Bushidokan - (Contributor: Bob Blount)

Summary:
Bushidokan is an eclectic art of recent origin, founded by Jim Harrison in the late 1960's. Harrison has studied Judo and Shorin-Ryu karate extensively. The Bushidokan Art is a combination of Okinawan karate, judo, and some JJ, with the primary emphasis on karate. The karate portion of Bushidokan's training is quite similar to Shotokan - definitely Okinawan in ancestry. Bushidokan is best suited for those interested in effective street self-defense, tournament fighting, and fairly rugged physical conditioning.
Beginning students learn seven basic stances, seven basic strikes (six linear, one circular), seven basic blocks (one of which is circular) and seven basic kicks. Many of the self-defenses taught incorporate techniniques not included in the "basic" seven, thus exposing the student to a greater variety. These include a number of throws, a few soft (redirecting) blocks, and several wrist/hand locks. Two basic self-defense strategies - a direct counter and an indirect counter - are taught for each type of attack. Sparring is introduced as students progress, but is always optional, and ranges from "no contact" to "full contact".