Martial Arts Demonstration with Maurizio Silvestri / Zen Club

Corner Strozzi/Carraia – Manlio Pepe stage

Introduced by Martina Parigi.

Yamato Project: “The art of winning without fighting”.

Yamato is the ancient name of Japan and means “The Way of Peace”. It is also the name of a martial art, Yamato, which dates back to the seventeenth century when, during the isolation from the world and a long period of peace, combat and self-defense systems were codified in Japan to neutralize a potential aggressor without causing harm, let alone killing him. At the core of Yamato, a discipline particularly suitable for at-risk categories such as women, is a profound study of the individual, their possibilities, and limitations, both at a physical and psychological level. Evaluation of danger, anxiety management, techniques to transform fear into courage, profiling of the person and the environment: these are some of the issues addressed in Yamato, in addition to historical and philosophical insights that allow for understanding a reality free from prejudices or conditioning.

At Effetto Venezia, the women of Yamato will demonstrate, through practical demonstrations, how it is possible to emerge unscathed from dangerous situations and also systems and strategies to avoid them. During the evening, members of the audience may also be involved in a sort of workshop during which useful teachings will be imparted without any risk or danger to participants. The “Yamato Project” is part of an outreach program aimed at offering women useful tools for their affirmation and defense.

Maurizio Silvestri is the “soke,” or headmaster of Yamato. He was granted this title in Japan by the outgoing patriarch, Yoshin Kitada, in 2012 during the annual national martial arts festival. He thus became the 19th patriarch of the school and the first Westerner, since 1627, to hold this position.