The History Of Combat Ju-Jitsu
Combat Ju-Jitsu was founded by Shihan Anthony Flask in mid August of 1988 in the suburb of Braybrook at the Squash Centre.
Shihan Flask began his training at the age of 13 studying the Art of Tae Kwon do with Klaus Lange in Deer Park. A couple of years later moved on to tain at Mat Komps Dojo in Footscray where he got his first taste of Ju-Jitsu. At the age of 18 he met Andrea Beckman who is now Andrea Flask. About six months after meeting Andrea her older brother John Beckman who had studied both Tae Kwon Do, Boxing and Ju-Jitsu was coaxed into starting up a Martial Art School again. On August the 3rd 1982 started the Club Western Combat Accademy today know as Senjustu Ryu.
Anthony started training under the guidance of Shihan Beckman, when the club began there were only 20 students who were given the opportunity to train at the school. As the years went by grading through kyu grades Anthony was granted the opportunity to grade for Black Belt, along with Lyndsey Bryson, they both became the first students at the school to be granted their Black Ranks. Anthony is still a current member of Senjutsu Ryu and is the only student from day one that has stayed active in the study of Ju-Jitsu.
In the early 90's both Shihan Beckman and Shihan Flask joined the Australian Ju-Jitsu Association, both are still current members today. Through this Association they met a true Master in the art of Ju-Jitsu who has since passed and will always be missed, Soke Jan Dejong, Tsutsumi Hozan Ryu Ju-Jitsu. His understanding of Ju-Jitsu and its techniques at the time were mind boggling. This was the beginings that set an evolution in the system that is taught at Combat Ju-Jitsu today. Shihan Flask was graded for both his first and second dan by Soke De Jong through the AJJA. He says he was very fortunate to have trained and attended numerous seminars with Soke DeJong. At times when Soke De Jong held seminars in Melbourne Anthony says they would be up till all hours of the night talking about Ju-Jitsu techniques and his life expieriences through the second world war, training with the Sato brothers, time spent in Indonesia.....
He claims that he was fortunate to study under Shihan Beckman and Soke Jan De Jong and that they both gave him all the tools needed to formulate his Ju-Jitsu system that he is teaching today. It was both their guidance and teachings that created such a strong system.
To Be Continued...........................
