World Jiu Jitsu federation

[Semper-Fi]

Has anyone heard of the world jiu jitsu federation, I dont think that they have dojo's in USA but it has dojo's in Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and many more
The man who started WJJF is Soke Robert Clark and dircetly under him comes Sensei Alan Cambell who is the national coach of England


I train in Reykjavik, Iceland
in Jiu Jitsu félag Reykjavíkur my head coachs is
Sensi Hinrik Fjeldsted 2th dan
Dieudonné Gerritsen 1th dan going to be 2th dan in October

I started training in january 2001
and I am 7th kyu (I have a long way to go :) )

Einar T. Snorrason

[Semper-Fi]

sorry about the typos
but this are my head coaches

Sensei Hinrik Fjeldsted 2th dan
Sensei Dieudonné Gerritsen 1th dan (going to be 2th dan in october)

[Ramirez]

Hi Semper-Fi, yes I have heard about the World Jiu Jitsu Federation, my club (before I joined), was a part of it and our black belt syllabus is Clark's black belt book. It is more well known in the U.K. I don't know too much more about it, did you have a question, if I can help let me know.

[ANDREW GRIME]

My name is ANDY GRIME I study JU-JITSU at Manchester UK. I train with my sensi JOHN SHORTT and at LIVERPOOL UK with sensi ALAN CAMPBELL. My grade is green belt but Iam working very hard to get my 1st dan, it's great to see others from WJJF and please could tell what it like training with the WJJF.

[Semper-Fi]

Thanks to Andrew you are also the first WJJF member that I have come a cross on this website, and I will be trying out for the green belt in in a few months


And Ramirez do you know why your club stoped to be part of WJJF ?

This is the web page that our club has www.wjjf.com (it's not the official WJJF site, the webmaster is sensei Fjeldsted if my memory is correct) please check it out it has a lot of links and information how to reach a lot of clubs

[Posiview]

I once posted a query on an Englist jujitsu site 'planetjitsu' regarding Professor Robert Clarke who is a 9th dan. I'd bought a couple of his instuction videos/books and was quite impressed; two of my instructors, who I hold in high regard were graded shodan by Professor Clarke and are very supporticve of him and his training. The responce to my post was quite suprising - many respondants stated that Robert Clarke's videos should not be bought as the moves are fanciful. Some even questioned his dan grade, asking where he was awarded it and by whom.

He does seem quite young for a 9th dan though!!

Best wishes

Andy Sheader

[Beef]

On the subject of Soke Clarke, does anyone know of his background in Ju Jitsu generally? My dojo teaches from the WJJF syllabus and so I was interested as to what styles/martial arts Robert Clarke trained in before he created the syllabus which intentionally doesn't fit into a particular style. I haven't had much luck searching for this kind of thing.
Thanks.
:bandit:

[Semper-Fi]

I think he has a background in karate but i don't know what ryu, I actually went to Liverpool last summer with some of my sensei and fellow students (3 of them took the shodan grade and 1 took the nidan) and the first class we did go too was a class wich Soke Clark was heading, though he is not heading a lot of classes now what I am hearing that he mostly travels to other country's wich has WJJF clubs like Italy.
I have recently taken a new grade now I have a purple belt or 3. kyu :)

[Posiview]

WJJF thread (http://www.planetjitsu.com/viewtopic.php?t=1610)

Beef, the above, thread (which you may have seen) provides a range of comments on the WJJF.

I have also found it very difficult to find information from the web on the WJJF.

Three of my clubs instructors were also graded shodan by Robert Clark. All of which, in my opinion are excellent instructors and who hold Robert Clark in high esteem.

Semper-Fi, congratulations on your 3. kyu!

I'm also quite sceptical about the 'distant learning' courses that the WJJF offer. In essence, you buy the required WJJF video, study the moves and video yourself performing the various moves then send off the video and are graded. What are you opinions?

[Speedy]

How can you possibly learn a martial art from a video? I suggest you read the thread about Robert Clarke again. There are WJJF sensais who have commented about him there too, but the main thing I picked up, was that he seems to have a very shady past, which he keeps very quiet. My question is why? I certainly wouldn't trust anyone who covers up their past as much as him.

