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This is a carefully moderated listing of sites that contain appropriate,
authentic information. The webmaster regularly checks these sites for any
link-throughs to inappropriate material. If you find any link-throughs
to offensive material at any of these sites, please report
it to Webmaster George.
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Martial-Arts Programs |
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Updated July 16th, 2005
UBC
Martial Arts Program: The main site for martial-arts programs at UBC,
including UBC Classical Jujutsu. Check here to confirm fees and schedules.
Nihongo/Japanese
UBC CJJ site: An information site on our club in Japanese at a Vancouver-area
Japanese info site.
"Japanese for
the Martial Arts": Written by Head Instructor Alex Kask, who lived
and trained in Japan, speaks Japanese, and was a book editor in Japan,
this is aimed at those specifically needing to know Japanese terms for
use in a Japanese martial-arts school. Check out the highly favourable
review. There's a link there to the book at Barnes & Noble's online
bookstore.
"Tuttle Kanji
Cards": Also written by our Head Instructor, Alex Kask. This is a set
of flashcards aimed at assisting non-native Japanese speakers in learning
the written forms of the language. Check out the extremely favourable review
and order link.
UBC Classical Jujutsu Club Public Demonstrations:
The Powell
Street Festival: This is a Japanese-Canadian cultural festival at which
the UBC Classical Jujutsu Club performs a demonstration of both Jujutsu
and weapons techniques. The festival is fantastic. There are demonstrations
of taiko drumming, traditional Japanese dancing, Iaido (art of drawing
the sword), and too many to mention here. There are also many types of
real Japanese food and drink. Come see us at the festival and enjoy the
rest of the show! Stay tuned to the News section of our website for details
as well as to the Powell Street Festival Society's website.
UBC
Martial-Arts Demonstration: Every year, UBC's diverse martial-arts
clubs are brought together to put on a show of what each club does. It's
a great chance to catch the highlights of the entire martial-arts program,
and see what interests you. The show is usually held in one of the gyms
at the Student Recreation Centre, usually in the first weeks of classes
in September. Stay tuned to our news section, or keep watching UBC Recreation's
website for details.
Martial Arts Supplies (Where to pick up a suitable uniform):
Mikado Martial Arts Supplies: Vancouver, BC. good uniforms, good prices. Nice people. The gi (uniform) you need is a Judo-gi. Karate-gis are not strong enough to endure the kind of grappling training we do, and will tear quickly. Go here to see the uniform you need. Most people go for the (single-weave) "Mikado White Cotton Judo-gi". Mikado also has nice double-weave white and blue Judo-gis, not to mention Mizuno gis. You certainly don't have to buy your uniform here by any means, but their single-weave white Judo gis are hard to beat for price and quality.
Bushido Martial Arts Supply:
In Surrey, BC. Lots of inventory, with mail-order. I (Webmaster George)
haven't bought a gi there, but comparison-shop.
Hatashita Enterprises: (Ontario)
Also carries Mizumo and Fuji gis.
Swain Sports International:
An American (California) company specialising in tatame (mats).
A lot of schools buy their tatame here. Of course, UBC CJJ members
don't need to worry about buying mats - the university takes care of that.
Still, it's interesting reading. The company sells a lot of Judo videos
and accessories, as the owner is a former Olympic Judo Medalist.
Superior Martial Arts Supplies:
(USA) Mail-order. We can't testify to the quality or reliability of this
business, never having ordered anything from them. But they've got everything.
Not just gear, but martial-arts weapons, movies, clothes, you name it.
Fun reading, and worth a look!
Toraki Judo Supply:
(Ontario) The instructors and senior students at Webmaster George's Judo
club wear Toraki double-weave gis.
Classical Jujutsu Information Sites:
The Daito-Ryu Jujutsu Official Website:
Home site for one of the styles the UBC Classical Jujutsu Club practises.
Daito-Ryu
Takumakai Dojo, Osaka, Japan: Homepage for dojo where Instructor Chad
Kohalyk was trained in Japan.
