Shime Waza and Jan de Jong Jujutsu Grading

Included in the first part of the shodan shinken shobu no kata grading, under the katame waza category, is shime waza (strangulation techniques). Included in the shime waza defences from a high punch (tsuki jodan) attack is hadake jime (naked strangle), okuri eri jime (sliding lapel strangle), kata hajime (single wing strangle), and washi jime (eagle claw strangle). These defences in this grading speak to the development of the grading system by Shihan Jan de Jong.

The first three techniques are judo techniques. The judo classification includes a shime waza class of techniques which includes many more techniques in addition to the first three listed above. Why did JDJ only include these three from the judo techniques? The answer to that question is that all of the other judo shime waza are applied by tori while positioned in front of uke. This has obvious risks when considered in a self-defence/fighting context (even though some earlish close combat manuals included some of those techniques in their teachings). 

Judo teaches these techniques with tori already positioned behind uke. JDJ's grading has them applied when tori is initially positioned in front of uke, and therefore they have to make their way around to the back of uke in order to apply these techniques. You will be hard pressed to find any instruction - jujutsu, judo, close combat - where these techniques are applied against an attack where tori and uke are initially facing each other. Wally Jay in one of his books on Small Circle jujutsu includes a defences where tori simply turns uke around thus presenting their back to tori.

This, I would suggest, is an example of JDJ's adopt-and-adapt approach to developing his jujutsu grading system. While the shime waza are common, the transition from front to back by tori  from a punch is a unique adaptation that JDJ would appear to have developed and introduced into his jujutsu grading system.

Mukae Daoshi and Jan de Jong Jujutsu Gradings

Mukae daoshi is translated as 'embrace and overturn', a unique translation is 'ambushing topple', or 'meeting takedown.' An excellent example of this technique is presented below. The late Sensei Greg Palmer is tori and yours truly is uke.

Shihan Jan de Jong always referred to this technique as mukae daoshi, however, his jujutsu grading sheets do not refer to this term even though this technique/defence is included in the gradings a number of times. The term used in the grading sheets to refer to this technique is ura tai otoshi, reverse body drop.

Why does JDJ refer to this technique as mukae daoshi but refer to it in his grading sheets as ura tai otoshi?

The same technique (or is it?) is called irimi nage, entering throw, in most aikido systems. The term mukae daoshi is a term that tends to be associated with Yoseikan budo/aikido, however, Edgar Kruyning in his The Art of Ju-Jutsu: The Legacy of Minoru Mochizuki's 'Yoseikan' Sogo Budo refers to this technique/defence as both irimi nage and mukae daoshi.

In this technique, or variation of the technique, tori's actions tend to cause uke to bend backwards 'limbo' style, forcing them to fall to the ground. JDJ would have no truck with this variation/technique.

The daoshi in mukae daoshi is taoshi when the 'd' and 't' are interchangeable. Taoshi means takedown. Irimi nage means entering throw. Takedowns and throws are categories of techniques referred to within the martial arts. Is mukae daoshi/irimi nage a takedown or a throw?

Gary Klein in Seeing What Other's Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights explains that insights can provide a new and better understanding; one that is more accurate, more comprehensive, and more useful then the one that existed before. One of the paths to gaining insight that Klein identifies is curiosity. He describes the curiosity path in terms of a 'What's going on here?' reaction. The insight does not come from the question, but rather from the pursuit of an answer to that question.

The mukae daoshi 'What's going on here?' questions can lead to insights that produce a new and better understanding about JDJ's teachings; one that is more accurate, more comprehensive, and more useful then the one that currently exists - if only students and instructors studied his grading system rather than simply engaging in it, and asked, 'What's going on here?' 

The insights provided by Happoken no Kata (Part 3)

You will recall from the previous post that the question was raised as to why a blocking technique is used in conjunction with an evasive bodymovement in happoken no kata taught by Jan de Jong.

The above image of happoken no kata is taken from Minoru Mochizuki's book, Nihonden Jujutsu: Kuroobi Aikido; Traditional Japanese Jujutsu: Black Belt Aikido (1978).