[Semper-Fi]

Soke Clark is a good teacher and his shihan Alan Campell is also a excellent teacher I have nothing but good things to say about them. But there is one thing that I dont understand that is why a lot of Jujutsu clubs including WJJF use Karate weapons (Okinawan) in there weapons classes and the WJJF sword katas I think are more Koreian than Japanese.

Einar T. Snorrason
3. kyu

[Justl]

As far as I know the WJJA teaches the same Jujitsu as the British Jujitsu association. As far as I know Robert Clark was taught Jujitsu by Soke Blundell who learned a number of different styles of jujitsu whilst travelling around Asia as a merchant sailor. This would explain why Karate weapons are taught in the system and as to why a number of tricks resemble wrestling moves. For further information on Soke Blundell visit http://www.jiu-jitsu.freeserve.co.uk/ I had the pleasure of being taught be Soke Blundells’ son whilst studying at university in Liverpool and found the kind of jujitsu taught to be very good.

Mat Daly

[rupertmja]

He does seem quite young for a 9th dan though!!

Andy Sheader

I trained in this style in the early to late 80s and he was 9th Dan then.

He was pretty good. I think all of their syllabus is 'Made in the UK.' At least, it was then. There was no Japanese connection, although, as I recall, they were trying to establish one in the late 80s before it fell apart.

[Lee82mark4]

I trained in this style in the early to late 80s and he was 9th Dan then.

He was pretty good. I think all of their syllabus is 'Made in the UK.' At least, it was then. There was no Japanese connection, although, as I recall, they were trying to establish one in the late 80s before it fell apart.

I trained with Jack Seki for a year around 1969-1970. He was a sandan then, and that was judo. He received a 9-dan as they lowered him into the ground after dying in his 90s. I also trained at Kenneth Kuniyuki's Seinan dojo in So. Cal as often as I could. He received his 9-dan from the Kodokan at the age of 92, passing away a few months later, and they held it up at first because they weren't sure he had "time in training." At the time, he was the last living person to be graded personally by Jigoro Kano, in Seattle, Wa., receiving the densho from Kano at the Kodokan. The last person to receive a 9-dan from Kodokan, having also been graded and trained personally by Jigoro Kano as a young woman, is Keiko Fukuda, who at 90 became the third 9-dan in North America to receive it. She is still active teaching, giving seminars on kata, writing a book to go with the 9-dan, just recently being released (check Amazon for the actual date. The book is on the Ju no Kata).

The last two were judo, but Jack Seki taught his judo as jiu jitsu from a similar federation.

I'd say "Soke" Clarke wasn't arrogant at all, not from his mouth, anyway. He was wearing it around his waist.

At least those I mention gave their entire lives to it. Remember, all grades are honorary. After their teachers die, most "honor" them by working hard and not for the grade. Trevor P. Leggett also died in his late 90s, but he was a 6-dan longer than I've been alive, and he did so much more than anyone mentioned here (August 1, 2000). See http://www.budokwai.org or read about Yukio Tani before he started judo, at http://ejmas.com , JCS.


Mark

[Mekugi]

I'd say "Soke" Clarke wasn't arrogant at all, not from his mouth, anyway. He was wearing it around his waist.
Mark

Hey Mark,

Isn't it arrogant to tell people that you are a kyudan (as an exampel of verbal arrogance) in this instance?

Maybe it's just me?

Always,

[jitsugaz]

I have trained under the WJJF syllabus for around 7 years in Nottingham under Frank Delgaudio 5th dan. Soke Clark has graded me twice, Shodan and Nidan. I have found him to be firm but fair. I have attended quite a few of his courses, local and International. These are somewhat crowded, and as he insists on organising and running these himself can be a little disorganised, but the instruction is generally top notch. He appears to be held in high esteem by the senior foreign instructors.
He has moulded the WJJF syllabus in his own style, but is basically traditonal
jitsu.
British Jujitsu uses the old WJJF Syllabus as some instructors broke away from the WJJF in the 80's I think. Bob Simmons from Derbys was one.
The WJJF syllabus does change every now and again, being refined by the master grades.
As for the moves being fanciful, its a matter of opinion, the way it is taught, using muliple techniques (in later grades) enables you to overcome most attacks, whilst not getting bored in training sessions. As we all know in martial arts some techniques work better for some than others, we are all different afterall.
Yours in Budo
Garry Sherwood

[Mekugi]

He has moulded the WJJF syllabus in his own style, but is basically traditonal jitsu.Yours in Budo
Garry Sherwood

Which traditional "jitsu"?

