. If you arrive after dark you should use a flashlight.
The training hall is the first building you will encounter: meet us there.
Please plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before the start, to allow time for you to walk, arrive, and change into training clothes.
If your physical condition prevents you from walking short distances, please let us know before you arrive and we will arrange to meet you at our service entrance.
Instructors
Meido Moore Shihan, 7 Dan, Korinji Budo Dojo
Meido Moore Shihan has studied martial arts and meditation since 1986. He spent 6 years as uchideshi (personal apprentice) training under Fumio Toyoda Shihan. Moore Shihan has been instructing Aikido since 1991, nationally and internationally, and has founded and led several dojo. He holds the rank of 7 Dan, and has been certified as an Aikido master teacher (Shihan). Moore Shihan is also an ordained Buddhist priest and has received inka shomei. He currently serves as abbot of the Korinji Rinzai Zen temple.
Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan, 7 Dan, Abiding Spirit Aikikai
Lisa Tomoleoni Shihan holds the rank of 7 Dan, received from Moriteru Ueshiba, Aikido Doshu. She spent over 14 years in Japan, as uchideshi and teaching Aikido professionally at a dojo in Tokyo, and training at the Aikido World Headquarters, as well as training in Iaido and Judo, and other traditional arts. Tomoleoni Shihan is Director of Aikido Shimbokukai, an organization Officially Recognized by the Aikikai Foundation and Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. She also has yudansha ranking in Judo and Iaido and is a coauthor of the book "Along the Way", a collection of writings about training.