The Development of the JDJ Jujutsu Grading System Part 3.2: 1st Mon

As Maria says in The Sound of Music, let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. The beginning, now, in Jan de Jong's (JDJ) jujutsu grading system is 1st mon.

The first grading in the mon system is a good place to start because it reveals/raises some of the issues associated with the mon grades.

You will recall from the previous chapter that the age requirement for 1st mon is under 12 years. It is the first grading for new students aged five and six years old.

The following is the grading reproduced in Jan de Jong: The Man, His School and His Ju Jitsu System (Jan de Jong Self Defence School, 1995):

1ST MON: YELLOW AND WHITE BELT

Breakfalls (Ukemi)

Forwards roll

Backwards roll

Body Movements (Taisabaki)

Flowing

Entering

Basic Blocks and Attacks (Uke and Atemi)

Punch - with kick

Front snap kick

Unbalancing (Kuzushi)

Normal single wrist grip - Normal unbalancing

Locking Techniques (Kansetsu Waza)

Two attackers

Top strike - Wrist twist

Low punch - Wrist twist

The use of Japanese terminology can be seen coming into play in the very first grading, which is part of the reason why there is a terminology grading in ikkyu and shodan. JDJ introduced the use of Japanese terminology, as he explained, so that his students could understand the use of it in texts about Japanese martial arts that use Japanese terminology. JDJ being an avid collector and reader of martial arts texts, and which were a great source of his continuous professional development as previously explained.

You will recall from the previous post, the advice in Gary Carr's Sports Mechanics for Coaches to divide the skill into phases and the reasons why to do so. This grading, and the following mon grades, reflect that advice.

Yoseikan Budo (YB) divides their defences into the following phases: taisabaki, kuzushi, waza (body-movement, unbalancing, technique). You can see that this grading, and all of the mon grades, is based on the YB defence phase division. The specific elements in those sections are also taken from YB (see below).

The idea of the division of skills into phases by Minoru Mochizuki, founder of YB, was probably taken from Jigoro Kano, founder of Kodokan Judo (KJ), Mochizuki being an acolyte of Kano's. 

Kano divided his throwing techniques into the follow phases: kuzushi, tsukuri, kake (unbalancing, fitting-in, execution). 

When including the comments of various judo masters in Judo Formal Techniques: A Complete Guide to Kodokan Randori no Kata, T. Otaki and D.F. Draeger (1983), some recognise taisabaki but are not sure where to put it into Kano's division of phases in throwing techniques.

Otaki and Draeger also suggest that grappling include a comparable set of components. Grappling meaning those techniques that end with joint-locking techniques (kansetsu waza).

One of the things that sets KJ apart is Kano's teachings, which involves the division of judo skills into phases. This conceptualisation of techniques and the teaching thereof is relatively unique in the martial arts. This unique conceptualisation and teaching of martial arts techniques was probably due to Kano being a professional teacher. Mochizuki, being an acolyte of Kano's, adopted the same approach when developing his YB.

An issue that arises within the mon grades is that this systems approach, this division of a defence/technique into phases, does not appear to have been fully understood by JDJ and the senior instructors at the Jan de Jong Self Defence School (JDJSDS).

With the senior instructors, a part of the problem might have been that they did not go through the mon system. They are products of the original kyu system, which is a totally different system, in that the mon system is based on systems thinking and the kyu system is based on 'tricks.'

Taisabaki (Body-Movements)

 Flowing (nagashi): the following image of nagashi is taken from Mochizuki's book, (Giho Nihonden Jujutsu (Traditional Japanese Jujutsu)).

I was going to make a point about how JDJ had the right idea drawn from YB but his execution was flawed, and then I went and got the above image from Mochizuki's book to include in this post. As it turns out, the demonstration of nagashi in this grading is similar to the YB demonstration and so my point was not made.

I thought I had mentioned it in another (previous) post, but I cannot find any such mention. Some/many of the issues associated with the mon grades come to light when attempting to write a book based on or about JDJ's grading system, or producing videos of the requirements of the grading system to aid those engaged in the grading system. I have been involved in both processes.

