Category: History

What Is San Budo Sogo Bugei?

8/15/2020

Author: Bret Gordon

Those who follow me on social media will notice I heavily promote American Yoshinkan Aiki Jujutsu, one of two arts that I inherited from my teacher, Steven Hatfield, alongside Satori Ryu Kokusai Goju Kai. Many will say I share more about American Yoshinkan than I do about my own art! If that's true, it's simply because I love aiki. I love the sophistication and intricacy. I love how advanced this system of internal power is. I love... Hold on. I'm doing it again. Let's back up and discuss the art that I have poured my blood, sweat and tears into developing.

San Budo Sogo Bugei 三武道総合武芸 is a modern interpretation of traditional Japanese and Okinawan warrior arts, with an emphasis on practical self defense and survival training. Primarily derived from Aiki Jujutsu, Goju Ryu and Kajukenbo/Kempo, the art of San Budo Sogo Bugei offers a complete self defense curriculum designed to address the realities of the modern world built upon centuries of proven training and fighting methods.

While San Budo Sogo Bugei (herein referred to as "San Budo") is derived from numerous arts, it is not merely a mix of these systems. San Budo is an expression of my personal philosophies, beliefs and training methods. After all, that's what any style is at its core. There's only so many ways to cause physical damage to another human being, so what separates styles from each other are the principles behind them.

In this article, we're going to explore the curriculum of San Budo, what makes it unique and the source of its legitimacy as an independent style of martial arts.

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Obsession Isn't Healthy, Boys

7/30/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

Most of my readers are aware of the ongoing harassment both my instructor and I have been subjected to by the Facebook hate group, BSMA, run by Don Roley and his goonies. What started as a dispute over some paperwork that we refused to show them, because what gives them the audacity to demand anything, has turned into a public charade that's nothing less than stalking. For those of you who don't know, and for the first time ever, let me give a play-by-play of how we ended up here.

Let me apologize now for the length of this article, but it's time the world got to see exactly what we're dealing with... Because I'll be honest. Nothing is more frustrating than venting about these bullies only to be met with the sentiment "just let it go" from those who have never been attacked like this. There's only so many times a chihuahua can nip at your heels before you turn around and kick the chihuahua. So this is me, punting the yappy little animal that is BSMA across my now barren field of....

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What's In A Name?

7/22/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

A common custom in Japanese culture is for men to change their names for any number of reasons. Maybe you just want to change the spelling of your name, you don't like the name your parents gave you, you want to get rid of your middle name, you want to remove any family associations, or maybe you just want a change. Another situation where changing your name is common is called mukoyoshi, or the adopted son-in-law who assumes his wife's surname. This adult adoption may take place in marriages where the woman's family is of a higher socio-economic rank than the man's family, where the woman has no brothers to be the heir to the family name, when the man has been disowned by his own family, or when the man's natural family comes from a notorious or shameful background and he thus prefers to hide his identity.

In Japan, you can legally change your first name, middle name or surname, or any combination of those. And of course, this just refers to a legal name change and not the practice of assuming an alias. While the custom of changing your name is an old, historical one (with my favorite example being Minamoto Yoshikiyo changing his surname to Takeda and starting the famous clan in the 12th century), the tradition carries on today. In 2017, nearly 5,000 name change applications were received in Japan according judicial statistics, with a roughly 92% approval rate. That may not seem like a lot in a country of over 120 million people, but it's enough to show it's not unheard of.

When choosing a name, Japanese people are limited to using 2,136 common use Chinese characters, 863 naming Chinese characters, as well as the two phonetic Japanese syllabaries: Hiragana and Katakana. Unlike in the West where names are often chosen either for popularity or to honor someone, Japanese names are often chosen for the meaning of the characters themselves. As such, many Japanese change their names because they feel the meaning of those characters no longer defines them. However, they aren't limited in the way those characters can be read and as such, may not even sound like a traditional Japanese name at all! A recent trend over the last 30+ years are to use what are called "kira kira" names きらきらネーム (meaning "shiny" or "sparkly"). Initially popularized by a number of books before spreading to the internet, the practice of finding completely original names has diversified considerably.

