Mukyõhõ physical practice takes the form of stretching exercises (taisõ 体操) and martial exercises (budõ 武道).

In practising stretching and martial exercises regularly we cultivate a flexible, healthy life and extend our longevity. Stretching exercises promote health through deeper relaxation, better blood circulation, and enhanced flexibility.

A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.
- Tao Te Ching

The Budõ exercises are primarily practised with bare hands, generally termed kenpõ (拳法) together with exercises using two forms of Buddhist staff; the kongõjõ (金剛杖) and shakujõ (錫杖), and various exercises using a wooden sword (bokutõ 木刀) which is called (kenpõ 剣法).

The physical methods of budõ
are designed to reawaken and energise the body
and serve as a channel to express,
experience and manifest the teachings of the Dharma.

The exercises serve to keep the body supple and fit and assist in the unification of body and mind. Budõ exercises are designed for self-conscious mental and physical self-cultivation. Budõ exercises are practised for beauty and peace and bring energy and refreshment to our lives. Grounded in movement, Mukyõhõ is meditation in motion.

During the exercises, we must always pay attention, and a high degree of concentration is needed. Through these exercises we become energised and we also achieve a higher state of concentration and awareness. It is for this reason that we practice these budõ exercises. Our budõ exercises are co-operative rather than competitive and Mukyõhõ is not a martial art. Our budõ exercises are not connected to any martial system or organisation. Although the basic exercises are well established, improvements can always be made and experimentation is welcome. Self-expression is a core element to our Budõ exercises. Nothing is permanent and everything evolves.

Through hard practice and a continuing desire to deepen our awareness, we can develop a clearer perception of truth. The intense focusing of our attention and the fatigue that comes with hard physical training helps us to overcome obstacles to clarity created by our personal beliefs or biases. Hard work, long term commitment, and a desire to improve are vital.

When the body and mind are focused on the same goal, there is no room for petty concerns. We are freed from daily issues that prevent us from concentrating. We experience that same inner peace during physical practice as when sitting in meditation, except that it is experienced while in action, with the entire body. Through frequent physical practice coupled with our daily mental meditation practice, we will acquire a state of sharpened perception. Repeated practice eventually sharpens perception permanently. A tired mind and body are more inclined to operate in unity, leading to the same state of clarity that often follows intense meditation. Thinking and acting becomes, after many repetitions, unified thought and action. Eventually a perfect relationship between mind and body will arise at which point we will find that we are no longer constrained by physical and mental limitations.

Being totally in tune with the surrounding flow of events, we can respond intuitively, and with calm and peace. Practice creates a harmonious state of mental and physical calm that gradually becomes a normal part of everyday life. A life that is calm, well-balanced and disciplined at all times - even when confronted with unexpected events or unpleasant circumstances. We become able to function more efficiently as we go about our daily routine, yet we remain unperturbed by unexpected turns of events.

As we exercise we concentrate our minds deeply on our practice, forgetting everything else, thoroughly absorbed in the exercises with all our might. Our concentration will become naturally nurtured, and our mindfulness utilised even when we are not sitting in meditation. Physical exercises are a tool for the cultivation of insight/awareness.

We begin practice with taisõ stretching and budõ exercises follow after meditation. In this way we carry over our concentration and mindful practice to our physical movement. We continue to cultivate our minds and our power of concentration which we nurtured during our sitting. In this way we transfer from tranquility to movement, unifying them by means of taisõ stretching and budõ exercises.

Through exercise we work to keep healthy both physically and spiritually, to complete our being.

"One may conquer in battle a thousand times a thousand men,
yet he is the best of conquerers who conquers himself."
- The Dhammapada

The ability to effectively use and unite our minds and bodies allows for freedom of action and skilled self-expression. The mind controls the body, while the body is a reflection of the mind.

The four basic principles to the unification of mind and body practice:

1. Use the mind in a positive way
2. Use the mind with full concentration
3. Use the body naturally
4. Train the body gradually, systematically, and continuously

The kongõjõ (金剛杖) and the shakujõ (錫杖)

The kongõjõ and the shakujõ are types of staffs carried by Buddhist monks and novice Buddhist practitioners.

The kongõjõ is carried by Buddhist novice practitioners or lay-persons. It is generally a hard-wood staff either with an octagonal or square cross-section. The kongõjõ carried by novice practitioners of Mukyõhõ is square in cross-section and has at the top the Five Great Elements (godai 五大) in Sanskrit bonji and along it’s length the heart sutra (Hannya Haramita 般若波羅蜜多) in Japanese script. As a defensive weapon, the kongõjõ can cause considerable damage to an opponent due to the square cross-section.

The shakujõ is carried by Bodhisattva monks (bosatsusõ 菩薩僧) those members who have avowed to follow the sixteen Bodhisattva Precepts - the Three Treasures (sanbõ 三宝), the Threefold Pure Precepts (sanjujõkai 三聚浄戒), and the Ten Major Precepts (jujukai 十重戒).

The Buddha recommended that monks carry the shakujõ, known as the khakkhara in Sanskrit. In the Sarvāstivāda vinaya the shakujõ is called the “sounding staff” because of the tinkling sound the rings make. The tinkling sound of the shakujõ is to alert people of the coming of a monk and in ancient times was used also to scare away dangerous animals. It has been carried by travelling Buddhist monks all over Asia for centuries.

A shakujõ may have either four rings representing the Four Truths of The Noble One, six rings representing the Six Perfections, or twelve rings representing the twelvefold chain of cause and effect. A four ring shakujõ is carried by novice monks, a six ring shakujõ is carried by a Bodhisattva, and a twelve ring shakujõ is carried by the Buddha.

The shakujõ is the symbol of the Dharma and one of the eighteen objects which a Buddhist monk must carry.

In Buddhist iconography, the shakujõ is carried by Jizõ Bosatsu, Monju Bosatsu, and Sanju Kannon Bosatsu.