You will recall the Tsutsumi and Higashi book discussed in a previous post. All of the defences/techniques in that book are referred to as 'tricks.' They are described/explained in full, wholly independent of all other defences/techniques. They are described/explained in terms that do not refer to any similarities or differences (the core of all learning) with other defences/techniques. But what happens when there are commonalities in defences/techniques? At the very least, it is inefficient to have to describe/explain the same thing over and over again.

When adopting a systems approach, such as that adopted by YB, it is more efficient to describe/explain the common elements once and then refer to that description/explanation. A glossary, if you will. Whenever nagashi is used in a defence/technique, it would be more efficient to refer to the one defining example of nagashi, a 'protypical' example of nagashi in this case. Even when the nagashi is different in another defence/technique, it is still more efficient to refer to the one prototyical example and then refer to the differences, e.g., it is the same except that ...  

The problem here is that the nagashi is demonstrated as a defence in-and-of itself (see image above). It is not a demonstration of the prototypical nagashi that forms part of many other defences/techniques in the YB system. This is an example of teaching 'tricks' rather than teaching a 'system' of defences/techniques. This is an example of not understanding that demonstrating taisabaki (and kuzushi) is not demonstrating a defence.

The same is true of entering (irimi) in this grading.

The taisabaki is part of the taisabaki-kuzushi-waza phase division of defences/techniques (see above). These taisabaki are used time and time again in defences. Imagine making videos of the elements in the grading system. Would it not be smart/efficient,to provide a glossary of these common elements in their prototypical form that could be explained in detail once rather than doing so with each and every defence where they are present? If not a glossary, than when they are demonstrated in the mon grades. 

Kuzushi (Unbalancing)

The second phase in the YB division of techniques after taisabaki is kuzushi (unbalancing). 

The demonstration of unbalancing in the mon grades is done from hand grips. There are four basic unbalancings from four basic handgrips, however, there is an element of confusion as they are referred to by the same name. 

Jun katate dori (normal single handgrip), dosoku katate dori (same side single handgrip), gyaku katate dori (reverse single handgrip), and ushiro ryote dori (rear both hands handgrip). The prototypical unbalancings are jun kuzushi (normal unbalancing) from jun katate dori, dosoku kuzushi (same side unbalancing) from dosoku katate dori, gyaku kuzushi (reverse unbalancing) from gyaku katate dori, and ushiro kuzushi (rear unbalancing) from ushiro ryote dori.

There are variations of these basic unbalancings as examined in the kime no kata grading in the nikyu grading.    

In his later years, JDJ taught these forms of unbalancing using a kuzushi-hazushi dichotomy. The basic idea was the kuzushi type was where uke held on whereas the hazushi (disengagement, release) was where the hold was disengaged. 

This kuzushi-hazushi dichotomy was used in relation to the nine basic kansetsu waza (joint-locking techniques). Kuzushi involved the elbow being turned upwards during the unbalancing which facilitated ude kujuki (arm breaking), tekubi hishigi (wrist crush), and yoko tekubi hishigi (side wrist lock). The hazushi variant involved the elbow being turned during the unbalancing facilitating the other six basic kansetsu waza to be executed. The kuzushi and hazushi variations could be used with any of the abovementioned basic handgrips and was demonstrated and taught as such.

But here again, this element in this grading is taught and demonstrated as a defence in-and-of itself. Taught and demonstrated as a 'trick' and not as a prototypical example of a technique used in multiple defences/techniques.

Kansetsu Waza (Locking Techniques)

Given that it's just after Xmas, I'll refer to Love Actually and Rufus (Rowan Atkincson) when wrapping the present for the cheating Harry (Alan Rickman): 'Oh, this isn't a bag sir. This is so much more than a bag.'  

The final element in the YB phase division of defences is waza (taisbaki, kuzushi, waza). This section of the grading ostensibly examines a particular type of waza, kansetsu waza (joint-locking techniques), but it examines so much more than the kansetsu waza.