[jboler]

Robert Clarke was formerly a member of Juko Kai. Later on, Sacharnoski, and Soke Inoue of Hontai Yoshin Ryu, claimed that Clarke was using there certificates and seals without permission.

That right there is enough for me to be a little bit skeptical. When and if E-Budo ever comes back on-line, there's a thread there with much more information about Mr. Clarke.

[jitsugaz]

Robert Clarke was formerly a member of Juko Kai. Later on, Sacharnoski, and Soke Inoue of Hontai Yoshin Ryu, claimed that Clarke was using there certificates and seals without permission.


After reading this thread I asked Frank Delgaudio about Soke Clarke, Soke Inoue was mentioned and he also recalled some rumours about issuing certificates with Soke Inoue's forged signature. Sensei Delgaudio says he was at this particular Course and had his certificate signed by sensei Inoue himself. Chinese whispers.
Soke clarke apparently has been training in jujitsu? 52 years this year.

[Mekugi]

Hmmm....where was this, pray tell?


After reading this thread I asked Frank Delgaudio about Soke Clarke, Soke Inoue was mentioned and he also recalled some rumours about issuing certificates with Soke Inoue's forged signature. Sensei Delgaudio says he was at this particular Course and had his certificate signed by sensei Inoue himself. Chinese whispers.
Soke clarke apparently has been training in jujitsu? 52 years this year.

[jitsugaz]

Hmmm....where was this, pray tell?

mmmm I detect a note of disbelief? The knives are out eh?
I will ask him (Frank Delgaudio) when I train tomorrow (wednesday) But it would have been in England. Perhaps in the 80's?

[Mekugi]

mmmm I detect a note of disbelief? The knives are out eh?
I will ask him (Frank Delgaudio) when I train tomorrow (wednesday) But it would have been in England. Perhaps in the 80's?

Well,

I don't beleive anything I read, especially in relation to the Jukokai and their involvement with groups inside of Japan. It seems that the Budokwai in the UK and a certain individual are the primary contact. If he has a history with this person and the Budokwai, then certainly they hold water. If not, well, I am not sure what to say about that.

[Ramirez]

Hey Semper-Fi - I realized I never answered your question on why the club broke away. As far as I know the head of my style in Canada went with his original teacher who broke away from the WJJF in the late 80s. I don't really know the details any more than that.

[jboler]

I was digging through some of my 'stuff'. and found a report from the Martial Arts Commission concerning the complaint against Clarke by Sacharnoski and Inoue. You can view it Here (http://www.frankfortinfo.com/pdf/MAC_REPORT.PDF) .

Looks to me like a lot of the complaints against Clarke were largely unfounded.

[Mekugi]

I was digging through some of my 'stuff'. and found a report from the Martial Arts Commission concerning the complaint against Clarke by Sacharnoski and Inoue. You can view it Here (http://www.frankfortinfo.com/pdf/MAC_REPORT.PDF) .

Looks to me like a lot of the complaints against Clarke were largely unfounded.

That link takes forever to load.
What is this? Who brought this "very British" looking inquiry about? Who made the inquiry? Where are any of the names or groups that performed this inquiry outside some anonymous "Martial Arts Commission"? The only name I can find is on page 5, (which incidently is actually page two because three pages are missing), is Sacharnoski.
Anyway, besides the majority of the pages being scanned crooked, and the link itself being placed on a seemingly random website, it tends to focus on Sacharnoski ; furthmore I don't see any of the names on this thread listed as legitimate branch schools of Hontai Yoshin Ryu (other than Mr. Inoue's, of course, who is not even mentioned but in two parts of that document and by name only). I think it's easier to say that these people aren't really associated with Hontai Yoshin Ryu in the first place, which serves no other purpose than a "name drop" for the people in question.


http://www.hontaiyoshinryu.com/


Always,

[rupertmja]

I was at a course run by Clarke in the UK, about 1988 at a guess, where Inoue Sensei and a few other Japanese were teaching. I still have a certificate for attending. I think both sides were trying to forge links, but one side did more forging than the other, so it seems.

At the time I remember thinking how good the Japanese were, how ordinary and approachable they seemed - in complete contrast to their European counterparts.

