Protecting Others
Most of a Martial Artist's training is focused on protecting themselves from a physical assault. We spend years learning how to throw an attacker when he chokes you against a wall, or how to disarm him if he holds you up at an ATM machine. We learn how to protect...
Kobukai Jujitsu On The Street
This is an edited account from a former Kobukai Jujitsu student about a real life altercation that he was in recently. Note – this student stopped training more than 10 years ago due to work/family situation. He states that he was amazed at how much his brain and...
Striking for Self Defense
Striking for Self Defense is an important part of your overall Personal Defense system. Although I would never suggest going toe to toe with someone in a punching match (which would actually be a fight - not self defense), there are times when effective strikes can...
Knowing vs Doing
Knowing vs Doing. What is the difference? There are two abilities necessary for self defense. The ability to do a technique, and the ability to do the technique in a fight. Knowing how to defend yourself and actually defending yourself are very different. Most...
What is Shinto?
What is Shinto? Shinto is the indigenous spirituality of Japan. Shinto practices were first recorded in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki in the 8th century. The earliest writings do not refer to Shinto as a religion, but as historical folklore and mythology. Shinto today is...
Warrior Spirituality
The warriors of Japan, the Samurai, lived in a warrior society where martial etiquette ruled all aspects of the warrior’s life. A comparison to the ancient martial laws would be the modern U.S. military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice. This is a set of laws quite...
Gendai Budo
Gendai Budō means “modern martial arts” in Japanese, and is often used to refer to Japanese martial arts that were formed after 1868 (the Meiji Restoration) (or 1876 when samurai could no longer wear swords). But the meaning of Gendai Budo is deeper, as are most...
Dojo Etiquette
What is so damn important about dojo etiquette? Why do I have to bow? I don't bow to anyone! What is the difference if I act a certain way or not, am quiet or not, am respectful or not? Does it mean I can't defend myself? If I don't bow lower than my senior - does...
The Essence of Budo
Hanshi Duke Moore said it best in the introduction to the original manuscript for the Fighting Spirit of Zen - which was "Survival is everything, all else is trivial". I want to speak briefly on the essence of Budo. In order to do that - lets start with what Bujutsu...
Jujitsu and Newaza
As a Jujitsu instructor I get alot of questions from students and friends about what is the difference between Judo, Jujitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. There is a long and intertwined history of these three closely related arts. So closely related that the unitiated...
History of Belts & Ranks
I am a 7th Dan Blackbelt. Question: What the heck does that mean? Answer: Oh, I know, it means you are better than a 4th Dan Blackbelt and worse than a 8th Dan Blackbelt. Right? Well – yes and no. How did all this belt ranking get started? The answer is simple, it is...
History of Jujitsu
ANCIENT JAPAN Grappling styles have existed for eons. Early Egyptian and Greek art show the grappling arts in tombs, on pottery and in statuary. Grappling was known as far back as 2300 B.C. Over the centuries the grappling martial arts spread throughout the world,...
Being Sempai
What does it mean to be a Sempai. The simple meaning is to understand the definition. Sempai translates as "Senior" and can be applied in any situation where someone is senior to you. The Japanese term is used in school, business, the arts, and of course...
The Traditional Dojo
What is a Traditional Dojo? What should one expect when entering a traditional dojo? Does attending a Traditional Dojo mean you will learn old and outdated techniques that wont work in the modern world? Is it even important to train at a Traditional Dojo? If so -...
What is Self Defense
How do you know that you are learning self defense? Are there characteristics of a dojo, a teching methodology, a curriculum that can tell you whether or not you are practicing self defense or sport or something else? Kobukai Jujitsu focuses on Self...
Picking Good Students
Here is a fun guessing game for the reader. Below are two stories. Guess which one is true. 1. Two cars head down the highway one evening during rush hour traffic. Going is slow sometimes, other times fast - the aggrivating rubber band effect of highways crammed...
The Power of the Heel Hook
Heel Hooks Heel Hooks are one of the most powerful joint dislocations in the Jujitsu arsenal. Most of the time when we think of Kansetsu Waza (bone breaking techniques) or Hishigi (dislocations) we think in terms of what we can do to the arm. Jujigatame, Kata...
Groin Strike – Does it work?
There are many who say that the groin strike is not a useful self defense technique. I know of a local school with a well known self defense program run by a former police officer who markets on the fact that groin strikes and kicks do not work. I have read...