Information
on Takenouchi-Ryu Jujutsu: Another style we practise.
Books / Reviews
* Note: Before buying a martial-arts book from an online source,
try reading around trustworthy sites for reviews of the book. You may also
be surprised to find that public and university libraries stock many of
these books. Also, if you're enrolled in a martial-arts program, try asking
your instructor for recommendations. And remember: you can't learn a martial
art from a book. Join a good program, then use the book as a tool for review.
Reputable Online-Vendor Sites that carry martial-arts books:
Koryu Books: Many authoritative
texts on various classical martial arts, including Jujutsu (or also spelled
"Jiu Jitsu")
Chapters/Indigo.ca: A good selection
of the principle books and very fast shipping.
Amazon.ca/Amazon.com:
A larger selection of books, and Amazon tends to post more reader reviews,
although one should not rely solely on reader reviews posted on the vendor's
website.
Books that Webmaster George has read or researched:
Classical Japanese Marital Arts / Samurai History
Classical Budo, by Donn Draeger. Paperback ed. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1990. This is the second volume in the series Martial Arts and Ways of Japan. Draeger writes in a kind of scholarly style, as he from time to time takes issue with various arguments posited by others on the subject. Still, the series focuses on periods and styles of classical Japanese martial arts. Draeger discusses the history and philosophy of Japan to some extent, but draws mostly on anecdotes of incidents. It's interesting reading and a good way to get more to the heart of the mythology touched upon by 20th-century martial-arts lore and films like "The Last Samurai". Recommended reading, and it should be easily available in any university or public library system. It's hard to purchases this series these days, although Koryu Books may be your best bet.
Classical Bujutsu, by Donn Draeger. New York and Tokyo: Weatherhill, 1973. From the same series, also recommended from the library.
Judo Instructional

Best Judo, by Isao Inokuma and Nobuyuki Sato. Paperback
ed. Tokyo, New York and London: Kodansha, 1986.
This book comes with the highest recommendations from Judo sites as
well as my Judo instructors. The authors clearly have the background to
speak about Judo. Techniques are described well with photos and notes,
and are often cross-referenced to related techniques and combinations.
It also includes demonstrations by and favourite techniques of Yasuhiro
Yamashita, the famed All-Japan Judo champion. It has helped me to jump
into Judo and pick up the techniques quickly. An excellent book, and likely
to be in the library, Chapters, and Amazon.

Kodokan Judo, by Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) and the Kodokan Editorial Committee. New York: Kodansha, 1986. To put it plainly, this is the curriculum book out of which Judo instructors teach, the "bible", as it were, of Judo. It's rated highly by reviewers and my Judo instructors teach out of it. It's also likely to be in the library, as well as Chapters and Amazon. It has several of the old kata towards the end of the book, and some of the techniques from these kata are very much Jujutsu techniques.

Canon of Judo, by Kyuzo Mifune. New York: Kodansha, 2004. This is apparently a classic that has undergone a new and far better translation. Word is that the text contains old leg locks now forbidden in competitive Judo, as well as strategies for small martial artists against larger opponents. I'll review this more when mine arrives, but the online reviews are very complimentary.

Tomoe-nage, by Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki. Judo Masterclass Series, 1998. Not much online to review this, other than a ringing endorsement from The Judo Information Site, but that's a good start. Tomoe-nage is my (Webmaster George) favourite sutemi (sacrifice throw). Apparently, this text has dozens of situations in which Tomoe-nage can be implemented, with several back-up strategies when the first attempt fails. A whole book on Tomoe-nage. More to come when mine arrives!
