KajuKido™ Philosophy

KajuKido™ is a newly-created, hybrid Martial Art that is based on two very diverse Martial Art Forms:  Kajukenbo and Aikido. Both Kajukenbo and Aikido provide invaluable perspective and insight into Martial Arts, but they do so in markedly different ways, emphasizing significantly different aspects of the Martial Art experience.  Blending these two Martial Art Forms into one Martial Art System provides its practitioners with a rare opportunity to develop a Martial Art skill set in KajuKido that transcends what might be gained from the study of either one of these Forms alone.    

Mindfulness is a fundamental aspect of KajuKido. In fact, it is a key component of any Martial Art, an absolutely essential characteristic of any skilled Martial Artist, as well as a vital aspect of an optimally functioning, healthy human being. Engaging in a Martial Art provides a rich opportunity for the development of Mindfulness.  Let me explain. 

When encountering conflict, we react reflexively, instinctually, and those reactions are both immediate and predictable. Despite the overwhelming unconsciousness that governs most of my thoughts in a conflictual situation, what I am actually thinking is exposed in my actions–through such things as my posture, fluidity, and balance. They are also exposed in how I relate to an Opponent, through such things as the physical distance that I maintain from him, the degree of hardness or softness that I employ, and my reliance on strength or force in the execution of my techniques. Elements such as these are focused on in KajuKido as a means of raising Awareness. The Mindfulness obtained in doing so greatly increases the level of any Martial Artist’s skill. 

Roots … Kajukenbo & Aikido:

Kajukenbo originated in the late 1940s as a “Self Defense System,” in response to the violence occurring in the the Hawaiian islands at that time.  It was an attempt to blend the contributions of four different Martial Art Forms:  Karate, Judo/Jujutsu, Kempo, and Chuan Fa Gung Fu.  The result was the creation of a single, clearly superior Martial Art Form. Its contribution to KajuKido is the breadth of Martial Art information that Kajukenbo provides.  

Aikido was created in the late 1920s. Its founder, having studied a variety of Martial Art Forms over a number of years, discovered key principles which explained to him how certain forces in the universe operate and interact, such as Yin and Yang. He concluded that it is these principles that account for the effectiveness or power that any Martial Art Form contains. In a sense, Aikido is as much a philosophy as it is a body of Martial Art techniques.

The “Kaju” in KajuKido stands for Kajukenbo. This Martial Art Form is studied in KajuKido because it provides a very solid introduction to understanding the fundamentals of Martial Arts in general: kicking, punching, blocking, rolls, break falls, footwork, throws, pins, etc.  Kajukenbo has a vast array of techniques that prepare its practitioners to deal with a variety of conflictual situations. No one other Martial Art Form quite compares with what Kajukenbo has to offer.  

The “Kido” in KajuKido stands for Aikido. Aikido is studied in KajuKido to address the more subtle aspects of Martial Arts. That would include both the “interior world” of a practitioner, as well as how that practitioner relates to the “outside world.”  In Aikido, the practitioner learns to operate out of his Center, stay in balance, and blend and redirect force.  Operating with concepts such as these in mind greatly enhance the practice of a Martial Art, and are core to the study of KajuKido.

In conclusion, KajuKido offers its practitioners the “best of both worlds.”  It is the result of having integrated the fundamentals from Kajukenbo and the philosophy of Aikido.   What it offers is a greatly enriched Martial Art experience … one that is much more effective, as well as one that also introduces a somewhat novel feature to Martial Arts … effortlessness.