Clarifying My Critique of the JDJ Grading System

Introduction

Recently, I published a post critiquing aspects of the jujutsu grading system developed by Jan de Jong (JDJ). This critique has drawn some criticism, with some interpreting it as an attack on JDJ’s legacy or his teachings. However, my intention was never to undermine JDJ or his work but rather to spark a conversation about how his system can be adapted and improved for the benefit of current and future students.

This post clarifies my rationale for the critique, addresses the concerns raised, and elaborates on the importance of critical analysis in martial arts traditions.

Responding to Criticism

The critique in my earlier post focused on the grading system itself, not JDJ’s broader legacy or accomplishments. I acknowledged in that post—and continue to believe—that there is much to admire in JDJ’s achievements. However, I also believe that to honour his principles, we must remain open to rethinking elements of his system when they no longer serve their purpose effectively.

Those who criticised my post may have missed this nuance. Instead, they seemed to conflate a critique of the grading system with a broader rejection of JDJ’s teachings. This reaction reflects a tendency, common in many traditions, to defend what exists rather than question it critically. My aim was to challenge this mindset, not out of disrespect, but out of a desire to see JDJ’s work evolve in ways that benefit students.

Correcting the Record

For many years, I actively supported JDJ’s grading system. In fact, in 1997, I authored Jan de Jong: The Man, His School, and His Ju Jitsu System, which described the grading system as a superior model. I repeated this view in posts on this blog. However, after years of study and reflection, I now see significant issues with the system that I failed to recognise at the time.

My earlier endorsements may have contributed to an uncritical acceptance of the grading system. Given that these endorsements are referenced in promotional materials and discussions about JDJ’s teachings, I feel a responsibility to set the record straight.

The Importance of Critical Analysis

Critical analysis—questioning assumptions and rigorously examining evidence—has been largely absent in discussions about the JDJ grading system. This is understandable to an extent; JDJ’s teachings were extensive, and he maintained secrecy about the origins of his techniques and gradings. However, 21 years after his passing, it is time to ask the hard questions.

Peter Clarke stands out as a rare example of someone who has conducted such an analysis and made meaningful changes to the grading system. This demonstrates that thoughtful critique can lead to positive outcomes.

Reflections on the Grading System

My previous post highlighted some specific shortcomings of the JDJ grading system. While it serves as a valuable repository of techniques, it lacks a clear focus or goal. For example, as Peter Clarke has noted, the system emphasises amassing techniques without sufficient attention to their strategic, real-world application. This creates a 'library' of knowledge that is impressive but not always practical.

Another issue lies in the significant influence of Yoseikan teachings on the grading system. Many instructors outside the Jan de Jong Self Defence School who claim to follow JDJ’s gradings are, often unknowingly, adhering to a Yoseikan-based system that JDJ had incorporated. This raises important questions about the authenticity of what is being preserved under the guise of JDJ’s original approach.

In response, the leader of one JDJ ryuha has attempted to address this issue by removing Yoseikan elements entirely, aiming to 'return' to the original Tsutsumi Hozan ryu jujutsu. While well-intentioned, this approach introduces its own set of challenges and limitations, as it assumes a fixed historical authenticity that may not align with modern needs or the evolution of the system under JDJ. Nor may it actually reflect Tsutsumi Hozan ryu jujutsu teachings.

My Perspective and Limitations

While I have identified issues with JDJ’s grading system and its development, I am not in a position to propose a definitive replacement. I find myself paralysed by the complexity of creating a new system that balances tradition with practicality. However, I hope that my analysis inspires others to take up this challenge.

The grading system’s greatest potential lies in its adaptability. JDJ himself recognised the value of change when he said:

"If the results are better one way than the other, why carry on in a way that gives poorer results?"

This mindset, focused on outcomes rather than dogma, should guide any future revisions.

