is a modern form of one of the classical Asian martial arts. Kushido includes apart from the Goju Karate-Do, Kobudo and Tai-Chi, elements from Aikido and Kendo.
As a Karate style Kushido’s primary aim is not competition and winning based.
In Kushido the main interest always lies in the progress of the individual as a whole. It is not important to judge a person in a competitive way with a very limited amount of criteria’s. The very rare competitions held are mainly to learn how to present oneself in front of a crowd with a bit of extra pressure and still be able to perform well.
The real fight happens within oneself and not outside with others. That is a personal matter which every one has to attend to personally, which needs a lot of discipline to face ones weaknesses again and again.
Through long term training, Kushido helps one to feel more balanced in life, to be more self confident and to be able to achieve goals which needs lots of perseverance. Kushido further helps one to be more coordinated, to have a better connection with ones body which directly improves ones posture.

Especially children can benefit from regular Kushido training. For them it is very important to work on coordination of the whole body. The training helps them to lose aggressions, to be able to concentrate better and longer, and to develop and improve their feeling of self esteem.
Kushido is a personality development which improves respect for others and oneself. The practice of Kushido has almost no upper age limit and is equally good for both sexes. The minimum age is 5 years old. Every single one, that is prepared to invest time and effort, can improve on many levels which helps to more successfully master all the challenges of daily life.

Kushido was developed as a Karate style in 1963 in South Africa by Hugh St. John Thomson. He studied with various masters in Japan and was the first westerner, that was internationally recognised as a referee on world tournaments.
Since then Kushido has developed rapidly and has spread to all continents.

Paul Baumann studied and lived many years with the Kancho (Gründer) in the Honbu Dojo (main school) in South Africa. He could also benefit from today’s chief instructor Hanshi Denis St. John Thomson, who taught him his art in the fields of Kobudo and Tai-Chi.

Kushido Switzerland started in 1986 with the opening of the first school in Stansstad by Paul and his wife Juanita. Soon afterwards in 1989 the school in Hochdorf followed.
Since 1994 Kushido Switzerland is the centre of Kushido Europe under the leadership of Paul Baumann.

The hard work of Paul and Juanita paid out soon. Ruedi Zgraggen and Roland Lussi, both students from the very early days, opened up new schools, 1997 in Zug and 2000 in Lucerne.