Ben Sensei, Interview Part 3: The Exodus of Students, Club Curriculum, Foot Massage.

Following is the third part of a series of interviews with Ben Sensei. Here, he comments on the controversial subject of the exodus of senior GBI students, the elusive question of a syllabus and his desire to learn foot massage.


1. What would you say the biggest challenge facing GBI in the next six months? How about the next year ?

I say the biggest challenge for GBI is to find someone who could take care of the instructions of the Club in case I am physically unable to do it. For example, if somehow I can manage to get enough cash to go to Japan or USA to continue my own training, I will have to leave the GBI for a while, and it will be tough to find someone to fulfill my role. So far I am yet to find any of my students who has all the "right stuff", both technically, mentally and spiritually. But I don't lose hope. I believe one day one or some of my students will be able to help me run GBI, and at that day, I will be able to focus myself in other things, such as learning foot massage, shiatsu, etc.


2. What role does fitness and conditioning have in the GBI system ? Some clubs put a lot of emphasis on training the body for the martial arts. GBI, whilst including some joint warm-ups and stretching for safety, doesn't seem to do much conditioning aside from actual performance of techniques...


yes, and that's one of the major weaknesses of our training method. We don't put enough time to train conditioning. In my case, that's because we have only so much training time, so in that severely limited time, I prefer to teach the techniques right away. Students can learn their conditioning somewhere else, even at home. That's why I encourage them to take up other arts which emphasize conditioning, such as Tennis, Tai Chi, Yoga, fitness, aerobic, TaeBo etc. Because with such limited training time we have, I just don't have enough time to spare for conditioning.

For myself though, I do Karate KATA daily, about 10 Katas everyday. Believe it or not, it keep me from being a flabby fat slob. My eating habits can be described as "Excessive". Let's say I am a glutton. Karate KATA saved me from being a fatso. :)

3. * You mentioned in the last conversation that you "had a roomful of senior students who quit." What do you think motivates a person to train to a certain belt level and then quit (aside from factors out of their control such as work) ? To what extent is it the individual's motivation and to what extent the club's influence in their decision ?


I think work and marriage are the key factors of seniors leaving. Because I can see the pattern since 1998, people usually become A.W.O.L straight after marriage, or after getting a demanding job. Other than that, I think it's a matter of taste. Some people dislikes the soft training method we have in the GBI. Some people prefer to have more full-contact fighting, more intense grappling, more MMA-ish training method. Some people got turned off by the fact that we don't have competitions. So, people have their own reasons. I think it's normal, to each their own. There are so many martial arts styles in the world, so I am sure everybody will find something more fit to their liking, be it GBI or something else.


4. On tradition, which tradition is the GBI group following ? It seems you have the Ishihara influence, Wado-Ryu or Taman-Sensei influence, then Brosius Sensei & the modern Jujutsu strain. All of these schools come with their own set of traditions and values. So which founder does GBI follow ? If GBI is following all of them, filtered through the sensei, doesn't it become the sensei's personal creation ?

You got a point there, because my students often asked the same questions. Because, so many times it happened, that I will teach a technique, then my mind drifted off and suddenly I am teaching variations of the same technique which came from different styles. It's like.. "..this is how we do it in Wado. Then this is how the Hakko-ryu people are doing it. But Mr. Brosious does it this way...". I think, the GBI is pretty much in danger, in a sense, to become a Ben Haryo personal creation. In order not to making it purely a Ben Haryo personal creation, so I make a rule for myself. In addition to teach a "mix" of methods for self-defense, I discipline myself to also teach the arts in their "pure" way, according to the syllabus. For example, I can still teach Wado-ryu on its entirety, nothing diluted. If you want straight Wado-ryu, I can teach that. The same goes to Hakko-ryu and other arts which I taught. You can go for the original, you can go for the mixed version, or you can do both. In the end, the student will get the most benefit.

5. Related to the question above, GBI would then seem to have quite a vast curriculum. Is there a challenge in getting each of the above Senseis to approve the curriculum ? Also, how do you physically show them the"encyclopaedia" of techniques -- book, e-book, e-mail ? Is there in fact, a written record of GBI's syllabus and curriculum ?

