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Kancho Azuma holds the world ice break record.

What is KUDO?

Kudo is Japanese MMA. The fighting system, a mixed Budo sport comprising full contact punches, kicks, throwing, and submission techniques on the ground, but unlike western MMA, practised wearing the traditional uniform or Gi & incorporating the discipline and spiritual development of traditional Japanese Martial Arts including etiquette and ethics. 

Kudo has its origins in Kakuto Karate (Combat Karate), at its heart, it is a combination of Kyokushin and Judo, later enhanced with additional techniques from other arts, but it is not just a mixed fighting with emphasis on competition side. It is a life-long sport, system for youth education, method of self-defence and health maintenance for adults. Along with this elements it stresses the Reigi or respect and etiquette in its tradition. In this sense it is a Modern Budo that has already spread in more then 60 countries around the world.

One of the purposes of martial arts, especially BUDO (Judo, Karate-do, Kendo, Aikido, Kudo and so on) is to train the mind and body to become strong and utilise that strength for the improvement of our community. As is well known, the word Do in Budo means a way of life. Also it is a useful method of cultivating the youth who will contribute to the society through the tough times and events in their life. Some argue that education for the youth in the world is on the verge of decay. Budo is, we can dare to say, a vital tool to discipline and guide ourselves. So we have to evade being misunderstood about the value of Budo due to bad impression that mere martial arts are to give people as violence without philosophy.

Choosing this philosophical word KU (the same as Kara means a state of emptiness) 

This comes from the Buddhist Sutra: Shiki Soku Ze Ku, Ku Soku Ze Shiki. Meaning: Form becomes emptiness, emptiness becomes form. 

When a student is learning a new sequence they concentrate on the movements, involving themselves completely in the conscious attention to every detail. After many repetitions the student does not consciously think so much about the physical nature of the movements and become more natural. A master has done so many repetitions that its almost as if the sequence is doing it itself with no conscious thought. When it comes to fighting, the mind does not have to think about what kind of strategy in a time of crisis. The student who has trained rigorously to achieve this state will simply release as though the response comes before the attack. The master just seems to know what the opponent is going to do before they do it. The opponent can no longer successfully attack such a person, than they can punch the sky. It is impossible to attack emptiness. The state of Shiki Soku Ze Ku, Ku Soku Ze Shiki, is achieved. 

As our motto/idea, we name this Budo, KUDO

(KU) means three important philosophical concepts

1. Mujou kan

Impermanence. 

The Buddha taught that because all things within our lives and our world are constantly changing, it is important to remember that nothing is permanent. By maintaining awareness of this basic truth, we can let go of attachments and learn to relax into the continual flow of life.

According to the teachings of the Buddha, life is comparable to a river: a successive series of different moments, linked together to give the impression of one continuous flow. Life moves from cause to effect, one event to another, one state of existence to another, giving the impression that it is a continuous and unified movement, whereas in reality it is not.

The river of yesterday is not the same as the river of today. The river of this moment is not going to be the same as the river of the next moment. Life changes continuously.

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it,

move with it, and join the dance." - Alan Watts

A view of life/world as something transient and empty In other words, anything that has a shape be crushed or changed in its form someday. (Therefore it is no good for us to attached or obsessed by things)

2. Sougo izon

Interdependency. 

All things exist only because they depend on each other (Therefore one should not be self-righteousness, or self-conceited)