SUIKIDO 水氣道 ABOUT
Why the name Suikido?
To honour the Eastern roots of our practice, we have chosen to give our movement and treatment methods the name SUIKIDO 水氣道
SUIKIDO 水氣道 also represents the crystallization of our many years of training and practice in the Eastern traditions of martial-yogic-arts and hands-on healing disciplines.
The literal translation of SUI—KI—DO is Water—Energy—Way.
What is the deeper meaning of Suikido 水氣道 ?
“A Path of Flowing Life Energy”.
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水 is the Japanese Kanji for WATER.
水 SUI represents the qualities of fluidity, suppleness, formlessness, receptivity, adaptivity, flow and nourishment.
The significance of water for life upon the Earth is evident. Water is part of any living organism as a vital substance to sustain life.
Around 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. The human organism consists primarily of water. When we are born our body-water is like the waters of the Earth – we are 70-78% water. As we mature, we become 50-66% water, depended upon how our way-of-life is affecting and moulding our physicality.
So, when the ancient wisdom traditions state that the human organism is a microcosmic expression of the larger macrocosmic body – the Earth – they are in every way right.
This fact is not philosophy. It is but one demonstration of how the eastern wisdom traditions represent a true natural science. A profound and practical understanding of the natural world and our part in it.
Adept martial artists, yogis and Taoist practitioners have long known, that keeping the body supple and flexible is of vital importance. The principle of “softness overcoming hardness”comes from their perception of the qualities of Water.
“Water is the softest thing; yet it can lift up rocks, penetrate mountains and sink deep into the earth.”
Humans are born soft and supple; when old we become stiff and hard. Plants are born tender and pliant; when dead, they are brittle and dry. The hard and dry brakes - The supple and pliant prevails. Hence, the soft and yielding is the upholder of life.
As a fluid nourishing element, water can take any form and it is part of every lifegiving process. Water is the Lifeblood of the Earth. It flows to us from the natural world in the form of the liquids and foods that nurture us and sustain our lives.
Inside our bodies it transforms and becomes part of our living tissues.Even in the tinniest of cell or molecule we find water. All the vital fluids of the body are different states of structured water flowing within the inner rivers, streams, lakes and caves of our body-landscape. In this way water permeate, connect and nurture us, from without to within.
Understanding the nature of Water the adept practitioner can provide proficient treatment and guide exercises that will open blockages and will stimulate, invigorate and intensify the flow of the body-waters. -
氣 is the Japanese Kanji for LIFE ENERGY or LIFE FORCE
氣 KI signifies spirit, action and the dynamics of energy-in-motion.
KI ENERGY is the central underlying principle within Eastern movement and natural healing arts. In the Yogic/Vedic tradition KI is called PRANA. In the Taoist/Chinese martial and healing arts it is named QI/CHI.
Taoists, yogis, martial artists and practitioners of natural healing arts assert that the body has natural patterns of KI/QI/PRANA that circulate in channels called meridians or Nadis. Illness and disease are seen to be the product of disrupted, blocked or unbalanced KI movement within the body. To enhance, harmonize and circulate KI a variety of techniques and disciplines are utilized including herbology, food therapy, manual body therapy, massage, acupuncture and movement practices such as yoga, qigong, tai chi and martial arts.
In a metaphysical sense KI/QI/PRANA is an active principle forming part of any living being/thing/phenomena. KI is perceived as the essential energy of action and existence. The underlying Force that moves, activates and animates all living.
The force of KI is linked to the flow of energy around and through the body, forming a cohesive and functioning unit. KI permeates and links everything together and is responsible for the integrity of any entity and for the changes that entity undergoes.
The KI that is directly involved with a person’s life has 3 sources.
Original Ki (Prenatal Qi - yuan-qi)
The life force transmitted from the parents and the foundation for a person’s inherent constitution.
Food Ki (gu-qi)
The energy derived from intake of water and the digestion of food.
Natural Air Ki (kong-qi)
The energy extracted from the lungs from the air we breathe.
By understanding the rhythm and flow of Qi advanced practitioners will guide exercises and treatments to provide stability, balance and harmony. -
道 is the Japanese Kanji for WAY or LIFE PATH and denotes a specialized skill, a focused path or a process.
In traditional Japanese culture, a Dō is a spiritual, martial, curative or aesthetic discipline. It implies a pragmatic body of knowledge; a living practice that has the characteristics of:Specialization– Senmonsei
Exhibits an evident level of skill, expertise or mastery.Transmissivity– Keishosei
Can be conveyed, communicated and passed on to others.Standardofcorrectness –Kihansei
Bears an integrity and spirit of respect.Universality –Kihensei
Carries a universal/common value. Something that is beneficial for any individual, community or society in general.Authoritativeness – Ken’isei
Demonstrates trustworthiness, authority and reliability/credibility.
Dō originates from the Taoist notion of Tao or Dao.
Tao is a metaphysical concept signifying the primordial essence or fundamental nature of the universe.