Opportunities for Growth

Critics of my earlier post might ask: What is the way forward? There are several paths to consider:

1. Preservation: Maintaining the current system as-is, though this risks stagnation, especially given the small number of practitioners who have completed the full grading system.
2. Modernisation: Following Peter Clarke’s example by simplifying the system and focusing on real-world applications.
3. Reconnection with Roots: Revisiting the original Tsutsumi Hozan ryu jujutsu to refine the system’s core principles.
4. Informed Innovation: Using JDJ’s teachings as a foundation to create a modern framework that better serves today’s students.

Closing Thoughts

My critique of the JDJ grading system was never intended to disparage JDJ’s legacy. Instead, it was a call to action for practitioners to critically evaluate what we teach and how we teach it. By embracing critical analysis and thoughtful innovation, we can honour JDJ’s legacy while ensuring his teachings remain relevant and effective.

I hope this clarification helps to refocus the conversation on what truly matters: the development of a system that serves students to the best of its ability, in the spirit of JDJ’s own commitment to improvement.

Jan de Jong Jujutsu Grading System - A Dog's Breakfast

In reviewing the development of the Jan de Jong (JDJ) jujutsu grading system, my overall conclusion is that it resembles a 'dog’s breakfast'—a messily organised system that lacks cohesion and clear structure. While I have previously praised the merits of JDJ’s system, especially given the resources and goals he had at the time, the system ultimately suffers from a fragmented design.

That said, there is much to admire in JDJ’s achievement. His grading system was uniquely focused on creating instructors as well as practitioners, a rare emphasis that broadened its educational scope. Yet, the haphazard structure within this system opens ample opportunity for improvement. The grading system is like a raw, unformed lump of clay: it holds potential to be shaped into something more coherent and efficient, producing skilled yudansha (black belts) with greater speed and precision. Alternatively, one can preserve JDJ’s original work, but this approach risks stagnation—clinging to legacy as the ship sinks.

Peter Clarke, one of the few awarded rokudan (sixth dan) by JDJ before his passing, offers an insightful critique that highlights this problem. On his website, Clarke explains his departure from traditional jujutsu schools that amass extensive techniques without a corresponding emphasis on the strategic, real-world application of self-defense in modern society. His critique rings true: in the JDJ grading system, a vast collection of techniques is compiled, but this 'library' of knowledge may not translate to effective self-defense for every practitioner.

Clarke is perhaps the only individual to forge something distinct from JDJ’s system, using it as a springboard for his unique insights and principles. His approach is focused and strategic, the mark of a well-planned system rooted in practical, actionable defense rather than a mere collection of techniques. In contrast, I find myself hindered by analysis paralysis, unable to extract a unified structure from the JDJ grading system due to its disjointed mix of original kyu gradings and Yoseikan influences. Clarke’s ability to develop a cohesive new grading system out of JDJ’s work is commendable.

In sum, the JDJ grading system, while valuable as a repository of techniques and concepts, lacks a focused design. Its greatest value may lie in its potential for re-imagination, allowing dedicated practitioners to shape and refine it into a more organised and purposeful framework for modern martial arts training.

In the upcoming posts, we’ll explore some of the key issues within the JDJ jujutsu grading system. By addressing these challenges, I hope to inspire those who are building upon JDJ’s teachings to consider significant adjustments that will refine and improve upon his foundational work. This examination aims to provide both insight and encouragement for licensed practitioners to reshape the grading system into a more cohesive and effective model.

Comment to 'The Quandary of Advanced Adolescent Students' Post

The following is a comment from 'MB' to The Quandary of Advanced Adolescent Students Post:

How do you retain advanced adolescents?

By meeting their developmental needs.

I was one of the students in your teenager class. It was a wonderful experience and one that is still treasured and grieved. I am now a qualified teacher of adolescents and have studied adolescent development.

Adolescents (12-18) are in what Maria Montessori called the ‘third phase of development’. It’s a period of intense transformation and one that needs to be handled sensitively, with consideration paid to its particular needs. Some of the key focus areas for adolescent development: peers, justice, their place in society. On the last point, belonging is a core need for all of us, at all stages, but it’s particularly important to adolescents, who are taking their first steps in adult society and working out how they can fit into this new setting. As a result, the adolescent’s relationship with adults is very important (both for a sense of belonging and value and for a model of how to be an adult).

