Weekend Budo course - BJJ on the menu!

Ah, the traditional martial arts Budo courses. The backbone of any decent martial arts association. An excuse to shoot off for a weekend or a week to combine the pleasures of training martial arts with the appreciation of fine ales and food. My background in martial arts stems from the traditional side, where I trained in Karate and Applied Jiu Jitsu and weekend courses and a yearly week long course were the norm in both arts.



The most memorable course were the summer Budo camps run by Martin Clarke at Herne Bay in Kent and I attended my first one way back in 1994, as I was then training Jiu Jitsu with Trevor Roberts. I hadn't been training long with Trevor and it was a week that was to change my life and opened up the world of grappling to a young lad in his twenties.



During that week, I trained Judo, Sambo, Jiu Jitsu and Karate and at the end of the week I graded with Trevor and was awarded my blue belt and I was hooked. My Karate training held me in good stead for the blocking and striking parts of Jiu Jitsu, but now I had the other side of the coin and was learning throws, locks, chokes and all manners on immobilisations and defences against collar attacks, head lock bear hugs and everything else one needs to stay one step ahead of the thugs.

Happy days and many happy memories and after 17 years, I was back on a weekend course, held in Bury and organised by my Judo coach, 5th Dan George Launders. I had the privilige of being the first BJJ coach to teach on the course and I was sharing the mat with 5th, 6th and 7th Dans in various arts. Aikido, Judo, Wing Chun, Jiu Jitsu, Atemi Jitsu and Aiki Jutsu were on offer over the weekend and I took some of my guys along on the Sunday to join in the fun and in turn, train something other than BJJ.



I had one slot on the Saturday and enjoyed a session on the mats training Aikido with 5th Dan Stephen Mitchell, head honcho at Masters 121, a company that organise training courses and a yearly shindig at Butlins in Bognor Regis every Easter. I shared the mat with George and went back in time and trained some very effective counters against wrist grabs and forgot just how much these techniques hurt.

The second day started with a sesssion of Aiki Jutsu with 4th Dan Leeroy Clarke; an ex doorman with years of experience, Leeroy showed the lads some very simple but very painful defences against, grabs, bear hugs and chokes, with everyone having a go as the attacker. This was the cause of much fun and laughter at their expense as everyone found out just how effective the techniques were, as they were taken to the ground and twisted up.



I took a session in the morning and one at the end of the class; there were a lot of Judo guys and girls on the mats and they really enjoyed the session and opened their eyes somewhat to the groundwork that lies within BJJ. After dinner, the lads and I did a session of Atemi Jitsu with 4th Dan Mohammad Tahir and went through a range of strikes on various parts of the body. This was a really fun session, with much bitch slapping and again, laughing at other's expense when they were Taz's dummies for the techniques.



A final session of BJJ at the end of the day rounded off a superb action packed weekend of martial arts tuition, from a number of open minded and quality instructors.

I'd like to thank the organisers for allowing me to attend the course and have the chance to show Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to other martial artists, as well as all the instructors who came on to the mat when I was teaching and gave the jiu jitsu a go. Thanks to my students for coming on the Sunday and joining in the fun and last but not least the Judo Widows, who fed and watered us all weekend with tea, coffee, cakes, biscuits and hot beef and onion sandwiches at dinner.



The organisers of the weekend course will be hosting their annual course at Butlins next Easter and I have the pleasure and privilige of teaching BJJ over the Bank Holiday weekend, so thanks once again guys and thanks to all the instructors for providing a top class weekend of martial arts for all the students.



Steve Peil - 5th Dan Jiu Jitsu
Laura Peil - 4th Dan Jiu Jitsu
Keith Harby - 4th Dan Judo. 2nd Dan Wing Chun
Gordon Lawson - 7th Dan Judo
Leeroy Blake - 4th Dan Aiki Budo
Steve Mitchell - 5th Dan Aikido
George Launders - 5th Dan Judo
Mohammad Tahir - 4th Dan Wado Ryu. 1st Dan Judo
Neil Hopkinson - 2nd Dan Judo
Carl Fisher - 2nd Dan Applied Jiu Jitsu. 1st Dan Karate. Brown belt BJJ

http://www.masters121.co.uk