Little Mountain Dojo

Translation of scroll

2011-12-07T12:06:00.001+11:00

It's great when the Internet works. Thank you to Geoff Foster for sending me the Romanji of the scroll in this photo. The photo was taken at the Jishukan Ryu Honbu in the 1980's.

Here is the Romanji showing that is is the Jo Kata of Jishukan Ryu.

ichi jo
menuchi
gyakunage
Kikomi
iyodoronage
kinukatsugi

ni jo
kataotashi
iyodoronage
urunag
gyakunage
ure yorosh kikome

san jo
boyobodashi
kirioroshi
hachina kimakikomi geri
katahazushi
yoko sutemi

yon jo
menuchi
kataotshi
nidan geri kataotashi
sune fune

Shodan Lapel Pin

2011-05-29T15:46:00.000+10:00

Not a lot of students know that when you successfully grade to Shodan, you are not only awarded with your Belt and Certificate but you also receive a Lapel Pin. It features Soke Morton's Hanko, and is a nice memento that can be worn at anytime outside training. This is probably one of my most treasured possessions.

Royal Australian Navy News 1980

2011-05-22T19:48:00.000+10:00

I came across another RAN Newsletter from 1980 this time. You can download the full newsletter via this link to experience some more nostalgia. Another couple of nice B&W images with a small article promoting Jishukan Ryu.

Thumbflix Book 3 found

2011-05-21T13:28:00.002+10:00

I've been collecting a lot of items that relate to the history of the Academy for many years. One of the best finds have been the Thumbflix book produced in 1972 (See my previous post here). I was randomly searching the Internet last month and was stunned to find Books 1,2 & 3 for sale online. Book 1 & 2 from my collection were printed in 1971 & 1972, these are all printed in1972 and in much better condition. Also the cover for Book 1 is different. Over the next few months I will scan/photograph and digitise these books so I can make them available in PDF format ... stay tuned for more.

The techniques covered in Book 3 are;

Book 3 - 8 Counters to Common Assaults
Produced 1972 (Printed in Singapore)

Kempo 10 - Twilight (2nd Kyu).
Defence against a lunging knife attack (Shodan).
Side Choke (5th Kyu)
Rear strangle No. 1 (4th Kyu)
Round Kick (4th Kyu)
Ippon Seionage - from punch (4th Kyu)
Hip throw walking side by side (4th Kyu)
Hand Grabbing (4th Kyu)

National Rugby Union Coaching Plan (1986)

2011-05-19T13:06:00.000+10:00

A lot of people may be aware that Soke Morton's other passion is Rugby Union. If you are interested in learning more, there is some information located on the Academy website via this link. What people may not be aware of is that Soke Morton contributed to the NRU Coaching Plan in the section addressing Falling. The book has since been revised, but I picked up a second hand copy from eBay a few weeks ago.

Rugby Coaching Manual
By R. J. P. Marks (National Directory of Coaching in Australia)
First Published 1986
Rothmans Foundation - National Sports Division
(No ISBN)

Here is a small extract for anyone that is interested ...

Remastered club logos

2011-05-06T10:00:00.000+10:00

A few posts back I showed all the club badges that I have in my collection. I spent a bit of time a couple of years ago remastering all the old club logos using Photoshop. Feel free to use the finished results below. If you want the master Photoshop file just send me an email.

Conditioning Exersizes

2011-05-05T09:19:00.004+10:00

I am trying to get back into shape after a break from Jujitsu to focus on my kids. For the past 3 weeks I have been spending my nights on a cross-trainer for 20-25min every night. I thinks its going to be a long-long road to get back to where I was, but I am making steady progress.

I'm now starting to incorporate some strength & conditioning exercises into my sessions now, but like most people I don't like push-ups, sit-ups and dips. Below is a video of a session I used to run at the Queanbeyan Dojo 2003 to get away from the monotony of push-ups. You can make up as different dynamic exercises as you want to mix-it-up - try a few wheel barrow races .... holding one leg only! Remember it's not only about strength, focus also on control and coordinaton.

25 Year Anniversary Booklet (1962 - 1987)

2011-05-03T09:55:00.001+10:00

In 2002 I helped publish a book called 'Many Mountain Summits' to mark the 40 Year history of the Peter Morton Academy The book covers the complete year-by-year history of the Academy. If you want to buy a copy of this book, please visit the Academy Website here. When we started to research and collect all the old documents, Soke Morton gave me an original copy of the 25 Year booklet from 1987 that was prepared by Sensei Niel Phillips. It provided a great starting point that could be expanded on. Only a handful of people hold a copy of this book, so I have created a PDF of it for anyone that it interested.

