MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Robert Horak has been practicing Jiu Jitsu since 1984. He has been President of the Austrian Jiu Jitsu Federation since 2017, having been elected by an overwhelming majority. Robert holds a 7th Dan in Jiu Jitsu and a 3rd Dan in Goshindo and is also the Austrian National Team trainer in the duo system. Under his tutelage, Johannes Horak and Gernot Riegl won countless medals in the men's category and he guided Mirnesa and Mirneta Bezirovic to 10 world championships in the women's category.

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Robert has made it a priority to create an inclusive, welcoming environment in the Austrian Jiu Jitsu Federation and regularly hosts seminars featuring internationally acclaimed instructors at his home club in Pressbaum, Austria. He is very excited to take part in the Jitsu Internationals and meet many fellow Jitsuka there.

Andreas started training Jiu Jitsu with the TJJF Edinburgh University Club in 2005. After getting his brown belt, he co-founded the Heriot Watt Jitsu Club in Edinburgh in 2011, where he taught for one year before moving back to Vienna.

After earning his 1st Dan in 2014 he subsequently opened the Vienna International Jitsu Club, the only TJJF club in the country.

Since achieving his 2nd Dan (2019) he has also dabbled in other martial arts, mainly Thai Boxing, Judo and BJJ. In addition to Jiu Jitsu, he has also taught both self-defence and women's self defence workshops for different groups and organisations.

Simon started Jiu Jitsu in 1992 at the University College of London. Following his 1st Dan grading he brought our style of Shorinji Kan Jiu Jitsu to New Zealand in 2002.

He co-founded Jitsu Australasia with Rowan Searle, inherited the Wellington Judo and Jiu Jitsu Academy in 2002 and started Masterton Judo and Jiu Jitsu Academy in 2010 when he moved to Wairarapa.
 

Simon was instrumental in founding the New Zealand Ju Jitsu Federation, of which he was CEO in 2008 and from 2012-2017.

Simon also researched, wrote and rolled out the Jiu Jitsu specific Instructors Coaching Program from 2012-17 which has seen almost 30 jiu-jitsuka gaining jiu-jitsu specific qualifications and has resulted in improvements in the quality of jiu-jitsu instruction, club management and safety in participating clubs.

In addition to his rank in Jiu Jitsu, Simon is also a 3rd Dan in Olive Crona Jiu Jitsu, 2nd Dan in Judo and 1st Dan in Aikido. He also received the NZJJF Outstanding Service Award for his contributions to Jiu Jitsu.

David has been doing Jitsu for 44 years and is the longest serving instructor in the Jiu Jitsu Foundation International.  David started his training in Jiu Jitsu in 1979 and has trained with and been taught by some of the most influential Sensei in the UK and further afield including his mentors Soke Brian Graham and Sensei Peter Farrar. David did not confine his learning to single styles of Jiu Jitsu and trained with some of the most influential Jiu Jitsu instructors teaching at the time including Soke Matthew Komp, Soke Inoue, Soke Robert Clarke and Soke Richard Morris. Throughout this time David continued to train in other martial arts including Judo, Aikido and Lau Gar Kung Fu. 

David took over the teaching of Jiu Jitsu from Sensei Peter Farrar in Plymouth, UK in 1979 and introduced Jiu Jitsu to the West Country in the UK in 1984, teaching some of the UK’s most well-known instructors.  Following the tragic and untimely death of Sensei Peter Farrar at the age of 37, in 1997 David took over the leadership of the Jitsu Foundation – a role he continued with until 2003 when he decided to refocus his Jiu Jitsu career on his first loves of teaching and training.  Although David continued to teach and grade David returned to his roots in 2006 opening up a club for juniors and seniors in a small village in South Wales, which re-energised his involvement in Jiu Jitsu. 

Nigel started Jiu Jitsu in 1988 at York University. During his career, he started the Cambridge University club in1991, restarted Oxford University in1995, taught Kings College London Jiu Jitsu club from1996-2008 and taught Cornwall Jiu Jitsu (Redruth Juniors) from 2010-2020. Nigel has been  teaching Newquay Jiu Jitsu junior and adults club since 2011. Nigel founded the senior grade/regional of the Thames Valley Region and is the first regional coordinator of the East Anglia Region.

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Nigel also taught the national brown and dan courses from 2001-2009, sat on the promotions board for many years and was the chair of the syllabus review 2002-2003. He was one of the founding members of the UK technical board in 2003 and a member of the committee that has proposed the most recent revisions to the UK syllabus. Nigel has sat on the Tertiary Board since 2009, becoming Chair of UK Jiu Jitsu in 2020 which involves working actively with all the UK boards.

