MAIF activities in Germany

June 20, 2005 was the great day for 15 students of the Budo Ryu Shotoko Taishi in Rangsdorf/Germany (south of the capital Berlin). After one year of training in the art of self defence (Kodokan Goshin Jitsu) they all passed the test for the 5th kyu (yellow belt).

Budo Ryu Shotoko Taishi was founded appr. 25 years ago and is special. As chief instructor and owner Udo Frankenberg works for the government in Germany and abroad he takes his dojo always with him and had interesting years with his dojo – for example - in Saudi Arabia and from 1999 – 2003 in Washington D.C. Usually he served the Martial Arts teaching students from the German and international schools communities.

Now back in Germany the dojo joined the Lutheran Sports Association in Berlin / Brandenburg (ESBB) and is via this Association member of the German All Sports Federation (DSB). Church and YMCA like environment gives an interesting mix of students in the age of 10 to 17 years.

Kodokan Goshin Jitsu fits well in this environment as it is bound to the traditional educational aims of Jigoro Kano (who promoted his Judo in the early years as Kano Jiu Jitsu) and is very strict in the general rule of self restraint in using only the degree of force necessary in each circumstance. That leads to the soft and gentle techniques we can admire in the Kodokan Goshin Jitsu Kata (Anyhow it took some times until the local church elders accepted the idea of teaching Martial Arts under the umbrella of the Lutheran Church).

The pictures show the traditional bowing ceremony, the students with their MAIF certificates, some very basic techniques. You may recognize that the younger students (until the age of 14) wear white belts with a yellow stripe on it. The yellow belt is reserved for the students 14 years and older. Next year we intend to reach the next step in Jiu Jitsu (4th kyu / orange belt) and to extend the program to Judo and Karate.