IWU Budokai

Purpose

provides participants the opportunity to learn and practice a variety of classical martial arts in a Christian environment:

Karate (the Okinawan art of unarmed self-defense)
Okinawa Kobujutsu (the Okinawan art of using common household items for self-defense), including:

Bo (6-foot wooden staff)

Sai (3-pronged metal truncheon)

Tonfa (grinding-wheel handle)

Kama (sickles)

Nunchaku (flail)

Eku (Okinawan narrow-bladed oar)

(self-defense with the samurai sword)
Jojutsu (self-defense against the samurai sword with a 4-foot stick)
Kenjutsu (samurai sword combat)
Aiki-Jujutsu (samurai art of unarmed self-defense)

All of these arts are considered budo (Way of peace-making), rather than heiho (methods of warfare), which is why we named our club the IWU Budokai (“IWU Peacemaker’s Club”) in the spirit of our theme verse, Matthew 5:9: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Membership Requirements

Membership is open to all CAS students, faculty and staff of Indiana Wesleyan University. All participants must be age 13 or older, since they will be training primarily with college students and adults.

Training Schedule

With the exception of holidays and school breaks, our training schedule is:

First-time guests and visitors are always welcome. Students are not expected to attend every training session. We offer three training opportunities per week for each of the arts we teach, to provide students with scheduling flexibility so they can hopefully average two or three workouts per week.

Costs

Participation costs are kept to a minimum through various fund-raising activities. The only immediate cost upon joining is the annual membership fee for the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States (AAU), which is $27.00 for adults or $14.00 for those under age 21.

The other costs involved are primarily for uniforms and equipment are:

We ask that you purchase a uniform within your first 30 days of membership. We have a limited supply of loaner weapons (bo and bokken only) for use until you can purchase your own. After your first 3 or 4 months in the club, if you train in all the arts we teach, you can figure that it will cost about $40.00 to $50.00 every three months for new equipment or uniform upgrades. If you want national or global registration of any rank you attain, then you will also need to join the appropriate governing organizations for those arts – usually about $25.00 per year for each organization (Jikishin-Kai International, Kokusai Nippon Budo Kai, etc.).

Tournament Competition

The AAU and other organizations with which the club is affiliated provide several opportunities each year to compete in martial arts tournaments. Competition is not required of club members, but is encouraged as an occasional training supplement for intermediate and advanced students. Typical tournament entry fees are around $50.00.

Each year the club holds its own Taikai, which is a combination of a tournament and public exhibition. This provides our participants with one opportunity to compete or perform in public without any entry fee.

Facebook Group

The IWU Budokai has a Facebook group, which is used as our primary means of providing club members with information and notifications about the club’s activities.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes

The IWU Budokai is affiliated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), as the first-ever campus “huddle” in the FCA’s martial arts program. As a result, the Budokai is deeply involved in the development of the FCA’s martial arts curriculum and activities. This affiliation provides our members with opportunities for fellowship with other Christian martial artists, as well as outreach opportunities to the Grant County community.

Self-Defense Workshops

As one of its ministries to the campus community, the IWU Budokai offers self-defense workshops for the women’s residence halls on campus several times per year. Budokai members are encouraged to participate in this ministry, as statistics show that 1 out of 4 women are victims of assault during their lifetime.

Resources

Constitution