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Takeshin Sogo Budo
(Bamboo Spirit Comprehensive Martial Arts)
We describe the Takeshin Integrated Martial Ways as kakushin na densetsu no budo or "innovative traditional martial arts." Every custom and technique required in these arts are based on traditional Japanese martial arts, adapted for Western practitioners. TAKESHIN martial arts are divided into 3 sections:
GOKEN BUDO (hard-fist arts): Takeshin karate-do (based on Shotokan, Goju, Uechi, Shito, and Kamishin karate-do);
JUKEN BUDO (soft fist arts): Takeshin aiki-ju-jutsu (based on Daito, Kamishin, various styles of aikido and Kodokan judo);
SEIKEN BUDO (combined-fist arts): Takeshin Seiken Budo combines GOKEN and JUKEN and adds studies of self-defense from various ranges from bo (six-foot staff) to grappling. These studies are modified traditional and non-traditional studies which include non-projectile weaponry and empty hand technique.
Origins of BUSHIDO-KAI Kenkyukai and Takeshin Sogo Budo
BUSHIDO-KAI (Organization of the Way of the Warrior) was founded in 1970 as a martial arts school with an emphasis on the traditional Japanese arts of judo, ju-jutsu, and karate. In 1977, Tony ANNESI, one of the early members of BUSHIDO-KAI and now its head instructor, settled in to full time martial arts teaching. He had been trained in a number of martial arts and held black belts in judo, Kamishin aiki-ju-jutsu, Kamishin karate, and Shotokan karate.
In 1984, Sensei ANNESI was appointed Soke-dai (inheritor designate) of the Kamishin-ryu martial arts and of the Kamishin-kai International and received a ranking of rokudan (6th degree). Two years later, ANNESI had earned the honor-title of Shihan Renshi (master instructor) through the Kamishin-kai's honor credit system and his dojo BUSHIDO-KAI was appointed the Hombu Dojo (central school) of the style.
After rejuvenating a federation which had suffered from the loss of its founder (and Shihan ANNESI's teacher), Shihan Albert C. CHURCH, Jr., ANNESI felt that his ideas for moving the federation forward did not concur with the ideas of its leader, Catherine O. CHURCH, Shihan Albert CHURCH's wife and his successor. In order not to create a conflict, ANNESI resigned from the association of which he had been a part for 16 years.
Former students petitioned Shihan ANNESI to form a new group so that they might continue to study under him and earn rank following the curricula and standards of his organization. After more than a year of consideration, ANNESI founded BUSHIDO-KAI KENKYUKAI (Way of the Warrior Organization Research Society) and the TAKESHIN SOGO BUDO (Bamboo Spirit Comprehensive Martial Ways).
BUSHIDO-KAI Kenkyukai
A kenkyukai is an organization for the research and development of martial arts as contrasted to a shinkokai which is an organization dedicated to the preservation of classical martial arts.
As the name implies, this research organization is based on study done at BUSHIDO-KAI which serves as its hombu dojo.
Takeshin Sogo Budo
The TAKESHIN martial arts are a dai-sagari (branch development) of a number of the styles which Shihan ANNESI has studied, especially KAMISHIN-RYU and SHOTOKAN. It is a garyu or personal style and claims no historical inheritance beyond its connection with its root styles and arts.
The term sogo budo (comprehensive martial way) was chosen to emphasize a simultaneously traditional and open philosophy of the martial arts. TAKESHIN martial arts are Japanese in origin with an historical influence from both Okinawa and China, but since martial knowledge is not relegated to one ethnic lineage, the TAKESHIN martial arts are open to concepts taught in other martial arts regardless of origin. After sufficient research and experimentation, TAKESHIN techniques may be influenced by or even replaced by improved methods. Traditional format and basic principles, however will remain unaltered. TAKESHIN is a traditional rather than a classical martial art. Although it is careful to honor and preserve the past, it does not ignore or discard scientifically developed and/or proven innovative practices.
The word TAKESHIN was chosen because the richness of implications of these words in Japanese. Japanese words are written in kanji or Chinese ideographs which often have similar or identical pronunciations. Thus TAKE can mean Bamboo or Martial (another pronunciation of the BU in BUSHIDO-KAI.) This pronunciation simultaneously honors Sokaku TAKEDA of the DAITO-RYU whose family name means "Martial Field" and Albert CHURCH whose Japanized given name was TAKASHI (Noble One).
What follows is a list of alternate meanings for the pronunciation TAKE:
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Takeshin (Bamboo Spirit) Kanji
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TAKE (BU)- martial
TAKE- bamboo
TAKE- height, stature
TAKE- a mountain peak
...with a slight change of dialectical pronunciation, one also achieve these interesting word-plays:
TAKEI- multiformity
TAKA- a hawk
TAKAI- tall, noble.
SHIN- is normally translated as Heart or Spirit, but it too has other meanings:
SHIN (KAMI)- a god
SHIN- a subject, vassal
SHIN- heart, mind, spirit
SHIN- truth
SHIN- faith, fidelity, trust
SHIN (ATARASHI)- newness, novelty.
Thus in using the word, one honors the style's KAMISHIN roots as well as suggesting novelty and fidelity at the same time.
Taken together TAKE-SHIN can be translated as BU-SHI, thus linking it to its original place of development, BUSHIDO-KAI.
The Spirit of the Bamboo suggests both strength and flexibility, both hardness on the outside and softness on the inside, both the newness of natural growth, and the resiliency of the harvested stalk, both beauty and utility.
The richness of meanings is suggested by matching translations from each of the two lists.