Nigel's interests in Jiu Jitsu have ranged all over the syllabus but for the last 10 years focused on the self defence aspects of locking and assistive striking. "It seems to me, like many others, that good Jiu Jitsu develops from good ukes that ask increasingly difficult questions that challenge our rules for what attacks and responses are allowed. I still learn most of my Jiu Jitsu from the people that I teach. I’m really excited about sharing some of these ideas with those
that choose my sessions at the internationals."

Nigel's favourite throws are O Soto Gari and Koshi Guruma ("I just can’t decide which"). Favourite armlock is 2 from a knife or wrist grab and he still loves shimewaza and
anything that uses a stick.

"Jiu Jitsu has enabled me to make some of my best friends including my wife, Nicola, and taken me all over the UK and even the world."

Ian started Jiu Jitsu at Birmingham Polytechnic in September 1988 as a student of Sensei Andrew MacDonnell. He moved to London in 1995, where he started training under Sensei Steve Donaghy.

Ian moved to Edinburgh at the end of 2000, taking over the Edinburgh University club in 2001, where he
taught on and off until 2019. Ian was promoted to the Tertiary Board in 2011, and as chair (2017-2020) he co-
drafted and lead the re-introduction of the Yudansha (10 dan) system in 2018/19.

He met his now wife, Karen, at the Jiu Jitsu Internationals in Canada in 2016, and subsequently moved to Detroit, on the US-Canadian border in 2019. He works as the post-graduate Dean and Professor at an art and design college.
 

Ian has taught Jiu Jitsu as a visiting instructor at clubs around the world, and regularly teaches as a guest
instructor in Canada. Plans are afoot to open a club in Detroit. He was promoted to 7th Dan in April 2023. He
also holds a 1st Dan in Judo.

Charlie started Jiu Jitsu at the University of Essex in 2002, moved to the London region in 2007 but in 2009, South America was calling and he moved to Argentina.

In 2012, he set up the first TJJF club in Buenos Aires city with a second clubs set up in Buenos Aires province in 2019. Charlie also achieved his 2nd Dan in 2019.

Charlie's sessions focus on realism, with an added interpretation coming from his Muay Thai training.

Charlie is really looking forward to seeing some friendly

faces and making new friends around the world in Vienna in 2023!

Andreas started Jiu Jitsu in 2008 at the local TJJF university club, while studying abroad at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. He achieved his 5th Kyu in a year before moving back to Denmark, continuing his training in the Hoku Shin Ko Ryu Jiu Jitsu style.

Through regular visits to the UK, Andreas earned his 1st Kyu with TJJF while taking over teaching a local club in Denmark and earning Shodan in the Hoku Shishifunjin Ryu style, which is more similar to TJJF. The Denmark club eventually transitioned to become a part of TJJF, with Andreas reaching Shodan with TJJF in 2019.

Andreas' Jiu Jitsu training has been interspersed with training both Muay Thai and traditional boxing for several years, both of which are often mixed into his teaching. Andreas also is a 2nd Kyu in Toyama Ryu Iaido.

Andreas is regularly invited to teach the many diverse traditional martial arts clubs in Denmark, a rare honour and attributed to his focus on practical applications, openness and ambition to share his extensive knowledge

Jim started Jitsu in 1996 at Nottingham Uni then trained in London until achieving his Shodan. He continued training in the South Coast whilst cross training in Muay Thai to improve his blending of striking with Jitsu.

Jim continues to serve in various roles on multiple TJJF national boards/committees. He is currently on the Tertiary and Technical Boards ensuring recovery from the Covid disruption and development and delivery of new syllabus material.

Jim is still active teaching and training at Southampton on a weekly basis with a brilliant group of grades and instructors.

Raj Soren has been training martial arts since 1984 and has run an opened clubs in Manchester's Nottingham, Loughborough and Bradford.
 

Raj has taught in Canada, U.S., Austria, Russia, South Africa, India, Fiji and the Netherlands. Raj is also a 1st Dan in Aikido and currently trains in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Raj is very proud of his family as all three of Raj's

children are now adult black belts in Jiu Jitsu and have all been national champions.

Over the years Raj has been successful in a number of Jiu Jitsu competitions, was the UK director of The Jiu Jitsu Foundation juniors section and is one of the lead examiners.

He runs a thriving Jiu Jitsu club in Bradford and has taught over 50 junior national and international champions. Raj has also taught personal safety and anti bullying workshops to over 1000 teenagers and is a life coach with three published books.

