About Us

In 1904, Tani and Miyake opened the Japanese School of Jujutsu that was located at 305, Oxford Street W, London. This school was to remain open for a little over two years, one of his pupils being the stage actress Marie Studholme.[12] Tani also partnered with Miyake in co-authoring a book, The Game of Ju-jitsu, which was first published in 1906.

Tani also became famous with his very public enmity with professional wrestling champion Georg Hackenschmidt. The Japanese first challenged him to a match, but he was ignored. For this reason, Tani and Bankier sought to draw his attention, and raided the stage after the match between Hackenschmidt and Antonio Pierri in 1903 in order to challenge Hackenschmidt again, this time personally and in front of a crowd. Hackenschmidt, knowing he was unfamiliar to jujutsu techniques, demanded a match under Greco-Roman wrestling rules, his own specialty, but the bout never came to fruition. Still, Hackenschmidt would later recommend aspirant wrestlers to learn jujutsu, as put in his 1909 book The Complete Science of Wrestling. Tani also challenged the famous Great Gama during the latter's visit to London in 1910, but he was ignored again.

In 1918, Tani became the first professional teacher at the London Budokwai, created by his countryman Gunji Koizumi initially teaching jiujitsu. During a visit to the Budokwai by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Kodokan judo, in 1920, Tani was awarded the second-degree black belt rank in judo.Eventually, Tani reached the rank of 4th-dan.

Tani suffered a stroke in 1937, but continued to teach from the sidelines of the Budokwai mats until his death in London on 24 January 1950, aged 69.

A painting of Tani by George Lambourn, in the ownership of the Budokwai, was restored by Lucia Scalisi during an August 2018 episode of the BBC Television programme The Repair Shop.

Professor Alf Morgan also a Catch Master ( British Wrestling) is credited with being the first Westerner to learn Jiu-jitsu from Yukio Tani Sensei.

Even though Judo had become a main stay of the UK, many clubs offer a watered down style to Professor Kano's vision of Judo. It is said that Modern Day Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has more in common with Professor Kano's vision of Judo then Modern Judo does.

But it was the Jiu jitsu teachings of Yukio Tani that where passed on to Western practitioners that has secured the linage of Jiu-jitsu in the UK and Canada.

Soke Richard Morris was a master of Jiu-Jitsu who was active in the art for some Sixty odd years and was still active in the martial world up to his passing in 2019, which in it self is a great achievement .

Richard Morris's first experience of Martial arts came when his Father and Uncle came back home after the Burma Campaign they had experienced the arts and passed on what they new to Richard.

But his first real teacher was Professor Alf Morgan , one of the first men in the UK to be trained by Sensei Yukio Tani from Japan.

Richard Morris attained his 4th degree black belt from Professor Morgan ,he passed away some time after.

If you look at how Jiujitsu started in the UK , it was fragmented. It was not till the arrival of Professor Yukio Tani and his Colleagues that it became well known and many where curious about it's fighting technique.

It is without doubt that Soke Richard Morris was fundamental to the growth of Japanese Jiujitsu in UK and Worldwide.

If you look at many of the top class teachers of Jiujitsu of many organisations throughout the UK , many where introduced to Jiujitsu by Soke Richard Morris.

And not just in the UK but in far of places like Russia,India and Europe.

It is without doubt that that Soke Richard Morris was the Father of Modern Day Japanese jiujitsu in the UK and Europe and without his passion for the art it may have dissapeared and been overshadowed by other arts like Kung fu or karate.

Our Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts origin starts with our legendary Master Sensei, Sgt. Tom Sharkey.

Shihan Tom Sharkey is the current head instructor and the president of the world famous Ranger Jiu-Jitsu Club. A 33 year veteran of the Toronto Police Service, and the Officer of the Year Medal recipient in 2005, he has been in charge of Police Tactics and Firearms Training, Supervising the Bomb Squad, as well as a Special Weapons Team with Emergency Task Force Swat Team. In addition, Sgt. Sharkey was put in charge of the Specialized Training Branch at the Toronto Police Training Academy. His military background includes two tours in Vietnam with the 75th Airborne Rangers. He is also the former Jiu Jitsu coach to UFC Champion Carlos Newton, and co-founded the world famous “Samurai Club” mixed martial arts school out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has lectured across Canada training officers in ETF units. Master Sensei Sharkey estimates that he's had more than 1,000 calls to high-risk situations in his career. He lead one of six SWAT teams in Toronto, each composed of nine officers. With Each team responding to approximately 100 calls every year. He later took on a role as a Shift Manager for the OPG Nuclear Response Force - OPG Nuclear Security. Our Jiu Jitsu schools style and systems are based off of his intricate technical knowledge. Master Tom Sharkey is available for corporate events or group seminars in Woodbridge, please call us for more info.

2 x Canadian BJJ and Israeli grappling champion, ADCC Israel 2009 team memeber, 20 + years of mixed martial arts fight coaching and cornering)

Sensei Mike has been practicing Jiu Jitsu since 1998 when he began training under Master Mixed Martial Artist and Jiu Jitsu practitioner Sgt. Tom Sharkey at the world famous Samurai Club in Richmond Hill Ontario. Sensei Mike is a former 2 x Canadian BJJ champion, and was chosen to represent the first ever Israeli team in the ADCC European Grappling Championships in 2008 as an invitee. He also represented team Israel in the 2015 European ADCC trials Open tournament. The ADCC tournament is regarded as the most prestigious and dangerous grappling tournament in the world. In January of 2017, after many years as a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu, he finally received his black belt from the legend himself, Sgt. Tom Sharkey. Sensei Mike is a passionate coach who cares about making you grow as a grappler, mixed martial artist, and krav maga specialist. Our team is focused on developing gold medalist submission grapplers with superior technique, and world champion mixed martial artists with our prized Jiu Jitsu syllabus! Please call us for availability for private lessons and seminars.

First Canadian UFC welterweight champion in UFC modern history. Five time Canadian Jiu Jitsu champion. Protege of Sensei Sgt. Tom Sharkey and fellow black belt in Ranger Jiu Jitsu and pioneering mixed martial arts fighter.