The following is from an interview with Hans de Jong (HDJ) published in the Blitz magazine:

While people tend to focus on techniques, tactics are also an important part of jujutsu training. Without employing the correct tactics, there's often no opportunity to use the techniques successfully, at least. Our very first grading involves dealing with two attackers, who attack one by one in quick succession, or simultaneously. The student is not only examined on technique, but how they are able to avoid the second attacker while dealing with the first. So how the body movement is used and how the attacker is placed in front of the other is looked at during the grading ...

HDJ's explanation of this format in the mon grades is an accurate explanation of its use in the JDJSDS. This is how the instructors described this section in the mon grades. But really????

A five or six year old, in their very first grading, and they are going to be assessed on their tactical abilities in relation to two attackers. Really?

This is JDJ's attempt at introducing randori into his grading system.

Randori is a term used in various martial arts, particularly in disciplines like Judo and Aikido. It refers to a training exercise where a person or a group of people face multiple opponents in a relatively free-form manner. The word 'randori' is of Japanese origin, where 'ran' means chaos or disorder, and 'dori' means taking or grasping.

Without going into a detailed discourse on the concept of randori, it is a form of stress training. The kyu grades employ shinken shobu no kata as the form of stress training with no demonstration of techniques under non-stress conditions. JDJ became aware of randori as a form of training/stress training and given that shinken shobu no kata was used in the kyu grades, he included this form of training in the mon grades without any real understanding of this form of training.

What do you think is more stressful, more reminiscent of 'real' fighting: two attackers in a free-form manner or shinken shobu no kata? If the former, why include the more 'stressful' form of training for beginners then ease off for the adult kyu and dan grades?

In terms of progression, where is the one attacker free-form training before jumping to two attackers?

How would you go about developing this grading (and the other mon grades) based on this analysis and the fact that it is based on the taisabaki, kuzushi, waza phase division approach? You would include a demonstration of the taisabaki, and then the kuzushi, and then the waza, separately. You would then include a demonstration of the three phases put together, and then, and only then, you might include a stress element.

Not only is this section flawed because of the absurdity of the two attackers and its purpose, the defence involving the wrist twist from a top strike and a low punch involve irimi senkai (entering rotation) taisabaki and a 'grabbing block' (see future post on blocks) as a form of unbalancing used in conjunction with the body-movement, both of which are not demonstrated in the taisabaki and kuzushi sections.

If a five- or six-year-old grading candidate is struggling with this section of the grading, is it because of the stress element or is it because they cannot perform the wrist twist? Taking the grading as it is, we don't even know if the student can perform a wrist twist technique.

When I asked what was supposed to be taught and examined in this section of the grading, the answer by the senior instructors was the same as HDJ's explanation above. I ignored that instruction. Even way back when, I recognised it was a nonsense. All I wanted to see from the five- and six-year-old grading candidates was that they could perform the kansetsu waza, wrist twist. The same was true of the taisabaki and kuzushi techniques. All I wanted to see is if they could perform those techniques and not if they could perform a defence involving some variant of those techniques.

The Perfect Storm

Sensei Ross Taylor (right) is a highly respected aikidoka in Perth who has established his own aikido school. Sensei Taylor posted a message on Facebook yesterday commemorating the sixth anniversary of the passing of his instructor, Yoshiaki Unno.

Sensei Taylor's post gave me cause to consider the set of circumstances that had to come together in order for him to develop a passion for aikido which led to his founding of his school. It included colonialism, two wars, the force of nature, climate, language, politics, scarce resources, immigration, a dysfunctional relationship, and a 20 year old man who, in 1940, wanted to become a pilot.

The 20yo man was Jan de Jong and he lived in the Dutch colony of Indonesia pre-1940. In 1940 he travelled to Holland to fulfill his ambition of becoming a pilot. Unfortunately he got caught up in WWII, which fortunately meant he had to turn to teaching jujutsu in order to earn money and survive.

The end of WWII saw nature impose a harsher winter than normal on Holland. This winter came to be known as the 'Hunger Winter' because of the deprivations the occupation and the weather imposed on the Dutch.

