REGULATION OF THE

INTERNATIONAL

BUDO RYU ACADEMY

Issue 2017

LEXICON PREMISE

In order to ease communication within the Academy, readers are recommended to spot standard

words presenting uppercase first letters, which are hereby adopted as per the meanings settled

by this Regulation.

Article 1 - ACADEMY STATUS AND OFFICES

International Budo Ryu Academy (hereinafter also as “IBA” or “Academy”) is a no-profit

Organization operating on international scale in promoting Japanese Martial Arts research and

widespreading.

IBA is primarily focused on supporting RYU-HA schools (recognized by ancient Japanese KO-

RYU schools) and other valuable organizations concurring to IBA goals.

Martial artists committed to teaching and research in Japanese styles, who are respectful towards

Budo values and tradition, can join the IBA on a cooptation scheme. Thus, enrollment requires

prior introduction, reference and endorsement by an Active Member.

Article 2 - GOALS AND VALUES

The International Budo Ryu Academy is primarily focused on supporting RYU-HA schools

(recognized by ancient Japanese KO-RYU schools) and other valuable organizations concurring

to IBA goals.

IBA is engaged in raising awareness on Budo by organizing events related to traditional Japanese

Martial Arts for members, amateurs and sympathizers, such as training sessions, seminars,

summits, conferences and any kind of suitable cultural activities.

Martial artists committed to teaching and research in Japanese styles, who are respectful towards

Budo values and tradition, can join the IBA on a cooptation scheme. Thus, enrollment requires prior

introduction, reference and endorsement by an Active Member.

The Academy promotes and ensures the compliance with the ethical principles of Budo,

antagonizing all forms of violence and discrimination. IBA recognizes the Statute of Budo,

approved in 1987 on April 23rd by the Nippon Budo Kyugikai, as its binding charta, which,

besides standing as a settled body of rules, was also meant to provide the Western world with a

genuine, coherent and explanatory manifesto upon the spirit of Budo.

The six core values from the Statute of Budo inspiring IBA activities can be outlined as follows.

“Purpose”: Primarily, Budo aims to build valuable individuals by perfecting their personality and

enhancing their awareness, through the tenacious training and deep commitment arising from

Martial Arts practice, which involves spirit, technique and body. Therefore, Budo’s significant

contribution in ameliorating society, through sage individuals, arises as an equally important

side-role.

“Practice”: Meaningful practice is the relentless and consistent training of spirit, technique and

body considered holistically as a whole. Proper practice must comply with etiquette and

fundamental principles of Budo. While raising the spirit, refining the technique and strengthening

the body, genuine practitioners never seek for mere fighting skills, they rather keep sensitive

minds and open hearts towards Martial Arts’ deep significance.

“Competition”: On competition occasions and during public performances, keeping the best

endeavors in the spirit of Budo is essential. Emotional balance, ethical restraint and self-control are

the keys to prevent arrogance and self-conceit in case of victory, as well as regret and self-blame in

case of defeat. In this line of mindset, rationality must be observed by practitioners through daily-

life confrontations as well, for adequate and proportionate responses to be ensured towards

personal accidents and life hardships.

“Dojo”: The dojo must be regarded beyond its nature of physical environment, inasmuch as it is a

social gathering grounded on virtues, which is of great importance in practitioners’ lives. Hence,

the Dojo hereby arises as a Budo core value. Since the Dojo is place for growing spirit, technique

and body, its solemnity must be preserved through silence, cleanliness, safety, etiquette, well-

hearted attitude and, generally, through wise behavior.

“Teaching”: Masters must sincerely commit to martial quality-education taking care of students’

development in ethics and personality, asides from all cultural and technical aspects not to be

neglected. Masters are responsible for the technical improvement of every student, thus they must

pay attention to individuals’ features and needs regardless of competition logics. In this respect,

masters must avoid treating students differently, as well as they must refrain themselves and

prevent students from unduly acts of grandstanding. In order to consistently measure up with the

sensei traditional role model, masters must be devoted to loyalty and manners, be objective in

judgement and, moreover, mind wording.

“Spreading”: Conveying traditional principles and emphasizing ethical values have prominent

importance in promoting Budo, since morals, for the sake of legacy, are inherently addressed to

future generations. Given this fundamental premise, Martial Arts spreading must, furthermore,

be inspired and driven by accurate research and life-long learning. At IBA, martial research is

conceived as rediscovery, preservation and consolidation of traditional techniques, to be

pursued from the pivotal perspective of situational adaptability.

Both legal and management are settled in Italy.

Main e-mail address: internationalbudoryuacademy@gmail.com

Article 3 - MEMBERSHIP CLASSES AND ENROLLMENT

The number of potential Members is unlimited. Both Grand Masters (Soke or Shihanke) and

black-belt martial artists can apply for IBA membership, as they are all welcomed to give their

contribution for the achievement of IBA’s purposes.