The kata performer assumes a parallel stance when performing the first block. That makes sense. If no evasive bodymovement is executed in response to an attack, then a blocking technique is required in order to avoid potentially injurious contact with the body. The block in the Yoseikan kata is required because the performer does not execute an evasive body movement.

It could be argued that JDJ introduced the evasive zenkutsu dachi to the happoken kata because the Yoseikan parallel stance appears weak/insipid, however, that introduction then changes the need for a blocking technique.

This is a systems thinking issue. Systems thinking is often contrasted with analysis and associated with synthesis, however, Ackoff (1999) explains that systems thinking involves both analysis and synthesis. Analysis involves breaking a whole into its constituent parts and studying those parts in isolation. Synthesis involves putting the parts back together and studying how they work together in order to achieve the objective of the system. Analysis yields knowledge about the whole and understanding of the parts (seeing the trees); synthesis yields understanding of the whole (seeing the forest). Systems thinking involves both analysis and synthesis thereby yielding both knowledge and understanding of the parts and the whole (seeing the trees and the forest).

If the reason for JDJ's change from the original parallel stance to zenkutsu dachi was to introduce a 'stronger' stance into the kata, then it was an example of analytic thinking being employed and an example of how analytic thinking can cause problems (think the cane toad solution to the cane beetle in Australia). 

This then goes into looking at defences as 'phases.' Breaking a defence or technique down into phases makes it easier to teach, learn, and to identify and correct performance errors. For instance, the phases of a golf swing are backswing, swing, impact, and follow through. The phases of a defence taught in the mon grades of JDJ's jujutsu and aikido system are taken from Yoseikan and are uke waza (receiving technique), kuzushi waza (unbalancing technique), and waza (technique). Change any part of that system and it can have effects on the other parts of that system and the accomplishment of the objective of the system. In this case, a change in the uke waza in terms of introducing an evasive bodymoment meant that the blocking technique became redundant. It also meant that the first and second strikes were ineffective.

The parallel stance of the original kata is a bit insipid. It wasn't until I saw this kata performed by European Yoseikan practitioners on YouTube that the insight (see the first part in this series) was complete. The Yoseikan practitioners turned to the side of their parallel stance when executing the strikes and final block while dropping their knee which increased the stability and strength of the stance when performing those techniques. It is very similar to the pasang stance of Indonesia pencak silat that is a major feature of the style of pencak silat that I helped introduce into JDJ's pencak silat teachings.

This approach increases the kintic energy in the strike and the reach by half a body's width.

But wait, there's more. You could argue that the stance in the above Yoseikan image for the first block has changed to kokutsu dachi. And why not? It still makes sense. The stance in the second block could also be kokutsu dachi, but it could also be zenkutsu dachi as in Edgar Kruyning's book, The Art of Ju-Jutsu: The Legacy of Minoru Mochizuki' Yoseikan.

But wait, there's even more. Kruyning's first stance in his book has the wait going forward rather than backward, like a zenkutsu dachi but with the feet inline.

Kruyning' version of happoken includes different strikes. Why not? This becomes a truly versatile kata if one studies it and with a 'What's going on here?' mindset. It has to be said that the martial arts often does not encourage that type of mindset instead preferring blind obedience.

The insights provided by Happoken no Kata (Part 2)

Jan de Jong's version of happoken no kata starts off in a neutral parallel stance.

The performer then takes a step forward with their right leg and turns to their left into a zenkutsu dachi stance (forward leaning stance) while executing a chudan uchi uke (middle inside block).

'What's going on here?' Refer to 'insights' in previous post.

The performer executed an evasive bodymovement (EBM) along with a 'blocking' technique. What is the purpose of the blocking technique? It isn't to avoid injurious contact with the body because the EBM takes care of that problem.

You should always ask what the purpose of a 'block' is when used in conjunction with an EBM because it is not to avoid injurious contact with the body. The EBM takes care of that problem.

A classic example when a 'block' is used in conjunction with an EBM and has a purposes is the use of an EBM and a block to perform a foot sweep: entering and maeude deai osae uke (pressing forearm block; see The Textbook of Modern Karate, Okazki and Strecivic). In this case the block is used to unbalance the opponent, so it serves a purpose. The first 'block' in JDJ's happoken does not serve a purpose.

The above photo involves Hans de Jong executing the abovementioned technique on me, however, it is not the greatest representation of the technique because it was taken for a booklet that HDJ was going o use for seminar purposes and he didn't have a professional photographer, so he had to hold me up somewhat so the photo could be taken.

For all who are involved in the JDJ jujutsu and aikido tradition, the maeude deai osae uke is a blocking technique. It is a true blocking technique in that it stops the attack from moving forward. It is used to unbalance the opponent, however, it is still a true blocking technique. Never forget that and your defensive technique will be all the better for it.

So why does JDJ's happoken no kata's first sequence include a 'blocking' technique when it appears to serve no purpose? That will be the subject of the next post. 

 

The insights provided by Happoken no Kata (Part 1)

I was recently invited to present a session to advanced jujutsu students of the JDJ tradition. The instructor wants his students to learn more about the connection with the original Jan de Jong Self Defence School and JDJ's teachings. I took the opportunity to sneak in the sharing of some of the insights that I have developed.

Insight. In Seeing What Others Don't: The Remarkable Ways We Gain Insights, psychologist Gary Klein explains that insights can produce a new and better understanding. It is a new understanding because it did not exist before and it is a better understanding because it is more accurate, more comprehensive, and more useful then the one that existed before. This new and better understanding can then change the way we understand, think, feel, and act. That is the bold ambition of my books, and it was the bold ambition of my session with the abovementioned students.

One of the paths to gaining insights that Klein identifies is curiosity. He describes the curiosity path in terms of a 'What's going on here?' reaction. My books are the product of curiosity and a continuous stream of 'What's going on here?' reactions, and the insights I shared at the abovementioned session were the product of curiosity and a 'What's going on here?' reaction. The reaction itself is not the insight but it can start the person down the road to gaining insight. It does so when they try and find an answer to their original 'What's going on here?' question. In my case, the insights developed over a 20-30 year period.

Happoken no kata (HnK) is a Yoseikan kata. A Yoseikan 'what' kata is another question. I get lost these days. There is Yoseikan budo, Yoseikan aikido, Yoseikan karate, and now I'm seeing Yoseikan jujutsu. Yoseikan was established by Minoru Mochizuki. The only book he published was on Gyokushin jujutsu, a traditional form of jujutsu that he learned prior to judo, aikido, and karate. I see now that there is Gyokushin aikido. I'll just say that HnK is a Yoseikan kata.

JDJ introduced HnK into his mon grades in the 1970s. Why? An article concerning Branco Bratich provides the answer to that question:

His introduction to karate started in 1973 at Jujutsu Kan, Perth. It was more of a social interest than any serious commitment to the martial arts. His initial interest was karate closely followed by jujutsu. He found the training enjoyable but not physically demanding. In later years Branco realised that the jujutsu training made it easier for him to understand and appreciate the 'bunkai' of kata. After two years training, Jan de Jong, founder of Jujutsu Kan, approached Branco about teaching karate and Branco accepted becoming increasingly aware of his great enjoyment of teaching karate even though he felt his knowledge was limited. In 1974 Jan de Jong invited Sensei Yoshiaki Unno to Perth from the Yoseikan-Budo Hombu dojo in Japan. Thirty Jujutsu Kan instructors and senior students were invited to his first karate training session. At the end of six weeks only five participants were left. Branco was one of them. He easily adapted to the repetitious hard training. Many students quit finding that they were unable to meet the training demands of Sensei Unno. In particular he stated that none of them could punch properly, Sensei Unno insisted that his students punch until they got it right. A simple solution.

The legendary Donn Draeger distinguishes been techniques of percussion (striking) and techniques of prehension (grappling). The above extract suggests that JDJ's instructors and students could not perform percussion techniques properly. 'What's going on here?'

The article is not wrong. It was not wrong in the 70's and it is not wrong today. 

Firstly, do jujutsu students need to be proficient at performing percussion techniques when jujutsu is primarily an art of prehension (grappling)? Most other jujutsu systems would not appear to think so, even Brazilian jujitsu. Nor all aikido styles and of course judo, both derived from jujutsu. Secondly, you only need to study the JDJ jujutsu grading system to realise that there is no real emphasis on percussion techniques and no real means of developing them in the curriculum. Any proficiency has to come extra-curricula activities.

Extra-curricular activities. JDJ - pencak silat. Peter Clarke, the only person to be graded black belt under JDJ in both jujutsu and pencak silat. Me. I realised early on that the JDJ system and instructors do not develop techniques of percussion and went in search of means to develop them extra-curricula. I trained with Bob Jones Zen Do Kai, Malcolm Sue Kung Fu School, Brian Mackie Gojo Ryu, JDJ pencak silat, and finally Richard de Bordes Minangkabau Harimau pencak silat in London, the style of which I introduced into the JDJ pencak silat teachings.

JDJ introduced HnK into the jujutsu mon grades to improve the percussion techniques proficiency of his jujutsu students. However, HnK only includes 'blocks' and strikes. So JDJ developed wakai no kata which included 'blocks', strikes, and kicks, however, the kicks are primarily pencak silat-type kicks. 'What's going on here?'

Unfortunately, JDJ's intention for these kata was never realised as all students simply learn them in the very low grades for their grading and then never return to them to learn the lessons that they were intended to teach.

The following was posted on a Japan Martial Arts Federation Facebook page by what I can only presume is a senior student/instructor of the Hans de Jong Self Defence School. When providing information about the Yoseikan aikido taught at the HDJSDS, the author states,

Due to the lineage of the arts involved in the formation of Yoseikan Aikido, from both O'sensei Ueshiba, and Sensei Mochizuki, Yoseikan Aikido is a very involved art. In essence beginners first learn how to 'attack', or to be uke, the attacker. This involves learning how to strike correctly, which is done through the practice of some simple kata (a prearranged form of movements), namely the Happoken no Kata

'Beware the shoehorn.' 'Shoehorn' is a colloquial term that is used to refer to making something fit. I've had shoehorned answers to questions I raised with my instructors. The above would appear to be a shoehorned explanation as to why HnK is included in the Yoseikan aikido syllabus for anyone presenting themselves as teaching Yoseikan aikido. There is no way, shape, or form that HnK trains an aikidoka to 'attack' properly - properly meaning to inflict harm on tori. What does blocking have to do with learning to attack properly? Try and provide a reasonable equivalency between the strikes in HnK and those performed as an attacker in Yoseikan aikido. I call 'shoehorn.'

The insights that lead to a new and better understanding that changes the way we understand, think, feel and act arising from the study of HnK to continue.

 

End of an era

Jan de Jong Martial Arts and Fitness (JDJMAF), the Jan de Jong (JDJ) Self Defence School (JDJSDS) offshoot run by Maggie de Jong and Paul Connolly (M&P), have closed their CBD premises. It is the end of an era.

JDJ has had a CBD presence since 1955. JDJ's school, then named Ju Jutsu Kan Perth, relocated to the Swan River Rowing Club, Riverside Drive, Perth in 1955. Five years later it relocated to 870 Hay Street, Perth, and then in 1963 it moved to 996 Hay Street, Perth. In 2003, after JDJ passed away, JDJMAF was established and opened at 168 St George's Terrace, Perth (the Atrium). The last class was held at that location on 20 June 2021. There is no longer a JDJ presence in the Perth CBD after 66 continuous years. It is the end of an era.

I can only speak to the 996 Hay Street dojo as that is the only JDJ CBD premises I trained and taught at. It was, by today's standards, 'dodgy as.' Tin roof, no ceiling, so in summer you couldn't stand in one place on the mats because the mats were too hot. When it rained there was a waterfall cascading over the exposed electrical power board in the bottom dojo. Under the floor boards in that dojo was a sump that when it filled up rendered the bottom dojo unusable due to the stench. The place was a fire trap and did not have fire extinguishers until I introduced them ... in the late 1990s.

When I started training in the third week of April, 1983 there was a mat area/dojo to the right of the above photograph. 

The mat area was bowed because the floorboards underneath were rotten. When you threw a heavy opponent, the mat area bounced along with the practitioners using it (obviously before this photo). A shout out to the late Ian Lloyd who conducted classes in that dojo every Wednesday for a record period that extended decades.

The dojo was located in the CBD so parking was a problem. I solved my parking problem by parking in the carpark at the back of the brothel, the Scarlet Garter, directly across the road. Nobody seemed to mind even though I was not a client of that business. I wasn't!

 When JDJ passed away, M&P formed JDJMAF and moved to the Atrium. The lease had expired on the 996 Hay Street and the owner or her estate had sold the property and the new owners were going to redevelop the property. A lot of fond memories were demolished when the 996 Hay Street property was demolished. 

The new JDJMAF premises by comparison lacked the same character as the predecessor 996 Hay Street premises possessed. In its former life it was a squash court and therefore conformed to the occupational and health safety standards, but it lacked the character of the dodgy 996 Hay Street premises.

At its height, the city block that the JDJSDS was located on was a martial arts hub. The JDJSDS was on the southern side, Brian Mackie's (BM) goju ryu school was on the east, Roger Smart's (RS) wing chung school was on the north side, and Malcolm Sue's (MS) kung fu school was on the west.

BM's school was on that block before and after RS's and MS's schools. His school was there when JDJ's school was there and they both benefited from the popularity of martial arts brought on by the Kung Fu TV series and Bruce Lee movies (even though neither taught Chinese martial arts. Martial arts was martial arts back then). See the following link for BM's explanation of how his school grew because of that relationship. The same is true of the JDJSDS. They both owe everything to the Kung Fu TV series and Bruce Lee movies.

None of  those schools are located within the CBD now. It is an end of an era for martial arts in the Perth CBD. The Perth CBD is now home only to suits and shoppers, and indigents.

The JDJMAF is now teaching at various rented locations, the main one apparently being LeisureFit Melville. I was the original instructor at that location after being invited by JDJ to teach at the original Melville branch in 1985, two years after I'd commenced training at the JDJSDS. In fact, I took over that branch from another instructor even though I was just an orange belt (orange, purple, black and white, black). The reason was quite simple; I trained more than anyone else. I don't know if I had natural talent or not, but I do know that I trained more than anyone else and therefore the rankings did not reflect my capabilities and understanding at that time. That is why I oppose time constraints on gradings. If you train more than anyone else you should advance faster than anyone else.

Daryl Cook took over from me at the new Melville branch. It appears, according to reports, that was some 20 years ago.

Daryl commenced training before I did, however, I advanced ahead of him in ranking simply because I trained more than anyone else. It's a simple equation. 'Dags' as he was known, is a very good practitioner. He broke my nose. Yes; at a Dutch festival in Perth, we were performing a demonstration and Dags was demonstrating the ensnaring/grappling capabilities of nunchaku. He ensnared my arm as I attacked with a punch and then brought the nunchaku back pasted my head to take me to the ground. On the way past he made contact with my nose, breaking it. We did, however, see the demonstration through without anyone realising that I'd had my nose broken because we were professionals. ... he still hasn't apologised :(

These are the stories that attend to 996 Hay Street. The training. The experiences. The friendships. These experiences, friendships, etc would not, I think, have been possible without a dedicated full-time dojo.

Having a dedicated full-time dojo means something. Not some place you rent for classes. Would Mochizuki's Yoseikan be what it is today if he had to rent space at the local YMCA? The JDJSDS and JDJMAF were able to have a dedicated full-time dojo in the Perth CBD due to 'sweet-heart deals' with the property owners. What will happen to JDJMAF now? What will happen, and what is happening, to the JDJ tradition now?

 

   

Jujutsu is Aikido, Right?

I was corresponding with someone in the Jan de Jong tradition who made the very thought-provoking comment: 'Jujutsu is aikido, right?' 

I don't know whether their comment was serious or not, however, it does raise an interesting issue. One that should be a part of any theory grading for jujutsu and/or aikido, if those grading systems have theory gradings (as Jan de Jong's gradings do).

This issue is brought into stark relief with Yoseikan ryu and Gyokushin ryu. 

Mochizuki developed/created Yoseikan ryu. He originally trained in Gyokushin ryu jujutsu, which is the subject matter of the only book he published. The methods included in that book formed the basis for what became Yoseikan ryu aikido. But there are some who teach those same methods under the name of Yoseikan ryu jujutsu.

Some have reverted back to the Gyokushin name teaching either Gyokushin ryu jujutsu or Gyokushin ryu aikido.

When does Gyokushin ryu jujutsu become aikido, and when does Yoseikan aikido become jujutsu?

Mochizuki's teachings had a huge impact on Jan de Jong's jujutsu grading system. Much of that influence formed the basis for his aikido grading system, however, a lot of the jujutsu grading system that is not Mochizuki influenced did not make its way into his aikido grading system. This is a good example of - is aikido simply a subset of jujutsu (albeit some jujutsu systems; for instance, there can be no Brazilian aikido related to BJJ, although I do not put it passed someone to attempt that)?

This contemplation raises so many issues. Can a particular qualified jujutsuka develop an aikido system but the opposite is not true. After all, that is the theory of the development of aikido.

Are they, as the JDJ tradition member suggests, one and the same and the change of name is simply a 'rebranding' in order to 'differentiate the product' (marketing 101)?

Jan de Jong's Birthday and Legacy

Jan de Jong OAM 9th Dan would have been 100 years old on 6 February 2021, as we were reminded by various posts on Facebook. This got me thinking about the last time I saw JDJ.

I visited JDJ about three weeks before he passed away. As always it was a meeting of minds. During our time together, JDJ gave me a scroll. Martial arts tragics might be thinking, 'scroll', the anointed one! No. It was a series of photographs photocopied from a book for a kembagan (kata) that JDJ wanted me to learn and teach to the pencak silat instructors class. There is a lot more to that seemingly simple gesture than meets the eye.

JDJ developed the entire jujutsu (aikido and pencak silat) grading system that he used in his school. A feature of that development was that JDJ COLLECTED techniques/defences. He added to his teachings, all the way up until his passing. He was Dutch; they collect things.

The scroll is an addition to his pencak silat teachings. Before that, a host of dasar etc were added to his silat teachings. They were added because of a Dutch book on Seita Hati pencak silat that I gave to him. JDJ included me in the pencak silat instructors class when he was introducing those dasar because he knew that (a) I had studied those dasar in the book, and (b) I had trained in that 'style' of pencak silat while I was living in London and in my travels in Europe. Now he wanted to introduce a new kembangan based on that 'style' of pencak silat.

In like fashion, JDJ did some 'training' with me during our last time together. He was showing me the miji gyaku (?) defences that he was 'developing' and teaching to the jujutsu instructors class. Unbeknown to the class, (a) the defences were taken from a book by Bruce Tegner that I'd given to JDJ (Tegner having been a student of Mochizuki), and (b) that JDJ studied with the aid of Adrian Dobson and Keith Hickey for months with early morning training sessions. Adrian had hours, literally hundreds of hours, of video of these training sessions that JDJ engaged in with them in order to understand these defences before they were introduced to the jujutsu instructors/black belt class.

 JDJ developed an amazing grading system, but, we don't need another JDJ. We don't need another JDJ that finds more and more techniques and defences to be added to his teachings. What we need is a JDJ that focuses on refinement. That seeks to find a 'system' rather than a collection of 'tricks', as a collection of unrelated techniques is.

Some are teaching what JDJ taught (to varying degrees). Some are tinkering around the edges. One has eliminated the mon system that JDJ introduced based on his Yoseikan experience. That person said he did so in order to get back to the 'original' Tsutsumi Hozan ryu jujutsu. That person is seriously deluded and is only interested in trying to associated themselves with a samurai warrior tradition that may not exist. One person - one person has attempted a serious revision. I may not agree with the revision process but I do applaud their attempt at using what JDJ developed to develop something better.