We do have written records of the techniques of individual Ryuha within GBI, for example, Brosious sensei's Ketsugo Jujutsu, Wado-ryu and Hakko-ryu. However, we are yet to document the Henka (variation) and Ohyo (applications) of all those techniques.

I never had trouble to get the senseis to approve what I am doing, as long as I keep the originals intact and not giving my creation the same status as the originals. In fact, I am encouraged to do so. Mr. Hobbs said that all the 200++ plus techniques of Hakko-ryu are simply principles of movements, and we must discover the applications of the principles on our own. Taman sensei also said like wise. Prof. Brosious is even more liberal. He said "as long as the technique works, use it".

In any case, I show Taman sensei my creations everytime I got the chance to train with him, and so far he never objected. Although there were so many times I thought I "Came up with a New" technique, and showed him, and he will show an exact same technique. Which means that he had learned it like decades ago. So, we reinvent the wheel so many times :) But then again, it's a learning process. Same goes to with Mr. Hobbs and Mr. Brosious. I show them a technique by sending them VCDs or .WMV videoclips. If the technique is good, they will say "it's a good one use it". If it's not so good, they will give me suggestions for improvements. Then sometimes they will comment something like "..that's a Henka/an Ohyo of Sandan-Gi Kata number xxx.." or "That's a good technique, I teach them as part of our knife defense technique, it's number xxx.."... Like I said, reinventing the wheels. :)

Anyway, in a sense, we are standing in one foot on traditions (keeping the originals intact), but one foot in innovations (constantly looking for better ways to apply the original principles). So, either way, I am happy.

Interview with Ben Sensei, Part 2:

Following is the second part of the interview with Ben Sensei. Here he discusses how he copes with the awe of students and managing a Dojo.

Many people could be in awe of your 5th dan, or Godan grade. Technically, this is a master level. Do you have any advice for those who are in awe of you as a martial artist ? Also, how are the technical skills of a Godan different to other black belt levels ?

Well each organization has different concepts on what makes a Godan. When Pak Taman gave me one, I think it symbolizes the fact that I have completed all the core syllabus of what he has to offer, and that I have shown sufficient attitude to make him believe that I will carry on his traditions the way he want it to be. That's about it. I don't think I'm a master, I'm just a guy with less-than-average intellect, very-much-less-than-average physical capabilities, but with a certain above-average love for the art..which enables me to endure the training, and in the end, was able to memorize the whole syllabus.

Now that memorizing is done, my goal is to make the techniques truly a part of me, and the only way to achieve the goal is by consistent training. Judging by my chimp-level intellect and nonexistent physical condition, maybe I will achieve that goal by 4096 AD. If I am still alive, off course :)

Seriously, the best part of Budo is the training. I don't set any goal anymore. I just train and teach and enjoy it. I think the sense of happiness when doing the training and teaching transcends everything else.

2. While we’re on the subject of grades. What would you say are the responsibilities of senior grades within the club ? What, for example, would you say the responsibilities of a Brown Belt are ? What are the factors you take into consideration when awarding senior grades ?

Well, I have basically a roomful of seniors who quit training as soon as they get 4th, 3rd and 2nd Kyu. So, many people treat their training in GBI club simply as a self-defense course, not as an activity which they should be doing as a livelong journey. Kind of sad, really. But, like I say, people's love to the art are different. Just like every person's destiny are different. So, I have nothing against people quitting.

However, those who do wish to stick with it, must be very serious about that. I make a rule, that I will not award somebody their Shodan, if they are not as skilled and as serious about their training as I was when I was a MuKyu struggling to the Shodan grade. In short, I don't give away that DAN grades, people has to earn it. For Kyu grades, as long as the attitude are correct and the technical skills are sound, I'm really an easy-going guy when giving away Kyu grades :)

I think real serious responsibilities to become assistants to help me spread and teach the art should fall upon the shoulders of those who has reached 2nd and 1st Kyu. However I have people quitting on me at those grades. So I'm not kidding myself in thinking that people always has the same love to the art. People has different priorities in life, and I accept that as facts of life. So, I will simply continue teaching until I find the right students to help me carry on the traditions.