Tao can be thought of as the flow of the Universe; some essence or pattern behind the natural world that keeps the universe balanced and ordered. It is related to the idea of Ki/Qi, the essential energy of action and existence. Tao is a non-dual concept - it is the greater whole from which all the individual elements of the universe derive.
Tao is an active and holistic perception of nature, rather than a static, atomistic one. Tao can be experienced and observed in the natural world, and is particularly seen as being similar to water. Like water, Tao is undifferentiated, endlessly self-replenishing, soft and quiet but immensely powerful and impassively generous.
A Dō is considered a way to harmonize oneself with nature.A practitioner of a Dō is a person that centres on the interconnected order and cyclical continuity of the natural world, in contrast to the linear goal-oriented doings of modern man.
The People of Suikido
Chris Valles
Lifelong practitioner of Oriental Movements Arts and Eastern Bodywork Therapy.
Extracts from a lifetime of in-depth training and practice.
Synopsis of past, present, and current experience and praxis
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Bujutsu 武術 karate training under the direct tutelage of Grandmasters Mr. Bura from Denmark and Mr. Tanaka from Japan.
Amongst a select few karate practitioners in Denmark to successfully undergo the Japan Karate Association’s Kenshusei karate specialist instructor training program with honours.
Earns the rank of Sandan 3rd degree black belt by examiner Mr. Masahiko Tanaka as one of the youngest karate-ka ever to achieve this expert level.
Competed worldwide as a National Danish Karate Team fighter and a Team Denmark sponsored karate athlete.
Merged Martial Artist, a practitioner of different fighting styles and martial art systems.
Long-term temple retreats and hermitage.
Fully trained Martial Monk.
Four decades of unbroken practice.
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Teacher of Physical Education (PE). Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Ballet Rambert School, Brunel University, England.
École-Atelier Rudra Béjart, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
International professional freelance dancer.
Endowed with several performing artist grants.
Award winning dance artist. The prestigious Danish performance arts award “The Reumert” for Dance Performance of the Year.
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Practice, retreat, residency, hermitage: Japan, India, China, Korea.
Core Curriculum 15-years:
Vedic Yoga: Raja, Ashtanga Vinyasa, Integral Yoga.
Shinto and Daoist Body Energetics.
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Master-student apprenticeship as a progression of his Martial-Yogic training: Japan, India, China.
Core Curriculum 10-years:
Anma, Shiatsu, Ashiatsu. Classical Japanese acupressure therapy and body treatment.
Ancient Daoist bodywork therapy, restorative movement and therapeutic exercise.
Kalari Marma Chikitsa. Early Vedic martial art-based body treatment system that utilizes hands, feet, knees, and elbows as treatment tools. The 8 limbs of bodywork therapy.
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Master-student apprenticeship: Denmark, Japan, India, China.
Core Curriculum 10-years:
Oriental nutritional science and food energetics.
Nutritional therapy and food-as-medicine.
Classical Eastern herbology and Western phyto-therapy.
Many years of professional practice in the field of natural wholefood nutrition, adaptogenic herbology and plants-as-medicine.
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SUIKIDO 水氣道 is the result of a lifetime of diligent study and training within the fields of Oriental Movement Arts and Eastern Bodywork Therapy.
SUIKIDO stands in honour to the authentic roots of those ancient wisdom-traditions but simultaneously represents a movement beyond that has matured into a sovereign expression of its own.
The BODY of SUIKIDO consist of two chief pillars that are both distinct and complete practices in themselves, but equally complementary in nature. One pillar is that of SUIKIDO BODYWORK THERAPY and the other is that of SUIKIDO MOVEMENT ART.
BODYWORK THERAPY
SUIKIDO BODYWORK THERAPY is the summation of many years of study and hands-on experience as a practitioner of Eastern bodywork and therapeutic movement.
In essence, SUIKIDO BODYWORK is an advanced musculoskeletal whole body treatment system that joins ancient classical methods of natural healing originating from Japan, China and India.
SUIKIDO BODYWORK THERAPY excels in three specific ways.
As a unique method to refine and enhance overall function and vitality.
To prevent, regulate, and maintain the body as a whole.
As a complete therapy to treat pain, dysfunction, wear and tear.
MOVEMENT ART
SUIKIDO MOVEMENT ART represents a creative and original flow method that joins essential movement principles that can be traced back to the ancient physical-energetic practices of India, China, and Japan.
The MOVEMENT ART of SUIKIDO is characterized by four primary modes and qualities of movement.