The teenager class met these needs:
• It was a space for us – belonging and a sense that we were valued enough to be given a place.
• It was a space where we were with peers – social interaction.
• It set us up to succeed, not to fail – justice in action.
• Our instructor built a strong and appropriate rapport with us (not a quasi-parental relationship nor a friendship) – relationship with adult.

For myself, I adored the school. I attended many other classes to develop my skills further, including adult classes. None of the other classes ever felt like my class in the way the teenager class did. I learned from them and enjoyed them, but always saw them as extras. In the adult classes, I didn’t see the other students as peers to build social relationships with, nor did they see me in that way (nor should they have!). I didn’t have a personal rapport with the instructor. I didn’t feel a sense of belonging in those classes; I only ever felt like a guest.

To retain adolescents, give them a place they can belong and succeed, one with peers and a supportive adult.

Thank you, MB, for your kind words and for your informative, informed, and authoritative analysis.

I too treasure and grieve the teenage class. I remember it fondly to this day.

The teenage class was conducted on Saturday mornings at 11am at the Jan de Jong Self Defence School (JDJSDS) hombu.

The teenage class was the only class in the JDJSDS dedicated to teenagers. 

It had the longest average retention rate of any class at the JDJSDS. I know that for a fact because as part of the successful recovery strategy that I developed and implemented at the JDJSDS so that it didn't close (which was Jan de Jong's (JDJ) stated intention), I analysed the retention rates of the many classes conducted at the JDJSDS. 

The teenage class had siblings as members. It also had children of former JDJ instructors and highly graded former members. Those former instructors and highly graded members' children were following in their parent's footsteps, and the parents were engaged and proud to share their kids journey with them. 

I treasure the teenage class because of the culture that we developed together. 

I treasure the teenage class because they were a good bunch of kids. Respectful without respect being demanded. Hard working without being forced to work hard. Enjoying the class and having fun at the same time as working on their craft. Not above giving a bit of cheek (testing their limits) but never crossing the line. 

They were not automons. They did not adopt an unquestioning attitude to their studies/training, which is unfortunately a dominant attitude in the JDJ tradition, as it is in most martial arts. I encouraged them to think about what they were doing and what they were being taught, and to challenge it if it did not make sense or went against principles that were being ingrained. I welcomed their questioning my teaching as it made me a better teacher and jujutsuka.

This is, unfortunately, a common problem in the martial arts. Discipline and respect are often touted as being benefits of martial arts training and as part of martial arts culture. What that most often means is, do not question what is being taught. Adopt an unquestioning attitude to what is being taught. Adopt an unquestioning attitude to what is being taught as the instructor adopted an unquestioning attitude when they were being taught.

It should be noted that not only were all of the members of the teenage class proficient jujutsuka, some were also quite extraordinary, and many went on to tertiary education and successful careers, as MB exemplifies. 

I am proud of them all, as jujutsuka and as people. Intelligent, thinking people who were proficient jujutsuka. 

It should be noted that the class was probably evenly split between males and females, with the females being the equal, if not the better, of the jujutsuka in terms of performance and attitude. When I say attitude, I mean an attitude to stand firm against physical and societal challenges.

It was a privilege to be engaged with those teenagers in that class for that period of time.

I too grieve the teenage class.

I grieve the teenage class because it was immediately disbanded by 'administration' (so as not to name names) when I underwent surgery on one shoulder and then the next along with lengthy recovery and rehabilitation. Within six months, all of the long-standing members of the teenage class were no longer members of the JDJSDS.

Why did the 'administration' terminate the teenage class? Two reasons. First, shortsightedness and ignorance. Second, enmity.

The members of the teenage class were becoming advanced students in terms of their qualifications. Many were green belts and were about to work on their orange belts. An influential member of the administration decided that as they were relatively higher graded, they should be attending adult classes, even though they did not have adult bodies.

