I started training in martial arts at the age of 13. This means I’ve been practicing martial arts for nearly 40 years! Pretty crazy to think about.
While the purpose, intensity, and way I train have changed considerably, my love for it keeps growing.
I started my martial arts journey in Aikido. The instructor had recently moved back from Japan, having lived there for over 20 years. I was extremely interested in the fact that he was a high-ranking martial artist and fluent in Japanese. He encouraged me to learn a bit of Japanese to understand the origin of Aikido better. From then on, all I wanted to do was train in martial arts and learn Japanese.
That led me to eventually move to Japan as an exchange student in college and permanently live there after graduation. During college, I studied Kendo, Iaido, and Judo. Kendo was my main art then, and I was lucky to have found an incredible instructor who took me in. I lived with his family and studied Kendo with members of the police and Japan Self-Defense Force.
After graduation, I moved to Osaka, where I eventually worked at a martial arts hall within the Sumiyoshi Taisha (shrine). During my eight years there, I had the privilege of studying with some incredible instructors in Daito-Ryu Aikijujitsu, Shorinji Kempo, Iaido, Kendo, and Judo. Even though I worked at the Sumiyoshi Shrine martial arts hall, I actually trained Judo at the Minatoku police station and the Shudokan, located within the Osaka Castle.
I must say, it was very cool for a kid from Wichita, KS, to have the opportunity to train in martial arts in a literal Japanese castle each week.
I only mention these experiences because they helped me understand that each martial art has its own purpose and merit.
Thanks to my work at the martial arts hall, I had the opportunity to study multiple arts simultaneously and do it in a way that wasn’t just me haphazardly jumping from one to the other.
I spent most of my time training in judo, but having the opportunity to train in those other arts also helped grow my understanding of the martial arts as a whole.
During those times, my instructors never became upset that I was training in multiple arts or told me to stop training in those arts. Maybe it was because my position as an employee of the martial arts hall was a bit unique.
I don’t recall hearing any instructors say that their art was better than another. In fact, I remember the year-end parties at the martial arts hall where all the different martial arts instructors would get together for dinner and a night of drinking. It was amazing to be privy to this and sit in on some lively discussions about the martial arts. I never heard any of those instructors bad-mouth another martial arts instructor. Of course, they might have done this in private! However, all I ever saw was mutual respect between each of them.
I believe that a big part of this was because they were more interested in the martial spirit rather than the competitive side of the martial arts.
They understood that martial arts are more than just the type of uniform you wear and how to hit and throw a person. It’s about how you use the lessons in the dojo and apply them to your life that truly matters.
This is where I learned how to live a Budo life.
The Rise of Specialization
When it comes to the warrior arts in Japan, it was much more than learning a single art form. To be a samurai, you would have had to practice multiple systems. This is similar to our modern-day warriors who practice the art of war, which includes everything that will help them prevail on the battlefield. They hone the skills that will help them fight harder, better, and successfully for the chaos of battle in all its complexities.
Before the Meiji Period, the study of Bujutsu prevailed because Japan was constantly at war.
Bujutsu (武術), which translates to “martial technique” or “martial art” and is deeply rooted in practical combat application.
[Note: there are various Romanized spellings of jutsu (術), including jutsu, jitsu, jiutsu, and possibly others. I will be using JUTSU for the remainder of this article. Here is a fabulous research paper regarding this topic.]
Bujutsu focuses on developing techniques and strategies for warfare or personal combat. It encompasses a range of disciplines, including swordsmanship (kenjutsu), archery (kyujutsu), spear fighting (sojutsu), and unarmed combat techniques (jiujutsu). The primary objective of bujutsu is to cultivate effective martial skills for real-world combat situations, prioritizing practicality, efficiency, and effectiveness on the battlefield.
During the feudal era in Japan, samurai were expected to be proficient in various martial arts as part of their training to become effective warriors. These martial arts included skills such as swordsmanship (kenjutsu), archery (kyujutsu), spear fighting (sojutsu), unarmed combat (jiujutsu), horsemanship, and others. Samurai underwent rigorous training from a young age, often studying under skilled masters to hone their abilities in these disciplines.
However, with the advent of the Meiji period in the late 19th century and the subsequent dissolution of the samurai class, the traditional role of the samurai as warriors became obsolete. The Meiji government enacted sweeping reforms to modernize Japan and centralize power under a new imperial government. As part of these reforms, the samurai lost their privileged status and were stripped of their traditional privileges, including their right to carry swords in public.
With their former way of life dismantled, many samurai found themselves without a source of income or a clear path forward. Some turned to teaching their martial skills to support themselves and preserve their heritage. However, the new social and political landscape diminished the demand for comprehensive martial arts training. As a result, many former samurai adapted by specializing in specific aspects of the martial arts in which they excelled.
This shift towards specialization led to the emergence of martial arts schools that focused on a single discipline or technique rather than offering comprehensive training in various martial arts.
