William Durbin

William Paul Durbin Jr. (born Dec. 31, 1953) is a martial artist and Baptist minister, known for founding Kiyojute Ryu Kempo Bugei (気楊柔手流拳法武芸), meaning "spiritually positive gentle person system of martial arts", a form of Kempo, in 1982.

It is a Gendai Budō martial art in the James Mitose lineage intended to provide for all aspects of self-defense.

The Hombu Dojo, or headquarters, is located in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Durbin was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

His father Richard P Durbin Sr. was a veteran of World War II and his mother Harvie Brown Haynes was bedridden for most of Durbin's childhood due to health issues.

Durbin has stated that he decided to dedicate his life to the ministry at the age of fourteen during a baptist revival.

After several incidents he began his martial arts studies in Bardstown, Kentucky with instructor Richard Stone, originally learning Kodokan Judo, at the age of sixteen.

Kiyojute Ryu Kempo is built on the philosophy developed by Durbin in the 1970s.

He coined the term "Kiyojute" to describe this philosophy of martial arts.

The stated goal of Kiyojute Ryu is to train person through martial arts to have a closer relationship with God, a positive and healthy outlook on life, and to be gentle and compassionate in their actions with their fellow man, hence "spiritually positive gentle hand/person".

Durbin has written that he considers it very important that his students understand that he is not a "self proclaimed" Soke and that he is acknowledged by other members of the martial arts community as a legitimate headmaster of a Kempo system.

To this end he has sought recognition from other prominent martial artists, especially those in the training lineage of James Mitose.

The back cover of his book Mastering Kempo includes quotes of endorsement from Bill Beach and Bill "Superfoot" Wallace as to the martial arts skill of Durbin.

When he left for college in 1971, he along with Bob Sester (a Shotokan Karate student), and Bos Bosmar (also with the Kodokan) started Campbellsville College Martial Arts Club at Campbellsville University.

During his time with the college, Durbin has stated that he studied various other forms of martial arts (while being unable to cite any third party sources) including; Shotokan Karate, Isshin-ryu, Goju Ryu, Shorin-ryu, Aikikai Aikido, Ninjutsu, Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido, and tai chi.

According to Durbin, in 1974, while teaching self-defense in Michigan he coined the phrase "Ki Yang Ju Te", to reflect his personal teaching philosophy toward the martial arts.

Durbin graduated in 1975 from Campbellsville College.

In 1978, he (along with Richard Stone) joined with Rod Sacharnoski of Juko Kai and began to study with Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, a master of Shorin-ryu Karate and the World Middleweight Full Contact Karate Champion.

After joining Juko Kai, Durbin has stated that he demonstrated his martial art skill to Rod Sacharnoski and was granted rank in Juko Kai and started teaching Juko Kai using his personal philosophy.

In 1980, Durbin was awarded his Shihan ranking from Juko Kai in Kempo.

Also in 1980 he experienced what he describes as a Tenshin Sho, a "divine illumination" where his perspective on religion and his practice of martial arts changed.

Instead of being a minister who practiced martial arts, he now considered himself a "martial arts minister".

He was encouraged by Sacharnoski to pursue this further and began to develop a curriculum and codify his philosophies and teachings in preparations for opening his own school and founding his own system.

Between 1980 and 1982 Durbin researched the history and techniques of martial arts in preparation for founding of a school, drawing on elements of each of the arts he studied, especially those arts he held Shihan ranking in.

During this time, he was awarded an unaccredited Masters and Doctorate degree by Juko Kai through their diploma mill, the University of Oriental Philosophy in Murphy, North Carolina.

He opened his dojo in Frankfort the next year in 1981 under the auspices of Juko Kai.

Durbin has Shihan rank in Kempo, Karate, jujutsu, Aikijujutsu, Kobujutsu and a Sibak rank in tai chi through Juko Kai by Rod Sacharnoski, and a Shihan rank in Koga ha Kosho Shorei Ryu Ninjutsu under Nimr Hassan.

He also has earned a 1st Dan rank in the Budo Taijutsu of the Bujinkan under John Willson, and a 1st Dan rank in Taekwondo.

He also holds a 3rd Dan rank in Kodokan Judo.

In 1986, Kiyojute Ryu opened its first dojo in Frankfort, as Durbin's own dojo switched from officially being a Juko Kai dojo to being a Kiyojute Ryu dojo.

Durbin's aim was to create an art that reflects his Baptist and moral values, and places an emphasis on self-defense, compassion for ones fellow man, and responsible use of force rather than on aggression, destruction, or hurting others.

Durbin point to historical martial arts masters such as Morihei Ueshiba combined spiritual training along with physical training, and that many masters were also clergy.

Durbin was inspired in what he describes as a Tenshin Sho or where he received a divine inspiration to teach the martial arts.

His teachings and techniques were devised in an attempt to pass along this inspiration and as he describes it "how to love and live at peace".

He describes this in his writings as "seeing the light".

Since 1989 he has also written several dozen articles for various martial arts magazines, including ten articles published in Black Belt Magazine.

In 2001, Durbin published Mastering Kempo, a general textbook of Kempo history, philosophy and technique.

Also in 2001 he co-wrote Judo Techniques and Tactics with Jimmy Pedro.

In 2004 he wrote Koga Ryu Ninjutsu, a book on the history and basic techniques of ninjutsu, and in 2007 he wrote Renzoku Ken: Combat Combinations of Kempo.