About our MON

The use of Mon (heraldry or family crests) can be traced in Japanese history back to the early 900's. There are more than 200 mon that found their way into common usage in the feudal era, most of those were stylized depictions of plants or animals.

Our mon is a Katabami (wood sorrel). It has been used by well known warrior families (most notably in this century, the Sugino). It is appropriate for us for three reasons:
1) The three leaves represent the three areas of study of this Aikibudo .
2) The plant can be used medicinally for treating wounds (relating to our healing arts), and
3) In ancient times sorrel was known as Kagami-gusa (mirror polishing plant). Ken (as in Kenbukai, the original name for the dojo) means study or research, but the ideogram suggests the process of becoming polished through the practice of (correct) conduct and form.

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