The United Kingdom's premier governing body for all martial arts including Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Southeast Asian and European. The UKBF began as IMAF GB, previously the British representative of Kokusai Budoin, Japan (founded 1952)
UKBF's largest member is The Empire Martial Arts Association (TEMAA).
Contact: Simon Keegan
Director
United Kingdom Budo Federation
For information on joining email:
kaicho@runbox.com
Visit the UKBF website:
http://.UKBudo.weebly.com
UKBF History
IMAF, known in Japan as Kokusai Budoin was founded in 1952 in the tradition of the pre-war Dai Nippon Butokukai.
The UKBF began in 2005 as the result of a schism between two factions of the International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF).
IMAF came to include among its ranks masters like Mifune (Judo), Hironori Otsuka (Wado Ryu) and Kisshomaru Ueshiba (Aikido).In 1983 the European faction became an autonomous federation, so there was Kokusai Budoin in Japan headed by Shizuya Sato (now 10th Dan Nihon Jujutsu, 9th Dan Judo) and the International Federation of Nippon Budo (IFNB) representing IMAF Europe headed by the legendary Minoru Mochizuki 10th Dan.
Minoru Mochizuki is one of the most highly graded masters of all time, with grades including 10th Dan Aikido, 9th Dan Nihon-den Jujutsu, 8th Dan Iaido and 8th Dan Judo. He also paved the way for IMAF in Europe and the UK.
Mochizuki (pictured below with his son and grandsons) awarded Judoka Kevin Murphy (a student of Kenshiro Abbe) with the grade of 7th Dan Kyoshi in Judo and Nihon-den Jujutsu (Murphy was the only Englishman to receive this award from Mochizuki) and Murphy became the inaugural IMAF UK Director.
As a result of disorders in Japan two trends arose, the Kokusai Budoin Headquarters and the International Federation of Nippon Budo (I.F.N.B.). During the IMAF Worldcongress in Turin in 1986 several countries have chosen the side of the I.F.N.B. Austria, Denmark and France chose the side of the Japan Headquarters, Kokusai Budoin. The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and England chose the side of the I.F.N.B. Kevin Murphy was succeeded by his two senior students Dave Wareing (UK Director) and Colin Hutchinson (UK Secretary).
In 2005 a further split occurred in England with one group (IMAF UK) led by the UK Director and one group (IMAF GB) led by the UK Secretary.
In time IMAF GB changed its name to the United Kingdom Budo Federation (UKBF) and withdrew from Kokusai Budoin.
Pictured below left : Simon Keegan as an IMAF Regional Director in 2003 and below right as UKBF International Director in 2006
UKBF Launch Event: 50 Years of Karate in Europe 1956-2006
In 2006, the UKBF (then known as IMAF GB) decided to mark 50 years of Karate in Europe with a special event.
Karate was introduced to Europe in 1956 when Yoseikan master Minoru Mochizuki sent Hiroo Mochizuki, Tetsuji Murikami and later Shoji Sugiyama and Mitsuhiro Kondo to spread the arts of Karate, Aikido and Judo throughout France, Italy, Switzerland and eventually the UK.
Master Mochizuki, who died in 2003, was recognised a 10th Dan Aikido and a 9th Dan Nih
on-den Jujutsu by IMAF, so the regional directors of IMAF GB decided to mark this occasion.
Initially we invited Mitsuhiro Kondo (Mochizuki's student and himself a 9th Dan) from Switzerland to hold a course in Sutton Coldfield. Due to the split between IMAF UK and IMAF GB (UKBF) this never came to fruition but what we got was no less impressive.
Hanshi Terry Wingrove 9th Dan who himself began training in Yoseikan in 1957 under Tetsuji Murikami, Vernon Bell and Hiroo Mochizuki, offered to put on a Masters course for us. Hanshi was the very first captain of the England Karate team and he also invited to teach Sensei Alan Ruddock who also began in Yoseikan and came to introduce Karate to Ireland.
Added to the bill were Allan Tattersall 9th Dan, the UK Head of Dai Nippon Butokukai; and representing IMAF, Jack Hearn 8th Dan as well as Karate instructors such as Tony Christian, Bob Carruthers and Reiner Parsons.
The event was a great success and a fitting launch to the UKBF. The following year Hanshi Wingrove's group celebrated 50 years of Karate in the UK.
Today the UKBF runs in the tradition of the old Kokusai Budoin and International Federation of Nippon Budo and acts as a national governing body for all Budo.
For more information on the UKBF contact International Director Simon Keegan (Renshi) on:
kaicho@runbox.com
UKBF is a governing body only open to associations (not single clubs).
Membership is open to any bona fide, association, federation or similar organisation, democratically organised and operated who wish to apply for membership. Once the application has been received, the details are circulated to the board of directors who will in their absolute discretion consider the details submitted, and then accept, reject or defer membership status.
Pictured at the UKBF's inaugral masters seminar in 2005 are: Jack Hearn 8th Dan (IMAF), Allan Tattersall 8th Dan (DNBK), Tony Christian 8th Dan (BKA), Alan Ruddock 6th Dan (DNBK), Terry Wingrove 9th Dan (IJJF)
Pictured at the UKBF's inaugral masters seminar in 2005 including Jack Hearn, Reiner Parsons and Alan Platt
UKBF Grades
10th Kyu White Belt
9th Kyu Red Belt
8th Kyu Yellow Belt
7th Kyu Orange Belt
6th Kyu Green Belt
5th Kyu Blue Belt
4th Kyu Purple Belt
C5 Assistant Instructor
3rd Kyu Brown Belt
C4 Club Instructor
2nd Kyu Brown Belt
1st Kyu Brown Belt
1st Dan Black Belt
C3 Regional Instructor
2nd Dan Black Belt
C2 National Instructor
3rd Dan Black Belt
C1 International Instructor
4th Dan Black Belt
SC1 Senior International Instructor
Shogo: Renshi
5th Dan
6th Dan
Shogo: Kyoshi
7th Dan
8th Dan
Shogo: Hanshi
9th Dan
10th Dan
* Grades in black are generally accepted Budo grades. Green refers to coaching awards pioneered by our flagship association TEMAA and blue refers to traditional Japanese titles awarded by the United Kingdom Budo Federation.