I would never fault Clarke for his skill in the art though.

[Mekugi]

Hey Rupert!

Who were both sides? Ya mean the British and the Japanese trying to make a concordance with one another?



I was at a course run by Clarke in the UK, about 1988 at a guess, where Inoue Sensei and a few other Japanese were teaching. I still have a certificate for attending. I think both sides were trying to forge links, but one side did more forging than the other, so it seems.

At the time I remember thinking how good the Japanese were, how ordinary and approachable they seemed - in complete contrast to their European counterparts.

I would never fault Clarke for his skill in the art though.

[jitsugaz]

Just a small break from the verbal sparring people:-)
Anyone interested in WJJF Jujitsu in Nottingham or surounding areas look here.
www.njja.net

[Lee82mark4]

Hey, Russ,

I just wanted to punch up what was probably a dull thread, I have no idea about Clarke. It was for the judo forum, but hey I thought it needed...something.

I really stretched for this one, didn't I?


Mark

[Mekugi]

Hey, Russ,

I just wanted to punch up what was probably a dull thread, I have no idea about Clarke. It was for the judo forum, but hey I thought it needed...something.

I really stretched for this one, didn't I?


Mark
It was actually pretty interesting, regardless of the forum! It had me scratching my head thinking there were more layers here than I knew about (which is usually the case).

;)

Always

[rupertmja]

Hey Rupert!

Who were both sides? Ya mean the British and the Japanese trying to make a concordance with one another?

I think so, I mean, you can't have a one-sided deal now can you.

Rupert

[Mekugi]

yeah, I think you can in this situation. It depends on a lot of things really- especially when it comes to koryu.


I think so, I mean, you can't have a one-sided deal now can you.

Rupert

[John Bennett]

jitsugaz ,

Per the forum rules, please include your real, full name in all your posts.

Thanks!

[jitsugaz]

jitsugaz ,

Per the forum rules, please include your real, full name in all your posts.

Thanks!
Hopefully this will be ok John

[Bruce R. Bethers]

These days, martial art rank has become almost a "Bad Joke" for some...

In the Serious, Tradtional & Responsible Organizations, one is not even considered for 10th Dan until he or she is at least 70 years of age and has really made "Original Contributions" to their martial art and has been a "World Leader" helping to further their martial art at the International Level..

Yet with a simple search of the internet you will find "hundreds" of wanna-be "10th dans, sokes & phds, many 30 - 50 years old. Unfortunately, these persons are very confused about what martial art rank is supposed to represent. I can think of one "very irresponsible group" that has 100 "plus"
10th dans...

This is all a "Very Bad Joke" on the Martial arts Community. It's no wonder that the general public is so confused about the topic.

[Ramirez]

Hi Bruce - am I missing something withe the quotations?

"very irresponsible group"

and

"Very Bad Joke"

are those references to another thread?

[Bruce R. Bethers]

These are just observations in the "state" of our Martial Arts Community!

[ivica]

ORIGINS OF BRITISH JUJUTSU

Thesis: Only Koryu Jujutsu schools in Great Britain are originated by Japanese sensei, or have Japanese lineage. All the rest of existing Jujutsu schools, organizations and clubs have the history that begins with dubious "Soke" Blundell, founder of British Ju-Jitsu Association. His official jujutsu training is not traceable, and there are no proofs of any recognition for his teaching from any older or higher organization at his time.

Sources of information and results of "research":

1. History of British Jujutsu

http://jujitsuscotland.supanet.com/page4.html

Jiu Jitsu is reported to have come to Britain in 1892.
As all things form the far East the training was done in Masonic secrecy to only selected students, those who where chosen for their ability and insight, this made the progress and development of the art very slow unlike its brothering arts of JUDO and KARATE.
From records the United Kingdom was one of the very first nations to receive Japanese Ju Jitsu Masters, however unlike today's Master these did not travel to enter the country as martial arts instructors but as trades men, like bankers, military men exchange students of the time, it may be worth bearing in mind that at the time Japan had very close trading links with the United Kingdom and was at the time using it's education system and later its transport system.
The first instructor that was identified was Takashima Shidachi (Yoshin Ryu) he was working as the secretary to the London branch of the Bank of Japan.

