ANIDAN DOJO – TEACHING THE ART OF SELF DEFENCE

Sep 18, 2008 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin
Ever since the primitive days when man used clubs to hunt wild animals for food his most basic concern was protecting and defending himself from both, the wiles of these very animals, and the dangerous environmental conditions under which he hunted.

In the jungle where survival mattered most, man devised different ploys to conquer the wild beasts, even devising ingenuous ways of protecting his hunted game from his own kind.

The primitive age has long gone but ironically, in this dog eat dog world, man is even more occupied with improvising ways of protecting himself from his own kind than from wild animals.

This type of protection takes all kinds of shape and form. High powered guns are the most contemporary defensive tools and it seems as though everyone craves to own one.

Carrying guns, though, require a permit from the authorities so even within the confines of self-protection man is still required to abide by certain laws.

There has been a growing concern of young people packing high-powered guns, not as a protection devise, but merely to rob and maim.

Someone had to redirect their focus even as these youths learn the art of self-defence using tools that are deemed legal by law. That someone is Sensei Andy Moore, a 3rd Dan Black belt judoka.

The word ‘judo’ shares the same root ideogram as ‘jujutsu,’ which means ‘gentleness,’ ‘softness,’ suppleness’ and even ‘easy,’ depending on its context. The soft method is characterized by the indirect application of force to defeat an opponent.

In the initial stages jujutsu techniques which relied solely on superior strength were discarded or adapted in favour of those which involved re-directing the opponent’s force, off balancing the opponent, or making use of superior leverage.

About three years ago, Moore who hails from Festival City, converted 700 square feet of his residence into a Dojo where young men, specifically from Festival City and its immediate environs, convened to learn the art of Judo while engaged in wholesome, law-abiding activities.

The Dojo is equipped with a male and female changing room, a blackboard for theoretical sessions and 40 mats, nicely laid out on the floor to aid in the protection of the youngsters who are required to engage in several dangerous throws as they perfect the art.

Last Saturday afternoon, this journalist paid an invited visit to the club and spent the initial parts of the visit becoming familiar with the jargon associated with the sport. Several youngsters were already on the mats responding to various commands of their Sensei.

In response to an order to perform ouchi-gari, two of the youngsters faced each other while one of them uses his right foot to ensnarl his opponent’s left foot at the same time tipping his body slightly backwards throwing his opponent to the floor.

The thrown person was previously taught how to effectively break falls thus minimizing possible injuries. Moore explained that the technique necessitated the distribution of the body weight so that upon landing on the floor each part of the body cushions the impact thus minimizing the painful effect of the fall.

Moore then took time out to demonstrate several techniques which included the uki otoshi (a floating drop) and the ippon-seoi-nage (a one arm back carry throw). He pointed out that his charges are exposed to several techniques, among them osotagari.

He said that he has been criticized for exposing his young charges to this technique because some of his detractors are of the opinion that they ought not to be exposed to this dangerous technique at such an early stage. He debunked these views and even produced a text on the subject that placed osotogari at the third stage.

By dint of his senior ranking as a judoka, Moore is qualified to conduct grading sessions. Last August 31 he successfully completed one such session where all of the participants were successful.

Those qualifying for yellow belts are 9 year old Celestine Christian, 13 year old Junior Sears, 12 year old Renee George, 13 year old Leon Christian and 15 year old Jamal Baird. The lone orange belt was bestowed upon 14 year old Levi Norton.

Naturally, the question of the future of the youngsters came up in our discussions. “I have a selfish ambition to leave a legacy for judo, a game I’ve been involved in for over 40 years and which has shaped my life.

Therefore, I have a fierce passion for the game and any developmental programme that I contrive for the youths,” he said.

“But aren’t there challenges to be surmounted?” I queried. “Yes, of course,” Moore replies, “I can only do so much with my limited resources. Soon these youngsters will have to move on.

I am not confident that there is any place in Guyana where they may be able to enjoy the kind of attention and training that they get at Anidan Dojo.”

Moore said that he has applied to the Government for a piece of land to facilitate larger accommodation and is awaiting word on the proposal.

In the meantime, he will continue to pursue the dreams of Kano Jigoro, the founder of judo, in teaching the art as a means of providing wholesome activity as well as teaching youths that a gun is not the only means of self-protection.

Anidan Dojo is currently enrolling students in the Ruimveldt area. Those interested can turn up during training days; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6:30pm and Saturdays from 2:30 to 4:30pm.

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