[3] At that occasion he also witnessed a demonstration of Hontai Yōshin-ryū, a koryū or traditional Japanese martial art.
[3] After finishing his medical training and while working at the University of Brussels, Buyens took out a 1-year sabbatical to study Shitō-ryū karatedō with Ken’ei Mabuni-sensei (son of the founder) in Ōsaka, Japan.
[citation needed] Buyens is among a select number of Westerners who hold authentic Japanese credentials in koryū martial arts.
Buyens currently holds the ranks of 6th dan in Shitō-ryū karatedō (from Ken’ei Mabuni) and of 6th dan/chūden in Hontai Yōshin-ryū.
[3] He is one of only three Belgians with verified authentic Japanese koryū credentials, the other two being Serge Mol (Enshin-ryū and Hōki-ryū jūjutsu) and Dr. Carl De Crée (Tenjin Shin’yō-ryū of the Inoue Keitarō-lineage and Owari-ha Yagyū Shinkage-ryū).