Merry Xmas

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us in 2011 and wish all a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year.

Jake Ogden. 

Master Ogden gets Inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame

Post writen by Master Jake Ogden 

Saturday evening was one of the most memorable and proudest evenings of my life.  It was the evening that I was inducted into the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the 'Outstanding Contribution to Martial Arts' award. 

The evening began when my wife and I arrived at the Aston Villa Banqueting Suite in Birmingham. As soon as we stepped out of the limo and began to walk down the red carpet to the entrance we were accosted by TV reporters and photographers. There was with flashlights going off everywhere and a light was shone in my face and a reporter began to interview me. It was like a scene from the Oscars; I must admit it felt great but totally surreal. 

After the interviews and photos we walked into the foyer where there was an array of high profile martial artists and sports and film celebrities from all over the world. People were dressed in the most exquisite ball gowns and tuxedos. With a champagne reception sprits were high amongst the guests with a distinct feel of excitement and respect in the air.

I was amazed at how many people came up to me and said how much they enjoyed the content of my columns in Combat, Fighters and the Traditional Arts magazines. I was quite shocked at how many people noticed my work let alone read it and paid attention to what I was writing. Then a group of mature martial artists started to recite some of my work to me I was totally taken back with flattery. 

The evening progressed and we were seated in the main hall for the awards to take place.

 My wife and I were sat on the VIP table with Master Kwoklyn Wan, Master Bill 'Super foot' Wallace, Grand Master Joe Lewis and Master Jeff Smith!

To me this was absolutely crazy as I used to read about all of those guys in the martial arts magazines when I was a young boy in the late 70s and early 80s.  And now I was sat at a table with them, eating and drinking and listening to them talk about there younger fighting days. 

My name was called out and went up to receive my award 'Outstanding Contribution to Martial Arts Around the World'! I was stunned to receive such an accolade and questioned how I could be awarded such an honor when I have predominately taught in Great Britain. I was informed that the magazines that I wrote for went out to 15 different countries across the world.

My beautiful wife Nicola also received and award for 'Behind the Scenes Workers', which was great as she was very embarrassed, and also had to make a small speech in front of 500 martial arts superstars.   

Our heads are still spinning with all that has happened to us over the last couple of days but we are extremely grateful for all we have received. 

I am so very grateful to my wife, instructors, students and all that have helped to put Jado Kuin Do on the map and make it the recognized art form that it is today. Jado Kuin Do is now recognised by the Master and Grand Master of martial arts across the world.

Thank you for the overwhelming response and kind words on facebook, twitter and google +. They are all most appreciated.  

Finally, I would like to dedicate my award to my mother who passed away 4 years ago from brain cancer. She gave me a chance in life and was the person who believed in me from the start. It was from her that I gained the strength to go for what I believe in. 

Yours in Jado Kuin Do 

Master Jake Ogden - MscD,Cert.Ed, WBOB, WHOF. 

Gradings & Blackbelts

I have had an exceptional few weeks. Grading time is always providing the perfect chance for me to check standards. I have to say so far I have never been disappointed.

 Well done to all of those who graded today, grading is not an easy thing to do no matter what level you are at. But an extra well done goes out to Susan Wray, Kara Macleod, Sarah Ashford, Amy Welbourne, Luke Gowen and Delilah Walton for passing their Blackbelt 1st Degree today and Hazel Williams, Lewis Wundowa, Ant Harris and Jacob Springthorpe and Jacob Ogden Jr for passing their Blackbelt 2nd Degree. Truly inspirational! 

Master Jake Ogden 

Master Ogden goes back to his roots.

Master Jake Ogden will be going back to some of his roots. He will be travelling to Nottingham tomorrow to do some business and training with his personal friend ‘Sifu James Wardle, 4th Degree Wing Chun!’. 

Coventry promo

The WJO would like to  thank everyone who turned up to chat and to find out more about Jado Kun Do. Hopefully we will see you all at the Coventry Jado Kuin Do academy.

Asda in Coventry

Master Jake Ogden will be appearing at Asda in Coventry today to do a meet, greet and promotion. Pop  down and see him where he will be talking about the Jado Kuin Do art-form.

Close quarter fighting

Master Jake Ogden was conducting a master class in close quarter fighting yesterday to a select group. The day was a success and Master Ogden had the pleasure of exchanging techniques with Master Jim McArthur a true Aikido practitioner.

New Club in St Albans

The WJO are pleased to announce that a new Academy of Jado Kuin Do will be opening in St Albans later in the summer. The club will open on the 8th September 2011 and will run every Thursday evening: Kids class at 5.30 - 6.30 and adults will be from 6.30 - 7.30, all welcome.
This academy will run out of the Lower Hall at Dagnall Street Baptist Church, just behind the Town Hall and opposite the entrance to the car park for Christopher Place.

