one of life protection. This can be seen in Oyata's book Ryu-Te No Michi with his translation of . Budo is commonly translated as "martial way" or "martial art", however, Oyata prefers to translate it as "life protection art". This interpretation stems from an analysis of the first kanji Bu (). From an etymological perspective, it is composed of two kanji: which means "to stop" and which means "spear". Thus the underlying meaning of can be thought of as "to stop fighting" rather than something pertaining to combat. This underlying goal of life protection is central to Oyata's idea that martial arts are intended to improve society. With that in mind, in 1991 Oyata introduced the concept of "Oyata Shin Shu Ho" () which embodies this philosophy. – Shin – Truthful – Shu – Hand – Ho – Method Oyata introduced this expression with the hope that the "true protection spirit possessed by the ancient Ryukyu warriors would be inherited by true modern practitioners". He also explains that the first word, Shin, has several homophones in Japanese and while he chose to use , he had the other meanings in mind as well. The other kanji are: – God – Heart – Parents – Trust Keeping all of these ideas in mind, Oyata's intended interpretation of Oyata Shin Shu Ho is "to strive to attain true moral goodness and to express it through one's every action". To further reinforce the importance of these ideals, in 1994 Oyata began to induct members of his organization into the Oyata Shin Shu Ho group. These are senior members of his organization who Oyata feels embody this idea. History Initial development Oyata's first introduction to martial arts came from his father, Kana Oyata, who was a champion in OKinawan Wrestling or Tegumi. During World War II, he was introduced to several martial arts and trained in judo, iaido and kendo after returning to Okinawa after the war ended. Then, shortly after World War II, Oyata met Uhugushiku on a beach in Teruma. Uhugushiku was an Okinawan bushi and was a retired gate guard. During this time karate was taught openly as a public art, however, Uhugushiku's art was only taught within his family, handed down through generations. As a result, he initially would not teach Oyata, but upon learning that Oyata was related to Jana Ueekata, Uhugushiku agreed to teach him. Uhugushiku was an