In order to escape the deprivations of Holland at that time, De Jong returned to equatorial Indonesia. He returned to a nation which was violently struggling for independence.

After 10 years of war (WWII followed by the Indonesian War of Independence), De Jong decided to relocate to a more peaceful environment. His Hunger Winter experience disinclined him to consider the northern hemisphere, so the options were reduced to Argentina, South Africa, and Australia. Argentina was rejected on language grounds; South Africa was rejected on political grounds (apartheid); so through the process of elimination Australia was chosen. Perth was selected because of its proximity to Indonesia.

In Perth, De Jong started teaching work colleagues jujutsu during their breaks and after work which led to his founding of the Jan de Jong Self Defence School. This would eventually become his full-time occupation.

I have argued throughout this blog that De Jong developed his jujutsu system. He would tell us that the Dutch would think him insane because he would always run to his apartment during an air raid to retrieve his suitcase of martial arts books which he would take with him to the shelter. I now appreciate that this was in no way a collector's idiosyncrasy. These books were the source of his continued professional development. De Jong was the epitome of a life long commitment to continuous improvement.

In Perth, De Jong became involved with Phillipe Boiron who introduced him to Minoru Mochizuki's Yoseikan Budo. In 1969, aged 48, De Jong travelled to Japan to continue his professional development by training under Mochizuki.

Wishing to continue his professional development, De Jong petitioned Mochizuki to send an instructor to Perth to teach in his school. Mochizuki sent Yoshiaki Unno.

Unno teaching for De Jong was always going to end in tears. Unno held the grades of 7th dan aikido, 7th dan karate, 6th dan kobudo (weapons), 4th dan bojutsu and 2nd dan judo. He also taught kenjutsu. At that time, De Jong was only graded 3rd dan jujutsu and 1st dan aikido (in addition to his pencak silat qualification). The inevitable happened and Unno left the employ of De Jong to establish his own school.

One of Unno's many students was Ross Taylor who then went on to found his own school. Quite amazing. But I suppose it is just one amazing story of many associated with people's involvement in the martial arts.

Jan de Jong Pt 5 - The Perth Years

In the last blog we left Jan de Jong and his young family emigrating to Perth, Western Australia in 1952. There are various subjects of interest during this period until his death in 2003 which will be discussed in detail in future blogs.

De Jong arrived in a very provincial Perth in 1952. When discussing this subject he would use as an example that Perth had only one Chinese restaurant at that time. His physiotherapist qualifications weren't recognised in Australia so he initially worked as a labourer. It wasn't long before his work colleagues started to ask him to teach them martial arts. He initially taught them during his lunchtime break for no charge on what has now become the site of the West Australian parliament. This then laid the seed of an ambition to teach martial arts as a full-time profession. In the forward to my Jan de Jong: The man, his school, and his ju jitsu system, De Jong explains:

Looking back at my own early years in Australia (1952-1963), self defence was often considered a rather peculiar and odd thing to do. The term 'judo' was known by some, but most people had not even heard of 'karate' or 'kung fu,' let alone 'jujutsu'. My expressed intention to make the teaching of this art into my living was almost always met with doubt, if not ridicule. The idea that anyone could teach an oriental self defence professionally was not considered possible. However, I had the confidence that I could and would do this. When I did make it my full-time occupation in 1963, to the best of my knowledge I was the only full-time martial arts instructor in Australia.

Later that year he took his first steps in realising that ambition by offering classes in a premises located in North Perth. That same year he relocated his school to Victoria Park and then finally to his residence in Scarborough. Hans de Jong, his son, who would go on to make teaching jujutsu his full-time profession as well, recalls students being inadvertently thrown over balconies and through walls during lessons held at the Scarborough residence.

In 1955, De Jong's school was relocated to Swan River Rowing Club located on the city's foreshore. Attending the first class were ten students. After demonstrating a bridgefall and putting both his feet through the floorboards into the river, only three students returned for the next lesson. It was suggested that the use of mats may encourage more people to take up jujutsu, so, as mats were not available in those days, they made some mats by hand. Rodney Miller, a student in the 1960s and later an instructor, recollects training on these home-made mats: 'Can you imagine training on canvas mats? Well, that's what we had in the early days. They were especially good for mat burns and broken toes.'


