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
TREVOR HUGHES
IT IS A GREAT SHOCK FOR US ALL HERE AT BUDOKAN TO HEAR OF THE NEWS OF HIS DEATH YESTERDAY IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT IN THAILAND.
OUR CONDOLENCES TO ALL THE FAMILY MEMBERS CONCERNED.
PLEASE FORWARD YOUR CONDOLENCES TO US VIA OUR CONTACT PAGE
OR BY EMAIL TO
Condolences and Messages
David and Katy Passmore
Keith and Lizzie Wright
Peter Robinson and Family
Pat Miller
David Mote
Allan Pert
Nicki Charnick
Peter Bush and Margi
Roy Estabrook
I was very saddened to hear of the tragic passing of Trevor.
I have trained with him on several occasions over the years, although I did not know him as well as more senior members of the club, he left a big impression on me.
I wish to send my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
My thoughts are with them during this difficult time.
Keith Molyneux and condolences from Fiona.
Jan and l were very saddened to hear the news of Trevor and would like to convey our sincere condolences to his family.
Mike and Jan Clapham
Trevor was a hugely popular Dan Grade in Budokan and especially in Kent and Sussex.
Here's why by his best friend Peter Robinson.
It it is tremendous loss for me and Trevor’s family and friends that he is no longer with us.
It has hit me very hard as Trevor was, and always will be, my best friend. We shared so many adventures together and it was a pleasure and an absolute privilege to have him as a friend over the years. As well as enjoying hours of training with him, I was lucky enough to enjoy his close friendship off the mat.
It wasn’t obvious to most, but Trevor had a great sense of adventure and it makes me smile when I think of the things we did together.
Like the time I bought an old mustard-coloured Sherpa Van with a pop-up roof, and we excitedly made plans to drive down through Africa to Cape Town! Sadly, Stan the Van wasn’t up to the trip (it only cost me £500!) and we only made it as far as south Morocco. Lots of adventures on the way though, but even Trevor’s skill with anything mechanical couldn’t sort out Stanley’s problems. We limped home, laughing and giggling all the way with Trevor sporting a hair cut which I did myself using clippers plugged into a generator we took as part of our gear.
Or the time we decided to climb Snowdon, off-season, in our jeans - not having a clue about mountain climbing. We’d nearly lost our tent in the wind the night before and we were both tired from lack of sleep but, after waking ourselves up with a refreshing wash in a mountain stream, up we went, not bothering with any of the accepted routes. Disaster! We got lost near the top, spotted a path some 200 feet below us and had to inch ourselves, on our backsides, slowly down an steep rock face, clinging on to every odd tuft of grass to keep in control. We were both scared and upset but we had a laugh about it afterwards in 'Pete’s Eats' in Llanberis, which subsequently had, and may still have, a photo of Trevor washing his hair in a mountain lake. For your information, we did make it to the top that day.
I could go on and on about our special times together, and when Trevor made the decision to go to Thailand, I rang him every day on my way to work. Now, when I get to Clapham Junction where I change trains, those nine minutes between 8.32 and 8.43 are completely empty and sad. Nine minutes never seemed long enough when I had to finish the call - now it’s the longest nine minutes of my working day.
We shared many years of a close friendship. Trevor was always there for me - and, I’m sure, for others, too. He was great company, always ready to listen, never judgemental and a truly special person
He leaves behind so many people who thought the world of him, but please let me assure you all: His journey didn’t stop at Thailand, he’s still going strong somewhere - quietly and confidently - and I know that, someday, we’ll meet up again and continue our adventures together.
God Bless you Trevor and thank you for your friendship.
Peter Robinson
To all at Bodakan
From Sam Hughes
I would like to say what a lovely tribute to Dad aka Trevor it means a lot that you all have done that for him and I know that it will mean a lot to him to. He held you all in his heart and thought the world of you all and he (and myself) have some fantastic memory's from his Bodakan days that he still always talked about even going back to the old "strides" days you all played an important part of dads life and we all really appreciate this tribute.
Many Thanks
Sam
BUDOKAN SHIELD
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.
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
Our friend Llyr Jones Phd has written two articles on Kodokan Judo that are well worth reading.
Go to the Judo Kodokan section to read.
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.
Pics to come
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.
Here are some clips from a recent Aikido Teachers Workshop at the Lymington Dojo
on Tachi Dori or Sword Taking.