Gibraltar Ju-Jitsu

Academy

About Us

The Gibraltar Ju-Jitsu Academy was established in April 1993 by Sensei Anthony Joaquin 2nd Dan and Sensei Lionel Garcia 1st Dan Ju-Jitsu.

After having the experience of teaching for over twenty five  years the art of Ju-Jitsu All around Gibraltar, Southern Spain and UK we formed what today is a fully recognized institution with the Gibraltar Sports Development Unit, the Gibraltar Sports Counsel and the Gibraltar Minister for Sports and Leisure in Gibraltar, fully recognized by the UK Sports Counsel, the British Ju-Jitsu Association of GB hold the presidency for Ju-Jitsu for the United Nations of Ju-Jitsu Association and the Official Governing Body for Ju-Jitsu in Gibraltar.          

We have an official Accredited Training Centre Certificate, issued by the top UK governing body for Ju-Jitsu the BJJAGB.

 

We started teaching Ju-Jitsu on our own for the first time at the Gibraltar Youth Pavilion, Line Wall Road, home base for the Gibraltar Tae Kwon Do Club under the leadership of both brothers Edward and Eddie Garcia, also with the kind permission of the then Youth Senior Officer Mr Robert Balban.

We started teaching on Wednesday evenings from 5pm to 9pm free of charge, which was the agreement with the Senior Officer.

After a few weeks training at the youth centre we were looking for bigger premises as the club (Dojo) was small in size. We made contact with the Gibraltar Shotokai Karate Club in Town Range and we met with Senior Club Instructor Lionel Victor and we came to an agreement to train at the Shotokai Club every Friday evening from 5pm to 9pm with a monthly club fee.

 

In 1993 an invitation was extended to Sensei Paul Goeghegan 6th Dan Ju-Jitsu Senior Instructor for the Bushido Ju-Jitsu Association GB, to which the Bushido Head Quarters were stationed in South Wirral Little Sutton, to attend a seminar organized by the GJJA in Gibraltar and an official multi-style course of Martial Arts was organized for Sensei Paul Goeghegan’s arrival to Gibraltar.

We had everything ready for the arrival of Sensei Paul Goeghegan to conduct the children Judo grading. To our surprise we were informed that the Bushido Association only practiced Ju-Jitsu. We then explained to Sensei Goeghegan the problem that we had all the children to conduct the Judo grading, but we decided there and then that instead of the Judo grading to conduct a parents meeting and inform all parents that we would be conducting a children’s Judo Club Competition and every child would receive a medal and then we would concentrate in teaching Ju-Jitsu classes only.

 

An official meeting was convened and that’s how the name which today is known as THE GIBRALTAR BUSHIDO JU-JITSU ACADEMY began to make history.

On the 6th June 1993 we became full members of the BJJAGB. Bushido Ju-jitsu Academy International GB.

 

In October 1993, that same year, we received an invitation from Sensei James Pape 6th Dan Ju-Jitsu to attend a seminar at Wilmslow Sports Centre with the 19th Grand Master of Japan Soke FUMON TANAKA 7th Dan Ju-Jitsu.

Both myself and Sensei Lionel attended the seminar to which was an experience of its own to train and officially meet and exchange ideas with the Senior Chief Instructors from as far as Japan. An experience that I will never forget.

After all this was happening we established contact with the then local government, the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, and after a meeting with Ms Marie Montegriffo who was the Minister for Sports at the time. Everything was bouncing back on us. No-one was interested in helping us out. To the eyes of the government we were just another sports person adding problems  to them. At the time no one could understand what we were trying to get through to all departments concerned. What were our ambitions in promoting these beautiful arts of ours.

 

We could not convince at the time, the government or the Executive Sports Officer Mr Joe Hernandez, Victoria Stadium Sports Manager, that we were an official local Martial Arts club and had been practicing and teaching Judo/Ju-Jitsu for over 20years and that we were conducting Ju-Jitsu classes at the Shoto kai Karate Club and at the Tae Kwon Do Club two days a week and we required our own premises to further promote Ju-Jitsu both locally and abroad. We tried to get into private property rental but the prices were far too expensive for us to teach Ju-Jitsu.

This was around 1995 and unfortunately at the time Sensei Lional Garcia suffered a massive heart attack and passed away. This was a very sad loss and at a very critical time.

Again I was bouncing from one department to another. I took full advantage of this and due to the amount of members we had we were now prepared to make an official demonstration in Main Street and at the entrance to the Governors residence at the Convent to show we were serious about our intended business.

 

At long last, and after countless meetings, we were called by the Ministers office, Ms Marie Montegriffo to meet at North Jumpers Bastion. We agreed to meet at 10am and since then we were allocated our premises which is the Gibraltar Bushido Ju-Jitsu Academy Head Quarters, No4 North Jumpers Bastion.

 

 

Sensei Anthony Joaquin 5th Dan Ju-Jitsu