BIOGRAFIA (Summarized)

Spirituality can be revealed in multiple and peculiar forms, for unexpected or disconcerting ways…

Martial Arts are, with effect, one of the introductory elements of cosmological nature (anthropological), for the shaping of the wakening of the spirit. Many of those who today practice consider them as sport forms. In truth, we have to admit that the limit between Martial Arts and Techniques of Combat is fragile and difficult to define... However, when denying the intervention of the spirit, we are also denying the discovery of "a way".

Been born in Morocco and educated in a rich country of eastern traditions and in daily contact with people of diverse religions, Georges Stobbaerts very early awaked for the questions of the spirituality. Since very young questioned the Western and Eastern sacred.

The glamour of the Zen, discovered through the traditional Judo, in the esthetic and delicacy of the old Katas, linked to the essence of the true Budo as "way of the spiritual integration".

At this time, Georges Stobbaerts takes conscience of what learned from other cultures and placed him to the listening of the knowledge, trying in its education until today, to make a bridge between the East and the West.

He leaves Morocco to continue studies and to fulfill military service, in Belgium and Germany. With the contribution of the general of its battalion, establishes his first Dojo in Aix-la-Chapelle, named of "O Círculo da Arte da Doçura" (not a common name for the army). The Dojo opened to the NATO Armed Forces leaving in Germany. With his first pupils and followed by Jacques Brel, who started to be known by his songs, gave demonstrations in several cities. Curiously, Georges Stobbaerts discovers the Yoga, through one of its pupils, the Lieutenant Colonel Yseut, which was philosopher C. Kerneiz's pupil.

When military service finished, he based himself in Liège, continuing his studies and work, in an area where he would make a promising career. For the Italian emigrants who worked in the mines, he opened a small Dojo in a room at the back of Ans´s Church. Carry on with his daily Yoga practice and his research. Following the advice of his friend and pupil, Lieutenant Colonel Yseut, Phillippe de Meric sent him documents regarding Yoga.

In Brussels, he met a catholic priest, Martin Vallarag, son of Indian parents, who practice Yoga with a small group (at that time Yoga was not known as today). With great sensitivity, this priest of Indian origin passed to him everything he knew about Yoga. With him, Georges Stobbaerts had the opportunity to change opinions about Yoga and the Christian spirituality.

Meanwhile, Yoga in Europe started to organize itself in different federations.

In 1969, at the Congress Palace of Brussels, Georges Stobbaerts participate in the first Yoga International Workshop, organized by Andres Van Lysebeth, at this occasion he met Indian's Yogis. He had also participated in several other Workshops organized by Van the Lysebth, who he considers as a Yoga pioneer in Europe. It is in this context that he met with sanctioned yogis, such as Swamis Chithananda, Dhirendra, Bramachari, Satyananda, Dayanda and others that he later review during his trip to India.

The notion of non violence (ahmisa) was important in Georges Stobbaerts' research, especially regarding the martial arts. The victory of peace is the final goals of its proper movements in Budo, which technique always reflect the harmony of gestures in circular movements.

In 1978, Lanza Vast Del, in Portugal, will mention this technique in the following terms: "... it is a dynamic Yoga..." and "... if Gandhi was alive would have found its ideal weapon".

In his first trip to India, he visited the Ashram de Sivananda Saravasti (1887-1963), at the Himalayas, which considered his Yoga as the Yoga of the North. He also met with the Swami Chidananda with who practiced during some days, and later continued the trip to the spring of the river Ganges. He staid some time with the Yogis that live in grottos, as well as with the Saddhus that live near the waterfalls of Bhâgirathi in Gangotrî.

It is by this time Europe starts involving in a deeper way in Yoga.

Georges Stobbaerts has especially interest of the Asthanga de Patanjali (classic Yoga). He receives translations of Ashram and deepens them.

He often meets with Van Lysebeth with who exchange ideas about the future of Yoga in the Occident, either in his own Institute, or in the Dojo of his friend Julian Nissans (pioneer of the Buda in Belgium), where Van Lysebeth organized courses for Yoga's professors.

It is however, in Morocco - Casablanca, 1963 - that G. Stobbaerts initiates his first courses of Yoga. Participate in different international meetings that took place in Zinal, Switzerland , considered as the most important place for the practice of Yoga in Europe. Because of the presence of numerous yogis from India, as well as of religious scientists, thinkers from different routes, Zinal became a reference place.

He became friend of Gérard Blitz that invites him to organize a workshop concerning Aikido and Zen, in Zinal. Later and after the death of G. Blitz, G. Stobbaerts made a conference, also in Zinal, on one of its creations, the Tenchi Tessen.