Why We Do What We Do
When you are doing Self Defense focused Jujitsu, you should always remember that every technique you do has a combat reason. This means there should be no techniques that are “just good for competition.” I cringe when I hear instructors say “I would never do this in real life, but lets practice it.” If that is the case – then why bother. Unless you are working out with your cadre of blackbelts, and you just feel like playing around, there is no excuse to ever teach a student something you would never use in real life. Self Defense should ONLY be focused on what your WOULD use in real life. More importantly – HOW you would use it in real life.
Martial Academics
Part of your martial arts journey involves academics. Training is more than just physical, especially if you are considering teaching someday. Knowledge of history and the technical nuances of strategy and tactics is important to the overall development of the...
Survival is Everything – All else is Trivial
I was speaking with another martial artist recently, and we began to talk about what was really relevant for survival. After some discussion about martial arts techniques, what really works and what doesn't work so well, we came to the conclusion...
What Martial Art Is Best For Self Defense?
“What Martial Art is best for self defense?” a student asked me. As a Jujitsu instructor who has been doing this for 32 years, I actually get this question quite a bit. One would expect after dedicating an entire martial art career to one martial art, the answer would be obvious. It would be the art I do. It is obviously the best martial art for self defense. But I could not give that answer to my student. It would not be the truth. Jujitsu is not the best self defense martial art in the world.
Ok, you are probably saying, I am confused now. What?
I cannot say that Jujitsu, as practiced throughout the world is the best self defense martial art. Some dojos focus on combat/street effective self defense, others do not. Some look more like sport. Some seek only to preserve a tradition and practice only kata. So I cannot answer that question by stating Jujitsu.
Shibumi
Simplicy as a way to manage the complex. Complexity and nuance as a way to manage simplicity. Clarity of thought and design. Silence as communication. A single purpose or function so clear that is needs no embelishment. Shibumi. There was a time where there was...
The Toughest Journey
In the Jujitsu world - the journey to Blackbelt is one of the toughest journeys you will ever make. To put it in perspective - more people have climbed Mt. Everest than have achieved a Jujitsu blackbelt! Does that mean the journey to Blackbelt is tougher than...
Gyaku
Gyaku means reversal or counter. It can refer to the position of a hand, a reversal of fortune, or reversing positions. What I am thinking about today is the reversing of positions which is so critical in successful newaza. As you know - being able to move from bottom...
An Interview with Shihan Jerry Kunzman – Part 2
How did you meet Duke Moore? After I had been training at the Taraval St. dojo for several months with Sensei Rich Leviton, one night in 1960 or 1961 an “older” gentleman (40 something) came in to the dojo. Until then I had never met Hanshi Moore but it was apparent...
An Interview with Shihan Jerry Kunzman
Here is an interview with Prof. Jerry Kunzman - 9th Dan in Zenbudo-Ryu Jujitsu concerning how he started in Jujitsu. 1. What year did you begin training in Jujitsu? It must have been in 1960 because I started a new job in 1959 and remember discussing it with my new...
Martial Arts Master
What does it mean to be a true Martial Arts Master? We often have visions of a small Japanese master who lives high on a misty mountain. Only he has the real secrets of self defense. He is a magical man, impervious to pain, and unbeatable in combat. Though frail he...
Cult of Personality
Many dojos and systems come and go over the years. A few stay a couple generations. Only a handful stand the test of time. One of the main reasons dojos or systems fail to stay intact over generations, is the same reason new companies, born from the brilliant...
Tenacity
If there is one thing I find guarantees a higher level of success at anything - it's tenacity. Tenacity - that "stick with it", "suck it up", "make it happen", "keep going" attitude that leads to success and even greatness. Tenacity is the one and only secret to...
What DOES it take to earn your Blackbelt?
As a result of our recent Blackbelt Test - I got to thinking - What DOES it take to earn your blackbelt? Generations go by, and you have to wonder - what did it take in the past to earn your blackbelt? What do other schools require? Is there a standard? Why do some...
Let’s Not Lose Our Way
As a martial arts instructor, one of the things that "keeps me up at night" is making sure that what and how I am teaching gives my students a real fighting chance in a violent encounter. I have known people in other martial arts that trained for years and attained...
Hello Kobukai Jujitsu Students and Instructors
I have wanted to do a Kobukai Jujitsu blog for a while. But I never got to it - and then I was so amazed by the coolness of Trey Whitaker's blog about our dojo - that I just let it go. I am not good at revealing thoughts. I am a pretty bad Facebooker - mainly...
First Post – Summer Classes
Heat stroke - thats what summer class is all about at the Kobukai Dojo. Its hot. Sweat is pouring off your head - as you body purifies itself. We wear heavy black traditional Japanes Jujitsu Gi's. 30 people crowd the class - all working as hard as...
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