You can sum up today’s martial arts landscape with two phrases: Jujitsu (particularly, Brazilian Jujitsu) and MMA. These are the most sought after styles on Google search engines, especially when it comes to adults. BJJ and MMA have completely changed how people view martial arts training. When I began my journey over 40 years ago, I never heard phrases like “pressure testing,” a term that many enthusiasts say is lacking in traditional styles. Pressure testing is more or less, all out fighting with or without gear. And this has become the measure of how people judge the validity of a given style. We just called it, “sparring,” but I will admit that despite the many full contact bouts I participated in, we used kickboxing rules which meant no kicks to the knees, no strikes the groin, no elbows, etc. Throwing was rare during these matches but those of us who studied judo or jujitsu occasionally incorporated a sweep or a sacrifice throw. Back then, the bottom line was, if you tried to use traditional karate or taekwondo techniques during sparring, you were going to get clobbered. And since sparring was necessary for gaining rank, we learned how to incorporate different methods of training. You know, kind of like MMA.
As a martial arts school owner, (in my case, a very small school), I have the same ongoing challenge that other people face; how to attract and attain new students. I’ve been through the gamut of marketing gurus and business coaches who all seem to preach the same message of extraordinary wealth and business expansion. But I have found that every one of these systems of success requires me to begin by “changing my mindset,” which ultimately means you have to sell out in some way. That’s the truth. But I am convinced that there are a lot of people out there who simply don’t understand what traditional training is about, much less the benefits because their perceptions are overshadowed by little kids breaking boards or today's “ground and pound” culture. I would like to offer an alternative.
I think one of the aspects that hold some people back from training in martial arts is the apparent cultish behavior of wearing uniforms, bowing, yelling, etc. And in many cases, this is very true. There are, in fact, a lot of weirdos and arrogant people out there. And there are plenty of “paper tigers;” folks with a gazillion degrees of black belt whose poop doesn’t smell because they have mastered the ability to levitate above it, or push it away with their chi. But there are some of us relicts whose lives have been changed and heavily influenced the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of traditional training. To understand traditional training, we have to visit a little history.
Most people have heard of arts like karate, taekwondo, kung fu, judo and of course jujitsu. But these are actually broad terms that generally define these martial arts. And most of these arts have definitive styles of their own. For example, there are several mainstream styles of Okinawan Karate, which look very different than the explosive and powerful styles of Japanese Karate. But here are the nuts and bolts: Martial arts styles are relatively new, like maybe a little over 100 years old. You see, fighting modalities like striking, grappling, weapons, etc., were aspects of broad combat systems. As I have mentioned before, in the samurai era, jujutsu was what you did when you lost your sword or were too close to use one. Jujutsu was tool…not a complete system by any means. And the problem with teaching a style, like taekwondo, for example, is that you have to stick to the premise of that style. So, if we’re talking about taekwondo, especially today’s representation, you’re doing about 95% kicks and some very poorly executed punches. Not everybody, of course. Or the art that has become a laughing stock, aikido, then you most likely don’t know how to strike or kick because self-defense (apparently) is not goal. And if you teach aikido but also teach striking and kicking, then you’re not really teaching aikido. See how confusing it is?
Allow me to get to the title of this post. Jissnekan Budo is a system that I have developed over the last 35 years. It encompasses the sum total of my own martial arts experience and training. The idea has always been not to limit people to a style, but to allow individuals to develop themselves and yes, their own style based on several components. These include aspects of both Okinawan and Japanese Karate, Japanese Jujutsu and Aikido, weapons, boxing and ground fighting. The curriculum is intentionally simplistic; that’s because complex movements do not serve people well in an actual confrontation. I wanted to give people the same opportunity that I had to find my own path rather than try to emulate someone. For example, I’ve always been drawn to the striking and training aspects of karate, so I tend to lean that way…but I can throw, I can fight my way off the ground, I can use joint locks and I know how to choke someone out. As I have gotten older, I prefer the practical aspects of kumite, but I can pad up and go some rounds with you if you want. Conversely, there are others here who are more inclined toward the softer arts like aikido and jujutsu but they can still put an elbow through your skull because knowledge of striking is necessary. Some of our younger students lean more toward MMA and that’s totally fine. The bottom line is, I wanted to create a place and an atmosphere that encouraged people to develop themselves through traditional training methods, but also with the leeway to be their own person within our system. All of our students have their own unique approach which continues to develop with time and dedication. My own journey was heavily influenced by 20 years of traveling during military service which forced me to constantly challenge my notions of martial arts training.
In Japanese, Jissen has two meanings: The first is to put something into daily practice. It also means real fighting or combat. Kan, simply means house or place. Jissenkan Budo is the path to enlightenment through warrior training by the study and practice of real combat methods. It is a system that anyone can learn and practice. Our door is always open to anyone who is willing to put in the time and work to develop themselves.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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