Gratitude and Loyalty None of my teachers needed to take me under their wings as a student. None of my students ever needed to choose me to be their teacher. Neither my teachers nor my students ever needed to treat me with any more respect or consideration than I have earned. They did anyway. I know that I am not always the easiest person to be around, and my compass takes me in directions that not everyone may wish to follow. Sometimes, people come with me. Sometimes, people let me go
Posted: May 05, 2021
Every now and again, I take out the Esoteric Principles of Judo which, origins notwithstanding, provides a manifesto of what a serious student of Danzan Ryu jujitsu should know, understand and follow about his art. Each time I read it, I come away with a slightly different (and hopefully richer) understanding of the precepts.
Posted: Jan 18, 2013
Professor Bill Beach was born on December 15, 1928 in Baxley, GA. He began his study of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu in 1949 under Professor Ray Law, in Oakland, CA. While stationed in Hawaii he trained under Professor Richard Takamoto. Professor Beach was a U.S. Navy veteran and he organized the first judo and jujitsu club at the Navel Air Station in Jacksonville, FL - 1954.
Posted: Aug 18, 2012
I have been wanting to write a follow-up article to the ‘Foundations of Danzan Ryu’ article I wrote a few years ago. That study explored as far as I could, where our techniques came from. Many of those koryu (arts instructed at the time of the samurai) ryuha (schools) are still practiced in Japan. That article included who the current headmasters were and where they are now. The writing showed that the Japanese styles were interconnected, and how Judo also came from a modern (post samurai er
Posted: Jun 04, 2012
I’ve given my history, personal experiences and feelings regarding my martial study. Young students might be surprised to find that their teacher may have had many of these feelings and the experiences might be different but the overall outcome is the same. We are all the same; everyone should feel their own ‘specialness’. Different paths lead to the same place.
Posted: Jun 04, 2012
Last night a group of my students started a familiar conversation comparing what we do in Combatives and Defensive Tactics to MMA and traditional martial arts systems. In particular they were saying they liked combative systems such as Systema, Krav Maga, and MCMAP (The U.S. Marine Corps Program) better than combat sports like MMA or the traditional martial arts.
Posted: Jun 04, 2012
A selected excerpt from our latest newsletter by Sensei Sue Jennings at the KaishinKai Dojo in Centralia, WA.
Posted: May 30, 2012
Since the fundamental principle acquired through the practice of Jujitsu has been elevated to a finer moral concept called Judo, The Way of Gentleness, it may well be said that the primary objective of practicing Judo is perfection of character. And to perfect one's character, one must be grateful for the abundant blessings of Heaven, Earth, and Nature, as well as for the great love of parents: one must realize his enormous debt to teachers and be ever mindful of his obligations to the general p
Posted: Apr 27, 2012
