DAIDO JUKU

Takashi Azuma and design of Daido juku. One of the fundamental precepts of Daidojuku was the creation of a realistic and versatile fighting style that encompassed effective offensive and defensive techniques, including punches to the head, elbows, headbutts, throws and joint locks of judo combined with other ground fighting techniques. Azuma's early development of a martial art was initially a hybrid of Kyokushin karate and judo. Kyokushin was the basis, however, the regulations have changed drastically. The style would not have been limited by the limitations of a single style, but would have used techniques from different martial arts, not just the initial mix of judo and karate. Later in the 1980s and 1990s, this style began to include several martial arts techniques such as boxing, Muay Thai, jujitsu, wrestling, and others all merged into the style of Daidojuku. Protective clothing was introduced, which allowed hand-to-head techniques and provided sufficient protection to the head during kicking techniques.

First Daido juku and Kakutō karate


The Daido Juku organization became operational on February 17, 1981. The first dojo was opened in Miyagi Prefecture under the name "Karate-do Daidojuku". The house martial arts style was also known as Kakutō karate (格闘空手, eng. Fighting Karate ) and/or Combat Karate Daidojuku. In the same year, Daidojuku alumni made their competitive debut at the "1981 Hokutoki Karate Championships". Daidojuku played a role in the martial arts boom of the late 80s and early 90s in Japan, being one of the few mixed martial arts organizations in the martial arts industry at the time. He is credited with helping K-1 and U-series promotions reach the Japanese mainstream. Minoki Ichihara was a Kakuto karate practitioner from Daidojuku who fought in UFC 2, being the first Japanese fighter to participate in the UFC at a time when Japanese martial arts organizations were reluctant to take on the UFC's challenge. However, Ichihara would lose to Royce Gracie. In the 1990s, Daidojuku organized kickboxing events known as THE WARS, which centered on the "gloved" rules of full-contact karate, and showcased Daido juku's best talents. [6] In the media, many voices were waiting for the dream confrontation between Kenichi Osada, who was Daido Juku's ace, and Masaaki SatakedeSeidokaikan. Athletes belonging to Daido Juku were featured on the covers of various martial arts magazines, and in the martial arts world at that time, Daidojuku and Seidokaikan were at the forefront of Japanese martial arts. In 1995, the name of the association "Karate Do Daidojuku" became "Kakuto Karate International Federation Daidojuku" (KKIF).

Kudo, the new direction and the present Starting in the mid-1990s, Daidojuku would move away from media-centric promotion and return to the initial course of developing the "safe but practical" style that Daido Juku had been aiming for since its inception. In 2001, Takashi Azuma, founder and president of daidojuku, held an official press conference where he announced that the style promoted by daidojuku would henceforth be called Kudo, thus becoming his own martial art. The relationship between the Daido Juku school and kudo is similar to that between the kodokan school and lejudo. In the same year, Daidojuku launched the first world championship competition with great success, launching Kudo on the international stage. Based on the philosophy of budō, Kudo is fully expanded in the world and all its instructors and leaders are certified and registered with the International Kudo Federation, also known as KIF . It is a unique combat organization in terms of activity objectives as a social and physical education organization, as with the support of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. On April 3, 2021, Azuma passed away from stomach cancer, leaving Kenichi Osada as president of Daido Juku.

Exchange with other organizations

In the 1990s, Daidojuku exchanged talents with many martial arts organizations, until he ceased activity after the conception of Kudo. In the 1990s, Daidojuku had agreements with Submission Arts Wrestling (SAW), and after that, he interacted with entities of Wushu, Sanshou, Aikido SA, Paraestra and Hatenkai. In addition, some Daidojuku fighters would go and fight in other martial arts organizations, such as RISE, etc. Kudo has more than 100 locations in Japan and is practiced in more than 50 countries around the world.