In 1960, the school was relocated to 870 Hay Street, Perth, which is located in the Perth central business district. The photograph to the right is of training at the 870 Hay Street dojo. You might note how thin the room is. One can only imagine the difficulties this imposed on training. Also look closely and you'll see the home-made mats that Miller was so fond of. De Jong is kneeling centre.


In 1963 the school was moved to 996 Hay Street where it remained until De Jong's death in 2003. The building was full of character ... which is another way of saying it was a dodgy old building. It was a large building with four (five in the earlier years) separate large matted areas.


It was around this time that De Jong imported a large number of tatami from Japan. Towards the end they were moved around and tapped up due to the wear and tear they sustained over the decades. The photograph to the right was taken around 1963 according to Warwick Jaggard (aka Zak), a colourful character who went on to become an instructor for De Jong. He joined the school in that year and said that he 'always always loved the smell of the tatami as you walked in off the street.'

The building only had a ceiling in the upper area. Down stairs in the main training areas there was no ceiling, only a tin roof. On hot summer days when it was 30 degrees plus outside, it was another 5 or 10 degrees hotter inside. On some Saturdays you could not stand still in one place on the mats because of the heat radiating off the mats onto your bare feet.

Classes were held at the 996 Hay Street dojo six days a week. The dojo was open from morning until late at night so there was always somewhere to train. For whatever reason, when I commenced training in 1983 I attended two lessons a day, six days a week and took the opportunity of also doing training at the dojo in addition to the classes.

In 1965 the first branch was opened and over the years there would be many more branches opened throughout the Perth metropolitan area. In 1975 the name of the school was changed to 'Jan de Jong’s Self Defence School'. The school grew to, at its peak, having 800 to 1,000 students, without sensationalisation nor inflated promotion. Standards were never lowered as De Jong had a qualitative rather than an economic imperative when it came to his teachings.

From 1955, attendance at De Jong's pencak silat classes was by invitation only. In 1968 he offered classes in pencak silat to the public for the first time. Given the informal nature of pencak silat, De Jong would have to develop an entire grading system which he did. He placed an age restriction on admittance to the class as he considered jujitsu, and later aikido, provided a more appropriate ethical foundation for young people as they emphasised acceptance and control rather than initially teaching a child to punch or kick another person.

In 1968, De Jong was introduced to aikido by Phillipe Boiron. Boiron was a student of Minoru Mochizuki and taught his Yoesikan style of aikido. De Jong said that he was very impressed with Boiron's technique and Boiron began teaching for him in that year. After training with Boiron, De Jong developed an ambition to visit Japan to train. Professional development if you will. In 1969, age 48, he realised that ambition. While he was in Japan he visited a number of schools before finally becoming a live-in student with Mochizuki. More will be said of the 'Mochizuki influence' on the 'school of Jan de Jong' in a future blog.

Two more children were born in Australia before De Jong was divorced. Only Hans, born in Indonesia as explained in the previous blog, would go on to make teaching martial arts his full-time profession. De Jong remarried a few years later. Margaret, his wife, would go on to become his partner in establishing a thriving business teaching martial arts and selling martial arts supplies in Perth. Their first born, Maggie, would go on to make teaching martial arts her full-time profession and become principal of his school when he passed away. Maggie would accompany De Jong on most of his European teaching tours in the 1990s. Maggie would be followed by a brother who trained martial arts but never took it up to the same extent as his sister.

Jan de Jong began teaching aikido when he returned to Australia. In 1974, he sponsored Yoshiaki Unno from Mochizuki’s Yoseikan to become an Australian resident and to teach aikido and karate at his school. More will be said of Unno in a future blog.

Accompanied by his family, De Jong returned to Europe for a holiday in 1978. He took this opportunity to make contact with various jujutsu instructors throughout Europe and to peruse the jujutsu scene. The European jujutsu community was impressed with him, his knowledge and his expertise, and were quick to embrace and court him. When he returned home he was lobbied to become the Australian representative for the World Ju Jitsu Federation (WJJF) which he eventually accepted.