Still in Morocco, in November of 1971, and with the aid of his pupils and the contribution of Dr. Claude Durix who was one of his pupils of Aikido during some years, he received at his Dojo "Budo Club du Maroc", the Master Zen Taisen Deshimaru, that visit Africa for the first time and establishes in the Dojo's premises, the first Dojo Zen of the African continent. "The Budo Club du Maroc" became a place for extraordinary meeting of different levels, where all the participants of Yoga, Budo or Zen, had deepened their own research. Following this route of dialogue and of the collective research could be find, Dominican priests, Christians, Muslims, Sufis, Rabbis, Agnostics or Gnostics.

In 1972 established himself definitively in Portugal, where he creates the Budokan of Portugal in Cascais. Parallel to the different activities, he teaches Yoga and he establishes the Aikido in Portugal.

It is in this Dojo that initiates the practice one of Zen's meditations, carrying out several Seshin with the presence of Taisen Deshimaru and of Janine Monot."

Gulbenkian invited him to teach Anthropology Theatre at the National Conservatory of Lisbon. He accepted the invitation and took advantage to carry on the teaching of Yoga at this institution. At the same time edits his first book on Hatha Yoga, which will be also the first one to be edited in Portugal regarding this subject.

The Budokan of Portugal receives numerous pupils who participate in his courses and that are currently professors either in the country or abroad. Amongst his pupils we could name actors as well as personalities of the Portuguese society, some of which still today practicing.

He promotes numerous Workshops with the presence of different Indian yogis. Together with India's Ambassador collaborates in spreading the cultural aspects, namely the dancing.

Regarding the research, we must enhance experiences about different stages of conscience as a result of the practice of meditation, by means of Bio-feedback and EEG, as well as the study of breath (Prânâyâma), that was the subject of an intensive a theoretical and practical course, during two years.

Around 1977, Georges Stobbaerts, in order to develop the activities of his teaching and reflection, created a Center of wide space and silence, in full nature. After acquiring a land with more than 2 hectares, project of construction was initiated. At the time, such project divided pupils; some were sceptical in relation to the utopia and others truly enthusiastic.

Into 1978 the dream of TENCHI project become a reality, always respecting its motto that, still today guides its activities. It was materialize as collective accomplishment, in a thought chain that still today touches numerous adherents. To each one it fit to contribute with its quota-part of knowledge, know how, time, relationship, work, materials and energy…

All its activities have as orienting principles:

• the reconciliation of the Man with the Nature;
• the development of the individual person.

TENCHI is a place of meetings, a reference and simultaneously an opening space. Pedagogically is not reserved for only one discipline, integrates all the arts that help in the transformation of the opening of the heart.

TENCHI received the visit from Lanza Del Vasto and provided the visit of some individuality to Portugal. Yogis from Punjaji and Sri Sri Sri Satchitananda, were received several times in TENCHI.

Satchitananda is a reference of the Yoga and Georges Stobbaerts considers him as a true scholar. Practitioner for more than thirty years of the Antar Mouna (Yoga of Silence), he keeps on teaching with 95 years. In 1961 he deprived with the Samadhi, in Sholapur.

The education at TENCHI is spiritual related to Satchitananda, considered as the transmitter of the Rishis from India.

Georges Stobbaerts participated in Television programmes and workshops, speaking about the liturgical gestures[5] , its founder and director in partnership with his children, Geeta e Prashant. They exchange impressions on the verticality of positions and observes the use of supports and braces in orde rto maintain ansanas, like in the Tibetan Yoga (Gom Tak) that comes from the Maha Siddha time.

He also visits the Center established for Maharashi Vinod, a well known scholar, whose activities were developed either on the spiritual plan, as a great thinker, philosopher and writer, or on the scientific plan where he worked with eminent scientists, nominated as A. Einstein.

He remained some time in Kérala center, Trivandrum, in the South. Kalarippayat Sangham [6] , a martial art that confound with the origins of the Yoga and that is, certainly, the ancestor of the martial Arts. Here meets with the great master Narayanan Nair who offers products to apply in the body (Ayur vedic), whose composition remains private and destined exclusively to the great masters of martial Arts.

At our time,the fields of knowledge related with the being are, widened with multiple experiences of a great wealth. They contribute for the liberating construction of the interior being, without which no evolution is possible. Georges Stobbaerts insists that "... TENCHI is not reserved to the thought of an only man, is for sure, a place where it must have an integration of activities and people of different traditions, as differences teach to highest tolerance". Reason why the learning of new knowledge, in TENCHI, must be done by means of: