The Dai Nippon Butoku-kai (DNBK) is one of the oldest martial arts organizations in the world. It has masters who specialize in karate (since 1935), judo (since 1895), aikido (since 1930), and the more ancient and traditional martial arts of kenjutsu (sword), bojutsu (long staff), naginata (halberg), kyujutsu (archery), and others.

The Butoku-Kai is a martial organization which traces its origins to the Emperor Kanmu, the 50th emperor of Japan, 781-806 AD In 797 AD the emperor opened the Butoku-Den (Butoku-Hall) on the Imperial grounds. Tied in with the Dai Nippon Botoku Kaibeginning of the Heian Shrine, the Butoku-Den developed the beginning of true samurai spirit and training. In 1911, the Dai Nippon Butoku-Kai opened a martial arts specialty school, the Budo Semmon Gakko, popularly known as the Busen. Its aim and purpose was to promote and cultivate budo in a true samurai spirit as well as to produce martial-art teachers to spread the teaching of the Butoku-kai Japanese martial-arts.

The DNBK actively supports the continued preservation of classical martial arts by regularly sponsoring martial arts festivals in Japan and throughout the world.