A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN JU-JITSU ASSOCIATION

de-ashi-hariThe South African Ju-Jitsu Association is the oldest Japanese martial arts association in South Africa. Founded in 1928 by a Japanese sailor by the name of Seishi Teppei who formed the small Kodokwan Ju-Jitsu Club. One of the first club members was Harold Johnston, who later helped to run the club. The style of Ju-Jitsu taught at this time was Tenshin Shinyu Ryu or the School of the Natural Way. The club motto was “Thrice armed is he who Kodokwan Ju-Jitsu knows”.

After Teppei's return to Japan and Johnston's move to the north in 1942, two senior students took over the running of the club. These were Dennis McCrea and George Grant-Grierson. McCrea was to remain at the helm until 1959, when he retired from active training.
In 1948 the club saw a talented pupil by the name of Charles Gaven joined the “kwan” as a white belt. Over many years of training Charles Gaven began to develop his own theories and methods designed not to replace the original syllabus but to augment it and to make it's learning and understanding easier. It was during this time that the Gaven-ryu started to take shape and the principles and methodology were developed, formulated and put into writing. This would eventually lead to the forming of the Gaven-ryu System of Judo and Ju-Jitsu. In 1959 he took over the SAJJA and also created his own “club” (The Tokyokai Bu-Jitsu) and continued to run these organisations until his death in August 2001

Hanshi GavenPROFILES:
Grandmaster – Hanshi Chas. B. Gaven Judan 10th degree black belt (1928-2001)

This brief profile is intended to introduce the beginner to Soke Gaven, the founder of Gaven Ryu Ju-Jitsu this is not an exhaustive or complete list of all his achievements in the martial arts or his system of Ju-Jitsu. Space would not allow for over 50 years of experience to be documented here.
Hanshi Gaven began his life in the martial arts in 1948 when he began training in the art of Ju-Jitsu at the Kodokwan club in Cape Town, which at that time practiced the Tenshin Shinyu Ryu style. Over the years he progressed to become the senior Ju-Jitsu practitioner in South Africa and in so doing formed his own system of training and teaching known as the Gaven-ryu system. What follows is a list of some of the many notable achievements he has amassed during this time.
  • Achieved the grade of 10th Dan Ju-Jitsu
  • Achieved the grade of 4th Dan Judo - 1970
  • The first man to break a brick with the edge of  the hand [in South Africa] - 1959
  • Opened the Tokyokai Bu-jitsu - 1960
  • SAJJA coaches & referees course - 1967
  • Local referee & judge - 1970
  • Provincial referee & judge - 1970
  • National referee & judge - 1970
  • SAJJA coach qualification - 1970
  • SAJJA senior coach - 1974
  • Seibukan bujutsukai merit award - 1985
  • Society of Black Belts life membership - 1985
  • Western Province colours - 1986
  • Judo progress award - 1986
  • Honorary Grand Master - 1993
  • Grandmaster of the World Head of Family Sokeship Council - 1996
  • Grandmaster of the year award – 1996 - World Head of Family Sokeship Council
  • The first Ju-Jitsu club to affiliate to the South African Judo Union
  • The first Ju-Jitsu club in South Africa to achieve international recognition
  • Pioneer Award – 1997 - World Head of Family Sokeship Council

In addition to the above Hanshi Gaven has formulated his own system of Ju-Jitsu, taught in schools and universities, coached pupils up to springbok level [including 1 springbok captain] in Judo, arranged many demonstrations and events, hosted overseas visitors and has put most of his life into Judo and Ju-Jitsu and its improvement.
He has an unsurpassed knowledge and understanding of the arts and just as importantly has the ability to hand this knowledge on through his teaching. In short those taught by him could not have found a better source from which to learn Ju-Jitsu or Judo.
22 years later in 1998 Prof. Gaven was awarded the long service shield for exemplary dedication to coaching at the “Blues” award dinner by UCT. A number of UCT students have won University Blues and half blues for Ju-Jitsu.
With all of Hanshi Gaven's years of experience and dedication passed on to instructors who studied for many years under him the South African Ju-Jitsu Association now offers unparalleled instruction in the fields of Ju-Jitsu and credible self-defence. Instruction also includes classical kata, Judo, aiki-jitsu, classical weapons, the law applicable to self-defence, education to instructorship, basic physiology and vital targets.

The following profiles of seniors who studied under Hanshi Gaven will be added shortly, inter alia

  • Nigel Sessions
  • Graham Hart
  • Guy Taylor
  • Giles Embleton
  • Brandon Treger
  • Mark Smith