Some years later around 1899,W.E.Barton-Wright returned the UK having worked in Yokohama for around 9 years as an engineer. During his time in Japan he had studied Tenjin Shinyo Ryu Jiu Jitsu with Yukio Tani, prior to his return he asked Yukio Tani to return with him and start a dojo. The dojo failed due to the poor response as most westerner had not heard of or see Jiu Jitsu before.
Not wishing to think he had failed Barton-Wright toured the country displaying the art of Ju Jitsu and challenging all comers to defeat the pair in combat, at one of these shows Yukio Tani met a Scotsman by the name of William Bankier, Bankier was a cultist and become interested the art of Ju Jitsu, so much so that in 1903 he persuaded Tani to work with him.
The pair continued to tour the country performing displays, however Bankier introduced Tani to some wrestlers by the name of Percy Longhurst, W.H.Garrud, Bruce Sutherland and Percy Bickerdike. The four than set about setting up the first Society of Martial Arts in the UK, the British Ju Jitsu Society (BJJS) and become the students of Tani.
Each Student set about promoting the art of Ju Jitsu in different areas of life:
Sutherland introduced it to the Army, Boy Scout and Boy Brigade societies and the special constabulary in Edinburgh.
Longhurst introduced it to the Metropolitan special constabulary and various other police forces
Garrud promoted it to the wrestling world.
Between 1900-1910 the art of Ju Jutsu was on every ones lips, everyone wantedd to know more about the art, articles appeared in magazines like Health and strength, owned by Bankier.
Due to the over welling success of the BJJS, other Masters appeared, like: Uyenishi, Koizumi, Ohno, Miyake, with them they come some of the old teachings of Jiu Jitsu and the new style of Jiu-Do (JUDO).
However it did make the headlines in 1905 on December 10th in Paris when a display of this unarmed combat known as Ju Jitsu opened it doors to the world. It received very little in the way of response from the general public, however the armed forces did respond and started to use some of the skills used in Ju Jitsu in their close quarter combat/hand to hand.

With World War 1 there lay very difficult times and much of the great impetus for Jiu Jutsu died. However after the war two Diplomatic figures, EJ Harrison and WE Steers returned from Japan, they were the first westerners to be graded at black belt level in the art of Kodokan Judo. They both campaigned for their art even to the point of making it out to be a new style of Jiu Jitsu.
In 1920 as part of the Olympic Committee Jigaro Kano visited London and aligned himself with the Budokwai, the group was formed by Koizumi in 1918 with Tani as Chief instructor. The pre war organisation of the BJJS was refused membership or recognition of the Budokwai, as were others, mainly because they refused to be directed by the Budokwai Executives.

A good number of years past before Ju Jitsu was reborn again. It was not until 1955 that it made the head lines again in Britain under the banner of the British Jiu Jitsu Association formed by James Blundell in Liverpool, progress was again very slow until the late sixties/early seventies
When the martial arts hit the cinema and television, these two items brought an influx of students to the fighting arts; this also started the growth the then biggest Jiu Jitsu group in this country, the BJJA.
In the late 1960 the government of the time felt there were too many organisations, all with different rules and standards of all martial arts in this country, the government rightly so were concern about the standards of teaching and standards of some of the instructors thus forming a commission (MAC), funded by the Sports Council, this transform The martial arts world within the UK by regulate the regulatory bodies and in some cases streamline the various organisations professing the same art into one.
In this case Jiu Jitsu a number of groups were brought together under the BJJA.There have been a lot of changes to the Jiu Jitsu world with in the UK over the last thirty years or so with the break up of the MAC, and the country's making up the UK each having their own governing bodies.
With in the UK today there are many Jiu Jitsu groups and many instructors teaching some form of Jiu Jitsu, but they can all trace their roots back to the original BJJA and the fore sight of James Blundell and his team of Instructors including his bother John Blundell back in 1955.

===================================

2. Who was James Blindell, where and how did he learn his art?

http://www.jiu-jitsu.freeserve.co.uk/soke.htm

"In memory of my father", by Kenneth James Blundell, his son

SOKE JAMES JOSEPH BLUNDELL

Born 22nd December 1921, Died 13th November 1989

James Joseph Blundell was the name he signed when he joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 14. The minimum age to join the Merchant Navy at that time (1935) was 16. The call of the sea was so strong, he lied about his age, and so his journeys began. He was a small man in stature but strong of limb and mind and had an enormous appetite for learning.