It is a quandary. What do you do with advanced adolescent students? Here's an answer. Why not let them continue in the class dedicated to teenagers. They will soon enough be older and physically more mature that they could train in adult classes, or their training partners are adults themselves. The higher grades from ikkyu to shodan will slow them down, as it slows down adults, so that there would not be black belts who had never trained with adults (as there are in some martial arts).

A generation of dedicated JDJ jujutsuka were lost because of a shortsighted, ignorant action that was also driven by enmity. A generation of future instructors. A generation who would then go on to have children of their own who they would introduce to the JDJSDS or whatever ryuha that sprung up from the demise of the JDJSDS after JDJ passed away. Lost, because of a shortsighted, ignorant action that was also driven by enmity.

As mentioned above, JDJ was intending to close the JDJSDS because it was losing money for years. This action caused a cohort of long-term students who had paid thousands of dollars in fees and purchases over the years and would have continued to do so to abandon the school/business. What harm would it have been to allow the class to continue as is, and thereby reap the financial benefits at a time when the business was losing money hand-over-fist?

The enmity? That's a story for another time. 

In sharing this story, I hope that the JDJ ryuha take heed and support adolescents. To paraphrase Morgan Feeman's character is Shawshank Redemption: 'I hope the principals and teachers of JDJ ryuha think about their students rather than themselves. I hope the principals and teachers of JDJ ryuha apply the principal of ju to their teaching of adolescents. I hope the principals and teachers of JDJ ryuha think. I hope.' 

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.

JDJ Jujutsu Ikkyu Holders 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.

I had a register of yudansha that was created by Greg Palmer. I didn't have a register of ikkyu holders, however, I thought it was important as ikkyu was the instructor's grade in JDJ's original grading system, the kyu system. 

As the above kyu system link showed, JDJ developed the kyu system with no thought of any extension; no thought of a dan system. That grading was designed as a one-off grading system with instructors being graded ikkyu. I would put some of the ikkyu holders who were instructors up against any of subsequent dan graded instructors and would say they either matched or surpassed them in all respects.

Of course, the obvious question is, why didn't JDJ consider dan grades when he developed his original grading system? 

Was it because there was no mention of black belts in Tsutsumi Masao and Higashi Katsukuma's Die Selbstverteidigung (Jiu-Jitsu): nebst einem Anhange über Kuatsu (Wissenschaft der Wiederbelebung Verunglückter): mit 72 Abbildungen nach dem Leben (Self-defense (Jiu-Jitsu): along with an appendix on Kuatsu (science of resuscitation of casualties): with 72 illustrations based on life) published in Germany in 1906. All of the belts in JDJ's kyu system are included in Tsutsumi and Higashi's list, but there is no mention of black belts by Tsutsumi and Higashi as there is no mention of black belts in JDJ's original list of gradings.

When shodan, and then nidan and sandan were subsequently developed, ikkyu came to be thought of as an 'assistant instructor's' grading. That belittles the previous ikkyu holders who were the instructors of the school. They deserve more respect from the post-1980s generations than to be considered 'assistant instructors.' That is why I have developed a JDJ ikkyu holder register.

Based on my analysis of the development of the JDJ jujutsu grading system that has been explored in these posts, an interesting proposition has been put forward by a reader who was a former instructor who was graded ikkyu. One that is well worth considering. Does JDJ ikkyu = Saito sandan?

DOES JDJ IKKYU = SAITO SANDAN?

Are the JDJ ikkyu holders the equivalent of JDJ's original instructors, the Saitos, sandan? Are they the equivalent of JDJ at sandan under the Saitos?

The idea behind this is that when JDJ developed his kyu system which was designed as a standalone one-off grading system, that was all he knew from the Saitos. That was his sandan, plus whatever else he picked up in his limited training in Europe during WWII. That is not an unreasonable assumption.

The following are the JDJ ikkyu holders whose names I have been able to ascertain todate. Thank you to the readers who have contributed to the compilation of this list.