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Confirmation Of Hapkido's Connection To Daito Ryu

5/11/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

For decades, the stories of Choi Yong Sul's training with Takeda Sokaku in Daito Ryu have been the subject of countless disputes. I've heard numerous versions of this so-called history, with everything ranging from Choi being the adopted son of Takeda to being just a simple houseboy. Some renditions emphasize they didn't know each other at all. What is indisputable is that when Choi returned to Korea following the end of the Japanese occupation, he was a formidable martial artist whose reputation grew quickly.

But where did his martial prowess come from? A technical analysis of Choi's teaching certainly shows similarities to Daito Ryu technique, but Takeda Sokaku was notorious for keeping meticulous records of every student he taught. Who can blame him when over the course of his career, he taught an estimated 30,000 students, many of whom were heads of other martial arts? He felt his art of Daito Ryu was proprietary and wanted a way to ensure those who trained with him wouldn't take what they learned back to their schools and pass them off as information that had been there already. It has been generally accepted that Choi Yong Sul did not appear anywhere in Takeda's records, nor did his alleged Japanese name "Yoshida Asao." It has been suggested that he was intentionally omitted because he was Korean, but other Koreans (such as Jang In Mok) appear in official Daito Ryu records so that's not a valid excuse. How then, can we reconcile that with his claims of studying with Takeda?

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Spotlight: Otsuka Ryunosuke

5/8/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

Occasionally, someone comes along and confirms everything you believe in. While there are countless historical examples of Asian martial artists reaching the highest level of their respective arts in record timeframes that would make the "time-in-grade" crowd start to seethe, I'll admit it's not as common for us wide eyes to do the same legitimately. However, when someone sets an undisputed precedent, in Japan no less, the results can't be ignored.

Born as Lösch Markus from Germany, Otsuka Ryunosuke moved to Japan in 2010 in search of classical martial arts. He met Otsuka Yoichiro of Hokushin Itto Ryu Hyoho, and quickly became a dedicated student and uchi-deshi. Just three years later, he was appointed Saiko Shihan (highest master) of the art. In July of 2014, Otsuka Ryunosuke earned Menkyo Kaiden (license of full transmission) from Yoichiro, who had since become the 6th Soke of the art. At that time is when he was taken on as an adopted son of Yoichiro and officially changed his name.

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Spotlight: Don Angier

5/6/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

One of the most influential and profound instructors of the aiki arts, Don Angier (1933-2014) quickly gained attention as probably America's first real soke. Growing up in Utica, New York, through an unbelievable stroke of fate Angier met Yoshida Kenji, son of Yoshida Kotaro (a prominent Daito Ryu instructor and soke of his family's own tradition) who had relocated to the United States for political reasons. When Angier inquired why Yoshida agreed to train him, he said "that he had agreed to teach me for several reasons. During his absence after our first meeting, he had been watching me to see what kind of a person I was, how much of a temper I might have, and generally how I conducted myself. He realized that he would probably never return to Japan, and he still had an obligation to pass the family art along... He said that he considered me a yoshi, an adopted son, such as those adopted by samurai who had no children of their own or those adopted by families who had lost the male heir" and was given the Japanese name Yoshida Kensaburo (view source).

The two would start training together privately for several years, from the time Angier was 15 or 16 until he joined the military during the Korean War soon after graduating high school. Now, when you do the math, that means he had about two to three years of regular instruction with Yoshida before joining the military and then would they would meet up occasionally until Angier was sent overseas. Unfortunately shortly after that, Yoshida passed away of pneumonia. After he was discharged in the early 1950s, Angier made his new home in California where he would spend the rest of his life teaching.

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Not Always What It Seems

4/26/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

There is an excellent book by Ellis Amdur, called "Hidden in Plain Sight: Esoteric Power Training Within Japanese Martial Traditions" (to order it, click here). I feel it's absolutely required reading for anyone serious about developing internal power or aiki. In a nutshell, it describes how mundane conditioning exercises and warm-ups taught to beginners at the start of class are actually the deep secrets everyone is searching for in order to develop these very advanced skill sets.