3. Some people look up to the Sensei as an all-knowing, parent-type figure ? That level of responsibility must be hard to take. Senseis are human beings, after all. Some Senseis have been said to fear their students superceding them, or just absorbing knowledge and moving on. As a modern, forward-looking martial artist, can you comment on this rarely-discussed aspect of a teacher’s life ?



I don't mind having a student surpass my achievements in the martial arts. In fact I am looking forward to it. If any of my boys or gals has more love to the art than myself, more skillful than myself, more passion to spread the teachings than myself, more capable in administering the GBI than myself, then I'm happy.

Absorbing knowledge and moving on to something else? That already happened many, many times! :D So I'm getting used to it. I guess it's a natural selection thing. Some people are fit to be teachers of my tradition, some people are not. That's a fact of life. There's nothing I can do about it, so I just kind of sit back and accept it. After all, I am not a god and nowhere near deification :)


4. You’ve done a lot to promote unity between the different styles of martial arts. In one Radio Republik Indonesia interview,

(you actually listened to that? And I thought only Gandarvas in the Jungle, CIA people in their NASA Satellites and the inhabitants of Planet Mars listened to that particular broadcast. Must make note to myself: people don't actually puke when they hear my orations :) )

you are said to have called on martial artists to unite as they are all artists. How do you manage the question of rank between clubs ? For example, how should a purple belt in, say, a BJJ style, relate to a Godan in a traditional Jujutsu style. Surely the lower-ranked BJJ student would have to regard the senior Jujutsu exponent as his (or her) senior ? If not, how should we manage the question of different ranking and status demarcations in our effort to unite the martial arts ?

Rank and titles are meaningless outside the Dojo. It only signifies what the giver thinks about the receiver. Thus, it means something only inside the Club/Dojo. I know of a brown belt in Wado whom are better than me in doing Wado Katas, won more Karate competitions than me, and throwing better high roundhouse kicks than me. I know of a Wado 1st Dan in Holland, a 20 years old fella, who knows all Wado Jujutsu stuff that I know, maybe more. The only seniority that counts for, to me, is personal maturity regarding the role of Budo in enriching people's life. A 6th Dan in Jujutsu, be it BJJ, Gendai or Koryu, will not impress me if he still has the "my-art-is-the-best-I-can-beat-you-all" attitude. I will be more impressed by a guy who say "I don't care whether my art is the best or not, but I try to make people's life better with my art". Those guys with nothing to prove are my true heroes.


5. As patriotic Indonesians, many try to base their organizations on Pancasila. Can you explain the role of the Pancasila in GBI ?

I try to become a living embodiment of Pancasila. For starter, I accept only believers of a religion. Whatever religion is OK, I will even accept Rastafarians, Shintoists, Judaists, Mormons, whatever. It does not have to be an organized religions, because I will also accept anyone who does not follow a formal religion, as long as they believe in a God, an Universal Life Giver, or whatever you call it. Because it's kind of difficult to do the Mokuso without a God to say prayers to :) To whom atheists will direct their prayers? So I cannot accept them. Those are the embodiments of the 1st Pillar of Pancasila.

I also teach my students to respect even their opponent's human rights. Never hurt their opponent excessively. Pain should be administered as little as possible, only as much as necessary. That is the embodiment of the 2nd Pillar of Pancasila.

I always encourage my students to develop a bonds of brotherhood amongst themselves, and I also work hard to form a cooperation between martial artists from different clubs. That's the embodiment of the 3rd Pillar of Pancasila.

The Dojo is not a democracy, however, I always ask for my students opinions (in a Musyawarah style) about how to better run the Club. You know this, right? To me that's the embodiment of the 4th Pillar of Pancasila.

And lastly, I teach for free in YAI and Esa Unggul. In fact I always provide free teachings for those who need training but can't afford tuition fees. So, that's my interpretation of the 5th Pillar of Pancasila.

Do I sound like a product of the New Order generation? Oopss.. :)

Any more questions, bring em on bro!

Ben











Don't pick lemons.
See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.

Being a Good Training Partner

A visitor to the Beruang Merah Cempaka Putih Dojo made an interesting observation the other day:

We still have a lot to learn about being training partners.

We tense up during Uchi-Komi, we always go all-out to stop ourselves being thrown during Randori, we rarely 'take a fall,' even if the opponent as the technique 90 % correct.

