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Why Sō-Budō Kumite™, and why now?
October 28, 2026|by Jin Sei Ryu
Yesterday morning, during one of my international online classes, I was asked a thoughtful question: “Why Sō-Budō Kumite™, and why now?”
The truth is, I have been thinking about this fighting concept for more than 20 years. More recently, discussions with my good friend and Budō brother, Kaicho Grant Campbell, inspired me to think more deeply about kumite, not simply as competition, but as an approach to training, learning and personal development.
Since founding Jin Sei Ryū Karate-Dō in 2019, I have spent considerable time examining and refining almost every aspect of our martial arts practice.
We have dissected our basic techniques, deepened our understanding of self-defence, created new kata, introduced additional weapons techniques, and further developed our philosophy and themes for personal growth.
Throughout this journey, our intention has remained consistent: to explore, innovate and create meaningful opportunities for our students to learn and grow, while remaining true to the principles of traditional Budō.
I eventually realised that there was one area we had not explored to the same extent: our approach to kumite.
As the founder of Jin Sei Ryū Karate-Dō, I felt a responsibility to explore this aspect of our practice with the same curiosity, care and commitment that we have brought to everything else.
And so, Sō-Budō Kumite™ began to take shape.
We hope to create new opportunities for Jin Sei Ryū Karate-Dō members and other martial artists to broaden their knowledge, develop their skills and learn from one another.
I recognise that Sō-Budō Kumite™ may not be for everyone, and that is perfectly fine. It is not intended to replace our existing training methods, including our current approach to sparring.
Rather, it offers another pathway for those who wish to explore their techniques and deepen their knowledge safely and with care.
We are still at the beginning of this journey. Through grassroots study groups, collaboration and shared experiences, I hope we can continue to learn, refine and develop this approach together.
Osu!