The opening of an academy in St Albans, a city and key location in Hertfordshire, marks the expansion of Jado Kuin Do into the important London bordering county of Hertfordshire.
For further information please contact us on 10327 342611 or contact instructor Mark Owen-Ward atmark.owenward@jadokuindo.com or on 0800 612 5870.

Gradings done!

Well, that's it! all gradings are now done until September. Well done to all who were involved, participants and staff. Thank you to my grading examiners who did a superb job in helping me grade so many students and growing the Jado Kuin Do art form. We go from strength to strength!
Master Jake Ogden

This weekend

Good luck to all of the students who are grading this weekend.

 Remember; if you were not good enough to be there, your instructor would not have entered you.

All the best

Master Jake Ogden

Excellent Standards

Grading standards at the East Northants (Rothwell) grading on saturday and the South Northants & Bucks (Towcester) grading today were excellent. You are all true credits to your instructors and the Jado Kuin Do art form. If this is anything to go by, I look forward to grading you for your blackbelts.
Master Jake Ogden

My hectic two weeks

Hi and welcome back. I am recovering after the last month of mayhem. The  Martial Arts Show was a huge success at the NEC two weeks ago. The WJO National Championships was the biggest and most successful competition we have ran to date. My team of professional instructors were awesome and did a fantastic job towards the smooth running and success of the competition. The standards of the competitors was excellent and many of the performances were simply breath taking. A huge well done to all involved. 

Now its time to concentrate on my training and also the over seeing of the WJO clubs. 

See you soon 

Master Jake Ogden    

An exclusive post by Master Jake Ogden.

Hi Guys, sorry I have not posted any blogs for a while as I have been insanely busy. Hopefully after the competition next week my life will calm down a little and I can get back to writing regular blogs for you. 

I have just got back from an excellent weekend at the Martial Arts Show (at Birmingham NEC) where I was presenting on stage and interviewing some of the world’s most famous and accomplished martial artists. It was great to see so many Jado Kuin Do students there showing their support.  I haven't signed so many autographs since I was a professional rugby player.  

Unlock your potential & enjoy your training

Master Jake Ogden 

A week in the Life of a Jado Kuin Do Instructor / Franchisee

This month we are featuring Bicester and Banbury Instructor and franchisee Mark Desborough. We will try to feature different Instructors/franchisees on a regular basis to give you an insite of the demands and pleasures of a professional Jado Kuin Do instructor.

A week in the Life - Bicester / Banbury Family Franchise

It was an honor to be asked by Master Ogden to write this piece for the WJO blog. My first thought was “what would people like to know about the Bicester and Banbury Franchises and what would be interesting to them”. I guess the most interesting thing about our franchises is the way we run them as a family. My wife Lisa and our children Maddison (8) and Luke (7) all play a big part in how the franchise runs. Lisa assists me in the classes and also helps out in the home office which she does alongside running the household and looking after our daughters needs (Maddison has type 1 diabetes and Ceoliac which are full time jobs in their own right). The kids help by showing the beginners how higher grades behave and also showing the parents what can be achieved. Having their father as their instructor is really hard and they cope incredibly well. That in itself is a massive advert for Jado Kuin Do. Lisa is also a role model for the ladies who attend the class. We have had more than one comment on this, along the lines of “being inspired by what Lisa has achieved”. I am incredibly proud of her and am grateful to have such an understanding and helpful partner. 

So, where to start the week! Monday I guess, where we have a day of rest. Well, it’s not actually. 8 hours of IT work followed by homework night for the kids and also getting things ready for the busy week. It’s also time for sorting out any paperwork (orders / licences / direct debits etc) which have carried over from Saturday’s class.

Tuesday is a day for making sure we are ready for Wednesday nights class in Banbury. So again, after an 8 hour day of IT its time to make sure the lesson plans are written, the paperwork folder is up to date, the bags are packed with the equipment needed for the lesson along with any merchandise to be delivered. No night off for the kids either. Badgers, Football, Drama and Singing are all requiring Mums and Dads Taxi service. Luckily Lisa is on hand with her tick sheet which I use to ensure I have all the items and paperwork packed that are needed.

Wednesday and our first Jado Kuin Do session of the week. After the kids are home from school, it is a quick snack and change before we head off to Banbury. Our Banbury classes are 30 minutes drive away and we need a setup time of about 30 minutes when we get there to put out the matting). After the classes have finished there is another 30 minutes to clear up before we can head off home. These school nights are a challenge for the children and they handle this very well. We also sometimes get homework done while the adults class is in progress.

Thursdays sees the first of our training sessions with Touka Cosens at Stantonbury Campus. Touka was the inspiration behind us starting Jado Kuin Do as his taster session at Maddisons school really captured her imagination. “Mum, Dad, I really want to try this” and here we are, 3 years later running our own clubs. Tonight's training sees an opportunity for homework while Lisa and I train but does end up being a late night for them. Black belt training means I get to stay and play while Lisa has the bedtime to sort out. Both Lisa and I assist at Touka’s classes and it is an honor to do so.

