BUDOKAN
1960 - 2022
The classical budo, or "martial ways" are not combat systems like their forerunner, bujutsu,
or "martial arts"; nor are they sports like modern judo, kendo, or karate.
They are first and foremost spiritual disciplines, whose ultimate goal, achieved through
the most rigorous mental and physical training, is self-realization in the tradition of Zen Buddhism.
Donn F. Draeger
Classical Budo
DRAW A VEIL OVER THE FUTURE. LET GO OF THE PAST. EMBRACE THE PRESENT. SHIKANTAZA. JUST SITTING
The Philosophy of Budo
Budo, the martial ways of Japan, have their origins in the traditions of bushido—the way of the warrior.
Budo is a time-honoured form of physical culture comprising of judo, kendo, kyudo, sumo, karatedo, aikido, shorinji kempo, naginata and jukendo.
Practitioners study the skills while striving to unify mind, technique and body; develop his or her character; enhance their sense of morality; and to cultivate a respectful and courteous demeanour.
Practised steadfastly, these admirable traits become intrinsic to the character of the practitioner.
The Budo arts serve as a path to self-perfection.
This elevation of the human spirit will contribute to social prosperity and harmony, and ultimately, benefit the people of the world.
Written on 10 October, 2008 by the Japanese Budo Association (Nippon Budo Kyogikai)
English translation approved on 1 May, 2009
©2009 The Japanese Budo Association
IAN CARD
So very sad to hear of the passing of Ian Card from cancer.
Here is a picture we have of him taking a class at the notorious but much loved High Rocks Dojo near Tunbridge Wells in 1980.
Ian with his soulmate Frances.
Hello Sensei
Just a few words I've put together about Ian who would have been celebrating his 70th Birthday today.....27 June 2020.
Hope all is going well with you and the club
Best wishes
Smudger
We started training together at the TA hall in St Johns Road Tunbridge Wells 52 years ago
It was hard Karate. Ali was on hand to take the money and to take the splinters out of our feet!
We went to various locations to train over the years. One time we were training in London where we both got a lift with all the mats in a transit van we had a hard training session with free fighting Ian caught Ken so hard it broke his sternum after training we went to the pub had a few pints of fullers and then home in the van with Ken who kept telling us not to make him laugh as it hurt Ken made a quick recovery and was back training with us.
Ian went to train in other areas enjoying kickboxing, boxing & jujitsu, he was also a bouncer at a night club for a while.
But his heart belonged to Budokan.
I fought him, I fought with him, I had a good drink with him many times he was my best friend.
Your old mate Smudger....
Ian's funeral will be held on the 14th July at 1.45pm at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium.
CONGRATULATIONS
Well Done Darren
on your 4th Dan
On Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd May the British Kendo Association held their annual West Midlands Iaido seminar led by Fay Goodman Sensei, Nanadan (7 Dan) Kyoshi who is well known to Budokan students from our Buxton and Ardingly workshops.
Go to his Dojo Page to read more.
INTERNATIONALISATION OF BUDO CULTURE.
Stephen R Nagy wrote this article in a 2007 edition of Kendo News wirth the sub-title of Important Questions for the Future of Budo in which he raises some delicate and interesting issues around Japan and its relationship with the outside world that prevails to this day.
He begins his piece with an interesting quote: "Henceforth foreigners as well will gaze upon our moon of Japan"
In his introduction, he goes on to say "This statement was written in the early Meiji period by Muragaki Norimasa, a member of the first Japanese embassy to the United States, and it reveals much about the Meiji view of Japan and the discomfort Japanese had at the time with sharing their world with Westerners and other non-Japanese. This discomfort still lingers in most areas of contemporary Japanese society when one surveys the mass media portrayals of foreigners, recalcitrant immigration policies vis-a-vis foreigners, and within the context of this magazine, the world of martial arts. "
We believe this is a very interesting article and deserves more exposure, as we are currently observing what the decades have done to traditional Japanese Budo during its evolution into Modern Budo and whether they are two entirely different entities?
See homepage of www.traditionaljapanesebudo.com
BUDOKAN SHIELD
PROTECT AND DEFEND
THE HEAD, HEART AND SOUL OF WOMEN'S SELF PROTECTION
A Budokan led campaign to help women to create a self protective shield around them when out and about or at home and to provide them with the
confidence, intention and ability to
STRIKE FIRST OR FIGHT BACK.
Utilising the decades-long experience of seasoned Budokan Black Belt
Teachers and Instructors we are soon to launch a
SELF PROTECTION PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN
which will be made available at indoor locations such as leisure centres,
halls and Martial arts Dojo.
ONLINE PROGRAMMES
AS BACK UP AND FOLLOW UP
The entire Budokan Shield programme will be available to all women who register
online with us and pay for the planned courses in their area,
which they will be eligible to use during their course for home
learning/revision and training of all the modules.
After they have completed their course they will be able to continue
to use the online programmes 24/7.