In the early days before the Second World War, he travelled all over the world, mainly to Eastern ports, where he ws first introduced to many fighting systems. He was so taken by the speed, agility and techniques of these people, there was a burning passion to learn. In the early days there were no container ships as there are now, in many ports cargo was unloaded and reloaded by hand for the return trip, and often this took anything from 2-8 weeks for the ship to be ready to sail. He wouldn't spend all his time in dockside bars with many of his shipmates, instead he travelled inland to small towns and villages, seeking out elders of families who taught fighting systems, many of which will never be seen again. Many systems are passed down from father to son and were taught within the clan, so to speak.

My father told me many stories of his full and eventful life, especially of his life at sea and his treks on foreign soil. The following paragraphs of this article are small, true extracts of his life, which he has described to me over the years.

On his many visits to Singapore, he stayed and trained with Master Kim, a Chinese gentleman with extraordinary gifts. He described to me in great details his first meeting with this gentleman. Master Kim owned a small shop which sold antiques and curious articles. He usually stood outside his shop, arrms folded, studying the people who passed by. My father told me this was the only man he had ever met who actually possessed a sixth sense.

Master Kim unfolded his arms pointed to him and beckoned my father into the shop. My father felt no fear of this man only strange exhaltation. After a few minutes of wandering around the shop Master Kim ushered my father through a curtain at the back of the shop. A small dojo awaited him, the walls adorned with weapons and masks of various sizes. He knew what my father was looking for. My father told me that Master Kim was his one and only true instructor although he had several in his quest for knowledge. Master Kim was an old Chinese man who had fled his own country because of the uprising there, and fearing for the safety of his own family he settled down in Singapore.
Another of his stories centred when he sailed into Rio De Janeiro, where he fought a local boxing champion. On the streets of Rio in the late '30s bare knuckle fist fights were big business, and many dollars were betted on the outcome of the fights. Prof. Blundell used his own Ju Jitsu techniques to defeat him, and was carried aloft by his shipmates back to his ship.

In the Second World War my father ferried British troops back and forth to whereever they were needed in the world but the war did not alter Prof. Blundell from his quest for knowledge of the martial arts, even though he was torpedoed twice, nce by a German U-Boat, in the North Atlantic. The second time he ws torpedoed by a Japanese submarine he was adrift in an open boat for ten days and survived only on dog biscuits and water for that period of time. Out of the 15 men who entered the lifeboat with him, only two survived.

When he finally finished his travels, he settled down, and found employment with the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company on a salvage vessel which patrolled the River Mersey and outer regions and was based in his home town of Liverpool at the Pier Head.

Throughout Prof. James Blundell's career as a martial artist, he has raised thousands of pounds for charity, giving exhibitions all over Great Britain. He has stamped his own identity on Ju Jitsu in this and many other countries, being the founder member and chairman of the British Ju Jitsu Association which he resurrected back in the 1950s. Operating from the Lowlands Ju Jitsu Club, West Derby, Liverpool, which Prof. Blundell also taught from, he has produced some of the most talented and respected Ju-Jitsuka in the western world.

His junior classes in the 1960s and 1970s were a tribute to his talent for handling children. Indeed the students came from all over England in coaches and mini buses to seek his expert tuition.
Many instructors around the world have been taught by him and have adopted his syllabus, which has stood the test of time in a changing martial arts world.

Although he had been semi-retired from Ju-Jitsu for some years because of a stroke which left him partially paralysed, he could still tell you if you were going wrong in a particular technique and he would correct you, and he often sat on grading panels doing gradings from white to black belt. But in the end he had a second stroke which proved fatal and the messages of condolence at his funeral came from near and far, in respect of a man who was a pioneer of Ju-Jitsu in the country.

Article written by Kenneth James Blundell 6th Dan and appeared in TRADITIONAL KARATE March 1990.

======================================

3. What was the name of Blundell's original art/style?

http://shirobara.co.uk/jujitsu/what.htm

"(...) The style of Ju Jitsu we teach at Shiro Bara is what is commonly known in the UK as Juko Ryu. Soke James Blundell formulated and introduced this predominantly unarmed style to the UK in the 1960’s.