Friday is prep work for Saturdays Bicester class. Bags ready, food ready to take, all the paperwork finished, licences etc. Oh and Luke to tennis, Maddison to swimming and then both to Piano lessons. By the way, it is the children's choice for so many activities!

On Saturday mornings when many families are having a “lie in”, our alarm goes off like any regular school day. Luke is up and in the swimming pool by 9:30 and out again by 10:07 before we head off to Bicester, a half hour drive away, ready for our 11:00 kids class. The class is growing nicely in size and the group is friendly and helpful. This week we had Master Jake Ogden join us to take the Super J’s (4/5 year olds) for their first grading. It’s times like these when you really understand why you chose a certain path.

Sunday morning we are up early again and training with Touka Cosens at Towcester and once a month I have the opportunity to go to Daventry to train under Master Jake Ogden at his black belt class. I am looking forward to the day Lisa joins me there. We always try and have a roast dinner on a Sunday evening and watch some telly together or play a game or two. The rest doesn’t last long enough as a school day the next day means the lunch bags are out again before the night is through!

So that’s it. 40 hours of work, 4 hours of our classes, 5 hours training / assisting, 4 hours travelling and class setup time, 7 lunch boxes for the kids, 7 kids activities (excluding Jado Kuin Do) and hardly any time to breath. Would I change it... Nope. It’s hard work but to see other people achieve things they never thought they would and to see how it works for our own family makes it all worth while. 

In no particular order thanks again to Lisa, Maddison, Luke, Touka, Jake and Jackie Chan for making this all possible. Uss.

Kind Regards,

Mark Desborough

Jado Kuin Do Instructor

mobile:         (07775) 682494head office:  (01327) 342611 website:       www.wjo.org.uk

Master Jake Ogden's latest column in Combat Magazine

The new issue of Combat magazine is officially in WH Smiths and most leading newsagents. Check out Master Jake Ogden's 6 page article starting from pg30 on Preparing for and Taking Gradings.
 

Patterns

Hi folks and welcome back to my blog. I hope you find it both interesting and informative. I have decided to talk about Jado Patterns this time as I feel it is important that we understand why we do them and what benefit they have to our development.

What is a Pattern?                                                                  
                                                           Jado Kuin Do Patterns is a set of fundamental movements, mainly defence and attack, set in a logical sequence to deal with one or more imaginary opponents. Patterns are an indication of a student's progress, a barometer in evaluating an individual's technique.

Why do we practice/perform Patterns?
                                                                                             We practice patterns to improve our basic Jado Kuin Do techniques and to develop the foundations of blocking and advancing towards an opponent in varying directions and in orthodox and south paw stances. Patterns also help to improve stability of stance, flexibility of movement, body-shifting, balance and breath control.

I have listed below a few points that should be considered when performing Patterns:

·      Patterns should begin and end on the same spot. This will indicate the performers accuracy.

·      Correct posture, facing and weight distribution must be maintained at all times.

·      Muscles of the body should be tensed or relaxed at the proper critical moments in the exercise.

·      The exercise should be performed in a rhythmic movement with the absence of stiffness.

·      Each pattern should be accelerated or decelerated according to instructions.

·      Each pattern should be perfected before moving to the next.

·      Students should know the purpose of each movement.

·      Students should perform each movement with realism.

With the above in mind, it will hopefully aid you or your students to more effective patterns practice and guide you to higher levels of the Jado Kuin Do art form.

Thanks

Jake Ogden

Saturday

Master Jake Ogden will be visiting the Bicester Jado Kuin Do club which is ran by Mark and Lisa Desborough. There will be photo opportunities, book signing and a Q&A session. This is an exciting opportunity, get there if you can!

Why Master Jake Ogden created Jado Kuin Do

Find out why Master Jake Ogden created Jado Kuin Do on his personal blog page at : jakeogden.blogspot.com

Master Ogden's 4th book

A quarter of the way through writing my four book and seems like its taking forever. Well, Rome was not built in a day so I endeavor to persevere and focus on the end result; not what it takes to get there!
I love writing books that i know will be able to help a wider audience that i cannot presently reach. 

Uss

Master Jake Ogden 

TMAS Live 2

Had an excellent weekend at TMAS Live 2 in Nottingham. I managed to catch up with some old friends and meet new ones; its great to get such respect from other fellow martial artists and be able to bounce ideas around. Also had some very productive meetings for some exciting future developments.

This weekend

Master Jake Ogden has got a busy but exciting weekend; Saturday he will be a guest and judging at a full contact Kickboxing show; and on Sunday he is appearing and officiating at TMAS LIVE T2 at the Wild Cats Arena in Nottingham.