This attitude is a major hindrance to learning new techniques.

It's partly a reflection of the lack of basic Ukemi. It's partly the influence of Olympic pressures on Judo, in which the whole enterprise becomes a selection and training mechanism for athletes. Amateurs, or people who want to learn the rich, old Judo, get left behind.

So, from now on:

1. Let's learn to be better throwing partners, including cooperative Randori, and taking a fall, ie give the opponent the technique if they're trying something new and they've got it mostly right.

2. Revisit the basics of Ukemi, drilling again and again.

Interview on 'Tradition' with Ben Haryo Sensei, Godan.

Ben Haryo Sensei, the chief instructor of GBI, is one of the highest-ranked Jujutsu practioners and instructors in Indonesia, if not Southeast Asia. He holds a 5th Dan, or Godan, technically Master level. Ben Sensei's standards are high. Few make it past blue belt level, let alone to Shodan. Many of his students hold him in admiration, if not awe. It's just because of his mastery of the secrets of Jujutsu; it's also his personal charisma. In this interview, Ben Sensei dispels a few myths about tradition in Jujutsu.

Following are the edited highlights of an interview with Sumo Semar.



1. There are some fears that 'traditional' jujutsu is dying out, even in
its homeland of Japan. Do you see it as the responsibility of Senseis to
help preserve that tradition and what can students to do help ?

First of all.. which tradition? The GBI Club does not preserve pre-Meiji (1868) traditions, the so-called Koryu Budo. We preserve the civilian self-defense art of the Meiji-Taisho-Showa Gendai era, 1868 to 1949, the prewar period and maybe a few years after the war. I don't think our traditions will die out very soon :) If the Japanese youngsters are not interested in 1940s Dento Gendai Jujutsu anymore, there are many Westerners whom are willing to preserve them. Already there are some non-Japanese who has received full transmissions in some Jujutsu arts. So I'm happy.

Actually, the Japanese has founded Nihon Kobudo Kyokai & Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai organizations to preserve their traditional martial arts. So the arts will live on, at least for 20-30 more years.

BTW, what's modern will be "traditional" one day. The Wado-ryu was born in 1934, it is not a Koryu, and yet it's now considered as traditional (Dento), and is registered in the Nihon Kobudo Kyokai & Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai as a form of Kobudo, that is, old martial art. The Hakko-ryu is a form of Aiki Jujutsu which was born in 1943, even younger than the Wado-ryu, but already people consider it as a traditional martial art. So, this entire mixed martial arts movements, which was born in 1987 with the emergence of Japanese Pancrase Shootfighting organization, will be "Traditional" one day as well.

Back to your questions, I think it's the responsibility of any sensei to preserve the movements of the original Kata, as taught by the founder of the art. On the other hand, it is also important not to become trapped by the Kata. Kata are models for future applications. The Kata are set in stone, but the applications are limitless.

The students, if they really love the art as is, without any "delusion of grandeur" thinking that the art will make them "ultimate undefeatable warriors", then they will do the utmost to preserve the traditions as is, while trying to develop new applications more relevant for the modern era. Our Jujutsu has Tanjudori and Tanbodori, the applications of old Jujutsu techniques against gun stickups and single stick attacks. They were developed in the 1930s. Maybe our students in the future will develop Jujutsu techniques against laser pistols. Who knows. :)

2. What do you is the meaning of 'tradition' in jujutsu ? What is the role
of etiquette, rituals, and formalized kata in preserving the tradition ?

Tradition in Jujutsu means that we are a part of a stream which has flown from about a hundred of years. We are very strongly based on Wado-ryu, an art founded in 1934. And yet, the Wado-ryu itself are largely dependent on the movements adopted from Shinto Yoshin-ryu, an art founded in 1864. As to this day we are still doing the movements which was originally conceived in 1864. We honor the Founder by doing the Kata as he taught us, and be truthful to our student about the sources of our art. As I have mentioned, the Kata is a link to the past, and yet, it is also useful for the future. Kata, again, is a model for future applications. The Kata are to be preserved as is, but the applications are limitless.

