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[Photo:two kenshi, dressed in hoi, perform gassho rei to each other.] [Photo:Mizuno sensei, head of the British Shorinji Kempo Federation, pins another kenshi to the floor.] [Photo:two kenshi, dressed in hoi, performing a juho technique.] [Photo:Mizuno sensei, head of the British Shorinji Kempo Federation, throwing someone while simultaneously blocking a kick from another kenshi.]
Calligraphy, which reads "half for your own happiness, half for the happiness of others"

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Budo for Peace Festival

Written by Sam Majed sensei.

As part of the organizing committee, it was particularly amazing and fulfilling to watch the students grow in spirit over the training period.

[Photo: A group of children performing a Karate kata.]

Everyday, the students got up early for Tai Chi practice before breakfast. The morning session consisted of various Budo training under remarkable instructors, and the afternoon session consisted of light exercise and bonding activities.

Through the practice of various Budo, students were able to break barriers of prejudice and overcome fear of stereotyped images of “the enemy”.

The Founder of the Budo for Peace organization, Danny Hakim, Karate 6 Dan, emphasized the point that in Budo, the opponent is not called our enemy, but rather our partner. Using this as a base, children were able to cooperate and develop both their physical and mental skills.

Personally, the project revolved around two issues:
1. Individual development in terms of manners and technical ability.
2. Group development; cooperation and mental flexibility.

1. Individual development:
Due to the social conditions in third world countries, we can imagine the lack of discipline that many children face. But abiding by Budo rituals in the Dojo and gradually taking these rituals outside the Dojo, the students developed habits of respecting their teachers, and each other. Also, the sincerity in practice was somehow taken to each and every activity leading to their self respect.

[Photo: A man being thrown as two people watch.]

2. Group development:
One great way of getting students to cooperate is what we call in Shorinji Kempo “Kumi Embu”. Students paired up, and practiced two techniques and were then asked to practice it as an Embu. The level of cooperation was so high that two kids who had had a fight on the first night were able to pair up and perform an Embu on the third day. This cooperation was so visible in all Budo due to the connection made via physical contact. Children were able to overcome their fears due to the existence of a safe environment (the Dojo). This feeling of security grew due to the bonds built via Budo practice, and was therefore present even outside the Dojo.

During some of the bonding activities, the children were asked to speak about touching issues that affects them directly due to conflict/war in their home countries. Plenty of issues were clarified in the sense that children were able to freely exchange points of views, without blaming each other, but they all reached the agreement that although they all fall on different sides geographically, they were all essentially on the same side.

The children, aged 9 – 15, have all been practicing Budo for at least two years. I feel that this event had a great impact not only on the children, but also on the adults, most of them actually thought that they were alone in trying to achieve world peace via the practice of Budo, and were overwhelmed by the reception of people who they had not met until the event.

[Photo: 3 children talking together outside.]

What has this achieved? This event was only a pilot project; there are plenty of improvements that could be made, and the children are not likely to remember all they learnt during the seminar, but they will remember some. Nevertheless, the event provided hope for the future. The fact that children and adults from many countries in conflict, who have different backgrounds, religions, political beliefs, cultures and opposite ways of thinking, coincide in harmony through the practice of Budo, provides hope for us all.

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