Toynbee School, Bodycoats Road, Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, SO53 2PL.
Sensei Andrew Newman, 4th Dan
Sensei Andrew is Chief Instructor of the Ippon Ryu Ju Jitsu Association, a 4th Dan Black-Belt in Japanese Ju Jitsu and a Level 4 BJJAGB Coach. He has been teaching Ju-Jitsu since 2012. He is one of the 2 founder Instructors of Ippon Ryu Ju-Jitsu.
“I started my martial arts career in 1985 when I took up Wado Ryu karate and started teaching karate around 1990. In 2008 I met Sensei John Andrews who talked me into joining his Tenki Ryu jujitsu class. It fitted completely with my karate training and covered a number of additional areas that were new to me. I love to learn new things and so I was hooked. Through diligent training and my good basis in karate, I was able to achieve my 1st Dan in 2012.
Just after this Sensei Andrews decided to change his approach and moved away from the traditional Japanese jujitsu. I decided that direction did not fit with my continued karate training and so left to find another club. After much searching and not finding what I was looking for, I joined with Sensei Chris Rawlings to form Ippon Ryu Jujitsu in 2012. We joined the British Jujitsu Association Governing Body (BJJAGB) and since then I have achieved my 4th Dan and also hold a Level 3 coaching qualification with them. I also attend regular seminars with other BJJAGB clubs and Sensei.
I continue to practice karate in addition to Ju-Jitsu and hold the rank of 6th Dan in Washinki Karate. I also practice Kendo and hold the rank of 1st Dan and am also a qualified Level 1 Kendo coach.
I love teaching and my training across three martial arts gives me great experience, although there is always lots still to learn.”
Sensei Chris Rawlings, 4th Dan
Sensei Chris is a 4th Dan Black-Belt in Japanese Jitsu and a Level 3 BJJAGB Coach. He has been teaching Japanese Ju-Jitsu since 2012. He is one of the 2 founder Instructors of Ippon Ryu Ju-Jitsu.
“I originally started learning Japanese Ju-Jitsu whilst studying for my degree in Nottingham in 1992 having already tried Judo, Shotokan Karate and Tae Kwon Do. I had got bored of the marching-up-and-down-the-hall approach of Karate and TKD. My very first exposure to Ju-Jitsu was through ‘The Jitsu Foundation’. What originally attracted me was the use of Human-Body mechanics to make techniques work – having watched the Seagal Martial Arts films of the 90s I wanted to know how to make someone fly through the air using a wrist lock or throw which seemed magical to me. I trained there for 3 years before having a long break from martial arts as I still felt there was something missing from the TJF style of tuition.
In my early 30s I revisited Ju-Jitsu which I sorely missed and trained with 2 different styles at 2 different clubs simultaneously. I achieved First Dan grades with both Tenki Ryu Ju-Jitsu (a traditional Japanese style) under Sensei John Andrews and Mushin Ju-Jitsu (a modern Interpretation) under Sensei Steve Barker in 2012. Sensei Andrews’ style particularly seemed to fill the gaps that I perceived existed in TJF, and when Tenki Ryu developed into a more of a Sports Ju-Jitsu direction, it was with some sadness that I left to find another more traditional club in the area. Sadly none of the other clubs in the area seemed quite right.
Sensei Andrew Newman and I set up Ippon Ryu Ju-Jitsu at the end of 2012 as we both wanted to carry on training in the traditional Japanese Style we’d both come to love and deeply respect.
I still enjoy training and I love teaching JJ and coaching others to help them achieve their martial arts potential. The thing I love most about Ju-Jitsu is the fact that there’s always something new to learn each and every session!”