IBA Members are divided in four Membership Classes: Founder, Ordinary, Supporter and Honorary.

All these Members classes are bound to abide by this Regulation and any Resolution approved by

the Assembly of Members and the Board Directors. The elections for the Board of Directors

renewal are held every six years. Founders and Ordinary Members under Category A have right to

vote at the Assembly of Members for electing the Board of Directors.

Founder Members are those who contributed in the foundation of the Academy. They have right of

vote at the Assembly of Members and can repeatedly and indefinitely run in elections for the Board

of Directors.

Ordinary Members are divided into two Categories (A and B).

Category A is those of Grand Masters (Soke or Shihanke) who lead schools or founded a martial

style or system. Those Members can attend any IBA events all over the world and any Assembly.

After three years of Active Membership, meant as actual and consistent participation, these

Members acquire election rights on the ground of Seniority, thus they turn entitled for voting

at the Assembly of Members and running for the Board of Directors.

Category B includes black belts who had been endorsed by an Active Member. These Members

can attend all IBA events and Assembly Meetings. They have no right to vote and cannot run for

directive roles.

Ordinary Members (both A and B) pay the annual Membership Fee.

Supporting Members are Far-East Culture and Martial Arts lovers making an annual voluntary

Donation to support the Academy. These Members can attend all IBA events and Assembly

Meetings. They have no right to vote and cannot run for directive roles. Supporting Members

do not pay the annual Membership Fee.

Honorary Members are people awarded with a special Membership for their remarkable

contribution (direct or indirect, current or past) to IBA development in Italy or abroad (e.g.:

masters who commendably preserved Japanese Martial Arts). These Members can attend all the

events organized by the Academy and any Assembly Meeting. They have no right to vote for the

Board of Directors and cannot run for directive roles. Honorary Members are exempted from the

annual Membership Fee.

Article 4 - ADMISSION CRITERIA, EXPULSION AND WITHDRAWAL

In order to be admitted at IBA, applicants are required to be introduced, referenced and endorsed

by an Active Member, and, of course, to submit the Application Form (filled and undersigned)

integrated with evidential documents in attachments. Ordinary Members pay the annual Fee

established for the ongoing year of enrollment.

Membership Renewals must be accomplished within set deadlines. Failure in renewal clears

the Membership Seniority acquired hitherto and entitles the Board of Directors to question the

readmission.

Membership is revoked on the following grounds: failure in annual Renewal, Expulsion,

Withdrawal or Decease.

By mean of majority Resolution issued by the Board of Directors, Members are expelled on the

following grounds: gross misconduct in open contrast with IBA “Mission & Values”, breach of

this Regulation or infringement towards Resolutions, conscious and intentional harm inflicted to

IBA reputation, unlawful damage caused to IBA property or finances.

MEMBERSHIP IMPLICATIONS

By submitting an Application, prospective Members acknowledge, agree and accede the terms of this

Regulation entirely. Moreover, applicants accept the decisions over them taken by Hombu-Ha

(i.e. the main office) as compulsory.

Once enrolled, each Member will be provided with a personal Membership Card.

Membership Cards expire in 12 months. Membership renewals must occur prior Card expiry date.

All Members are allowed (and welcome) to attend any IBA events.

On enrollment, Members are intended to acknowledge their privacy rights under Italian Law, as

stated by Legislative Decree no. 196/2003, and grant consensus to IBA for processing their personal

data.

Article 5 - BELT RANKS RECOGNITION

IBA does not grant Membership to gyms, dojos, organizations or federations, whereas individuals,

such as Grand Masters and black belts from 1st Dan onforth, can be enrolled as Members upon

prior introduction, reference and endorsement from an Active Member. Applications are

evaluated by the President Office, which incontestably decides over admissions.

In order to be qualified as a Soke within IBA, any Grand Master who founded a school or a martial

system is required to provide documental evidence of the appointment as a Ryu-Ha by a

Japanese Ko-Ryu.

In case such evidentiary documents are unavailable, Grand Masters can still apply at IBA for the

Shihanke Qualification, upon prior provision of documents, stating their school-founder or style-

founder statuses, issued by federations or organizations recognized by IBA.

Grand-master applicants are also required to provide a curriculum vitae outlining their career

in Martial Arts.

The minimum age for Gran Masters qualifications at IBA (Soke or Shihanke) is 40.

Black-belt martial artists (both Yudansha and Kodansha) applying for IBA Membership are

required to prove their Rank by attaching federal documents to the Application Form.

Grand-master Members are provided with the Soke/Shihanke IBA International Certificate and

with the IBA International Membership Card mentioning the grand-master Qualification. These

Members are also supplied with a Keikogi (the IBA specific uniform for Grand Masters) and an Obi

(the IBA specific belt for Grand Masters), which differ whether Soke or Shihanke.

