Meet our head instructor: Jamie Hubbard
BiographyI have been practicing different styles of martial arts for over 30 years, I started off training in the style of Shotokan Karate at the local youth center and was hooked straight away, some time later I moved on to study Korean karate under the instruction of John Gannon at the leisure on saffron lane in Leicester.
As I started to move up through the grades I began to look into other styles and what they may offer me as a martial artist. I started a plumbing course at Leicester South Fields College and came across an advertisement for a style of Korean martial arts called Kuk Sool Won and decided to pop along and take a look. I was amazed by the diversity of the style from its application of pressure points; joint locks, throws and weapons, it seemed to be just what I had been looking for and decided to join up under the excellent tuition of David Johnson. After absorbing Kuk Sool Won for a while, I unfortunately had to take a break from training and focus on work, and eventually moved to Cornwall. Upon my arrival, I decided I had to get back into training and searched around for a suitable club, that's when I came across Maher's Martial Arts Academy in Truro which included many elements within their comprehensive syllabus that were similar to Kuk Sool Won. |
I have been studying and teaching there since 2005 and so far have attained my 4th degree black belt under the the tuition of Master Peter Maher. After receiving my 3rd Dan grade from Master Ken Pankiewicz, I felt that once again I needed to advance my skills further and joined a Jujutsu club in St Austell under the exceptional instruction of Dave Remnant. I have found many similarities in Jujutsu and how the techniques integrate well with my existing repertoire.
Around the same time as starting to practice with Dave Remnant I had the very good fortune to meet Dr Haru-Hisa Takamatsu (or Harry as he prefers to be called). Harry has practiced Iaido for many years and offered personal tuition to myself in the style of Hasegawa Eishin Ryu, which incorporates Kendo practice to advance my technique.
I continue under Dave Remnant, Peter Maher and Harry's guidance to further develop my own unique and divergent style containing elements of Karate; Kempo, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, Kuk Sool Won, Escrima, Muay Thai and Iaido. Collectively this forms a form of Taijutsu which I now offer lessons in at my own club: Hiryu Budou-Jyo.
Around the same time as starting to practice with Dave Remnant I had the very good fortune to meet Dr Haru-Hisa Takamatsu (or Harry as he prefers to be called). Harry has practiced Iaido for many years and offered personal tuition to myself in the style of Hasegawa Eishin Ryu, which incorporates Kendo practice to advance my technique.
I continue under Dave Remnant, Peter Maher and Harry's guidance to further develop my own unique and divergent style containing elements of Karate; Kempo, Taekwondo, Jujutsu, Kuk Sool Won, Escrima, Muay Thai and Iaido. Collectively this forms a form of Taijutsu which I now offer lessons in at my own club: Hiryu Budou-Jyo.