Bringing Budo into Life.
Our Approach to Budo at IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI
Not simply to defeat others, but to develop ourselves and bring what we learn into life.
Why Do We Study Budo?
Budo includes physical training, the development of technique,
and the experience of testing ourselves against others.
But the Budo we seek at IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI is about more than that.
To know yourself.
To develop self-control.
To respect others.
To face difficulty and change.
And to apply what you learn in the dojo beyond the dojo.
We also regard Budo as
a way of learning how to live a better life.
What Does “Bringing Budo into Life” Mean?
Developing skill in the dojo is important.
But when what we learn through training is not left inside the dojo,
and can instead be carried into everyday life and society,
the value of Budo becomes even greater.
Regain your composure when you feel tense.
When emotions rise, take a moment to observe yourself.
When conflict arises, consider the other person’s position as well.
When you fail, learn from the experience and begin again.
Take what you learn in the dojo
and apply it beyond the dojo.
That is what we mean by
“Bringing Budo into Life.”
What We Mean by “Strength”
In Budo, we often speak of “becoming stronger.”
But is strength only the ability to defeat another person?
At IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI,
we do not believe that strength is measured only by the ability to overcome others.
Taking a necessary step forward even when you are afraid.
Not allowing anger alone to determine your actions.
Recognizing your own weaknesses and mistakes.
Choosing not to use unnecessary force even when you possess power.
Not losing yourself in the midst of difficulty.
What we seek is
not only the strength to control others, but the strength to control ourselves.
What We Mean by “Rei”
In Budo, we practice rei at the beginning and end of training.
But rei is not simply a formality,
nor is it a practice of submission.
Value yourself,
while also valuing the person in front of you.
Maintain your own position,
while recognizing that the other person has a position of their own.
In Budo, we are able to learn precisely because another person is there.
We regard rei as
a form of Budo wisdom that allows ourselves and others
to learn and exist together with mutual respect.
Because we learn power,
we must also learn how to use it.
Winning and Losing
Kyokushin Karate includes competition,
and competition produces winners and losers.
Working toward victory is an important experience
that can help a person grow.
But winning is not the sole purpose of Budo.
How do you behave when you win?
How do you respond when you lose?
What can you learn from the result, and how will you move forward?
Winning and losing can both become opportunities
to learn about ourselves.
Learn from victory and defeat,
but do not allow victory and defeat alone to control you.
We believe this, too, is an important part of Budo training.
Learning to Control Yourself
Many different emotions arise during Budo training.
Fear.
Impatience.
Anger.
Tension.
Overconfidence.
The goal is not to eliminate these emotions.
It is to recognize your present condition
and choose how to act without allowing emotion alone to control you.
We regard this ability as an important form of self-control in Budo.
It is also an ability we need beyond the dojo —
in work, family life, and relationships with others.
Learn from the Other Person Rather Than Simply Rejecting Them
Budo involves another person.
That person will not move exactly as we want them to.
That is precisely why we must learn to observe them.
Rather than simply imposing our own ideas,
we learn to sense the other person’s movement and condition
and consider our own actions within that relationship.
We believe that
learning about ourselves through our relationship with another person
is also an important value of Budo.
The Kind of Person We Seek to Become Through Budo
At IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI,
we value not only technique and strength,
but also
the way a person approaches and lives through Budo.
To pursue your own path deeply
while respecting people of different styles, disciplines, cultures, and viewpoints.
To learn across those differences
and work together to make Budo and martial arts more valuable
for people and society.
As one way of expressing this ideal,
we propose the concept of
“Budojin.”
There Is a Reason Behind Every Technique
Budo techniques are not simply forms to be memorized.
Why this posture?
Why this distance?
Why this timing?
Why use power in this particular way?
Behind every technique are principles
that make the technique work.
At IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI,
we value not only repetition,
but also
learning while asking why a technique works as it does.
We refer to this exploration of the underlying principles of Budo as
the study of Riho — the principles of Budo.
Kyokushin Karate as Our Foundation
IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI regards
the spirit and techniques of Kyokushin Karate
as an important foundation.
Demanding training.
Kihon, movement training, kata, and kumite.
Practical training in which we face another person.
These forms of practice have great value
in developing not only the body,
but also the mind and character.
While preserving this value,
we also continue to study how Budo can be applied
to contemporary society and to life.
We are not seeking to reject Kyokushin Karate
and replace it with something new.
We seek to build upon Kyokushin Karate
and further develop its possibilities.
That is the fundamental approach of IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI.
For a Deeper Exploration of Budo
At IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI,
while maintaining Kyokushin Karate as our foundation,
we continue to study Budo technique, Riho, Rei,
education, and methods of training.
One of the systems through which this research is being developed is
Takushin Budo,
which Akira Masuda has been systematizing
through many years of Budo practice, research, and reflection.
Takushin Budo is not synonymous with IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI itself.
Nor is it intended to impose one particular way of thinking on others.
What is Budo?
What is strength?
What is Rei?
Why do techniques work?
And how can Budo be brought into life?
Takushin Budo is a framework for exploring
these questions more deeply through study and practice.
Akira Masuda’s Thinking Behind This Approach to Budo
IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI’s approach to Budo reflects ideas
that Akira Masuda has developed through many years of Budo practice,
competition, teaching, and research,
including his thinking about
“strength,” “Rei,” “winning and losing,”
“self-control,” and “relationships with others.”
Masuda does not regard Budo merely as a means of controlling or defeating others.
He sees it as a way of learning to understand and control oneself,
while developing better relationships with others
and learning how to live more fully.
For a deeper exploration of these ideas,
please see Akira Masuda’s writings, research,
and reflections on Budo.
Bringing Budo into Life
The Budo we seek does not reject strength.
Nor does it reject competition.
Nor does it diminish the importance of technique.
Seek strength.
Develop technique.
Strive for victory.
And then ask:
What is this strength for?
Control yourself, respect others,
and take what you learn through Budo into your life.
From Budo practiced only to defeat others,
toward Budo that helps both ourselves and others live better.
With Kyokushin Karate as our foundation,
IBMA KYOKUSHIN KAI will continue to explore
the possibilities of Budo under the guiding idea:
“Bringing Budo into Life.”
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