MARTIAL
Refers to the pragmatic knowledge, methods, and principles that lays at the core of the ancient Far Eastern Martial Arts, in particularly to those fighting arts that pertain to Japanese Bujutsu 武術 and Budo 武道.FLUID
Signifies the ancient body-energetic and movement-meditative practices of the Shinto, Vedic, and Daoist martial-yogic adepts. Fluid also brings the underlying flow and movement plasticity present in the art of dance.NATURAL
Implies naturalistic and organic movements that are essential to the human body. To stimulate and encourage foundational agility and naturalness by way of creative movements and animal-like (manimal) motion. Become a natural mover.THERAPEUTIC
Means to balance and treat bodily dysfunction and stagnation by way of specialized physical movement, kinaesthetic exercise, and therapeutic stretching. In a nutshell, to utilize bodily movement as a medicine. Movement as a way of natural healing and well-being.Each mode or movement aspect can stand alone to form a complete practice in itself, or it may be combined with any other modus of SUIKIDO MOVEMENT to create a synergistic effect. In practice, these different qualities tend to overlap and intertwine.
Anette Munch
Holistic physiotherapist and lifelong practitioner of movements arts and natural healing therapies.
The essence of significant training, study, practice and experience.
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University of Southern Denmark.
Specialization in communication, mediation, group dynamics, expressive movement, elite and amateur gymnastics
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Two decades as an elite gymnast and instructor in vaulting gymnastics (Team Gym) and rhythmic gymnastics.
Leading teacher of the rhythmic dance line at Ollerup Sports College, including long-time leader of Ollerup's Rhythmic Dance Elite Team.
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Licensed Physiotherapist since 1994.
Three decades of professional physiotherapy practice and experience in private clinics, in the public health sector and as an independent practicing physiotherapist at FysioDanmark Gildhøj Physiotherapy and Suikido Physiotherapy.
Extensive experience with physiotherapeutic training, rehabilitation and treatment of all age groups, target groups and types of physical problems.
Teacher and mentor at the physiotherapy education in Odense and Næstved.
Specialties: Holistic treatment approach; tissue therapeutic treatment technique; movement analysis and biomechanical evaluation; injury prevention and rehabilitation; integrative training and treatment of athletes; athletic performance optimization.
Independent practicing physiotherapist and holistic therapist at Suikido and at FysioForm Bornholm.
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Certified Craniosacral Therapist since 2005.
Years of professional practice as a Craniosacral Therapist.
Special expertise and experience in treating whiplash, head trauma, headaches, migraines, jaw tension, tinnitus, mind wandering, sleep problems, neurological imbalances and stress related issues.
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Master-Student apprenticeship in Macrobiotic Food Therapy, Taoist Yin-Yang Dietary Science, 5-Elements and Nine Star Ki.
Years of hands-on testing the most “popular” plant-based dietary principles such as; Live Sprouted Food, Raw Food, Super-foods, Fruitarianism (80-10-10), Juicing (Liquidarian), Low-Carb High-Fat, High-Carb Low-Fat.
Teaches whole-food plant-based cooking and is a frontrunner in bringing pure, unprocessed foods back into the kitchen.
Develops a nourishing, stabilizing, nutritious, practical and economical everyday diet consisting of whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, vegetables, sea vegetables and fruit. A plant-based diet that is tailored to the season, climate, lifestyle, and individual body constitution. The art of preparing meals based on dietary energetic principles: pressure cooking, steaming, blanching, baking, roasting, raw food, sprouting, fermenting, blending, juicing.
The use and integration of herbs and spices to enhance the taste, aroma, and enjoyment of meals; to increase nutritional content; to improve absorption, digestion, and excretion; and to promote subtle natural medicinal properties.
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Completed +15-year master-student apprenticeship training under the direct guidance of Chris Valles.
Curriculum: Suikido’s fourfold movement science; Suikido bodywork and rebalancing therapy; Yin-Yang nutritional science and herbal nutrition; Detox protocols and ceremonial cleansing, including 10 years of practice conducting traditional Native American sweat lodge ceremonies and vision quests.
Authorized in the following Suikido disciplines: Fluid, Natural & Therapeutic Flow Movement; Suikido Bodywork Therapy; Yin-Yang Dietary Energetics and Nutritional Therapy.
Co-developer and practitioner of Suikido.
Where to find us
Suikido Treatment Clinic
Højvangen 2, Rønne
Island of Bornholm
Denmark
At Suikido Treatment Clinic we work with Suikido Bodywork and Suikido Movement in the form of individual treatment sessions and one-to-one movement coaching.
The weekly Suikido Movement classes also take place here at our clinic in Rønne.
You will find information about the open weekly classes HERE.
Suikido Dojo
Island of Bornholm
Denmark
Twice a year we teach and facilitate an open seminar at Suikido Dojo, Bornholm, Denmark. A 3-day seminar around the Summer Solstice and a 5-day retreat around the Autumn Equinox.
The cornerstones of these Gatherings are Suikido movement and body-balance, sweat lodge ceremonies, nature’s way, connection, community, and Life.
Find information about future Suikido Gatherings HERE
Out of House
Guest Teaching
Interactive Lectures
Upon request or invitation, we visit as guest teachers, give workshops and lectures for healthcare professionals, therapists, dietitians, yoga schools, tai chi associations, martial arts dojo's, martial arts schools, companies, private groups. etc.
Feel welcome to contact us at +45 50 66 26 90 or write us via the contact formula on our CONNECT page.
