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Bringing Budo into Life.
Learning Riho — The Principles of Budo
There Is a Reason Behind Every Technique.
Is Memorizing Form Enough to Say That We Have Learned Budo?
In Budo, we learn many different techniques and forms.
Stances.
Guard positions.
Punches.
Kicks.
Blocks.
Movement.
Kata.
Kumite.
Learning the correct form is an important first step.
But if our learning ends with memorizing the form,
we cannot say that we truly understand the technique.
Why this posture?
Why this angle?
Why this distance?
Why this timing?
At IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI,
we place importance on
learning while asking, “Why do we do it this way?”
What We Mean by “Riho”
The Japanese word Riho may sound somewhat abstract at first.
By Riho, we mean examining
how and why techniques and movements work — the principles behind them.
Why is this technique effective?
Why does this way of using the body generate power?
Why is this distance necessary?
Why does a different situation require a different movement?
We ask these questions
and then test our understanding through actual practice.
This is what we mean by
“the exploration of Riho.”
Learning Riho Does Not Mean Memorizing the “Correct Answer”
Learning principles may sound as though
there is one correct answer that must simply be memorized.
But situations in Budo constantly change.
The opponent changes.
The distance changes.
The timing changes.
The condition of your own body changes.
For that reason,
one answer cannot simply be applied to every situation.
To study Riho is to continue asking,
“Why does it work this way?”
Do not simply accept what you have been taught.
Test it through your own body.
If it does not work,
think again.
That, too, is part of learning Budo.
Understanding Your Own Body
Even when practicing the same technique,
not everyone moves in exactly the same way.
Height differs.
Weight differs.
Flexibility differs.
Muscular strength differs.
Age and experience differ.
That is why we need to understand
how our own body is actually moving.
Where are you creating tension?
Where is power being lost?
Where are you placing unnecessary strain on the body?
Thinking about Riho also leads to
a deeper understanding of your own body.
Generating Power Is Not the Same as Being Tense
Power is necessary in Budo.
But if the entire body remains tense all the time,
we cannot move quickly or fluidly.
When should we apply power?
When should we release it?
Learning how to shift between these states is important.
In order to generate power,
we must also learn to release unnecessary tension.
Ideas that may initially appear contradictory
can be understood through the experience of the body.
There is Riho in this as well.
A Technique Does Not Exist Through Yourself Alone
A Budo technique cannot be fully understood
by looking only at your own movement.
The distance between you and the other person.
The other person’s posture.
The other person’s movement.
The direction of the other person’s force.
A technique works within the relationship
between these elements.
That is why we need to observe not only our own movement,
but also
our relationship with the other person.
Learning Riho means considering
not yourself and the other person as separate,
but the relationship between the two.
Respond to the Situation Rather Than Forcing One Method
In Budo,
both the opponent and the situation are constantly changing.
If we insist on using only one method,
we may actually limit our own possibilities.
Observe the other person.
Observe yourself.
Observe the situation.
Then choose the movement
that is appropriate at that moment.
Do not simply force your way through.
Observe, think, and respond.
We regard this attitude
as another important part of learning Riho.
Learn the Form Without Becoming Bound by the Form
Budo has established forms.
These forms contain important knowledge
passed down by those who came before us.
That is why we must first learn them correctly.
But preserving only the outward appearance of a form
is not the final purpose.
What is contained within the form?
What principles of body movement does it contain?
What principles of attack and defense does it contain?
Only by understanding these things
can we apply what we have learned to actual situations.
Preserve the form while continuing to ask what it means.
There, too, we find the study of Riho.
A Technique That Wins Is Not Necessarily Correct in Every Situation
Winning in competition is important.
But a method that worked once
will not necessarily work every time,
against every person,
or under every set of conditions.
Why did it work this time?
What happens if the opponent changes?
What happens if the conditions change?
Rather than looking only at the result,
consider the reasons that produced that result.
Winning and losing can also teach us about Riho.
Bring the Habit of Thinking About Riho into Life
The habit of asking,
“Why does this happen?”
is useful for more than Budo technique.
In work and relationships,
if we judge only by what appears on the surface,
we may miss what is actually important.
Why did this problem occur?
Why does the other person think that way?
Why did I become emotional?
Take a moment to stop
and consider the reasons and relationships behind what has happened.
Then choose how to act according to the situation.
From understanding the principles of technique
to developing the ability to see things more deeply.
We believe this is also part of
“Bringing Budo into Life.”
Deepening Our Study with Kyokushin Karate as the Foundation
IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI regards
the spirit and techniques of Kyokushin Karate
as an important foundation.
Kihon.
Movement training.
Kata.
Kumite.
Through repeated practice,
we develop our techniques.
At the same time,
we continue to ask why those techniques work as they do.
We are not seeking to reject Kyokushin Karate.
Rather,
we seek to use Kyokushin Karate as our foundation
and explore more deeply the possibilities within it.
That is the research approach of IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI.
The Exploration of Riho and Takushin Budo
Through many years of Budo practice and research,
Akira Masuda has emphasized understanding Budo techniques
not only through their outward form,
but through the Riho — the principles behind them.
His research also extends beyond technique
to questions of strength, Rei, self-control,
relationships with others, and Budo education.
The research framework through which these subjects are studied systematically is
Takushin Budo.
In Takushin Budo,
the exploration of Riho is not limited to Budo technique.
It also extends to methods of training,
education,
and the relationship between Budo and life.
Akira Masuda’s Approach Behind the Study of Riho
Akira Masuda does not regard Budo simply as the repetition and acquisition of techniques.
He sees it as a process of continually asking through practice,
“Why does this technique work?”
Rather than treating one form or method as absolute,
he emphasizes carefully observing the relationship
between oneself, the other person, and the situation,
and choosing an appropriate response as those conditions change.
These ideas are explored in greater depth
through Akira Masuda’s Budo research
and Takushin Budo.
What It Means to Learn Riho
Do not stop at memorizing the form.
Ask why the technique works.
Understand your own body.
Observe your relationship with the other person.
Do not cling to one method; respond to the situation.
Apply what you learn to life beyond the dojo.
We regard the accumulation of this kind of learning as
“the exploration of Riho.”
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