This began, what appeared to be, the political life of De Jong. In 1985, through General Eddy Nalapraya of the Indonesian Army, the man responsible for the promotion of pencak silat on behalf of the Indonesian Government, De Jong was appointed the Australian representative for the International Pencak Silat Federation. This was followed by his appointment as President and National Coach for the Australian Ju Jitsu Association (AJJA) in 1987, and Vice President of the WJJF in 1989. Whilst these were political offices, De Jong was anything but political. His focus was always on improving techniques and 'on strengthening both jujutsu itself and the image it holds'. Briely Baily OAM, National Secretary of the AJJA, credits the presence of De Jong within the AJJA as having brought jujutsu together around Australia and moved it forward in world circles. His achievements were officially recognised by the Australian Government when he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1990.

De Jong had been graded third dan in jujutsu since 1939. After his initial visit and subsequent involvement with the hierarchy of the WJJF, he was awarded fourth dan in 1980. Following his first teaching tour of Europe in 1982, the WJJF awarded him sixth dan and then eighth dan in 1989. I've been advised that the AJJA also awarded De Jong eighth day in the same year though I am yet to verify this fact.

Actually, De Jong was 'awarded' numerous higher gradings from various individuals and organisation including a number of tenth dans. I was present when he and Margaret were both awarded tenth dans by a German instructor (who was not invited to the seminar but proceeded to take it over anyway). Margaret should have been chuffed because she never graded first dan under De Jong or anyone else for that matter. These certificates were put in the draw along with so many others.

De Jong wasn't concerned about higher grades for himself and lamented the increasing frequency with which higher grades were being awarded. In an interview published in 2002, De Jong said:

I never worried about [accepting the higher grade], you just know what you know. That's all you do, you do not worry about Dan grades very much. Dan grades don’t say very much anymore. In my time it said something. … I'm still learning too. Dan grades are not important – it is what you can give the people, that is what is important.

Following his initial visit, De Jong received many invitations to conduct seminars throughout Europe. In 1982, he returned with a team of his instructors for what became an annual tour. Over the next two decades, he would conduct seminars in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Holland, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United States of America, as well as throughout Australia. As a consequence of his increasing international reputation, students/instructors from around Australia and Europe would travel to Perth in order to train with De Jong and his instructors. More will be said of these tours in a later blog.

Another watershed in De Jong’s professional life was his appointment as the Chief Instructor and Adviser to the Australian Special Air Service Regiment ('SAS') in 1979. Major Greg Mawkes MBE had been tasked with updating the Australian Army’s capability for unarmed combat training and after considerable research had identified De Jong as the man that could help him fulfil his mission.

I had very firm ideas of what was required. I needed a man with a vast knowledge of and skill in several martial arts. Someone who knew that unarmed combat has both offensive and defensive applications. A man who understood that aggression has to be developed but controlled. A man who could appreciate what works in the dojo may not be effective on the battlefield. And if possible, a man who had experienced combat. I approached several martial arts schools in Perth, but although they were willing to help, none could offer the total solution I was seeking. Without exception though, they felt that Jan de Jong was my man. In de Jong Sensei I found a man who was not only genuinely interested in helping me solve the problem, but a man with exceptional skill and knowledge. Before I even set foot on a tatami mat we spent many hours discussing the likely situations that SAS men could face in hostile environment. When training actually commenced I found him to be flexible in both mind and approach to the task, but above all patient.

The 1999 tour of Europe was the last tour for De Jong. He suffered heart problems during that tour and was hospitalised. From that time he was plagued with ill health until he passed away on 5 April 2003, coincidently, a couple of months before Mochizuki passed away.

PS: I have since been advised the photograph included above which was identified as being the 870 Hay Street school was not in fact that school. To date the location is unidentified and it would be greatfully appreciated if anyone can identify the location. This is one of purposes of this blog, albeit not originally intended, for the Jan de Jong story to be 'filled in' with other people's information which I have not contacted as yet.