Steve has been doing martial arts for over 40 years and been teaching Jiu Jitsu since 1986. Steve is a former Chairman of TJJF and was promoted to 7th Dan, in honor of his contributions to TJJF and martial arts in 2021. Steve is based in London but has taught Jiu Jitsu all over the UK, in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina, Austria & Denmark and loes it all!! 

Steve has visited the Vienna club frequently and is very excited to be over again for another Internationals.

Tony Gill has been a part of the Foundation for 30 years. He has actively taught university clubs, opened town and kids clubs and run senior sessions throughout his career. This will be his second internationals.

As a part of the promotions board he regularity assesses and develops our instructors to improve their teaching ability not only with their technical ability but how this is taught to help progress the foundation.

For the last few years his focus has been on core skills in the senior sessions and Blue/Brown/Dan sessions in the West Country.

Ian began Jitsu at Bristol Poly (now UWE) in 1985 under Dave Walker sensei and went on to teach that club for several periods from 1988 to 2017. During that time he also had spells running Bristol University and Thornbury clubs.

Ian was awarded his Shodan in 1992. He also holds a 3rd in Kempo Jiu Jitsu, and took a 3 year practitioner course in shiatsu. Ian has run coaching courses, served as National First aider, and was on the Junior Jitsu committee where he was instrumental in implementing the first separate junior syllabus, as well as the striped belt system for junior jitsu.

Ian has taught in nine countries across five continents including making teaching visits to Argentina, Austria, Canada, South Africa and USA.

Ian has a strong history with Jitsu Internationals, as he was brought on to the committee for Jitsu internationals for the 2006 event in Holland and has been strong advocate of the international side of jitsu ever since, also organising the 2013 Internationals in Edinburgh. 

Ady Tredwell began studying Jiu Jitsu in 1989 in Birmingham, UK and immediately became obsessed, training four nights a week. Ady has been fortunate to be taught and influenced by many of the top instructors in our Foundation.

Ady has toured nationally and internationally for over 25 years and is a regular visitor to Jitsu Canada, Jitsu South Africa and Jitsu USA where he taught at the very first session in 1995.

Ady has studied several other martial arts and in 2017 Ady was awarded a 6th Dan in Kempo.

This will be Ady’s sixth Jitsu International having taught at Amsterdam 2006, Spartanburg 2009, Edinburgh 2013, Toronto 2016, South Africa 2019 and is looking forward to returning to Vienna for Jitsu International 2023.

Dave started Jiu Jitsu at age 11 as a way of giving his parents some peace and went on to practice both judo and Jiu Jitsu until heading off to university. As a young teenager his Jiu Jitsu club shut down leading to him training in the garage of his instructor, a Leicester doorman and student of Bob Johnson, one of the martial arts pioneers of the UK. This informal introduction led to an early understanding of the value of cross training in martial arts and a healthy scepticism of too great a desire for purity.

Dave moved to Edinburgh in 2001 training under Ian Lambert during his time at university. Dave started Edinburgh’s first kids club and he also followed in his first instructors footsteps by working on the doors in Edinburgh including the record breaking Uluru bar (most police call outs for a bar in a year - 65). Dave continued to teach Jiu Jitsu at both university clubs in Edinburgh and attained his 4th Dan in 2022. After moving to Dundee for work, Dave returned to his roots of training with ex doormen in a crumbling building when he took up Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and continues to train regularly there.

Dave’s main teaching interests are in the practical application of martial arts for self-defence and building soft skills to make people safer by avoiding conflict.

Kia Dunn began training in Shorinjikan Jiujitsu in 2004 at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada under three of the final black belts granted by Graham Soke; Amelia Kroll, Chris Luzine, and Jonathan Jamnik Sensei. He was recognized as Shodan in 2010 and Nidan in 2015.

He served as head instructor for the first youth club in Canada 2006-2010, his home club of Carleton University 2011-2016, and now the University of Toronto club 2016-Present. Along the way, Kia has had the privilege to teach over a thousand students at clubs across Canada, the United States, throughout the UK, Vienna, South Africa, and India.

Training in some form of martial art from the age of 5, Kia has dabbled in Karate, Systema, Aikido, Kendo, and Kenjutsu, and enjoys how many martial arts, when performed at their highest level, begin to reveal a great deal in common.

Davis started training at University College of London in 2003, obtaining his 1st Kyu in 2005 before returning to South Africa and setting up Jitsu South Africa later that year. He obtained his 1st Dan later in the UK, 2nd Dan in Canada, and then 3rd Dan back in South Africa at the 2019 Internationals in SA.

