News & Topics

Hello to all our graduates! My name is Sean O'Connell and I am the Deputy Director (in charge of international exchange) of the Center for International Affairs. With the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic behind us, we have been able to accept international students back to CJS since the fall semester of 2022. It has been great to see our campus once again truly become a multicultural space for our international and Japanese students to interact. What’s more is that this year we see the CJS celebrate the 50th year of its establishment, which is a wonderful accomplishment.

On top of my deputy-director duties at the Center, I am also fortunate enough to teach a class in both the summer and regular semester CJS programs. I teach a class in the Japanese Arts section called Japanese Martial Arts (Budo). The word Budo refers to the Japanese traditional martial arts and their philosophies, and it has long been considered one of Japan’s most significant cultural exports. At its core, Budo comprises of various disciplines such as Karate-do, Judo, Kendo, Aikido, Shorinji Kempo and Kyudo. Each type of Budo has its own distinctive set of techniques and philosophies. Additionally, they all emphasize the cultivation of the mind, body, and spirit, evoking a sense of discipline, respect, and self-improvement.

The course that I teach within the CJS program blends practical and discussion-based content and runs for one semester. Each class is 100 minutes long which starts with a 45-50 minute practical part that allows the students to explore the world of Japanese martial arts through Karate-do. I am a qualified Karate-do instructor with over forty-years of experience and currently hold a rokudan (sixth degree) blackbelt and a shihan (master level instructor) license in the art of Kyokushin Karate. In the practical portion of each class, students are taught basic Karate-do techniques including punches, kicks, blocks and self-defence applications. The second half of each class is a discussion-based lecture which introduces the history, development, philosophical aspects, and current place of Budo in modern Japanese society. The topics covered include information regarding the transition from Bujutsu (combative techniques) to Budo (martial arts), the development of modern Budo in Japanese society as part of the school curriculum and community, and discussions regarding the different philosophical values that each of the modern Budo arts endeavor to pass on to practitioners. Based on this course design, the students are given the opportunity to learn and understand basic techniques of Karate-do, the history of Budo, its development, philosophy as well as the current and future role of Budo in modern Japanese society.

Since it started three years ago, I have been lucky enough to teach this class to over 100 CJS students. From an instructor's perspective, I feel that the interactive and experiential nature of the course has stimulated a deeper understanding of Japanese culture and history among the students. They have gained insight into the values and beliefs that shape not only Budo but also Japanese society as a whole. Hopefully, these insights have given students the chance to explore Japanese culture more deeply and, as a result, helped them to deepen their cultural understanding of Japan. I sincerely hope that future CJS students will consider this course as of one of their class choices so that I can share my passion of Japanese culture with them through the world of Budo.

Sean O'Connell
Deputy Director
Center for International Affairs