Does anyone know of any directories of daito-ryu (or other AJJ) schools that are available on the web? I live in central NJ (Edison), and am having some difficulty finding out whether any legitimate instructors are near me.
There is one school, in Dunellen, run by a J. Conti, who teaches Shorin-ryu karate-do and kobudo, Daito-ryu, and Itto Tenshin Katori Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu. While the prospect of having a chance to not only study Daito-ryu but also swordwork is very tempting, what concerns me is that Sensei Conti claims affiliation with Fred Lovret. A simple search here on e-budo reveals numerous postings questioning the authenticity of Mr. Lovret's teachings, so I am a bit concerned. Mr. Conti also claims a former connection to Katsumi Yonezawa Sensei, and also fully admits the fact that he left his tutelage, but states that it was in a dispute over "reasons of politics, not merit". All of the lineage info is from Sensei Conti's website -- www.njaikikai.com .
My deep concern is that I do not want to spend time and effort, as well as money, learning something that is at best of questionable authenticity, and at worst could get me injured or killed in an actual confrontation. If anyone could offer their opinions and/or point me in the right direction - such as whether my concerns are or are not valid ones, or where I may find a directory, it would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I am not greatly concerned whether the school is Daito-ryu, but I would like it to be some style of Aikijujitsu, and not Aikido. I also readily admit that I am a newbie in regards to AJJ, and do not understand the subtleties between Daito-ryu, Danzan-ryu, and other forms of AJJ, so my lack of concern may in fact be something that should be corrected. If this is the case, by all means, feel free to do so. The reason I do not want to study Aikido is not that I have anything against it, but rather that the schools in this area seem to have a very "soft" focus, and also seem not to give me the basic workout I would like to have. A school that does any swordwork would be a bonus.