Paul Steadman
15th January 2002, 15:44
G'day Everyone,
What's the story on jujutsu in Australia? Besides the authentic jujutsu and heiho/hyoho dojos run by Ozzie shibucho from Hontai Yoshin Ryu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, Tenjin Shinyo Ryu, Tenshin Koryu etc, etc, I've been lead to believe that the majority of jujutsu schools in Australia are just reverse-engineered judo (just look at the ASJJ curiculum) or come from a back ground of mixtures of karate + judo % aikido = jiujitsu (yuk, I hate that spelling) practised by guys who wear hakama (to look the part), miss-pronounce Japanese terminology and walk around at tournaments (ha, there's another clue) all knowingly, saying things like "...the old schools of jujutsu, died out before WW-II," or my favourite "...jujutsu is the original fore-runner of all other martial arts including judo, aikido, kendo, karate etc," and ...jujutsu is an "UNARMED" martial art..." etc.
Anyway, now I find out that there are a number of Australians who started and run dojos under the auspices of a legit ryu/dojo in Japan and regularly visit their respective hombu and sensei in Japane to upgrade skills and knowledge. As opposed to forming groups, patting each other on the back and grading each other at so-called seminars. Unfortunately some of these instructors have passed away. But some are still active I think. To my surprise some of these instructors (pioneers of Japanese jujutsu if you ask me) are/were members of some of the Ozzie jujutsu organisations.
Does anyone have any info on any Australians who are/were teaching fromal classes in Japanese jujutsu (NOT made up Monkey Magic or reverse-engineered judo/aikido) under the direction of a ryu/sensei in Japan? I'd like to contact them and meet them for the purposes of furthering the aims and objectives of the Australian Koryu Federation.
All the best,
Paul Steadman
What's the story on jujutsu in Australia? Besides the authentic jujutsu and heiho/hyoho dojos run by Ozzie shibucho from Hontai Yoshin Ryu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, Tenjin Shinyo Ryu, Tenshin Koryu etc, etc, I've been lead to believe that the majority of jujutsu schools in Australia are just reverse-engineered judo (just look at the ASJJ curiculum) or come from a back ground of mixtures of karate + judo % aikido = jiujitsu (yuk, I hate that spelling) practised by guys who wear hakama (to look the part), miss-pronounce Japanese terminology and walk around at tournaments (ha, there's another clue) all knowingly, saying things like "...the old schools of jujutsu, died out before WW-II," or my favourite "...jujutsu is the original fore-runner of all other martial arts including judo, aikido, kendo, karate etc," and ...jujutsu is an "UNARMED" martial art..." etc.
Anyway, now I find out that there are a number of Australians who started and run dojos under the auspices of a legit ryu/dojo in Japan and regularly visit their respective hombu and sensei in Japane to upgrade skills and knowledge. As opposed to forming groups, patting each other on the back and grading each other at so-called seminars. Unfortunately some of these instructors have passed away. But some are still active I think. To my surprise some of these instructors (pioneers of Japanese jujutsu if you ask me) are/were members of some of the Ozzie jujutsu organisations.
Does anyone have any info on any Australians who are/were teaching fromal classes in Japanese jujutsu (NOT made up Monkey Magic or reverse-engineered judo/aikido) under the direction of a ryu/sensei in Japan? I'd like to contact them and meet them for the purposes of furthering the aims and objectives of the Australian Koryu Federation.
All the best,
Paul Steadman