The names are presented in no particular order. Those included in this register of JDJ ikkyu holders did not go on to grade shodan. Those that did are shown separately in the JDJ yudansha register. There are 34 in all, with 30 males and 4 females.

The first to be awarded ikkyu were Alan Robson and Rodney Miller according to the JDJSDS Hakusho (1986, 20).

JDJ Ikkyu Holders

1. Margaret de Jong (front right of JDJ)

2. Vass D'Esterre (back second left)

3. Robert Kirby

4. Peter Canavan

5. Rodney Miller

6. Dennis Dunn

7. Warwick 'Zak' Jaggard

8. John Poulton (front left)

9. David Palmer

10. David Green

11. Michael Boland

12. Heidi Romundt

13. Steve Moller

14. Gerald Woods

15. Adrienne Barlow

16. Alan Robson

17. Ross Allanson

18. Paul Lang (?)

19. Michael Simpson

20. Glenny Savy

21. Ian Thomason

22. Paul Amyes

23. Marcus Seabrook

24. David Skender

25. Peter Hegarty

26. Mick Rendall

27. Don Berryman

28. Jean Roebuck

29. Dean Cahill

30. Warren Holdway

31. Harry ? (trained with Rendall and Cahill)

32. Craig Ma’ha

33. Jason Stirbinskis

34. Dale Elsdon


A number of the above went on to become yudansha under Hans de Jong in his Hans de Jong Self Defence School ryuha following JDJ's death in April, 2003.

If you know of anyone missing from the above list, please forward their name to me for inclusion.

JDJ Jujutsu Yudansha Register

You will recall from the previous post that a commentor to that post referred to a register of Jan de Jong (JDJ) senior grades. That inspired me to develop such a register.

My intention is to develop a register of JDJ jujutsu yudansha, ikkyu holders, and instructors. Ultimately, the register will be a permanent feature of this blog located on the right border (if I can remember how to do that again).

Greg Palmer developed a register of JDJ jujutsu yudansha which is presented below with comments:

Shodan

Robert Hymas (1981)

Peter Clarke (1981)

John Copley (1981)

Ian Lloyd

Tony Chiffings

Debbie Clarke

Paul Connolly

Greg Palmer

Hans de Jong

Steve Moller

John Martyr

Jim Downing

Bob Bruscher

John Coles

Darryl Cook

Justin Palandri

Janet Lake

Peter Templeman

Maggie de Jong

Cyril Boutis

Jamie Francis

Only the dates of the first to be awarded shodan have been included in the above list.

If we take as a beginning date when JDJ commenced teaching in Perth, 1952, JDJ awarded 21 shodans in 51 years of teaching before his passing in 2003. The first, 29 years after he started teaching in Perth.

Males: 18; Females: 3.

Nidan

Peter Clarke (1991)

Robert Hymas (1992)

Paul Connolly (1992)

Greg Palmer (1996)

John Coles (1999)

Males: 5; Females: 0.

Time between shodan and nidan: Clarke 10yrs, Hymas 11yrs, Connolly 10yrs, Palmer 12yrs, Coles 7yrs.

This puts the available nidan gradings in the late 1980s.

Given the above, is my 7yrs more indicative of the average time to successfully complete the nidan gradings? The answer to that question is compromised in that I was working full-time as an instructor at the Jan de Jong Self Defence School from 1995 to 2000 inclusive.

Sandan

Peter Clarke (1999)

Robert Hymas (1999)

Paul Connolly (1999)

Greg Palmer (2000)

John Coles (2000)

Males 5; Females 0.

Time between nidan and sandan: Clarke 8yrs, Hymas and Connolly 7yrs, Palmer 4yrs, Coles 1yr.

The timing for the first four may have been impacted in that JDJ was developing the sandan grades, however, my 1yr from nidan to sandan ... 12 parts to the sandan grading as we've seen in previous posts to this blog on the development of the JDJ jujutsu grading system. And Greg and I were not training all that intensively. A couple of nights a week at his home dojo at best. The gradings are not easy (see previous blog posts) and no standards were compromised.