Before the Second World War Soke Blundell was a merchant seaman and spent much of his time in the Far East. During this time he studied many different styles of Ju Jitsu under a number of different masters. Upon returning to the UK Soke Blundell formed the Lowlands Ju Jitsu club in Liverpool and then the British Ju Jitsu Association where he taught most of the today’s Ju Jitsu masters in the UK, including Allan Tattersall (8th Dan), Robert Ashworth (7th Dan), Robert Clarke (9th Dan), his son Kenny Blundell (7th Dan) and many others.

Unfortunately, Soke James Blundell passed away in 1990 following his second stroke and at this time many of his senior students formed their own clubs and associations such as the World Ju Jitsu Federation (Robert Clarke), The United Kingdom Ju Jitsu Association (Allan Tattersall) and Nippon Dai Budo Kai (Robert Ashworth).

If anybody would like to find out more about Ju Jitsu then please feel free to drop into one of our classes. We teach the traditional Juko Ryu syllabus introduced by Soke Blundell (...)"

=======================================

Additional comment/question: Can we link Blundell's Juko Ryu with Juko Ryu Ju-Jitsu of Juko Kai, founded and headed by Rod Sacharnoski? There is a link made by few authors whose articles are presented on sites in Spanish, Czech and other languages.
============================

Conclusion: Previous studies and further research (not presented in here) confirm the fact that most of the current highest ranked leaders of numerous British Jujutsu organizations did start as BJJA members, first or second generation Blundell's students. It appears as a highest possibility that ALL of them have received their first black belts from BJJA (or from some of early BJJA offshoots). It is very obvious that Blundell's "Sokeship" is misinterpretation, and is wrongly used to emphasize the fact that he had founded the system. Term "Soke" strictly implies that someone has inherited a system/style/organization of older recorded tradition - while in Blundell's case we most probably have a classical example of someone who had collected pieces from various martial arts and composed his own teaching. Having in consideration this origin of Blundell's "jujutsu", and the lack of any records of his or BJJA recognition from any other competent authority (high ranked individual, or international organization, or Japanese organization - any legitimate "resource" with visible "Japanese-rooted" lineage), we may conclude that Blundell's students practically DID NOT LEARN JUJUTSU. Only those who have been additionally influenced by other original/traditional jujutsu styles, or have been competently exposed to related arts and systems which contain large portions of jujutsu (such as Judo and Aikido), could claim full proficiency in jujutsu. Furthermore, only those who have been additionally recognized by aforementioned authorities may consider their Jujutsu practice and ranks fully legitimate. Question remains: how many such instructors and organizations are there in Great Britain?

Dr. Ivica Zdravkovic
(writen back in September 2003, re-used now :D )

[Bengel]

First I'd like to state that I do not know the WJJF, nor do I want to pass judgement on something I do not know. However, the following may give you an idea of what my general view is on the title 'Soke'.

If the word Soke (creator of a style) isn't accompanied by the names Kano, Ueshiba, Funakoshi, Mochizuki, Oyama etc. then I will seriously question what type of 'martial artist' I am dealing with. The problem being that there is totally no control on the criteria necessary to carry the title 'Soke'. Although the soke of your style maybe a great martial artist and teacher, the following scheme is unfortunately also an integral part of current martial art standards.

Maybe some day I'll whip a red (or, even better, gold) belt around my waist, award myself 10th dan, pay some Japanese martial arts organisation to give me proof of credibility and be the Soke of Ripoff-no-jitsu whilst collecting ridiculous amounts of fees for lessons. Not to forget the ludicrous amounts of money I will charge for 'special' training sessions which replace the normal lessons but cost twice as much whilst the same stuff is taught only in a much more crowded dojo, gradings that are two months after your previous grading and teacher courses that include red-white belts for every hundred students (i.e. cash-cows) you bring in.
All in all a good pension plan for my wife, who I graded 9th dan so she can do the boring administrative stuff like signing all the diplomas for the gradings, and I. Ensuring my ultimate goal in life will be reached timely and easily, i.e. relaxing in the sunny Bahamas after I've turned fifty.