Download the PDF version of this Booklet Here

Royal Australian Navy News 1978

2011-05-02T08:10:00.001+10:00

It's amazing what you can find when randomly searching the Internet. I came across this PDF document which is a scan of a RAN Newsletter from 1978. You can download the full newsletter via this link to experience all the nostalgia (if you are from that era!). There is a nice article that features Ray Lawrence performing Judo and promoting Jishukan Ryu. Ramon is currently instructing martial arts out of the Budokan in Perth.

Collection of club badges

2011-05-01T14:02:00.003+10:00

I have a few of the old club badges in my collection. I collected them as new ones were released when I started 1989, and also found a few at the local second hand clothes shops years latter ($5 kids judogi was a bargain!). The only one that I am missing is an original Jishukan Ryu badge from Japan. If anyone wants to sell one to me it would be much appreciated!

Photos from 40th Anniversary (2002)

2011-04-30T13:05:00.001+10:00

Next year the Academy will be turning 50 years old. I was digging through some old files and found some photos from the 40 year Anniversary (2002). It was also the year that I received my Sandan, and we also published Many Mountain Summits. There are to many photos to ulpoad here so I just have selected a few.

Newspaper Clipping

2011-04-27T18:48:00.021+10:00

It's amazing what you will find when cleaning out some old drawers. Here is a newspaper clipping that I found from 1995 (when I was 20yo) when we used to get free entries into the Queanbeyan Age to advertise the club. Myself as a Brown Belt (1st Kyu) performing a defense against round-house kick by Sensei Westerburg. Not sure what that arm is reaching for up high Sensei?! Who was to know that I would grade to Shodan the following December and take over the Dojo in 1998.

Photos from the Jishukan Ryu Honbu

2011-04-26T20:17:00.004+10:00

I've come across a few old photos from the Jishukan Ryu Honbu over time. These are really rare photos of Soke Sugita and Shihan Yano including visiting students. It's great to see the old Tatami and the original Shihan in their prime. The gentleman with the mustache was referred by Soke Morton as Mr. Ping. After a bit of searching I found his website. Some of these images were found here.

Peter Morton with Soke Sugita

Hisama Okamoto (Current head of Jishukan Ryu), Leslye "Sonny" Wombwell, D.S.Ping, Yashimasa Yano, Peter Morton.

Mountain Peak

2011-04-25T10:49:00.002+10:00

I'm always on the lookout for more information relating to the lineage of the Academy, and in particular the lineage of Jishukan Ryu pre-1947. There is very little available other than a simple A4 letter explaining the origins of Jishukan Ryu that I have elaborated on in my Jujitsu-Kenpo page.

In 2007 I was contacted by Mr. Daniel Lee who is a well know Australian student of Koryu Budo living in Japan. He responded to my enquiries for information on Jishukan Ryu via the e-budo discussion forum.

"Hello there,

I also played Jishukan budo as a youngster in Canberra, but am today practicing a koryu style in Japan. Jishukan is comprised of kodokan judo, kenpo, jojutsu, haya-nawa and jujutsu. I do not know what style of kenpo, jojutsu or hayanawa is involved, but upon visiting the Hakko-ryu Jujutsu Honbu in Saitama was told Sugita-soke studied Hakko-ryu Jujutsu and shiatsu healing there. In fact, his name "Shuho" is a martial arts name and not his birth name, with the "ho" suffix awarded to graduates of the Hakko-ryu system. I hope this helps.

Daniel Lee
http://www.geocities.com/koryu-bujutsu/"

Infact, after formation of Hakko-ryu (1st June 1941), its founder Okuyama Yoshiji took the pen name Okuyama Ryuho. Following Shodai Soke's retirement in 1986, his son, Okuyama Toshio assumed the responsibilities of the Ryu. He also took his father's pen name Ryuho.

What is more interesting is the "ho" suffix that Soke Sugita adopted as a graduate from Hakko Ryu. Soke Morton was awarded his Rokudan (6th Degree) along with his Hanko (stamp) in 1980. Soke Morton received a Japanese scroll indicating he had adopted him as his son (as his own son had died) and have him the name martial arts name Yu-Ho continuing the tradition (峰朋 meaning 'Mountain Peak, Friend'). The Hanko image is shown in the current Academy logo.

If you are interested in learning more about Seal Script, there is a good website here, or checkout the Wiki page via this link.

Jishukan Ryu Organization

2011-04-24T15:10:00.000+10:00

I was going through my archives and came across a whole bunch of information that I collected when I worked on 'Many Mountain Summits' - 40 year history publication in 2002. Below is a photocopy of the Jishukan Ryu organisation pre-1982. It may be of interest to other members of the Academy or students of Jishukan Ryu, as not many people have seen this before.

