The Budo Academy of Durham

The Budo Academy of Durham (B.A.D.) is a martial arts center that revives the traditional approach to martial arts and combines it with the social and scholarly mentoring necessary to ensure its students thrive and excel in their personal, academic, and professional aspirations.

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Despite popular belief, Karate is much more than “kicking and punching”. It is a comprehensive art that is filled with rich history, tradition, philosophy, and  spiritual aspects that many tend to overlook. According to Okinawans, Karate may be approached from two aspects, sports and “budo”. Approaching Karate from a “sports” aspect makes light of the true purpose of Budo, the way of the warrior:

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“Karate is budo, and if budo is removed, karate is reduced to no more than sports karate, show karate, or even fashion karate- the idea of training merely for show.” (Masutasu Oyama)

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“Okinawans recognize two kinds of karate. One is called sport Karate, the other is called Budo Karate. Budo Karate is commitment and dedication. In this case, the teacher has to pick those who want to learn true Karatedo. These individuals train hard and are mannerly in their ways. Real Budo Karate is about self-improvement…” (Ryuko Tomoyose)

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Naturally, as the body weakens and ages, the competiveness often associated with sports Karate dies out. We however, train in Budo, or in the way of the warrior. We, as Budoka, those who traverse upon the path of the warrior, believe that by rigorously training our bodies, we discipline our mind, and temper our spirit. Our goal, and the most important purpose of Karate, is to develop a balance within ourselves, so that we may express our true nature and become better beings.

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We pride ourselves on nurturing leaders and helping develop well-rounded scholars. Martial arts for centuries has served as an activity that promotes non-violent resolutions, teaches self-control, helps people develop discipline, tenacity, patience, humility, and courage. The characteristics will not only transfer over into the classroom, but it is our hope that our students will also become more focused and active members of their community by utilizing the skills and values that they learn from their martial arts training.

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