This will also entitle them to attend review workshops by invitation and
reminder forums with fellow participants - plus a quarterly real life test to measure their defence capabilities where they took the original course for a small monthly fee.
TREVOR HUGHES
Our friend Llyr Jones Phd has written two articles on Kodokan Judo that are well worth reading.
Go to Judo Kodokan section to read.
ACADEMIA
Intrested in reading schoarly articles and academic papers from Aikido to Zen in all things Japanese Budo?
We hope that what we are collating for you at various levels and perspectives will be of interest to both teacher and student alike.
Visit our sister site at
APRIL WORKSHOP
This event was by invitation only.
It presented an opportunity to take a chronological snapshot of how Budokan in the UK came to be practicing the disciplines it does today.
Passmore Sensei began his Karate training in South Africa in 1964.
He had dabbled with the practice of Meditation as a teenager but it was in 1966 in a Training Course in the Drakensburg Mountains that he was introduced to it for real.
And Zen - as in meditation - became a central tenet of his Budo training and teaching right up to this day.
He arrived in the UK in 1970 and opened a Dojo in London in the same year and attended events at the London Zen Society and various zesshins in France.
He was looking for something more in his Japanese Budo and in 1973 he visited a Karate Dojo run by Harada Sensei of Shotokai in Chiswick to see what he was doing.
And as chance would have it, he came across an Aikido Dojo there run by Chiba Sensei who invited him to come ad train with him which he grabbed with both hands.
Whilst there he met and trained with Kanetsuka Sensei who lived in North London - not too far from where Passmore was living at the time and who was to have a significant influence on his Budo and the practice of Zazen.
When Kanetsuka opened a Dojo in Albany Grove near Euston, Chiba instructed him to do most of his training there to support the new Dojo and to keep attending Workshops and Summer Schools wherever they were in the country.
Passmore Sensei also served as Secretary of the newly formed British Aikido Federation for a short period.
It was during this time that Kanetsuka began, like Chiba to introduce Iaido as part of the Aikido syllabus.
Passmore felt it required a more independent focus and began to look around for some teachers in the UK.
One day in 1978 a business meeting took him to Brighton in Sussex, not too far away from where he had moved to from London a few years earlier.
There he met up with Vic Cook who invited him to his Dojo in the city and introduced him to Musoshinden Ryu Iaido and from there to Ishido Sensei and Hiroi Sensei.
So in the space of less than a decade Passmore Sensei trained hard and set the seal and the technical standards that were to become the hallmark of Budokan in the UK and Europe just as they had been in South Africa
JANUARY WORKSHOP
Budokan Aikido
We practise the aikido that emerged from the Aikikai in japan in the mid to late sixties.
Chiba Sensei was chosen to bring it to theUK against his wishes.
His brief was basically to beef up the aikido community here.
And that is exactly what he did do.
The style of Aikido at the Aikikai today has little resemblance to Chiba’s aikido at all.
And with the emergence of all of the other styles of Aikido such as Yoshinkan, Tomiki, Ki Aikido to name a few - Chiba chose to refer to his Aikido as that closest to the original Aikido of the Founder and called it Traditional Aikido.
And that is closest to the Aikido that we practice today and we retain the same name.
Because here at Budokan we practice all of our disciplines in the same spirit of Budo that Chiba endorsed and that has become part of an already existing hallmark of Budokan.
When Chiba went to live in the US, Budokan came under the influence and flair of the technically minimalist and highly effective Aikido of Tamura Sensei.
Both contributed to what we refer to today as the “Budokan Way”.
KokyuNage and the Art of Ukemi
Kokyunage are generally described as breathing projections and so they are to be practised with breathing in both mind and body.
That is coordinated and synchronised in both mind and body.
So the practice of Kokyu Nage begins to be taught using the Kgeki Ho - what are generally referred to as the entire range of “attacks” used in aikido.
Many students struggle with the idea that Ukemi in Kokyu Nage is no longer the response to the feeling of pain but the conscious choice to synchronise pure action in role play,
Only pure action takes place
One executes the action - the other takes ukemi.
As pure action that requires blending into the flow of the technique and becoming a part of it.
In other words there is no "attack" and no "defence".
Which is completely alien to early stage aikidoka.
Whilst taking ukemi is an essential and important part of the ability to become skilful in the practice of Kokyu Nage, there are however a few things that are more important to get right first.
Breathing
It is a basically simple premise -
Breath in when receiving and breath out when projecting.
Perception and Timing
Students don’t naturally perceive potential danger in the dojo.
But if you create the perception of dnager approaching and act accordingly you will move more smoothly and more importantly, at the right time.
Maai
Part of this perception is to establish the right distance at all times in an ever changing scenario. to limit the danger but more importantly to occupy the exact space at the right time.
Sabaki
And this is done using Sabaki - your angle of movement - particularly Irimi.
And Ushiro Tenkan - especially when you need space - quickly.