Etiquette and rituals are meant to develop a spiritual connection between ourselves, our fellow practitioners and the spirit of our ancestors in the martial arts. Most importantly, our ritual is to internalize the ideals of the Ryuha, that is, self-improvement through martial arts training. By trying to live up to the ideals which our Founder has outlined, we are building a spiritual connection between ourselves as individuals, and the Founder. Without the ritual and etiquette, we are simply doing a self-defense course. Nothing wrong with that, but if you study GBI Jujutsu, ritual and etiquette is part of the package which you have to live with :)



3. Do you have a response to some of the critics of traditional systems ?
Some modern, competition-oriented styles have been very critical of the
traditional martial arts, including ju-jutsu.

John Danaher, co-author of 'Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Theory & Technique,' has
said that the traditional systems are confused about whether or not they're
a way of life, or combat, or philosophy. Some followers of that style have
been even more critical in online forums. But given your formidable
street-fighting skills, are the criticisms fair ?

My survival on the streets was more of good luck rather than skills :) I'd rather not talk about it :) But anyway, Yes, the critics are very fair. I think the critics are correct. Some of the traditional martial artists still stick to their marketing ploy that "our art is ancient, pure, undefeatable and incredibly powerful.." I think this kind of marketing trick, in the long run, will hurt the credibility of the traditional martial arts.

John Danaher maybe correct, but in my case, I am very certain of what I am doing. I teach Jujutsu as an useful activity to do in our spare time. It is a vehicle to attain self-improvement. It is the WA=Ten Chi Jin No Ri=DO philosophy that we are teaching. By self-improvement, it means improving your attitude as well as your skills. If your overall personal quality are improved, naturally your self-defense skills will improve as well.

We know that, in a real fight, it's never about yourself, it's about your opponent. If you are better than your opponent, you may win. If you are not, you may lose. We are all humans, we are better than some people, but lesser than some other people. It's God's will. So, all this talk about which art is better, is all nonsense..

My advice to fellow traditional martial artists, is to concentrate in preserving traditions and self-improvements. Let's forget the "we have an ancient secret undefeatable martial arts of 1000 years old" marketing ploy. That will do us no good. We all know that there are no such thing as "ultimate undefeatable martial art". Let's not buy into that delusion. Japanese martial arts didn't help the Japanese won the WWII. Chinese martial arts didn't help them to win the Opium Wars. Indonesian martial arts didn't help us to prevent Dutch occupations in the 19th century. And the illustrious Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu did not enable Royce Gracie to win against Sakuraba, nor Helio against Kimura. No art is undefeatable. We're all just humans after all.

In short, rather than wasting your time trying to find the "ultimate undefeatable martial art", I would advise you to train in an art that you actually enjoy doing, be it BJJ, Krav Maga, Karate, Kungfu, Jujutsu or whatever fits your fancy. The traditional arts has become well established with millions of practitioners. So enjoy them for what they really are.

To me, the most decisive factor to determine the worthiness of the art, is the attitude of the practitioners. If the art helps the practitioners to become better, kinder, gentler, more humble, more considerate, more generous and more intelligent human beings, then the art is worth learning.


4. The 'master' is a central figure in traditional jujutsu, it seems. In
the old days, students had a lot of obligations to the master. Could you
explain what reciprocal obligations there are in the 21st century, as we
grapple (no pun intended) with modern problems using traditional methods ?

I am rather uneasy when people calling me a master. A teacher maybe, but not a master. I think the teacher has the responsibility to teach the students according to the syllabus and grade them fairly according to their skills, while the students has the responsibility to obey the teacher in martial arts matters, and to support the teacher financially (especially in professional dojos).

Are there simple ways in which students can receive the benefit of the
Zen-style training methods of serving the master, perhaps designed to combat
egoism, a hindrance on the martial-arts path ? In other words, how can the modern student serve the modern master.

Without a doubt, a good student will find a good teacher, just like a good teacher will eventually find a good student. Finding a teacher worth following is like finding a bright candle in the dark. I have been training with Taman sensei for years, and I am still thankful to God that I am his student.

On the other hand, we must be wary of teachers with psychological problems. If you find a martial artist of very high skill, but lacks humility and consideration for other people, then he/she are not worth following.

The Upended Umbrella

Yesterday,

I lost the second umbrella in three months.

