19/10/2008 - NUI Maynooth Self-Defence 20-year Reunion Seminar

moxiah

Hi Folks,

We're still putting the official promo material together for this but here's a preliminary post about what's going on. NUI Maynooth Self-Defence Club is celebrating its twentieth year by hosting a seminar on Sunday, October 19th.
Arrive at eleven to start training at half-past and be prepared to train through til half-four or so.
Price yet to be finalised but will run to approximately €20.

We're fortunate to have managed to track down every single instructor the club has ever had (and currently has!) to teach a set; meaning our impressive instructor card stands at:

Renshi Tom Hodgings - Classical Jiu-Jitsu.
Professor Jonathan McGeoghan - Reality-Based Self-Protection.
Sensei Stephen Downes - Junsado.
Antonio Salveta - Modern Jiu-Jitsu.
Darryl Murray - Kenpo.
Mariusz Domasat - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

All are welcome, club and style irrespective, we're all there to learn. We look forward to seeing plenty of new faces among the students that have been with us for the last two decades. See you all soon!

Yours in Budo,

Antonio Salveta
Instructor,
NUIM Self-Defence.

Kila

Hi guys,

Just a reminder that this seminar is happening this weekend. We've got a poster available here.

We've also been asked to let you know that Renshi Hodgins will have his new poetry collection "Poetry Without Frontiers" available for sale on the day. Renshi Hodgins has published a number of poetry collections to date.

We hope to see lots of you there.

silat liam

Hi Kila

Best of luck with the event. I'm up north in Ballymena this weekend teaching a workshop, but I send out the word to my group. I'm sure the event will be great.

Liam

Kila

Thanks, hopefully some of them will pop out to us.

Some info on the instructors teaching at the seminar:

Renshi Tom Hodgins

Renshi Hodgins founded the NUIM Self Defence Club 20 years ago, and has taught almost all of our students at one time or another, either in our Maynooth club, in Drogheda, or at special periodic seminars.

Renshi Hodgins’ distinguished martial arts career has spanned his whole life. He currently holds a 5th Dan in Jiu-Jitsu, and 6th Dan Seikan Karate. He has been a personal student of, and great friend to, Soke Richard Morris (10th Dan & founder of Jiu-Jitsu International) for 30 years. He was the first Irishman inducted into the U.S. Black Belt Hall of Fame.

As well as his martial arts credentials, Renshi Hodgins’ skill has also been recognised in other arenas. He was awarded gold in the Irish Cup in 1996 (Senior Black Belt Weapons), gold in the Bangkok Cup in 2007 (Senior Black Belt Weapons). He was also awarded the 2007 USA Presidential award for dedication to martial arts.

In addition to all of the above, Renshi Hodgins is an accomplished writer, and has published many books of poetry, both in English and in Irish. His latest book is titled “Poetry Without Frontiers”.

Professor Jonathan McGeoghan

Prof. McGeoghan has studied martial arts for nearly 30 years. He has a 6th degree black belt in Kenpo Karate, a 6th dan in Kempo Jitsu, and a 5th dan in jiujitsu. He has full instructorship in Arnis. He was inducted into the black belt hall of fame in 2001. He is a level 2 Jim Wagner Reality Based Self Defence Instructor. Has worked in security for 20 years (aviation, maritime, DSP, PSD & Close Protection), and has worked, instructed & trained all over the world.

Prof. McGeoghan’s regular classes and seminars provide the club with a valuable insight into realistic personal protection, and we are proud to have him as an instructor and a friend.

Stephen Downes

Steve began boxing at a young age, before starting to train in Jiu Jitsu under Renshi Tom Hodgins in Drogheda. To cut a short story shorter Steve has proved that if you hang around in white pyjamas long enough eventually they'll make you a black belt or president of Algeria (he's still not sure which he is).
Steve Downes is a student of several styles ju-jitsu and the arts of judo, boxing, junsado and studies medieval and ancient weaponology. As an anthropologist, writer and educator you would think he would take these sorts of blurbs more seriously… but, like most people, you would be under or over estimating him (depending on how hard he's hitting you at the time).
Steve also holds several black belts, trains privately in London with a number of instructors, and has been known to work in various dangerous jobs just for the hell of it. At this 20th anniversary Steve will be teaching a bit of 'you know but you shouldn't say, nudge nudge wink wink' that sort of stuff and in the confusion a technique or two might break out.

Antonio Salveta

Self-proclaimed holder of the world's most impressive collection of Yellow belts, Tony was sent to kickboxing classes at the tender age of seven by two fretful parents concerned by his hyperactivity. He changed martial arts more often than Premiership Football teams change their strip until finally settling on studying Ju-Jitsu under Renshi Tom Hodgins and Sensei Peter Sheeran in the NUIM Self Defence and Drogheda Ju-Jitsu clubs, respectively, in 1999.

In addition to teaching the club he inherited from Renshi Hodgins in Maynooth, Tony continues to train regularly under Sensei Stephen Downes and Professor Jonathan McGeoghan. Tony recently graded for Black Belt (Jiu-Jitsu International) under Renshi Tom Hodgins, Professor Jonathan McGeoghan, and Sensei Stephen Downes, passing the grading with flying colours and impressing all present. In attendance at the grading also were Mr. Darryl Murray (3rd Degree Kenpo Karate), Sensei Darren Hayes (2nd Dan Kyu Nin Hokusi No Jutsu), and Master Daniel Rooney (Founder, Kyu Nin Hokusi No Jutsu).

