A MESSAGE FROM SENSEI JIAVA

     I STARTED MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING IN 1985.  AFTER BEING PICKED ON IN SCHOOL, I BEGAN SEARCHING FOR A MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL TO LEARN TO DEFEND MYSELF.  I STARTED WITH KARATE.  ALTHOUGH I LEARNED SOME GREAT SKILLS THAT ARE WITH ME TO THIS DAY, KARATE WAS NOT THE MARTIAL ART FOR ME.  I FOUND THAT FOR ALL MY HARD WORK I WAS NOT LEARNING TO DEFEND MYSELF EFFECTIVELY.

     A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT JUJITSU AND I KNEW THIS WAS RIGHT FOR ME.   I EARNED MY FIRST BLACK BELT WITH THE NEW ENGLAND JUJITSU ASSOCIATION.

     THEN IN THE 1990’S I MET PROFESSOR DAVE CASTOLDI.  WHAT I SAW FROM PROFESSOR AND HIS STUDENTS WAS AMAZING AND IT CHANGED EVERYTHING ABOUT MARTIAL ARTS FOR ME.

     I BEGAN TO STUDY UNDER PROFESSOR CASTOLDI A PAINFULLY EFFECTIVE BLEND OF HIS CASTOLDI’S STREET DEFENSE AND PROFESSOR WALLY JAY’S SMALL CIRCLE JUJITSU.  WHAT I WAS LEARNING WAS THE SELF-DEFENSE THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

     IT IS A NO NONSENSE FORM OF SELF-DEFENSE THAT INCLUDES A RESPECT FOR THE OLD WAYS AND AN OPENNESS TO NEW IDEAS AND TECHNIQUES.  THIS IS WHAT I HOPE TO PASS ON TO MY STUDENTS.