YODOKAN (Kyushindo) Philosophy

Kyushindo was an ancient and defunct Japanese religious philosophy which Abbe Kenshiro, Docho, came across during his academic studies whilst at the famous Budo Senmon Gakko, or 'Special Teacher Training College'. Upon his experience of Satori, or enlightenment, at the age of eighteen, he found this revelation to coincide with the old writings. From this idea he developed a new style of Judo, and two years later he became Grand Champion.

Upon graduating from the College, he spent the next twenty years in research and development of the principles, before declaring a new system. During this time he became a master, not only of Judo, but also Aikido, Kendo, Jukendo and various other traditional martial disciplines. Because of his fame as a Budo master, people have very naturally assumed Kyushindo to be a theory of martial discipline, but infact, martial discipline is only one application of Kyushindo.

The essence of Kyushindo cannot be understood by study of Budo alone, and this application is properly regarded as the first basic step in the progress of the student. The various techniques of traditional Budo create the ideal opportunity for study of Kyushindo principles in a basic form which is to be applied in everyday life. Extension of the various principles involved, and understanding of their numerous and varied applications, is the means whereby they are properly grasped. With total understanding of these principles, in the widest possible sense, the highest levels of Budo technique are achieved as a byproduct of progress. The very limited field of martial disciplines is too narrow an application to make the principles of Kyushindo dear and can be no more than the means employed to attain a far higher goal.

The theory of Kyushindo has application in any study or activity that can be named, simply because it does not deal with the 'form' and 'technique' of anything, but rather, with the fundamental principles which such forms' and 'techniques' represent. The principle may be likened to the hub of a wheel from which an infinite number of spokes or 'forms' radiate. The task of perfecting an art by the laborious process of studying each 'form' is doomed to failure because the possible variations are endless. By discovering the central principle, it can then be applied in any direction at will.

Kyushindo means in simple terms, ‘The Way of longing for knowledge of the fundamental nature of anything'.

KYU - To desire, or to search after something. The translation of 'Study' is partially correct,
but it lacks the stronger spirit of very deeply yearning towards a thing.

SHIN - Heart, mind, spirit, the essential essence of anything. In Kyushindo, the meaning of Shin is the true and fundamental nature, as opposed to the superficial appearance.

DO - A Way, or a path. Do is never used as the 'way' a thing is done but as a far reaching and all inclusive direction. Buddhism is thus termed Butsu Do, or the 'Way' of the Buddha.


It is this longing and desire to penetrate to the very heart of a thing which results in perfection of action due to complete unity with its underlying principle. Under this principle, to know any one thing in its absolute entirety is automatically to know all things, for everything stems from the same source and exists under the same order of behavior. The more one properly understands the workings of this principle in one application, so they more one is awakened to the nature of other things. This is the concept that formerly made the Japanese master of Budo automatically accepted as a Sage, for the study of martial discipline was reckoned to be one with deep study of life in all its various aspects.