BLACK DRAGON AIKIJUTSU

Black Dragon Aikijutsu is a "System" of Self Protection or "Art of Self Defense".  Black Dragon Aikijutsu focus on the fundamentals of Japanese-American martial arts. The name of this concept of Martial Arts is "BLACK DRAGON AIKIJUTSU". The Ju Jutsu roots, from which Aikijutsu are based, have been around since the early 1800s, and come from ancient forms of Japanese samurai warfare and self defense arts and further developed in the United States of America in the late 1940s after World War II.

The principals of Black Dragon Aikijutsu are a synthesis and reconstruction of several basic martial arts concepts based on Grandmaster Ron Van Clief's (founder) martial arts experience. Black Dragon Aikijutsu reflects Mr. Perry's understanding of Martial Arts which are a combination of three primary martial arts, the hard and soft features of Karate, the forms of Ju Jutsu as taught in the 1880's combined with the application of Aiki. These three principals, along with a comprehensive blending of the self, and the ever changing "social" environment, of which the ramifications and legalities of self-defense tactics are an important part.

This art, Black Dragon Aikijutsu, reflects the founder's experience, as well many years of training and fellowship with several top Sensei in Karate and Ju Jutsu. With the proficiency of coordinated striking techniques of Karate added along with the knowledge and skill of Ju Jutsu techniques of projection, strangulation, dislocation and joint locks one has more comprehensive strategic self defense possibilities at his or her command.

The "ideology" of Black Dragon Aikijutsu represents a single concept, a way of applying any coordinated technique using any part of the body as a weapon in unarmed combat. It can be said that Black Dragon Aikijutsu teaches simple and practical methods of self defense that enable one to calmly face an attacker and move on without hesitation. Face an opponent as to avoid, diffuse, immobilize, punish or destroy an attacker reasonably and easily in an instant.

Another characteristic of techniques of Black Dragon Aikijutsu is that they may be either offensive or defensive depending upon who initiates the first technique. Again, this produces psychological advantage because any technique one has learned well can be adapted to fit any situation. There is no need to try to remember what technique was for what situation... they can all fit any situation. It is for this reason that techniques are practiced from all sides and all angles--it allows the jujutsuka to learn flexibility and adaptability.

Black Dragon Aikijutsu is a study of "STAYING OUT OF HARMS WAY", motion and movements; not only the strengths but also the weaknesses. Every motion, every movement has a weakness that can be exploited, whether it is an offensive or defensive motion, and for this reason, when the jujutsuka moves, he must not only be aware of his attacker's motion so that he can execute the proper techniques in response,he must also be aware of the weaknesses in his own motions so that he can defend them. All of the motions are (or should be)performed to insure that he can regain his posture before the attacker can regain his. The techniques and motions must be performed smoothly with attention given to proper balance and timing.

These are perhaps the two most significant principles of Black Dragon Aikijutsu, or any other martial art, for that matter. Without balance there is nothing. You cannot attack, defend or move without balance. And without timing, your movements will be wasted and ineffectual, your techniques clumsy and your chances slim. It takes balance and timing to make the graceful, smooth, and quick purposeful transitions from one technique to the other, and this is important. It is not always the person with the greatest number of techniques that will emerge victorious from an encounter, but the one with the best command of the techniques known to him. No matter how fast a person appears to move, the movements must be timed and coordinated with the movements of an adversary.  Each encounter is determined by the one who uses their techniques best, thus having the greatest chance of making it home.

Both Ju Jutsu and Karate consist of an array of armed and unarmed combat techniques. As the two schools have evolved however, Ju Jutsu focused primarily on the Samurai arts. A fusion or combination of these two schools of thought help make Black Dragon Aikijutsu is a comprehensive self-defense system, focusing on Karate kata, blocks, strikes and kicks and Jujutsu techniques employing grappling, arm bars, joint locks, throwing and pressure point strikes.

The warriors and solders of old lived on the very edge of life and death with trained martial spirit everyday. Although they passed down to us the "Way to Die Bravely", today we have found that it is, ultimately, about living SMART and the key to the "Way to Live Fully". This is the way of Bushido!

I would like to thank all my teachers for all their training and encouragement over the years. And my students and friends for their support and efforts in the realization of this art, Black Dragon Aikijujutsu! Glenn Perry, Soke

This page was created by Glenn Perry, Chinese Goju System.