Kuro Ryuu Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu

The American Dragon Self-Defense System and Kuro Ryuu Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu were all born out of a nagging question that I continually asked myself about my martial arts training. That nagging question was, “isn’t there anything else?”

To date I have trained in and or studied twenty-nine different martial arts styles over my forty-year martial arts career and that question although no longer nagging, is slowly being replaced. After forty years of cross training in twenty-nine different martial arts styles, you begin to see how closely they resemble each other and how redundant those styles really are. They are all different, but yet all the same.

My training in the atemi (striking) arts was more than instrumental in the development of the systems that I now love and teach. The seven (7) styles of karate that I have studied over the years and that I am ranked in all required that you learn their style of kata. That is a bunch of kata to have to keep separated in your head. As time passed, the kata’s began to blend into each other and it became increasingly more difficult to keep the different styles separated and pure.

Eventually I decided that it would be impossible for me to do so and allowed my sub-conscious mind to go where it wanted to go with the forty years of martial arts training. And then, the transformation began, as I allowed all of those years of training to blend its self-together, I noticed a new balanced blended art beginning to emerge and a majestic level of performance was evident in my training and teaching methods.

As time continued to pass, I noticed that the nagging question of “isn’t there anything else had changed to what’s next?”

I am totally excited when I am teaching this majestic art, knowing that my students will benefit from it for a lifetime.

About the art:

The American Dragon Self Defense System teaches the art of Kuro Ryuu Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu, is a martial art system based on Traditional Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Okinawan martial arts systems. Kuro Ryuu Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu is a gendai (modern) art, which incorporates the traditional Chinese disciplines based on the White Dragon and the Shaolin White Crane styles of Kung Fu, additionally the styles of Shaolin Chin Na, Taiji Quan Chin Na and the deadly art of Dim Mak.

From the Okinawan and Japanese soft style disciplines, we have incorporated the Jiu Jitsu styles of Kenwayoshin Ryu, Shintoyoshin Ryu, Toyojin Ryu, Tae Gun Do, Small Circle Jujitsu and Aiki Jitsu. We have also included the beautiful arts of Yuishinkai Aikido.

From the Atemi (striking arts) of karate, we have included the styles of Okuno Ryu karate, Yoshukai karate-do, Karenzukai karate, Shorinji Ryu Karate, Shorin Ryu karate, Okinawa Kenpo karate and Wado Ryu Karate.

From the Korean Disciplines, we have included Yudo, Yusool, Holsinsul, Hapkido, Tae Kwon do and Tang Soo Do, all of which are geared toward real life modern street defensive tactics.

The Kuro Ryuu Dojo and the American Dragon Self-Defense System will introduce students to Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu as a science and as a martial art. Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu is a gendai sogo budo (modern eclectic martial art) system or a modern composite martial art with a focus on teaching real life effective Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu (Blended Self-Defense Tactical Art) skills and less focus on traditional or classical martial arts techniques.

Translated into english, Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu means “energy blending self defense tactical art, it is a modern, gentle, pliable and flexible, self defense motivated martial art, utilizing striking, locking, throwing, submission holds and pressure point techniques to defend one’s self from Mr. or Mrs. Bad Apple on the mean streets USA.

When asked what Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu is, I find it easier to tell you what it is not. It is NOT a sports related art; and there are no referees to break the action or award points.

The “gentleness” of the art is expressed in the execution of the techniques, and is not reflected in the effect upon the attacker, except at the discretion of the person executing the technique. Using these techniques, a person may either simply escape the grasps of the attacker or control an attacker with a minimum amount of pain (neutralization), or use a technique designed to produce a great deal of pain (immobilization). Many times the only difference between neutralization and immobilization is the amount of pressure applied in the application of the technique. Other factors that determine the difference would be the attacker’s resistance, the direction of the line of force and or course and the circumstances of the situation where force was deemed necessary.

The execution of the techniques depends upon the motion and attitude of the attacker and seriousness of the encounter. An Aiki Goshin practitioner learns to exploit the weaknesses of an attacker’s motions and capitalize on those weaknesses, and although the Aiki Goshin practitioner is obligated to use good judgment and responsibility in the selection and execution of his or her techniques, the techniques are many and varied and can be violently effective. The Aiki Goshin practitioner will allow the attacker, depending on the attacker methods of attack; to tell the practitioner how they are going to subdue the attacker.

Nature of Water:

Now an army may be likened to water, for just as flowing water avoids the heights and hastens to the lowlands, so an army avoids strength and strikes weakness. And as water shapes its flow in accordance with the ground, so an army manages its victory in accordance with the situation of the enemy. And as water has no constant form, there are in war no constant conditions. Thus, one able to gain the victory by modifying his tactics in accordance with the enemy situation may be said to be divine.

--Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”, 140 - 118 B.C

The principle of Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu is like the nature of water. Water flows to a balanced level. It has no shape of its own but molds itself to the receptacle that contains it. Its surge is irresistible and it permeates everything. It has existed and will exist as long as time and space. When heated to the state of steam it is invisible, but has enough power to split the earth itself. When frozen it crystallizes into a mighty rock. Its services are boundless and its uses endless. First, it is turbulent like the Niagara Falls, and then calm like a still pond, fearful like a torrent, and refreshing like a spring on a hot day. So are the principles of Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu.

Note: The reason for highlighting the fact that we teach Aiki Goshin Sen Jutsu, which is based on the blending of multiple martial arts disciplines and styles is to differentiate between traditional martial arts instruction and the recent rise of Brazilian jujitsu and mixed martial Arts (MMA).