Now, the title of the book is what got me thinking. Hiding things in plain sight is all too common in the world of traditional martial arts and it is up to the student to uncover them. This journey of discovery is a crucial element of one's martial arts progress, and to this day I still find myself having lightbulb moments that I can't wait to call my instructor about. This article is actually one of those lightbulb moments that I had awhile back, and maybe it'll help cut down on the time it takes for you to understand the connection of what I'll be discussing.

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Spotlight: Tanemura Shoto

4/11/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

It is amazing what you can accomplish when you start young, meet the right people at the right time, and have an extraordinary level of dedication and personal drive, often going above and beyond what most believe to even be possible. Tanemura Shoto of Genbukan fame is one of the most well-known and respected martial artists of his time. To date, he has either fully inherited or been awarded Menkyo Kaiden (highest level attainable) in no less than 23 different martial arts styles and serves as the President of the Genbukan World Ninpo Bugei Renmei, Kokusai Jujutsu Renmei and the Nihon Kobudo World Federation. On behalf of the US Association of Martial Arts, I would like to extend an overdue congratulations to Tanemura sensei for setting the bar so high, and I hope one day to have half of his credentials.

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There Will Be A Reckoning

4/2/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

What interesting times we're living in! Nothing brings out people's true nature like a crisis, and we are seeing the beginning of a revolution. The world as we knew it will be forever changed by COVID-19, but the subject of this article is a slightly narrower scale.

As a Budoka, it is fascinating to watch the shift in dynamic of the martial arts industry as it faces collapse and frankly, I'm not too upset over it. For centuries, martial arts have been handed down through families and clans as life-saving skills of war meant to protect the ones you love. It is in this spirit that I run my dojo. We are purposely small and intimate, allowing us the opportunity to develop bonds that transcend the four walls of our commercial space. I don't just accept everyone with a credit card, but rather only those who will benefit the school as much as we'll benefit them. These bonds allow us the foundation of trust and mutual respect to push the limits of our training and experience with one another, the benefits of which are exponential. All of this is in stark contrast to the cultural norm we see today...

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No Standards In The Martial Arts

4/1/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

For the better part of human history, martial arts prowess and authority has been determined by one's skill and knowledge. I mean, how else can you judge someone's legitimacy in skills of war except by their execution of those skills? It is only in the relative peace of the modern world that people began to even care about certifications, because we're so civilized.

Over the last few years, I have been blessed with numerous opportunities to travel the country and share my art. I've been able to network with some of the biggest names in the martial arts community, and have been asked to share my reviews and critiques as a "subject matter expert" on several projects by published authors. I'm truly grateful for every opportunity afforded to me, and I'd like to think the respect that I've earned is due to how I carry myself both on and off the mat.

It's been awhile since someone even insinuated that I or my instructor may be less than legitimate, so I'll admit the recent charade mentioned in my previous article (read here) caught me off guard. What's even more shocking is this "determination" was based solely on my age! In the martial arts community, there is a common sentiment regarding age and time restrictions when it comes to issuing rank and licensing, but as I've said before, there simply is no universal standard. Issuance of credentials are at the discretion of the headmaster or the governing body of that particular style, and their authority in such cannot be disputed simply because you disagree with their requirements.

But here's the kicker. Those same people wouldn't blink an eye at an Asian instructor with half of the experience claiming the same or even more. If my last name was Nakamura, we wouldn't even be having this discussion. For whatever reason, Westerners have this self-inflicted inferiority complex towards our Asian counterparts in what is considered possible and legitimate. We have a mystique about the Asian culture that clouds our judgement and leads us to revere those who really aren't that different from us.

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<<Previous

USAMA BLOG

What Is San Budo Sogo Bugei?

Obsession Isn't Healthy, Boys

What's In A Name?

Confirmation Of Hapkido's Connection To Daito Ryu

Spotlight: Otsuka Ryunosuke

Spotlight: Don Angier

Not Always What It Seems

Spotlight: Tanemura Shoto

There Will Be A Reckoning

No Standards In The Martial Arts

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