Budo Arts

The Arizona Budokan is a unique martial arts school.  Most schools teach only one discipline (i.e., karate, taekwando, aikido, kempo, etc.).  Because of this, the student who wanted to study more than one martial art was faced with either leaving one school to switch arts or attending more than one school simultaneously.  At the Arizona Budokan, we offer classes taught by highly qualified Black Belt Instructors in several different martial arts all under one roof.  Arizona Budokan students can study any single  or combination of arts selected. 

The Arizona Budokan offers Classes in:

Shitoryu Karate

One of the four major Japanese styles of karate, Shitoryu combines hard and soft techniques under one syllabus.

Okinawan Kobudo

Offers a wide variety of weapons training that has direct application to traditional and modern defense against an attacker. 

Shinkendo (Japanese Sword)

A traditional Samurai art of sword battle.  This realistic approach to the Japanese sword is taught with practical application.

Each art offers a full syllabus of techniques and separate belt ranking requirements.  Students who study multiple arts have the ability to receive belt ranks in each art separately.  For example, a student could be graded a brown belt in Shitoryu Karate and a green belt in Okinawan Kobudo.  The end result after several years of study at our school could mean the student has black belt gradings in several different arts.  This is the case with many of our current instructors.

“Budo” or “Martial Way” is a concept that stems from the samurai days of old.  A samurai warrior was trained in multiple bugei or martial arts, all of which had their useful place in combat.  This fact is pointed out clearly in the book “Classical Bujutsu, the Martial Arts and Ways of Japan volume 1”, by Donn F. Draeger.

“The precise ma-ai used for each combative situation varied according to the weapon being used and that being faced.  For each particular circumstance the bushi was expected to know how to position himself so as to create an advantage for himself and a disadvantage for his enemy.  Because of this important consideration, martial ryu were compelled to strive for balance within their curricula.  Each ryu, if it hoped to survive the test of combat required the study and practice of a wide range of weapons.  A bushi so trained would seldom face a weapon of whose capabilities and limitations he was entirely ignorant.”

In keeping with this concept, our philosophy is to offer the student the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills both empty handed (striking, kicking and grappling) as well  as weapons arts such as bo staff, tonfa, sai, sword, etc.  Thus we can develop a well rounded student of traditional Japanese martial arts.  Also in keeping with this technical development, we complement that aspect with lectures and lessons in the history, philosophy and terminology related to the arts that we study.