Kodansha and Yudansha Members are provided with the IBA International Membership Card

mentioning their Rank. They are also supplied with a Mon (the IBA patch) to be sewed on their

Keikogi. These Members can order, as a further supply, an IBA International Diploma stating their

Rank and an IBA official Keikogi.

Article 6 - SOKE AND SHIHANKE

“Soke” (宗家) stands for “leader”, “chief” or “grand master”. Although the word also stands for

“school leader” or “style founder” generically, its original meaning specifically refers to the

sole legitimate heir of an ancient Ko-Ryu.

A Soke is generally considered as the highest authority within a Martial Arts style, with

unquestioned discretion in deciding over promotions, ranking system, teaching syllabus,

doctrine matters and disciplinary measures.

Soke Grand Masters are entitled to issue Menkyo certifications to whom achieved proficiency in

the art. Some schools, such as Kashima Shinryu and Sankaku-Ryu, provide a grand-master

Qualification lower than Soke: the Shihanke (師範家), literally "master lineage", whose role is very

similar to those of Soke.

A Shihanke is responsible for the teaching quality in a school.

IBA can qualify as Shihanke the Grand Masters who received no official recognition for their

school by any Japanese Ko-Ryu.

The word “Ryu” dates back to feudal times, when it used to mean the training institution settled

by clans for teaching Martial Arts to their samurai warriors.

Nowadays, “Ryu” (流) stands for "school" or "style" (also meant theoretically as “way of

thinking”) and the word is adopted in naming by many Martial Arts schools and styles.

Many Japanese words have wide meanings and several translations, “Ryu” is no exemption since

it also stands for “flowing river”. This latter meaning is just apparently unrelated to “school” and

“style” concepts, inasmuch as the flowing river figuratively represents martial knowledge evolving

continuously while being handed down throughout generations.

Ryu-Ha schools are not universally appointed or classified. Any Ryu-Ha has its own style, syllabus,

ranking system and certification scheme. There is no objective conformity in Ranks among

different Ryu-Ha schools, hence high-ranked artists may not be considered as such by different

schools or in other styles.

Article 7 – KEIKOGI (UNIFORM)

The Keikogi (稽古着) is the training uniform used in Japanese martial Arts. The word literally

means “training uniform” (“keiko” stands for “practice”, “gi” for "suit").

Article 8 - MON (i.e. EMBLEM)

Mon (紋), a.k.a. Monsho (紋章), are Japanese heraldry emblems, alike European coats of arms,

decorating garments or environments to identify individuals, families or a Ryu. Their use arguably dates

back to 1185 (鎌倉 時代 Kamakura-Jidai) and samurai clans used to stand out on battlefields by

recognizable Mon eversince. Generally, Mon emblems appear as stylized and symbolic drawings

inscribed into geometric shapes. The IBA Mon consists of six flower petals epitomizing the

aforementioned Budo core values: Purpose, Practice, Competition, Dojo, Education and Spreading.

Article 9 - MEMBERS’ QUALIFICATION

Each IBA Member falls under one of the following Qualifications:

Soke: Grand Masters of Ryu-Ha schools appointed by a Japanaese Ko-Ryu school;

Shihanke: Grand Masters certified by federations or organizations recognized by IBA;

Kodansha: Black-belt martial artists, from 5th to 10th Dan, certified in Rank by federations or

organizations recognized by IBA;

Yudansha: Black-belt martial artists, from 1st to 4th Dan, certified in Rank by federations or

organizations recognized by IBA.

Article 10 - MISCONDUCTS, DISPUTES, FORMER MEMBERS AND REGULATION REFORM

In case of gross misconduct turning harmful to IBA’s reputation, the Boards of Directors in

entitled to suspend or revoke the Memberships of those held responsible, with no regard to their

position at IBA, whether in didactics, management or planning roles.

Any dispute or controversy outbroken among Members shall be dealt and solved internally

within IBA.

Former Members, who left in consequence of a spontaneous Withdrawal or an Expulsion

Resolution, are no longer allowed to exhibit the Logo and the Motto Graphics, nor any Mark and

text related to IBA, as well as they are forbidden to boast in all forms of communication whatsoever

role held at IBA.

Any breach of the latter clause will be legally persecuted.

This Regulation stays into force as binding in its current version until Reform.

The Board of Directors is the only entity within IBA entitled for Regulation Reform. In considering

Reform, the Board shall hold in high regard proposals and contributions from Members, as well as

any need they may claim or supervening circumstance they may point out.

Whether a new Regulation is approved, IBA shall officially release it at the end of the Operating

Year (i.e. August 31st). Exceptionally, in order to cope with potential urgencies, a new Regulation

may immediately come into force upon prior Resolution by the Board of Directors. Even so, the

official release would be however postponed to the end of the Operating Year for conclusive

ratification, hence the Board would use reasonable efforts in ensuring Members’ acknowledgment

of the occurred Reform.