Uss Everthing and yet Nothing

Uss

Everything and yet Nothing

The word Uss in Jado Kuin Do implies to push ones self to the limit of one’s ability and to endure. Uss can be used as a respectful greeting and/or acknowledgement to the instructor, senior grade, other student or the dojo itself. A student is not expected to ‘yes’ to a senior but to use the word Uss instead.

The word Uss is of ten thousand meanings expressing the willingness to strive against and overcome all obstacles and to preserve on the courteous road to physical, mental and spiritual strength.

Uss at its simplest means perseverance under pressure. At its most profound, it assumes a Zen like spiritual ambiguity (everything and yet nothing), a plea to the soul itself to overcome the frailties of the human condition. This single word expresses the true meaning of JADO.

For a good student is expected to have both strength of SPIRIT with the under lying force of attitude, commitment, honesty, loyalty and etiquette; which affects Jado practitioners’ execution of duties, physical training and human interaction.

MASTER JAKE D. OGDEN.

Gradings

The gradings over the past two weekends have been exceptional. Standards were very good across the board and it was plain to see how passionate the instructors are about their students and Jado Kuin Do. All instructors truly instilled confidence and competence in their students and that has been demonstrated. This drives our beautiful art-form forward to new levels. Also a huge thank you to all that helped over the past couple of weeks, your time is very much appreciated. well done to all, Uss!

Master Jake Ogden 

Grading weekend

Last week I was been really busy organising and sorting the gradings for Saturday which all went very smoothly. Well done to all of those who graded over the weekend, the standards were really good. A special well done to Nathan Stuart Robbins and Lewis Harrison for passing the very much coverted Black Belt grading; excellent,  keep up the good work. The journey really begins for you guys from here! Tomorow and the rest of the week will be taken up with preparing for East Northants and South Northants and Bucks gradings next weekend. Its great to see so many dedictaed people to Jado Kuin Do. 
Jake Ogden

Inspire!

If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more,
you are a leader.


Master Jake  Ogden 

Get ready for grading

Monday morning, feeling good and ready for another good week. Excellent 4th Dan training session on saturday with my senior grades; now for the final preparation for this weekends gradings.  Good luck everyone!
Master Jake Ogden

Jado Kuin Do delivered as a national qualification

Wednesday was a fantastic day for jado Kuin Do. After spending the best part of 15yrs of my life lecturing, managing and running sports science departments and delivering at some of the most prestigious sports institutes in the country; I decided to write a complete Sports science course in martial arts. I finished creating this course about 2 years ago and had been in negotiation with Moulton College for the last 12 months. We had our final meeting today and I received the final go ahead to run and deliver the Btec 1st diploma & Btec National Diploma in Martial Arts Sports Science at Moulton college for students aged between 16-18yrs old (a course I have personally designed and developed) . This qualification is worth 4 x A levels at grade A-C. Allowing students entry to University. I have written the course and this makes us the first college and organisation to do this in Britain. If all goes well we will mirror this course across a multitude of colleges across the country. The art the will be studying is JADO KUIN DO! If all goes well this course could be used all over the country! Fingers crossed. 

Master Jake Ogden 

Technical Grading Syllabus

I am just in the midst finishing the Technical Grading Syllabus (TGS). This is basically a more in depth version of the normal students syllabus but with special emphasis on the technicalities and full anatomy of a given technique and also highlighting exactly how should be performed. This is designed specifically for grading examiners and instructors to give them a more in-depth insight as to exactly what they should be delivering and assessing. This will improve teaching standards and quality across the board. Hopefully I will have this finished by the end of the week and be available for instructors by the beginning of next week.

Master Jake Ogden 

A very proud man

I have really enjoyed this week and especially this weekend. Business deals during the week reference to the advancement of the WJO have all gone according to plan and we are receiving gaining interest daily from the media and fellow martial arts groups expressing interest in our products and methodology. 

This weekend has been really productive in terms of training and student development. Black belt training today was awesome; I'm increasingly impressed with the dedication and tenacity of our more senior Jado practitioners.  It truly makes me feel electric when all the students are on form and performing to their optimum. I feel very proud to be president of the WJO with such loyal and dedicated students. 

Master Jake Ogden 

This week

Hi folks , this week has been a good week for me and indeed the WJO. I have secured a date for the WJO national championships for 2011. They will be held on 14th May at Daventry Leisure Centre so make sure that you all get into training ready for the big day. I have training for 3 hours this morning starting at 10.30. Ill start with an hour of basics and warm ups followed by an hour of sparring with one of my oldest but toughest sparring partners. This is imperative to keep the timing and speed of my defensive and offensive moves tight. After that an hour of breathing techniques and stretching to finish off with, a great start to the weekend. 

Jake Ogden