Sensei Kyle has been studying the art of Ju-jitsu since 1996 when he begun at his local sports centre in his then home town Witham, Essex. He was 12 years old when he saw a martial arts demonstration of Ju-jitsu by Sensei Clive Blackeby 2nd Dan, founder of the Kyu Shin Ryu Ju-Jitsu School and this was the start of his martial arts journey. In 2002 he graded for the Black Belt where Sensei Clive and Sensei Terry Gornall 4th Dan put him through a grading like no other: sweat, tears and a level of pain which pushed him til he could barely stand. He had given everything he had. Then he was asked for 100 push ups and 100 sit-ups. So he gathered the last ounce of energy to push mind and body to the finish. Finally they shouted “Yamai” (stop!) He had completed the grading and was congratulated by all Sensei, Senpai and everybody else who had witnessed this bittersweet end. In 2003 the dojo’s Sensei sadly became ill and was unable to carry on teaching. The Kyu Shin Ryu class closed its doors. Sensei Kyle moved away and decided to open a school of his own. In 2004, with only six students, he opened the doors to a school in Halstead, Essex and began teaching his own style of Ju-jitsu which teaches a free-style of self-defence. He carried on under the BNMAA governing body with Paul Griffing 7th Dan attending weekend training sessions and seminars and was awarded his 3rd and 4th Dan. Then the BNMAA closed. He joined Soke Kevin Pell 8th Dan and the Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu where the quality and standard was high – in fact the seminars and courses within Europe were outstanding. In 2012 this club regretfully closed and Sensei set out to find a style of martial art that would accompany his style of Ju-jitsu. 2015 saw the reopening of the Bushido class now in Coggeshall under the IMASA governing body which offered insurance but no courses or seminars. In March 2016 he went to his first seminar with Ju-jitsu International after speaking to longstanding contact Paul Holmes in Ireland and began studying the martial art of Kyujutsu. Sensei continued to practice in the way of the sword whilst working towards the Black Belt in the YBR KenJutsu. In 2018 Soke Richard Morris awarded him 5th Dan and the title of Renshi for outstanding teaching efforts.

Just a small number of the dojos we’ve trained with. More will follow in due course so please come back to look again.

Southgate Ju-Jitsu 7 Self-Defence www.seishinju-jitsu.com

Based in Southgate, North London this club teaches Traditional Juko-Ryu Japanese Ju-Jitsu.

The Hastings Dojo www.youtube.com/@thehastingsdojo2332

Based in Hastings, Sussex the Hastings Dojo teaches traditional Goshin Jiu Jitsu and modern combatives with Sensei Clive who has taught in Hastings and all over East Sussex, Maidstone, London, Bedforshire, Ireland, Portugal, and South Africa.