Nippon Budō Seishin-Kan

For decades, the Japanese word "budō" has been erroneously translated as "martial arts" in English. Budō (武道) has a much different meaning in Japanese than "martial arts" has in English, so the distinction between the two terms is an important one.  The "bu" (武) in budō means to stop or prevent combat, and the dō (道) means "Way of Life" in an all-encompassing and deeply philosophical context.  Thus, budō is a lifestyle in which its followers (budōka who should rightfully be called peacemakers; not "warriors") devote themselves to avoiding conflict whenever possible, engaging in actual combat only when the opponent is the wrongful aggressor and affords no alternative,  then finishing the battle in a manner that renders the aggressor incapable of further attacks.  Budō is not a sport!  Nor is it a method for street fights, bar room brawls, or schoolyard scuffles.  The techniques in budō are designed to kill, cripple, or permanently maim an opponent in a life-or-death situation, and used exclusively to preserve or restore peace. 

Conversely, "martial" means "military".  Martial arts are therefore military arts—arts of war, which are as readily arts of aggression, assault, and conquest as of defence.  On the surface they may appear similar, but the differences are more than merely semantic or philosophical.  There are no attacking technique in budō; only counter-attacking techniques, and their success is wholely dependant upon the opponent being the aggressor.

This is why you will rarely hear or see us speaking of "martial arts" at the Seishin-Kan, except when describing actual military arts or referring to combative arts irrespective of their purpose.  Instead, you will read and hear us speaking of budō (the Way of Life of peacemaking) and budōka (peacemakers) in reference to the arts we teach.  If you are looking for a place to learn how to street fight, this isn't it.  Violence is the last resort for a budōka.   And if violence erupts, the budōka doesn't engage in it, but instead ends it ... often permanently. 

And if you are looking for a combative sport, and a dōjō that frequently participates in karate tournaments, this probably isn't the dōjō for you, either.  Although we occasionally participate in combative sports for their training value, it is only a minor and infrequent aspect of our training.

The Seishin-Kan recently established a legacy website for the Jikishin-Kai International (JKI).  The purpose of the website and of reserving the tradename "Jikishin-Kai International" with the Secretary of State is to preverse the heritage of Pellman Shihan's primary sensei, Shimabukuro Masayuki Hanshi. In the aftermath of Shimabukuro Hanshi's premature death in 2012 and because she is returning to Japan to care for her ailing mother, Hanshi's widow had allowed the original tradename and website to lapse, making it available for anyone to use, so Pellman Shihan re-established the name and website in order to preserve it for the exclusive use of former senior students.  Additional information and details can be found at the new JKI website.

Discussions are currently ongoing among many of Hanshi's former students to determine how best to preserve and promote Hanshi's legacy, particularly Shimabukuro-Ha Shitō-Ryū karate-dō for future generations.

Earlier this year the Seishin-Kan became a charter Exclusive Member of Black Business San Antonio (BBSA), an organisation that provides a platform for local business owners to increase their exposure to the local community, improve their business knowledge and skills through education and training programmes, and gain access to resources and support for growth. 

Since one of the major goals of the Seishin-Kan is to provide instruction in classical budō to people who might otherwise never have the opportunity to train in those arts, BBSA membership is both a vital link to an underserved sector of San Antonio as well as serving as a source of inspiration, support, and personal growth for the dōjō leaders.

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