Shugyo
修行
Long-term hard training in which the practitioner improves both physically and mentally. The word comes from Buddhism, where it means ascetic practice.
Quick Facts
Term typeTraining method
LanguageJapanese
Formnoun
Pronunciation[shoo-gyoh]
Alternative Nameshard training
Readings and romanizations
Reading (kana)しゅぎょう
Hepburn romanizationshugyō
Word breakdown
修shuto perfect oneself
行gyōto carry out, practice
Definition
Shugyo (修行) consists of the characters shu (to perfect oneself) and gyo (to carry out, practice). Originally it is a Buddhist term for the ascetic practice of monks. In martial arts it denotes long-term hard training in which, besides skill, will and character are at stake. A special form was musha shugyo, a warrior's journey across the land, during which the warrior visited schools, learned and met others in contests. A well-known modern example is Masutatsu Oyama's solitary training in the mountains, described in his biographies.