At what club do you train?

Sensei Ian's classes:
        Harold Hill (Monday)
        Basildon (Wednesday)
        Basildon (Thursday - Teaching the Juniors)
        South Woodham Ferrers (Thursday)
         Basildon (Sunday)
Sensei Gary 's Class:
        South Woodham Ferrers (Thursday - Teaching the Juniors)
Sensei Dave's Class:
        Chelmsford (Sunday - Teaching the Juniors & training in the Adult class afterwards)

When did you start training?

August 2007

Why did you choose Ju Jitsu over other martial arts?

I thought Ju Jitsu offered a much more practical and usable self defense style and allows for a response to any situation, unlike other martial arts that focus much more on competition, or fighting other trained opponents.

Did you do other sports/martial arts before Ju Jitsu?

I did Judo when I was 10 for three years, but nothing since.

Tell us about your first Ju Jitsu class.

I thought it would be daunting; I knew one of the members, which is why I came to that class, but it was open, friendly and exciting. I instantly fell in love with the style and I was hooked.

When did you think about getting your Black Belt?

About 30 minutes into my first class!

Was it difficult to attain?

Yes and no. It was a lot of hard work, both fitness wise and in learning the techniques; I needed to put in a lot of hours and study hard, but all the Sensei's gave me a lot of help and took the time to explain why the moves are done as they are, which made it a lot easier to understand. I had to put a lot of myself into it, but the instruction I received was fantastic and I wouldn't have been able to do it without their help and teaching.

What does a “black Belt” mean to you?

I'm very proud of my Black Belt. I worked very hard to get it and I'm very proud of what I've achieved. It is stated that the Black Belt marks the mastery of the basics and I understand that now; it gets you ready for the Dan grades and provides the basics on which everything else is based. I'm looking forward to galvanising what I know and learning how to apply it for 2nd Dan and beyond.

Ever had to use Ju Jitsu for real?

Not yet and I hope I don't have to, but it has given me a fantastic tool set and so many ways to defuse a situation and use as little as possible to prevent anything more being needed.

Do you enter martial arts competitions?

Yes. I take part in the Southend competition, but I've not taken the step of joining the squad to compete at any higher levels.

Has Ju Jitsu changed your life in any positive or negative way?

Very much so. I'm not the smallest of men, but before I started Ju Jitsu I had a severe lack of confidence in a lot of social situations; I was nervous about not being able to defend myself and having had a few incidents when I was younger, I worried about such situations.
Now I am confident, both in myself and in my ability to look after myself and those I am with. I have never needed to use it, but it has given me the confidence to know how to handle situations, so I now feel comfortable when I'm out and that alone is worth a great deal to me.

What do you see as the advantages of Ju Jitsu?

They are many fold. On a basic level it's a good way to keep healthy (so long as you train regularly), it's a social club where I now have a lot of friends who all share the same central interest that I would never have met before. It gives you confidence in yourself as well as a dicipline that helps you in other areas of your life. It gives you something to focus on and drive for and the grading system gives you goals which are extremely rewarding to achieve. I'm very evangelical about my club and I try to get all my friends to try!

How much time does your training require?

I started going once a week, which became twice a week when I reached Green Belt; this became three times when it got closer to gradings and then four times when I was training for my Black Belt. I love training and I go as often as I can; granted, I go a little more than most, but it's something I really enjoy, so at the moment I tend to go to five adult classes and help tech the kids for three others.

If you could advise a beginner on one thing about Ju Jitsu what would it be?

Enjoy it. There's no pressure, it's a really friendly environment, everyone will help and it's a lot of fun.


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