This has taken quite a toll on me.

Those umbrellas are not your usual run of the mill umbrellas.

They are sturdy, rigid, and eponymous. Being an umbrella, that is.

Quite such self-defense tools, there umbrellas are. And I lost one in arguably a self-defence situation yesterday.

Well, if you can call helping a small mob capture a petty pickpocket a self-defence situation, as in tripping the pickpocket (he did a nice zenpo mae ukemi, though failing miserably at the rollout) as a defence for whom pocket was picked. Whatever.

Yet, I find that I need to reassert my position on self-defence.

I can't stop thinking the the pickpocket needed self-defence in a grander scheme of things more, compared to my petty needs.

Keep safe.

Meanwhile, I'm in the market for a new umbrella. One that has to prove to be somewhat longer lasting than the last two.

Multiple Targets

Salam Budo!

Absent from today’s June 16, 2007 training session were several Beruang Merah club members who missed out an interesting session on wristlocks, sasae tsuri komi gaeshi, striking drills and multiple opponents.

Regular warms ups on kuzushi and stand up throws which is one of Beruang Merah’s club trade mark were replaced by striking drills divided in four phases. Listed below are the striking drills and their corresponding phase:

Phase 1: Precision/ Focused Striking

The aim of the first phase is to learn the motion of the strike and to understand the dynamics of the strike itself. Proper technique and body motion is monitored in order to achieve the best result which in turn equals damage for the opponent.

Phase 2: Speed striking

Delivering full power the trainee executes five to ten consecutive strikes while maintaining proper technique and breath control. At this phase there is a tendency for the trainee to soften up on the strikes due to improper breath control or fatigue beginning to settle in. Interestingly after a two or three time repetition, the gross motor movements are recorded which its benefit will be apparent during the fourth phase.

Phase 3: Combo striking

Under a two minute time limit the trainee delivers a barrage of striking techniques which may include any of the following:

• palm heel
• jab
• straight punch
• chop
• elbow smash
• head butt
• knees
• and kicks

At this phase, the drill will be quite demanding on the trainee’s physical stamina which will affect the striking power and focus.

Phase 4: Multiple targets & multiple opponents

The last phase which is highly demanding on the trainee’s physique and to a certain degree perhaps even more tiring than randori, the reason for this is that since the last phase is a “Live” drill; the targets and the opponents are constantly moving. The trainee simultaneously must also be on the move always repositioning either his position or the opponents making sure that no one comes around from behind to “Tag” him which is obviously lethal in real life.

Lessons learned:

1. Keeping your strikes simple not only shortens reaction time which is valuable in a real skirmish but constant repetition also programs the body muscles and memory to move without hesitation.
2. In a multiples situation move your opponent to form a single line thus decreasing the likelihood of them flanking you or by aggressively moving towards one, seizing, grabbing or controlling and using the opponent to shield or obstruct his tag team.
3. Attack, attack and attack! In fact do not stop until you know for sure that your strikes connected enough to stun or KO your opponent giving you the opportunity to escape and reach for safety.
4. When seconds count technical simplicity is gold

Jujutsu Tradition: Don't Teach To Non-Japanese

I'm just reading through 'Small Circle JuJitsu,' by Professor Wally Jay. (1989, Ohara Publications). On Page 16. it describes how Okazaki, the main teacher of Wally Jay was "ostracized," by the Japanese for doing "the unthinkable - he offered to teach Baron [a Caucasian] jujitsu.' The author continues,"In those days, judo and jujitsu were taught to the Japanese only. Systems and styles were closed to all but a select few."

Furthermore, "defying the traditionalists, Okazaki, for a time, was ostracized. He had broken tradition by teaching non-Japanese."

So a call to the traditionalists:

* If you received your belt from a non-Japanese: Give it Back. Only Japanese should receive ranks in jujutsu, jujitsu, or jiu-jitsu (I don't know how to write the Kanji).

* If you're really serious, behead with a Samurai sword any commoner who doesn't bow to you.

* Finally, work out which Shogun who owe loyalty to and then commit Seppuku , or ritual suicide, necessary to restore your and the Shogun's honour. (They all lost face after the U.S. turned up with gunboats and triggered the Meiji Restoration in Japan).