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Instructional

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Submission Grappling Techniques, by Royler Gracie and Kid Peligro. Montpelier, Vermont: Invisible Cities Press, 2003. The sequel to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Theory and Practice, this is a very current and up-to-date book (which is extremely important in the constantly evolving art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu), and its author speaks from great authority and experience. It contains 103 no-gi techniques, including drills, standing techniques and ground techniques. The photos are in colour, and the level of detail is excellent. Often, the description of techniques includes little details with specially focused photos, rather than just the 1,2,3,4,5 photos common in instructional books. I found that the techniques match very much what my instructor teaches, and describe very well what my instructor does when he practises, both of which being very good signs of the authenticity of the book. The book has been widely praised in reviews. Although it prices out at the Cdn $44 mark, I felt it was worth the money. You're less likely to find this in a university library than the Judo books, so hit the major municipal public libraries for this title, although the line-up for this one will be LONG. .

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Theory and Practice, by Renzo and Royler Gracie. Montpelier, Vermont: Invisible Cities Press, 2001. All that is true about its sequel, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Submission Grappling Techniques, reviewed above, is largely true of this first title in the series. Among the reviewers it has been less popular, I've found, chiefly for the reason that it focuses on gi techniques (techniques performed while wearing a gi). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and grappling as a sport is seeing a rise in the popularily of no-gi grappling, and so such criticism of this title is to be expected by those who are interested in no-gi grappling. However, as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu students generally start out wearing the gi (or kimono) during training, and as fighting with the gi on is still a robust style of practice and competition, this title is appropriate in its discussion of gi techniques. This title is slightly less expensive, but likely worth the money as well. And again, it's more likely to be found in public libraries than university libraries.

Mastering Jujitsu, by Renzo Gracie and John Danaher. New York: Human Kinetics, 2003. I haven't yet read this book, but I wanted to pass on what I've learned about the reviews in case you're attracted to this title. I've found it to be widely praised in the reviews. The book, according to the commentary I've read, focuses not merely on iindividual techniques, but on the combining of techniques in a match or fight. It also seems to be emerging in many ways as a quasi-"bible" for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, making it more interesting indeed. I'll update this review as soon as I read the book. It prices out at about Cdn $20.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Techniques, by Jean-Jacques Machado and Kid Peligro. Invisible Cities Press, 2003. Stephan Kesting of grapplearts.com says that this is the "most advanced book to date". And that's saying something - Mr. Kesting is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Marcus Soares, and his list of tournament accomplishments is long enough to instil confidence in his opinion. The reviews online tend to agree; it's widely reviewed and widely praised on Amazon.com. More to come when mine arrives in the next couple of weeks.

Passing the Guard, by Ed Beneville and Tim Cartmell. Grappling
Arts Publications, 2002. Stephan Kesting of grapplearts.com
writes on Amazon.ca that this is "the best book on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
to date," and that's enough for me. Still, it has received nothing but
praise online, and that's not easy to do. A lot of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
practitioners buy a lot of such books, and they're not afraid to tear a
book apart in the reviews when they're not pleased. Ed Beneville is a brown
belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and his book is reputed to be particularly
well-written and inundated with photos. The content deals with defending
in the guard, sweeping opponents out of your guard, countering those sweeps
when you're in someone's guard, and passing the guard. It's a more specific
text that promises greater depth. The photography in this book is substantially
superior to the photography in any other book I've seen. There are more
photos, but the book's photography excels in two ways: first, it demonstrates
how the technique can wind up occurring in more than one way, with equal
treatment of the technique and its alternate version; second, the book
has more than one kind of photographic treatment of a technique, often
giving a full photographic sequence from another angle, and with as many
photos as the main angle. The book also includes movie-reel style photos:
10 or more small photos in a movie-reel, showing much better detail of
the transition than the traditional photo sequence. It's a book that raises
the bar on instructional books, and sets a new standard for photographic
treatment of instruction. Extremely highly recommended if you're serious
about grappling.
Other Jujutsu / Jiu Jitsu dojos and schools in other cities:
Classical Styles of Jujutsu
Aikibudo
Ontario: Aiki-Jujutsu and Aikido school in Mississauga, Ontario. Close
descendent of Daito-Ryu Jujutsu. Webmaster George
studies here while going to U of T. (I looked all through the GTA for months
and this was the school that fit the bill for me. The teacher, like Alex
of UBC CJJ, runs the club for the love of the style, not for profit. I
have a great time here.)