Club advertising 1967

2011-04-23T14:52:00.000+10:00

I was going back through my archives and found an original advertisement from 1967 given to me by Soke Peter Morton my archives. Its amazing that even though a lot of time has passed, I can still relate the advertising today (Even though the term Honbu was incorrectly used).

Remember that in 1967 martial arts in Australia was still relatively new - Judo was first demonstrated in 1908 and organised 1952 (Source). The club was only 5 years in operation,and Soke Morton held a Nidan (2nd Degree) from the Jishukan Ryu Honbu, Founded in Japan by Soke Sugita Shuho 1947.

Thumbflix Booklets

2011-04-22T14:32:00.000+10:00

I've been collecting historically significant items that relate to the Peter Morton Academy & Jishukan Ryu over the years. In my collection are two extremely rare books produced my Jishukan Ryu Australia featuring Soke Peter Morton. Published by Thumbflix International (no longer trading), they document several techniques that are still taught by the Academy.

Book 1 is also held by the National Library of Australia archives (click here). My copies were aquired through some second hand online book stores in America. Still searching for book 3 and will pay top dollar if anyone would like to sell it.

You simple 'flick' a corner of the booklet, and the images come to life. So one booklet can present 8 techniques. I have managed to collect 2 booklets with 1 still missing. Soke Morton said that Shihan Laughlin intended them for the American Jishukan Ryu groups, and none were kept in Australia.
If anyone is interested in viewing these, please contact me via eMail.

The techniques covered are;

Book 1 - 8 Counters to Knife, Gun and Strangle
Produced 1971 (Printed in Hong Kong)

Gun Defence - Lower Back (Shodan)
Gun Defence - Throat (Shodan)
Knife Defence - Back of Neck (Shodan)
Knife Defence - Overhead (Shodan)
Double Lapel Hold (5th Kyu)
Front Choke (5th Kyu)
Side Ground Choke (5th Kyu)
Straddle Ground Choke (5th Kyu)

Book 2 - 8 Counters to Common Assaults
Produced 1972 (Printed in Singapore - ISBN 090954705X)

Arms around body from behind - Feet together (5th Kyu)
Arms around body from behind - Feet apart (5th Kyu)
Collar holding (5th Kyu)
Shoulder grabbing from behind (5th Kyu)
Arms around body from front (4th Kyu)
Single Lapel hold (No. 1)(5th Kyu)
Hammerlock counter (4th Kyu)
Full nelson (No. 2) (4th Kyu)

Traditions & History

2011-04-21T14:13:00.000+10:00

I have always been interested in the history of martial arts, in particular the styles that I am involved in. I somehow always discover new and interesting tid-bits as the years pass. In 2002 I was fortunate to be involved in producing a publication detailing the 40 year history of the Peter Morton Academy called 'Many Mountain Summits'. The book also covered the history of Jishukan Ryu and I was able to my hands on all the documents since around 1962. Since then I have discovered more information on the lineage of the art.

Something that is very important to Jishukan Ryu is the Sansoku (三則), which are the three principles that should be observed and transferred into daily life. The purpose of the Sansoku is similar to a Dojo Kun, but hasn't been formally used by the Academy for many years. I understand that it used to be recited before and after class. The club has instead adopted a simple motto 'Be Master of Yourself' that embodies the spirit of the Academy.

I have had the English version for some time but was missing the Romanji and Kanji versions. The only Kanji versions I knew of was in a couple of old photos taken at the Honbu (本部) . I sent the information to Takase Studios and they prepared a translation using the photo as a reference. Here is the electronic script for anyone that is interested.

Jishukan Ryu Three Principles
Jishukan Ryu San Soku
自修館流三則

Be courteous to each other
Reigi O Tadashiku Suro Koto
礼儀を正しくすること

Study with a true mind
Makoto No Kokoro O Motte Kyudo Suru Koto
誠の心を以って求道すること

Teach with kindness
Shinsetsu Ni Shido Suru Koto
親切に指導すること

I have also downloaded some nice Japanese fonts from Epson (Click here) and created this electronic version of the original Sansuko as shown in the photo.

Introduction

2011-04-20T11:37:00.000+10:00

Welcome to my martial arts and training blog!

I've been involved in martial arts since 1989 and hold the rank of Yondan, Renshi (4th degree blank belt) in Jujitsu-Kempo & Judo as taught by the Peter Morton Academy. I also hold some minor Kyu ranks in Kobudo and Jodo, and have had some exposure to Kendo & Aikido (More here).

I've set this blog up to discuss Martial Arts, my training & activities, and to offer other students of my art some insight into its history and origins.