JDJ Jujutsu Instructors Register

It should be noted that I never set out to create a register of Jan de Jong's (JDJ) jujutsu yudansha, ikkyu holders, and/or instructors. That only came about through a comment received on a previous post asking about a register in relation to a person not affiliated with the Jan de Jong Self Defence School (JDJSDS) claiming that they were awarded yondan by JDJ.

Greg Palmer provided the yudansha register. I developed the ikkyu holder's register because ikkyu was the instructor's grading with JDJ's grading system (kyu system). When JDJ developed that system, there was no thought of a dan grading system (see previous link). The JDJ jujutsu instructors register arose out of the fact that many of JDJ's early instructors were not graded ikkyu, let alone shodan, and they were as good as, if not better than at times, those that followed with higher grades.

Here is something that just occurred to me. I have explained in previous posts that JDJ asked me to take over the Melville branch when I was only orange belt (sankyu (3rd kyu)) and after less than two years training even though there were many shodan, ikkyu, and nikyu students that were available. Through my research, I found that Peter Clarke, one of the three that JDJ promoted to rokudan , was also teaching after two years of training. What grade was Clarke when he was teaching at that time?

The following is the JDJ jujutsu instructors register that has been compiled todate. If you have any other instructors, not assistant instructors, who taught for JDJ at the JDJSDS, please forward their names to me to be included on the register.

1.      Peter Clarke

2.      Robert Hymas

3.      Paul Connolly

4.      Greg Palmer

5.      Ian Lloyd

6.      Robert Kirby

7.      Hans de Jong

8.      Debbie Clarke

9.      John Copley

10.  John Coles

11.  Peter Templeman

12.  Maggie de Jong

13.  Vass D'Esterre

14.  Warwick 'Zak' Jaggard

15.  Heidi Romundt

16.  Darryl Cook

17.  David Green

18.  Joe Fantasia

19.  Manfred ? (instructed Kirby)

20.  Tony Chiffings

21.  Rodney Miller

22.  Steve Moller

23.  Les Periera

24.  Craig Ma’ha

25.  Mike Rendell

26.  Terry Ginnane

27.  Paul Jones

28.  David Green

29.  Rodney Robinson

30.  Alan Robson

31.  Jason Stirbinskis

32.  Cyril Boutsis

33.  Michael Riessen

34.  Simon Blytheway

35.  George Clarke (first full-time instructor other than JDJ, Hakusho 1988-89, JDJSDS, 1)

36.  Dennis Dunn

37.  David Palmer

In the above list: 37 instructors, excluding JDJ, 34 male, 3 female.

I have to mention Robert 'Rob' 'Kirbs' Kirby. His career in the police force deprived us of his continued instruction and he was in the unfortunate era were shodan was only being introduced. He never got to complete the shodan grading but is well worthy of that status and more.

He knew his 'stuff' and his Saturday classes were both enjoyable and challenging. He alone among the instructors knew how to train students and not just teach them. That probably came from his training with the Western Australian Police Force. Most, if not all, of the other instructors had very little training experience outside of the JDJSDS.

Kirby could make the training serious and lighthearted at the same time. His classes included laughter, exertion, and sweat. His class was the only one where I pushed myself so hard that I was at risk of throwing up, but I would have been there for the next class without a second thought.

Given my training regime, I trained extensively under every senior instructor in the JDJSDS during the 1980s, however, upon review of the above list, I did not train much if at all under John Copley. Copley was obviously a good teacher as numerous of his students went on to become instructors, ikkyu, and yudansha.

Copley taught at the Morley branch, which was the only dojo that JDJ bought outright. If only JDJ had bought 996 Hay Street, the hombu. Students today will never know the 'charm' of the 996 Hay Street hombu. To be fair, they will also not know the occ health and saftey threat they exposed to training at the 996 Hay Street hombu. No fire extinguishers in a fire trap (until I lobbied for them). Rain water cascading down over open fuse boxes. Dojos with an undulating surface rather than a smooth surface. ... ah, the good old days. :)

  

Of course, there was always the brothel across the road in those days, the Scarlet Garter.

Parking was always at a premium for the JDJSDS given that it was located in the CBD, albeit on the outer fringe of the CBD, and I used to park behind this building in the Scarlet Garter's parking. Interesting patronage to say the least. Not a lot of eye contact between parking patrons.

Someone from the Scarlet Gater came into the JDJSDS to ask for protection at one stage. A bouncer or some such. Not sure if anyone took up that offer. 

Anyway, when I compiled these registers, it is always a walk down memory lane. An era that will not be repeated and for which the current JDJ ryuha students are the poorer for.