BUDO:

While training at Banstead and moving through the Kyu grades (around 1984), I was interested in learning Aikido. Still, I didn’t do much about it until Mark Harrison, my karate peer, mentioned that a Budo adult education evening class was starting nearby in Sutton. The flyer mentioned Kendo, Jo and Aikido. We went along to the sign-up evening, and a solitary glum-looking guy was sitting at a table while a hive of activity was going on at the other course tables. He perked up once we expressed interest in signing up, to give us more information.

The classes were mainly Kendo forms (2 person forms with wooden swords – Bokken), with a bit of Jo (4ft Stick) and not much Aikido. I only went for one term, but Mark went along for a few more terms until the course finished, as it wasn’t renewed for the following year. Interestingly, it turned out that the instructor had studied with Otani Tomio, a Kenshiro Abbe student, in London. He was, therefore, well-versed in Kyushindo philosophy and gave out some sheets regarding the philosophy and history that Sensei Otani had written. This information was not freely obtainable in those pre-internet days. Here is a modern PDF of the photocopied, typed version I was given.

http://www.tenshin-ryu.co.uk/tenshin_old/Documents/Kyshindo%20philosophy%20fundamentals.pdf

I cannot remember the instructor’s name, but he was a member of Tenshin Ryu, active in South London. Full of stories and anecdotes, I particularly remember him describing his avoidance training, which involved moving quickly through a busy shopping mall and avoiding all the shoppers (Whitgift Centre in Croydon). He came to the Banstead club one evening but didn’t participate in Karate. He just spoke to Martin and showed him some of his weapon forms.

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JU-JITSU:

When I moved to Hampshire in September 1992 (Gosport initially), I found a Ju-Jitsu club at the local sports centre under the South Coast Martial Arts group (SCMA). I went along, and it included throws from the Zen Judo style (which also originated in Hampshire) with locks/restraints/casts, and they also trained basic blocks and strikes. There wasn’t any groundwork like in the Brazilian style. Their sparring was similar to Karate with striking and blocking, but with lots of progression onto throws and locks. I never told them of my background in Karate and tended to hold back in sparring, particularly in block/striking and avoidance movements. I did however relapse once when caught unexpectedly and countered more in line with my Karate training. This was during a round-robin session with higher grades the week after getting a green belt. The instructor said that getting the belt had obviously increased my confidence and ability!

I trained it for 18 months, mostly at Gosport, but did go to the main club at Lee-on-the-Solent a few times. I then moved to Eastleigh and there wasn’t time to attend after starting a new job in Basingstoke.

It did improve my throws and breakfalls, and I learnt some useful locks and restraints.

The Gosport and Lee-on-the-Solent clubs are still going, though under different instructors that taught me.