Tony continues to expand his training, and is now studying American Kenpo Karate, Warriors Eskrima, and Doce Pares Eskrima.


Darryl Murray

Mr Darryl Murray began his training in the art of Kenpo karate at the age of 6 in 1989 at the Loreto College Kenpo Karate School. He achieved the rank of black belt in December 2000 under the American Kenpo international senior council - President Tony Cogliandro, president of the board of directors Don Rodrigues, European senior council directors Maurice Mahon, Shay Paget and Barney Coleman. The distinguished panel also consisted of AKI senior council members Mr. Alan Corrigan, Mr. Dermot O'Reilly, Ms. Freda Roberts and Mr. Philip Curran.

While studying at NUI Maynooth he began cross training with practitioners from other systems including jiu-jitsu, judo and other styles of karate. He has also attended seminars with renowned martial artists such as Sokes Richard Morris and Jan Erik Karlson, Grandmasters Larry Tatum and Huk Planas, Mr Felix Valencia, Ms Dian Tanaka, Mr Paul Dye and Mr Tony Cogliandro to name a few.

While in Holland in 2006 Mr. Murray was awarded the rank of 3rd degree black belt. At present he currently teaches and trains most nights in the week, and is proud to be part of the continuing history of NUIM self defence.

Mariusz Domasat

Mariusz was born in Zczecinek, Poland and in 1988 began his martial arts career with boxing in Legnica, Poland, at the age of 9. After 4 years he started training in kickboxing and Muay Thai. By the end of the 1990s, Mariusz had widened his training base to encompass numerous other arts and systems including Judo, Modern Ju Jitsu, Combat Ju-Jitsu, restraint techniques and tactics (multi medallist, polish team, individual champion in Modern Ju-Jitsu and Ju-Jitsu under Shihan Roman Grzegorz and Sensei Zbyszek Bukowski).

Mariusz currently holds a 1st dan in Judo, a 1st dan in Ju-Jitsu, a 3rd dan in MMA, a 1st dan in BJJ, a 1st dan in Shira Tora Ju-Jitsu, a submission wrestling instructor rank, a 1st dan in Modern Ju-Jitsu, and is the holder of an honorary 4th dan in American Tiger Ju Jitsu.

Mariusz is a representative of the International Modern Ju-Jitsu Federation and Poland wide certus (bodyguards and detectives school) branches. He is also a representative of the International Mixed Martial Arts Association. Mariusz is proud to train in Maynooth together with such great people and friends, and is a welcome addition to our club.

Mark Hamill

Kila wrote: »

Mariusz Domasat

Mariusz was born in Zczecinek, Poland and in 1988 began his martial arts career with boxing in Legnica, Poland, at the age of 9. After 4 years he started training in kickboxing and Muay Thai. By the end of the 1990s, Mariusz had widened his training base to encompass numerous other arts and systems including Judo, Modern Ju Jitsu, Combat Ju-Jitsu, restraint techniques and tactics (multi medallist, polish team, individual champion in Modern Ju-Jitsu and Ju-Jitsu under Shihan Roman Grzegorz and Sensei Zbyszek Bukowski).

Mariusz currently holds a 1st dan in Judo, a 1st dan in Ju-Jitsu, a 3rd dan in MMA, a 1st dan in BJJ, a 1st dan in Shira Tora Ju-Jitsu, a submission wrestling instructor rank, a 1st dan in Modern Ju-Jitsu, and is the holder of an honorary 4th dan in American Tiger Ju Jitsu.

Mariusz is a representative of the International Modern Ju-Jitsu Federation and Poland wide certus (bodyguards and detectives school) branches. He is also a representative of the International Mixed Martial Arts Association. Mariusz is proud to train in Maynooth together with such great people and friends, and is a welcome addition to our club.

MMA doesnt have a ranked belt system

Nothingcompares

I agree ranking system is rare in MMA, from which organisation did he receive his 3rd dan? And his 1st dan in bjj?

duplicators

Professor Jonathan McGeoghan

I know Jonny well from Kenpo. The last time I spoke with him about 2 years ago he had a 3rd Dan in Kenpo now he's a 6th Dan and as for Jiu Jitsu ... a 5th Dan????. He never once mentioned that he was doing Jiu Jitsu so I would love to know where he packed the 15 or 20 years traing need to get a 5th Dan. Where do these people get off with these ridiculous grades and finally what is modern jiu jitsu???
Im not looking to start a rant but these bizarre gradings and systems make a complete mockery of TMA and genuine instructors.

Kila

Hi,

Just wanted to say thanks to all who came to the seminar. I think the day went very well, and everyone got a lot from all the instructors who taught. We'll hopefully have a full report and some pictures up very soon.

Re: instructor profile questions posted above, all of our instructor info (including the particulars of their various grades) lives on our website. We cut the profiles down to make sure that they were suitable for posting on boards and for emailing, but full instructor profiles (including the particulars of their grades) are on our site. Profiles for our newest instructors will be on the site soon.