It is that time of year when we look to reflect on previous year and look forward and recommit ourselves to our continuing progression in Jiu Jitsu.
Highlights of the year so far It was great to see so many of you at the Atemi nationals in November. It was our largest nationals for many years and demonstrated that we are once again a growing organisation. The numbers were 40 to 50% higher than the similar event the previous year. This is one of the largest martial arts competitions in the country. The atmosphere was amazing. The standard of the competitions was very high. A great deal of this work is down to the individual club instructors who have taught week in and week out to improve the standards of their students and inspire them to take part.
Promotions Raj Soren and Colin Mortimore have been promoted to 6th dan. These promotions recognise over 30 years of continuous involvement and service with The Jiu Jitsu Foundation. Raj has been involved with Junior Jiu Jitsu for many years, as well as the Promotions Board, among many areas of contribution. Colin is retiring from active duties, which included heading the Disciplinary Board for many years and is particularly recognised for the integrity and discretion that he brought to that position. Colin was also involved in the running of brown and dan courses and brown belt gradings for many years.
Neil Collyer has been recognised with a promotion to 5th dan which also brings with it a vote on the Tertiary Board. The Tertiary Board is the board of senior grades in the UK, whose responsibility it is to guide all on the mat matters relating to TJJF UK. Neil is recognised for his long service to the Promotions Board and training senior grades in the London region.
The following instructors were recognised with promotion to 3rd dan and have passed the Senior Coaching Assessment (black top no sleeves): Ian Key and John Garner Richardson. This recognises their teaching excellence and contribution to their regional development.
It has been announced that the process for 3rd dan has changed and this is now split into a separate coaching assessment (black top no sleeves) and a physical 3rd dan grading. Please re-check the email announcement for this process if it is relevant to your current development and get in touch with the Promotions Board if you have any questions.
Syllabus and gradings
The recent changes to the syllabus continue to bed in. If you are an instructor, please ensure you have familiarised yourself with the content that is required at each grading so that your students are fully prepared, and continue to teach the less glamourous elements of the syllabus that are none the less the foundations of our art.
Blue gis and inclusivity
The Jiu Jitsu Foundation holds as a central idea that we strive to be fully inclusive of everybody with protected characteristics. We have recently relaxed our dress code to include the wearing of a blue gi over concerns that some women had about wearing white suits during their period. Please continue to keep these gis as plain as is reasonably possible and make sure you still have the appropriate badge sewn on for gradings. It was good to see so many people wearing the blue gis at the national competition. I am keen to hear ideas about how our organisation can be more inclusive so please let us know either directly or through your regional senior grade who will pass your ideas along.
This Year (Kagami Biraki - "Breaking the mirror")
Train and study hard in this new year. Teach inspiring Jiu Jitsu if that is your role. Commit yourselves to improving yourselves both on and off the mat. Perhaps you can offer to help out in some small or large way with the organisation of your local club or region. Even if it is just reaching out to another Jitsuka you have not seen on the mat for a while, to check how they are doing especially when the nights are dark and the weather so frequently cold wet and windy.
But the days are getting longer and the dojo will soon start to get warmer. Now is the time to put in the hard work to bring your goals to success by the end of the year. I look forward to seeing you prepared at the senior Randori nationals at the end of April; at the summer ball in June/July (date and place to be announced) where we celebrate the achievements of our instructors in the dan gradings; and of course the exciting international event in Vienna in August.
I am personally very excited to be attending the event in Vienna, a city I have never visited but which I hear great things about. Due to the pandemic this will be the first time in four years that we will gather with all our internationally linked organisations to celebrate all things Jiu Jitsu, so it will be a great time to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.