Seifukan Dojo, Hawai'i:
Sensei Wayne Muramoto's Takeuchi-Ryu Dojo. Classical Jujutsu and Iaido.
A very well-known school and excellent site, containing good background
reading on classical Japanese martial arts and links to the same.
The Fuji-Yama
Daito-Ryu Jujutsu Dojo (Thorold, Niagara area, Ontario): A Daito-Ryu
Jujutsu club in Canada is a rare thing. This website contains a substantial
amount of interesting reading about Daito-Ryu Jujutsu.
Queen's University (Belfast) Jiu Jitsu:
This club looks very robust, indeed. Their curriculum appears to include
some modern martial-arts techniques, but this club appears to be a strong
classical Jujutsu club.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Kombat Arts Training
Academy (KATA): Martial-arts academy in Mississauga, Ontario. Webmaster
George also studies Brazilian Jiu Jitsu here. This school also has classes
in Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, Karate, and Capoeira. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
taught by Mark Bocek, a bona fide black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and
very successful fighter on the competition circuit.
Joslin's Martial
Arts: Hamilton, Ontario. Word is that these guys have excellent programs
in both Karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They host a huge tournament every
year, and (from Webmaster George) from what I've heard and from what I've
seen their students do, this is a good school.
Other University Martial-Arts Programs, with Jiu-Jitsu Club Websites Noted:
Acadia University
(Nova Scotia): Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi
BCIT
(Burnaby, BC): Karate, Tai Chi
Brandon
University (Manitoba): Aikido, Kickboxing, Fencing
Carleton
University (Ottawa, Ontario): Capoeira, Karate, Jiu Jitsu, Kung
Fu, Kickboxing, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, Stickfighting.
Concordia
University (Montreal, Quebec): Aikido, Capoeira, Chi Gung, Ju-jitsu,
Kickboxing, Wing Chun Kung Fu
Dalhousie
University (Halifax, Nova Scotia): Fencing, Judo, Tae Kwon Do.
Laurentian University
(Sudbury, Ontario): Karate
McGill
University (Montreal, Quebec) martial arts: Aikido, Capoeira, Judo,
Karate, Kendo, Kickboxing, Moo Kwang Tae, Savate, Shaolin Kung Fu.
McMaster
University (Hamilton, Ontario): Karate, Tai Chi
Queen's
University (Kingston, Ontario) martial arts: Aikido, Karate, Haidong
Gumbo, Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do.
Martial-Arts Information Sites:
Classical Martial Arts
Furyu - The Online Budo Journal of
the Classical Martial Arts: many articles by credible authors including
Wayne Muramoto.
Grappling / Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Grapplearts.com: Headed by
Stephan Kesting, a sensible and intelligent writer about grappling and
Jiu Jitsu, this is a fine site to visit for no-nonsense, useful articles
and training tips. This site is really getting good, too. Stephan is now
putting good video of techniques online. And if you're looking for what
other sites have grappling techniques online, then look no further - Mr.
Kesting's links section has dozens of sites with techniques online.
Judo
The Judo Information Site: Lots,
no, tons of great video clips here, the Judo curriculum listed,
some history, book and DVD reviews, and a lot of Judo links. AND video
clips of Judo guys against Brazilian Jiu Jitsu legend Royce Gracie. Don't
miss it!
Judo Canada: Good site for
national Judo news and information on the Canadian Judo scene. Most provinces
in Canada also have provincial associations that provide lists of clubs.
The Kodokan Judo Institute: This
is the world headquarters for Judo in Tokyo, Japan. Just check out their
facility
- that alone makes the site worth the visit. The site also contains the
official curriculum and some information on grading procedures, sure to
be of interest to Judo practitioners.
Aikido
The Aikido FAQ: Articles, tons
of video clips, graphics, and info. Great fun, lots of interesting stuff,
and links to dojos. A huge site, and definitely worth a look for Jujutsu
(Jiu Jitsu) students.