An article form e-budo sheds some light on this subject if you're interested: http://www.e-budokai.com/articles/titles.htm

[Mekugi]

The term "soke" is rather interesting and confusing.... I’ll attempt to explain why in my own words.
宗家
The meaning of the kanji breaks down into "sou" or "mune"- means religion, main、primary or essence. "Ke", "uchi" or "Iei" is is family, house or home. In another sense, it can be written as "ieimoto" or "house origin". The basic definition(s) out of the way, it then gets complicated.
The first official use of this term arguably popped up in the merchant or the artisan class. A soke is the rightful leader of the business or "shop". They own the name, tools, the right to do business and speak for the household and protect their craft. This was not unlike the closely guarded secrets of steel as was found in the "Damascus" forging style, the way that "greek fire" was protected from intruders and how glass blowing was held in the realm of mystery in the ancient world.

In another sense, this word means you are the rightful inheritor of a family's essence . You carry out the primary duties for the family (not to be separated from "religion", in this case Shinto) and are the one who bears the responsibility for the family. So, in all aspects of this term if you were to be a soke, you need to be a part of the family to begin with. You would be the head priest of the family, the one who spoke to the gods and performed the duties at your family shrine or during festivals. Yet the term became more "business" oriented as the merchant and artisans started to use it regulary, pulling out it's spiritual roots.

In martial arts, this term was rarely used, however. It seems to be a semi-modern concept in terms of budo as the old system would not allow it to happen. The government was extremely wary of uprisings and politcal unrest, and as a defensive measure the local "military" was restricted to teaching within their own boundaries or territories (Dr. Karl Friday writes a great deal about this in some of his works, excellent resources if you are interested).


A very a good article by Bill Bodiford is all over on the Web: http://www.koryubooks.com/library/wbodiford1.html, it's basically an excellent essay/summary of the use of the word inside an official title and it's relationship to society during the edo era. Much of his information comes from a gentleman scholar known as Nishiyama Matsunosuke- who really digs deep into the term. Very well worth the read.
He writes:

Osano Jun (187-192) argues that the first martial art in Japan to adopt a true soke system was the Kodokan School of judo. Osano could be right. The Kodokan set the standards not just for members within one training hall in one location, but for all participants in judo throughout the nation. The Kodokan defined the art; it controlled licensing and instruction; and it established branch schools with instructors who maintained permanent affiliation with the headquarters. If the Kodokan does not recognize something as being "judo," then it is not judo. Therefore, there is no such thing as a new style of judo. All of these elements constitute essential characteristics of traditional soke organizations in Tokugawa-period Japan. In actual practice, however, no one ever refers to the Kodokan, or its current head, as the soke of judo.9 The term seems out of place with judo's emphasis on modernity. Having analyzing the term soke in this way, Osano also criticizes the present-day use of the soke label by some Japanese teachers who represent traditional martial art lineages (i.e., koryu). Osano asserts that such usage not only is incorrect but also reveals an ignorance of traditional Japanese culture.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

I recently after returning to London from Japan had the chance to look through the old WJJF syllabus compiled by Robert Clarke during the 1980's. It was a self published book, on the first page, had Inoue Tsuyoshi Sensei in montsuki with the stamp.

The rest of the book was....weird. A mish mash of different solo techniques, including iai that was ripped off from Otake Risuke's Deity & the Sword (In the background was a tokanoma and a scroll with Hontai Yoshin ryu written in Kanji backwards) There were also kusarigama techniques as well, and lord only knows where they came from. After that, the majority of the weapons techniques seemed to stem from Ryukyu kobudo.

It was all very 70's English budo; big sideburns, lots of pretentions and ropey techniques.

[Calvin Dore]

I train at WJJF down in Reading under Sensei Phil Collins 5th dan ^^ I think its a really good school, only bad thing i think how much money you have to put into it! :O

[Mekugi]

Holy thread necromancy!

[abc_warrior]

i trained with these guys back in the mid 1980’s. looking back i can remember that as a beginner we learnt what would be classed as standard judo throws & locks etc. The black belts seemed to be doing this plus what looked kind of like solo karate kata’s and some kubodo not just japanese stuff like sword & bo etc but okinawan weapons like sai, nunchaku & kama. the instructors seemed to wear a variety of uniforms sometimes a white gi with blue stripes down the legs and arms, sometimes with a red or a black jacket and, at odd times, combined with a hakama. all the black belts had lots of world jui-jitsu badges plastered all over their gi’s. the head instructor was a guy called robert/bob ashworth, anybody know his history?