Yondan

Peter Clarke (1999)

Greg Palmer (2002)

Clarke was promoted to yondan immediately upon completion of sandan.

Robert Hymas and Paul Connolly were promoted directly to godan from sandan.

Godan

Peter Clarke (Nov 2002)

Robert Hymas (Nov 2002)

Paul Connolly (Nov 2002)

Time between yondan or sandan as applicable: Clarke 3yrs, Hymas and Connolly 3yrs.

Rokudan

Peter Clarke (Mar 2003)

Robert Hymas (Mar 2003)

Paul Connolly (Mar 2003)

Time between godan and rokudan: five months.

JDJ passed away 5th April 2003.

PS: Why did JDJ stop at rokudan? Why did he rush to rokudan for Clarke, Hymas, and Connolly? Is it because he had learned post the development of his grading system to ikkyu and shodan that many/most other Japanese martial arts grading systems complete their 'technical' grades at rokudan and then honorary grades are only issued after rokudan? This and other related propositions will be explored in future posts.

PPS: Added to the shodan list is Micheal Rendell thanks to a reader. That makes 22 shodans in 51 years, and 19 males, 3 females.

JDJ Registries: Yudansha, Ikkyu holders, and Instructors

A comment from Anonymous was published on the previous blog post: 'Is there a registry of senior grades awarded by JDJ? There are people around claiming they were awarded 4th dans by him (https://amahof.asn.au/members/2022-inductees/tom-bellamy-2022/).'

That got me thinking.

I have a registry of jujutsu dan grades awarded by Jan de Jong (JDJ) that was prepared by Greg Palmer. I would like to develop a registry of jujutsu ikkyu grades and JDJ jujutsu instructors, two separate registries.

The ikkyu grade registry would include those who were awarded ikkyu by JDJ but did not go on to grade shodan. The instructor registry would be those that instructed for JDJ as instructors and not assistant instructors. I will eventually publish all three registries. I'll start.

Before I start, I have come to realise that I have been remiss in my, what I now realise is an incomplete understanding of the 'JDJ tradition.' I have been focused on the JDJ jujutsu tradition, however, there is also the JDJ aikido tradition and the JDJ pencak silat tradition. They are also relevant and significant, and just as innovative, and just as controversial, as his jujutsu tradition. 

Even though I was graded shodan in aikido by JDJ and assisted him in redeveloping his aikido grading system, and I graded highly in his pencak silat and was included in his pencak silat instructor's class after introducing JDJ to a new 'type' of pencak silat that he then went on to teach and include in his grading system, it is jujutsu where I was most highly graded and experienced. If anyone wants to start off a JDJ aikido or pencak silat tradition series, I'll be more than happy to post it on this blog. In the meantime, JDJ's jujutsu tradition: 

JDJ Ikkyu Holders:

Margaret de Jong

Vass D'Esterre

Robert Kirby

Peter Canavan

Rodney Miller

Dennis Dunn

Warwick 'Zak' Jaggard

John Poulton

David Palmer

David Green

Michael Boland

Heidi Romundt

Steve Moller

David Green

Gerald Woods

Adrienne Barlow

Alan Robson

Ross Allanson

JDJ Jujutsu Instructors

Peter Clarke

Robert Hymas

Paul Connolly

Greg Palmer

Ian Lloyd

Robert Kirby

Hans de Jong

Debbie Clarke

John Copley

John Coles

Peter Templeman

Maggie de Jong

Vass D'Esterre

Warwick 'Zak' Jaggard

Heidi Romundt

Darryl Cook

David Green

Joe Fantasia

Manfred (?)

Tony Chiffings

Rodney Miller

Please, dear readers, contribute to these lists if you can. 

Btw, this gathering of names is an attempt at preserving and strengthening the JDJ culture which will enhance the prospects of that culture and the current JDJ ryuha surviving. This idea of 'JDJ culture' will be the subject of a future blog post.