The Aikido Journal: Another
site with a great number of articles and forums about Aikido, but also
Aiki-Jujutsu (a style we practise).
Karate
Dragon
Times - The Voice of Traditional Karate: This site is a companion to
a printed magazine, Classical Fighting Arts, and comes recommended
by Furyu online. There is a large archive
of online articles and news. A reliable place to read about Karate online.
General Martial Arts Information
The Legality
of Martial-Arts Weapons in Canada: Written by a currently practising
lawyer, this is interesting reading, in case you're wondering about the
legality of carrying your bo staff and bokken back and forth to class.
Martial Arts @ About.com:
This site has a mixed bag of material. Be warned that some
is commercial. However, there is also some interesting, bona fide
stuff here. Of particular note is an article concerning martial-arts
cults, by Wayne Muramoto of the Seifukan Dojo in Hawai'i.
Fighting Arts Online: Includes
articles on Daito-Ryu Jujutsu and its closely related descendent, Aikido.
Black Belt Magazine: Arguably
the premiere martial-arts magazine out there in print. There are lots of
archived articles here, lots of interesting stuff. They cover basics, how
to find a good martial-arts school, self-defence issues, fighter biographies,
and event coverage, just to name a few.
Martial Arts.ca: This site
has literally thousands of club listings. If you're surfing the Internet,
looking for a club in your area, this is an excellent place to start. The
directory is searchable by style, city, province, and other criteria.
Google News: Search for news stories
on anything, including martial arts. Google News picks up dozens of current
news items on Jujutsu (Jiu Jitsu, Jujitsu, Ju jitsu), Judo, Karate, Aikido,
Martial Arts, and whatever you like. If you're hungry for martial-arts
news in the mainstream media, this is a great site.
Topix Martial-Arts news:
Another excellent site for lots of current martial-arts news. Lots of interesting
stuff here. It is updated daily, and finds a lot of stories Google News
doesn't.
Boxing
Martial artists of any type can learn a great deal from boxing.
Boxers are fearsome, fearsome strikers, and their stamina and physical
conditioning are legendary.
Rossboxing Training
Website: A really well-laid out website about how to train in boxing.
Videos and photos, and lots of articles, including training-gear reviews.
Interesting reading, and indispensible if you're hitting the heavy bag
or the speed bag on your own in your basement or at school.
Wrap
Your Hands Properly for Boxing: Excellent step-by-step instructions
on the best ways to wrap your hands for safety in training. Don't break
your hands on the heavy bag. Learn to train safely, and you'll keep training.
Ringside Boxing:
This has a tremendous offering of good articles on training in both boxing
and
mixed martial arts (MMA). There's information here on nutrition, training
- a wealth of info.
The Sweet Science.com:
This site caters to serious boxing fans with extensive boxing news and
schedules, but also many articles that discuss what successful boxers do
well. The site appears to be growing as well.
The Ninja
Massage Therapist: Hilarious! Suitable for all ages.
Real Ultimate
Power Ninja Website: This is a very funny website by ninja enthusiasts
who satirize the ninja craze as much as they promote it. Very unique humour
and a lot of original material. Warning: some language is
quite adult-oriented (swearing), although this is still a very humourous
site, and is posted on many other reputable martial-arts sites. Funny,
but reader beware.
This is a not-for-profit club, so we do not "advertise" per se, and receive no reward for listing businesses (like suppliers). We're happy to link to other clubs / schools generally on a quid-pro-quo basis. We're also interested in info sites, suppliers of martial-arts equipment, books, videos, funny stuff, etc. You're welcome to submit any suggested link you like, but all suggestions will be reviewed by a webmaster and then submitted to the instructor for approval. Please contact a webmaster first - our instructor is generally too busy to field link-related e-mail. We'd love to see your suggestions. Thank you!
Webmaster George: valorius@hotmail.com
Webmaster Anne: annemaloney@hotmail.com