BUDŌ

武道

CAMP

The way of the warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to destroy or kill others. The real way of the warrior is to prevent such violence. It is the ART OF PEACE.

-Morihei Ueshiba, founder of aikidō

Budō, translated as the "way of the warrior," is a modern Japanese system of ethical values cultivating the "enlightened wisdom and deep calm" necessary for individual and collective self-defense.

Budō Camp introduces BIPOC high school girls to the philosophy of budō through the self-defense martial art of aikidō and a social justice education rooted in the liberal arts, which together can be powerfully applied to their life goals as well as their increasing rights and responsibilities.

Through a combination of physical training in aikidō and political education in critical thinking, campers learn how budō can provide a way to better understand the many challenges they face using the lens of racial, gender, and environmental justice.

The program includes a one-week summer day camp and quarterly weekend retreats where campers train in introductory martial arts and participate in college-level liberal arts workshops.