For example, a master swordsman might open a kenjutsu school, while another might specialize in teaching unarmed combat techniques.
This trend towards specialization marked a significant departure from the traditional approach to martial arts training among the samurai, where proficiency in multiple disciplines was valued.
With this specialization in a single art also came a different mindset on the study of martial arts. Instead of a battlefield mindset, a shift from Bujutsu to Budo started happening.
Budo (武道), meaning “martial way” or “martial arts path,” embodies a philosophical and spiritual approach to martial arts training. While it may incorporate techniques derived from bujutsu, budo places equal or greater emphasis on personal development, character refinement, and ethical values. Budo disciplines aim to foster qualities such as discipline, self-control, respect, humility, and compassion. Examples of budo disciplines include judo, kendo, aikido, karate-do, and kyudo (Japanese archery), each with unique philosophical underpinnings and training methodologies.
While both bujutsu and budo share a connection to Japanese martial arts traditions and may overlap in terms of techniques and training methods, their underlying philosophies and objectives set them apart. Bujutsu focuses on practical combat skills, while budo emphasizes personal growth and ethical principles through martial arts practice.
And, of course, with this change from Bujutsu to Budo came a whole new set of challenges.
My Art Is Better Than Your Art
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Kano Jigoro’s Judo began to gain prominence as a modernized version of traditional jujutsu. Kano aimed to refine jujutsu into a system that emphasized sportive competition, educational values, and effective self-defense techniques.
However, some practitioners of classical jujutsu saw Kano’s reforms as a departure from the combative roots of their art, viewing judo as prioritizing sport and competition over practical combat. This led to debates and challenges between judo practitioners and proponents of traditional jujutsu schools.
One particular challenge to Kano’s judo came from the Tenshin Shinyo-ryu, a renowned jujutsu school with a strong reputation for combat effectiveness. The head of the Tenshin Shinyo-ryu, Ryu Shichiroemon Miura, openly criticized Kano’s teachings, arguing that judo’s emphasis on sportive competition and educational values diluted the combative essence of jujutsu.
To address these criticisms and demonstrate the effectiveness of his judo, Kano and his students often engaged in public demonstrations and challenge matches against practitioners of various martial arts, including jujutsu schools. These matches allowed judo practitioners to showcase their skills in live, unscripted combat scenarios.
Similarly, kendo, the “way of the sword,” emerged as a modern martial art derived from traditional kenjutsu schools. Kendo emphasized discipline, etiquette, and spiritual development, incorporating stylized sparring and the use of protective equipment.
However, some practitioners of kenjutsu criticized kendo for deviating from the practical aspects of swordsmanship, considering it to be overly focused on form and ritual. While challenges between kenjutsu and kendo schools were less common than those between jujutsu and judo, debates over the effectiveness and authenticity of each system persisted.
These instances reflect the tensions and debates surrounding the transition from traditional bujutsu to modern budo in Japanese martial arts.
We continue to see this sort of debate even today between all martial arts.
X art vs Y art in the ring, in the octagon, in the street, on the mat, yada yada.
But here’s the thing;
The whole “my martial art is better than your martial art” debate is stupid.
Different situations call for different solutions. Martial arts styles were created to solve the problem that the founder was struggling with at that particular time.
“People who study a single martial art tend to focus exclusively on the beliefs or “doctrines” of that art. They often don’t understand that those doctrines, valid though they may be, were developed in response to specific threats and for fighting in specific situations. These disciples of a single doctrine tend to shut out ideas from other sources and convince themselves that theirs is the one true way of fighting, the ultimate in armed or unarmed combat. As a result, they become slaves to the very doctrines they profess.” – Morgan, Forrest E. Living the Martial Way (p. 36).
To truly be a well-rounded martial artist, practice all ranges of movements and weapons.
Study strategies, tactics, and good communication, especially de-escalation techniques. Learn first aid and how to be calm in stressful situations. Practice indoors on mats, outside on rough terrain, in a car, in the dark, in water, and everywhere else.
Focus on incorporating the Budo spirit into your training and work to become a better version of yourself throughout the years.
But that being said, it’s perfectly okay not to practice all those things if you don’t want to. We aren’t samurai or warriors preparing to step onto the battlefield and literally fight for our lives.
Most of us practice a single martial art, within a specific rule set, on mats, barefoot, wearing some form of uniform, in a controlled environment, a few times a week, with people who have families and day jobs.
Just because your art might be great in one area doesn’t mean it is the best and works in another.
So focus more on the problem YOU’RE trying to solve and let everyone else focus on the problem THEY’RE trying to solve.
Other people’s opinions of the martial art you practice DON’T MATTER.
And if practicing only one martial art makes you happy, great. Have at it.
The main thing is to find something you love and never stop doing it. You don’t even need to be the best or even great at it.
Just do it For The Love Of It.