<div id=":fn" class="ii gt"><div id=":g9"><div><div><h3>Saburau ~ The Warrior's Path of Service with Toshi (“Ronin” / T”)</h3>
<p>Friday, May 13, 2011<br>
8-10 pm, doors open at 7:30 pm</p>
<p>
$4 Exiles members, $10 non-members<br>
at the Women's Building, 3543 18th St. @ Valencia, SF<br>
Programs are open to women and those whose gender self-identification is other than male.<br>
ASL interpretation is available.<br>
For more details, please visit <a href="http://goo.gl/toh3P" target="_blank">The Exiles' site</a>.<br>
<a href="http://fetlife.com/events/52742" target="_blank">Fetlife event listing here</a>.<br>
For information about volunteering & an earned free entrance, please email <a href="mailto:ExilesVolunteer@yahoo.com" target="_blank">ExilesVolunteer@yahoo.com</a>.</p>
<p><b>Program Description</b><br>
The samurai rose to power as the elite ruling caste of Japan, yet their
title is derived from the word saburau, meaning to attend or to serve.<br>Whether
you identify as dominant or submissive, top or bottom, master or slave,
this workshop is designed to introduce you to various aspects of deeply
interconnected and service-oriented interpersonal relationships as they
have been successfully practiced for centuries.<br>Starting with a
simple overview of the social and cultural constructs and aesthetics in
which Japanese interpersonal relationships and practices of service are
based, we will then look at the concept of the ideal of service as a
fundamental core value and as a living practice of mindfulness that
extends to and can greatly benefit every aspect of one’s waking
existence.<br>We will discuss ways of maintaining a positive and
harmonious balance in power-exchange relationships by exploring and
addressing the basic and practical needs of those in the relationship,
and some of the external factors that can affect how those relationships
function.<br>We will cover the concept of Omotenashi and some basic
strategies on how to develop and implement varying levels of
anticipatory service, and ways in which the right mindset and effort can
lead to acts of service both fulfilling and sublime.<br>We will explore
elements of a code of ethics designed to teach warriors how to live a
virtuous life of honor and dutiful service while paying attention to the
practical considerations, decisions, and responsibilities they faced in
everyday life.<br>We will also take a look at the living practice of
being an uchideshi, or in-house apprentice. This will include their
responsibilities and duties but we’ll also look at ideally what they are
gaining through the experience.<br>Ultimately we will be discussing the
benefits and challenges of applying all of these aspects to
contemporary D/s relationships and how these practices might be of value
on a much larger scale within the Leather/BDSM/Kink communities..<br></p>
<p><b>About the Presenter</b><br>
Toshi (“Ronin” / T”) is a professional educator and performing artist
with decades of training in traditional Japanese arts. With this
background, T is able to speak to and share insights from a lifelong
path to mastery replete with disciplined service and strict protocols –
and that’s not even the kinky stuff! Never knowing there were events to
go to and communities of people who shared similar interests until
stumbling into an online chat room, T finally came out as a leatherdyke
in the Southern California community in 1995. Yearning for a familiar
path, T initially sought out training as a bottom and service
submissive, earning leathers through acts of devoted service and
occasionally assisting with event planning and production!. During that
time T also sought out and found Elders and mentors within the community
in L.A., and from members of the online community (seriously!), which
basically meant from real leatherfolk scattered all over the country.<br>Collared
for a time until an amicable parting of ways in 1998, T planned to
leave all things Leather behind, except chatting with leatherfolk
online, until finding the Vancouver Leatherdyke community (again, via
the internet) in 2002. This opened up a whole new world of possibilities
and T came out again as a genderqueer boigrrl polyamorous leatherdyke
switch shortly thereafter. Before long, T was occasionally helping with
event planning and production again, but also performing more at events,
and occasionally stunt-bottoming for friends who were presenters. After
some serious consideration, T decided to offer what would become a very
popular workshop designed around the ergonomics of Impact Play. This
led to an opportunity to develop more workshops which then led to an
exploration of how all the different aspects of T’s cultural background
and artistic path occasionally clashed with and otherwise
synergistically integrated with T’s Leather life in beautiful,
gratifying, and compelling ways.<br>Balancing passion, spirituality, and
a mellow sense of humor, T has done workshops and performances for
smaller community groups and organizations, and has more recently
performed and/or presented at a number of venues and larger events. This
includes Pacific Friction, Wicked Womyn, KinkFest, Desire, Lupercalia,
Leather Life NM, and Venus’ Playground @ Folsom. T has also been invited
to perform and present at IMsL this year and to drum for Fakir &
Cleo’s Spirit+Flesh 2011 Ritual.</p>
<p><b>Program Meeting Info</b><br>
♥ Programs are at the Women's Building in San Francisco (3543 - 18th Street at Valencia) <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=200184630227379776668.00049da34611a6c4186df&ll=37.76393,-122.420998&spn=0.016285,0.027466&z=15&iwloc=00049da34ed6bc1bf003e&" target="_blank">map</a><br>
♥ All women (and those whose gender self-identity is other than male) who are over 18 are welcome.<br>
♥ We have sign language interpreters at all of our meetings.<br>
♥ Door fees are $4 for members and $10 for non-members. Please have your membership card or ID ready to speed entry.<br>
♥ The program runs from 8:00 - 10:00pm and the doors open at 7:30pm.</p>
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