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IMPORTANT QUESTIONSFOR THE FUTURE OF BUDOIII. The Future of BudoThe internationalization of budo has gone through atleast two stages since the close of the Pacific War. Thefirst included the prodigious efforts by budo practitionersfrom around the world to become accomplishedtrainees of budo. The second stage, at least from theperspective of the author, is characterized by today’spresent stagnant situation; with accomplished andexperienced budo practitioners from around the worldreaching high levels of technical and philosophicalproficiency, paralleling their Japanese colleagues onall levels, save for perhaps Tokyo University levelmastery of the Japanese language. This second stageis also marked by the continued reticence to endowinternational budo practitioners with the same authorityand respect as their Japanese colleagues hamperingbudo’s internationalization.In the world of academia, authority is derived on a setof nearly global standards, the possession of a Ph.D.;Numerous peer reviewed publications in an individual’sfield of specialization and of course one’s level ofacademic activity which could include teaching andpresenting at international conferences. Nationality,ethnic background, religious affi liation or otherwiseplays little role in achieve success and being able torepresent your field of study. For example, many ofJapan’s so-called first tier universities such as TokyoUniversity, Kyoto University, Waseda University andKeio University employ scholars from around theworld. In the capacity of professors, they teach studentsabout a host of themes ranging from political science togender studies, the history of budo to the Meiji periodeconomic reform.In the world of sport, in particular baseball is illustrativeof the acknowledgement of ability and knowledgeinstead of nationality in terms of becoming a worldrenowned representative. Suzuki Ichirō, NomoHideo and Matsui Hideki have all become not onlyaccomplished baseball players in the Major Leaguesbut also representative figures, who of course representJapan but more importantly baseball at home andabroad.The author wonders openly if the world of Japanesebudo can learn from the example of the worlds ofacademia and sport, acknowledging technical expertise,experience and ability rather than nationality as requisitesfor authority and the positive impacts that recognitionwould have on the “Future of Budo”. Academia in Japanhas gained greatly from the infusion of fresh and novelperspectives on things “Japanese”. Similarly, baseballhas secured is future with the promotion of the sportaround the world but also recognizing players for theirexcellence rather than nationality as illustrated by itsworldwide popularity and “star players” from countriesaround the world.The member organizations of the Japanese BudoAssociation have attempted to broach this problemthrough the promulgating the Budo Charter.8 Theproblem with this charter is that it does not entirelyaddress the fundamental obstacles hampering theinternationalization of budo presented so far.Returning to the questions posed at the beginning of thisessay, the author believes that the “Internationalizationof Budo” and the “Future of Budo” are unquestionablylinked. For budo to have a future here in Japan andabroad the current leadership needs to (1) clearly identifythe relevance of contemporary budo both domesticallyKendo World 3.4 2007 5
IMPORTANT QUESTIONSFOR THE FUTURE OF BUDOand internationally; (2) separate budo as a Japanese wayand emphasize that the principles espoused by budo areuniversally important and applicable to daily life in allcountries and cultures; (3) expand the current leadershipto include representatives from around the world; (4)expand the current torch bearers of “authentic” budo toinclude accomplished and knowledgeable practitionersfrom around the world; (5) and remove Japaneselanguage perquisite from the Kyōshi, Hanshi rankingsystem (in the case of kendo).Clearly identifying the value and relevance of budopaves the road towards the inclusion of budo not justin clubs, local dōjō or an elective at schools, but to beintegrated into the education system in a more profoundand comprehensive manner. For example, budo can beapproached historically, religiously, philosophically,technically and from the vantage point of physicaleducation. The merit of this approach is that itdemonstrates that budo as a subject is multidimensionaland is not just an activity that can be engaged in thedōjō but also one of many lenses to view the world.Also, a very crucial part of identifying the value andrelevance of budo is to avoid the temptation of associatingbudo with the national obsession of linking the creationof world peace with mutual understanding. Of coursethese are admirable goals in themselves. However, aserious investigation into where budo exactly fits inordinary life and what it can do for practitioners on apersonal and physical level would greatly contribute tocementing a positive and expanding role for budo in thefuture. Furthermore, the author believes it is importantto remember that in the end, budo begins as a physicalendeavour and ends as a physical endeavour that hasbeen moulded and cultivated through perseverance,self-reflection and serious study. This learning processrequires training, self-reflection and implementing yourconclusions to improving your respective budo. In short,budo is about cultivating the self before anything else,a reflection of the infusion of Zen into martial arts bysamurai in the Edo period to bring meaning to theirtraining and status in Edo society.The Budo Charter’s <strong>Article</strong> One does pay heed tothis point in a superfi cial manner by stressing the“building of character, the enhancement of senseof judgment, and becoming disciplined individualscapable of making contributions to society at large.”Unfortunately, the charter still needs to expand uponthe process of this transformation not just the endgoal. For instance, budo training requires patience,perseverance and communication skills in order torealize the ideals associated with budo. Similarly, publicand private relations require the same skills in order tonavigate through the changes of interpersonal relations.Separating budo as a Japanese way and emphasizingthat the principles espoused by budo, are universallyimportant and applicable to daily life in all countriesand cultures. This shift in ethnocentric chauvinismmakes budo more attractive as a lifestyle choice than themore lofty and common declarations of creating worldpeace through budo. Furthermore, this separation willpromote the internationalization of budo and secure itsfuture when practitioners know that they can obtain thehighest ranks available, regardless of nationality.It is hard to image anyone wanting to commit to anactivity, whether it is language studies, pottery or budo if6
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