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Kokondo Philosophy
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Bugei
and Budo
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Virtually all
Japanese martial arts belong to one of
two classes-- Bugei or Budo. Bugei
styles, such as jujutsu, aikijutsu,
kenjutsu, and karate-jutsu, are the older
category and refer to the actual
“martial art,” meaning that the
foremost concern of each individual ryu
is self-defense and overall fighting
effectiveness. Budo is a general term
which translates “martial way.”
Influenced largely by Sensei Jigoro
Kano’s formulation of Kodokan Judo
from various Jujitsu styles in 1882,
masters of many classical Bujutsu ryu
carried their arts into the modern era by
systematizing their techniques and
teaching methods, while emphasizing a
moral code of conduct for each
practitioner. Kano’s philosophy of
“Jita Kyoei,” or “mutual
welfare and benefit” perfectly
summarizes the main goal of all Budo
which is the perfection of one’s
character through diligent and rigorous
martial arts training.
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In recent years
however, most Budo have focused on
competition as the chosen method of
self-improvement. Consequently,
techniques taught in many Budo schools
focus on scoring points, while many of
the older more dangerous waza are avoided
due to the stringent adherence to
tournament rules and regulations.
Additionally, the message many coaches
and sensei ingrain in their students is
that one achieves success as a budo-ka by
winning tournaments, thereby beating
everyone else. The message of the
original Budo ryu was that victory
results from conquering oneself,
constantly trying to improve upon
one’s own understanding and
execution of one’s chosen
discipline. While many dojo still claim
that self-perfection is their main goal,
it is sad to see that as a general rule,
the only students who receive attention,
praise, and recognition are those
individuals who consistently return to
the dojo from shiai (tournaments) with
trophies. |
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 In technical terms,
Kokondo is classed as a karate-jutsu
style, because self-defense effectiveness
is considered to be far more important
than shiai success. Bunkai, or the
analysis and application of the movements
in kata, includes many types of
techniques which are beyond the scope of
shiai limitations, including defenses
against all types of grabs and chokes;
defenses against weapons such as knives,
guns, and clubs; and defenses against
multiple attackers. Thus, kata
interpretations and applications
generally include close-quarter fighting,
throwing and locking techniques, and even
groundwork, all of which stem from
karate-jutsu rather than the modern Budo
interpretation. |
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Philosophically,
however, Kokondo is clearly
representative of the finest Budo
traditions, expressed by Shihan Arel as
“a constant emphasis on doing
one’s best, in and out of the
dojo.” Further, Kokondo sensei
emphasize to their students the benefits
of following the Code of Bushido, which
includes: benevolence; courage; honor;
justice; loyalty; politeness; and
veracity. Additionally, the emphasis on
safety for one’s partners is
maintained and enforced in every dojo,
and reflects the Budo goals of shared
benefit and mutual concern, neither of
which are represented in the frequent
brutality of the Bugei tradition. Kokondo
Sensei remind their students that we all
need to go to school or work the next
day, meaning that there is no room for
injuries due to poor control (kime). With
increased rank, there is an expectation
that the intensity (and contact) of
workouts will increase proportionally,
and always with the expressed mutual
agreement of both parties.
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One important
way in which the International Kokondo
Association employs “justice”
(from the Code of Bushido) is in our
policies regarding sexual discrimination
in the dojo. Unlike many styles which
distinguish between men’s ranks and
women’s ranks by placing a line down
the middle of women’s obi (belts),
everyone is treated equally in the IKA.
We find it to be insulting and
inappropriate to require any such
discrimination, since all Kokondo and
Jukido-ka are required to perform the
same techniques to the best of their own
personal ability in order to receive any
rank promotion.
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