ABOUT

OUR HISTORY

The study of fighting arts and skills has existed since the beginning of humans and probably before. It was not until the 5th Century that martial arts were born. It was then that Indian Monk Bodhidharma arrived at the Shaolin Temple in China, where he taught the monks zen meditative practices, a philosophy of peace and the Shih Pa Lo Han Sho — eighteen hands of the enlightened man. He showed them how these eighteen movements could improve their physical health and also be blended together and used in self-defense. Thus was born Kempo (Chuan Fa in Chinese; Fist Law in English), the original martial art.

The "Bu" in Budo, Bujutsu and Bugei (commonly, martial arts) is often translated as "martial," suggesting aggression or competition. However, the ideogram (or kanji) actually means "stop violence." Unlike the Western concept of "martial" derived from the Roman god of war, the true meaning of Bu is to achieve peace. Eventually, this philosophy spread to Japan, influencing the development of Samurai Bugei and the Ryu tradition, where effective combat skills were taught with an adherence to Butoku (the virtue to stop violence). 

In Okinawa, martial arts evolved to a very high level among the royal families, who blended elements from both Chinese and Japanese traditions with their own indigenous arts of Te to develop powerful and effective striking and grappling skills. These skills were passed down by formidable Okinawan teachers from generation to generation over centuries.

Our students can trace a direct lineage to the ancient martial arts of Japan and Okinawa. Kiyojute Ryu Kempo Bugei preserves the rich history and philosophy of true martial arts through the lens of modern self-defense and a unified approach to training that integrates physical techniques, mental discipline, and spiritual growth.