Budokai charter

The Budokai exists to promote friendship and positive relationships within Budo. All member dojos are expected to embrace this idea and act appropriately towards each other at all times. As a large part of the function of the Budokai is to facilitate exchange with Budo dojos in Japan as well as within Christchurch, and especially with Christchurch's sister city, Kurashiki where possible. All member dojos are encouraged to participate in this wherever possible.

Exchanges are between New Zealand and Japanese Budo, so if your dojo is a legitimate practitioner of either, then you are welcome to join us

Purpose

  1. The Budokai is primarily to be a hub of like-minded Budo enthusiasts to form friendship between Budo enthusiasts in Christchurch and to be able to more fully participate in friendly exchange between other Budo dojos or groups when chances become available
  2. The Budokai's secondary purpose is to more easily facilitate relationships with Japanese dojos and to help with Sister City Budo relationships with Kurashiki in Japan where possible.

Principles

  1. The Budokai will not interfere in any member dojo’s practice and philosophy; it is for friendship and Budo exchange on a friendship level, not on a competition level or Renmei level.
  2. Relationships with other areas within New Zealand or in Japan may be pursued as a group if member dojos agree
  3. Relationships with Japanese Budo dojos will made and maintained for friendship, and positive intercultural relations. Accordingly, care should be taken by dojo sensei and instructors individually to:
    1. Maintain a separation between your governing body/bodies, both in New Zealand and in Japan, and the Budokai activities wherever necessary
    2. Ensure participating dojo members are appropriate to include in Budokai activities
  4. Sister city based relationships need to be endorsed and to some extent, overseen by the Christchurch-Kurashiki Sister City Committee and Kurashiki Shiyakusho.
  5. Reports and official communication - When visiting dojos or sensei in Kurashiki officially and unofficially if the visit has been set up through our sister city relationship, the KCC and The Christchurch-Kurashiki Sister City Committee would like to know about it so reports in some form need to be sent. - This is less of a control issue than a Reigi issue. It is polite and proper to acknowledge the facilitators, and the sensei in Kurashiki will feel much more comfortable if you do so.
  6. A representative from the Christchurch-Kurashiki Sister City committee, who may not necessarily be a member of any particular dojo, will facilitate exchanges and relationships between Christchurch dojos and Kurashiki

 Membership of the Budokai

  1. Membership should be open to any group which is involved in Japanese Budo, and New Zealand Budo that can participate in exchanges with Japan (Taiaha, etc).
  2. Membership is open to dojos, not to individual people and the Sensei of the dojo shall be the contact and representative to the Budokai.
  3. Legitimacy - dojos should have a strong claim to legitimacy - links to Japan, verifiable grades of sensei and/or instructors, practicing exactly the same art that exists legitimately in Japan and so on.
  4. A clear endpoint of exchange in Kurashiki is desirable, but only necessary for Budo that will be directly involved in sister city Budo exchanges. i.e. The same art, ryuha ,or sister art in the case of Maori Budo, existing in Kurashiki.
    1. Budo dojos that are legitimate but don’t have an exact match in Kurashiki may join the Budokai at the other members’ discretion, but will not be eligible to join sister city Budo exchanges
  5. The purpose for exchanges with Kurashiki must not be for self-profit or self-promotion and need to follow sister city principles
  6. Member dojos should be willing to be involved in helping people from other dojos and other arts where needed during official exchange events, etc
  7. Maintain open and honest communication. If something is not possible because of policy from a particular Renmei for example, then we should all know about this so we can deal with it appropriately and not cause unnecessary problems.
  8. No one member dojo or individual may speak for the others in the name of the Budokai, the mouthpiece of the Budokai should be the committee and they should only communicate what has been openly agreed on by the members of the Budokai. Neither the Committee or the KCC shall have any control over how Budokai members conduct their own training, set dojo policy, etc
  9. New dojos must be endorsed by all other existing member dojos before membership is granted
  10. Budokai membership is for dojos in Christchurch and Canterbury region only.