He also dabbles in other martial arts where he can (playing in judo and BJJ), and other interesting physical sports including parkour, climbing and other childish activities. His favourite technique is ippon, because that's the only throw where he gets to sit down on the job.

Suraj Soren has been practicing Jiu Jitsu for 20 years and is one of the first Jitsuka to transition from Junior to Senior Jiu Jitsu whilst keeping a Dan grade; he later achieved his  2nd Dan as a senior grade in 2019.

Suraj started his training at Bradford Jiu Jitsu at the age of six, before moving to Northumbria Jiu Jitsu whilst at university. Here, he was a four times BUCS elite national champion. In his career he has also placed four times in the top three at the Atemi Nationals Open Competitions.

He is now currently Lead Instructor Aston Jiu Jitsu in Birmingham. Suraj has also taught and trained internationally, including in Vienna, Denmark, Norway, South Africa, Japan, America and Canada.

As well as our traditional style, Suraj has also trains in Gracie Barra BJJ, aspects of which he regularly incorporates into his teaching.

Andy started his Jitsu career at Nottingham University in 1987 and achieved his Shodan in 1997.He emigrated to the U.S. in 1998 where he regularly visited both Spartanburg and Peterborough and attended the very first Jitsu internationals in Peterborough.

During his time in the U.S., Andy trained in Judo for 7 years and was awarded 2nd Dan in the connected style of Shingitai Jujitsu. He taught a groundwork seminar at the Spartanburg Internationals.

For the past several years, Andy has been learning Taekwondo and graded for first degree (1st Dan) in 2019.

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He is looking forward to the Vienna Internationals and seeing some old and new faces.

When Elena started studying for her undergraduate degree, she decided to try out a completely new activity she never heard of every year. In her first year she tried jitsu, second was Lacrosse, third water polo. Unfortunately, her hand to eye to ball coordination wasn't great back then and she could only not drown for about 5 minutes in the pool, so jitsu was the one she stuck with and it's been a much loved activity for 16 years.

In that time she had taken time out to have a child, then she came back to get her brown and Top Shodan. Whilst studying for her PhD she continued teaching at Imperial College University club, building the clubs numbers to the highest across London. In recent years she's continuing training at Brentwood, working closely with the Collyer brothers on ground work and more effective striking/defenses.

Despite her small statue and fun nature, she's not to be messed with, prison rules are always fair game, which helped her in achieving her Nidan in 2022. Her focus is predominantly on effective small people's jitsu, switching to kill mode when required and crazy flying throws for fun.

Chandni started Jitsu at the young age of four and has over 20 years of martial arts experience. She ran Sheffield University Jitsu club as a student and won multiple national titles over the years.

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Chandni continues to train and teach all over the world including Canada, South Africa, Argentina, Australia and Austria. She has also been training Capoeira the past two years as she continues to develop herself as a well-rounded martial artist. 

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Chandni's teaching focuses on incorporating aspects from different martial arts and adapting techniques to all sizes and abilities while focusing on building confidence for people to be able to defend themselves.

When John started Jiu Jitsu at the University of Bath in 2008, he was too nervous to even step until the instructor, Tony Finding, came over and said, “don’t worry, we don’t bite, come on to the mat”. That was 15 years ago, and John is now a 3rd Dan, running the club he started at. After grading to brown bet in 2011, John started teaching the Bath Town Club and in 2012 he started his teacher training to become a Chemistry Teacher. John is also running a kids club at his school since 2014, a year where he also met his future wife at Jiu Jitsu.

This will be John's third internationals, after Canada in 2016 and South Africa in 2019. During Covid, John ran sessions online and in the park for anyone to join. After 10 years of running Bath Town, John passed on Bath Town Club to Sensei James Payne, linking up with Dave Clay to help rebuild Bath University after Covid, giving John some very fond memories of his time at the club 15 years ago.

Through his job, John has been heavily involved in the pastoral care of young people and this has influenced what he teaches in the dojo and how he coaches those in his clubs.

Steve started Jitsu in 1996 at Aston University, graded to brown in Dec 2000 and is now a Sandan in the Yorkshire region leading the Sheffield University club.

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Outside of Jitsu he cross-trains in Judo where he's working towards his 2nd Kyu and back in his youth he did 4 years of Tae Kwon Do, which he fondly imagines means he can still kick to head height.

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He also enjoys cycling, running and climbing, none of which are particularly relevant to teaching Jiu Jitsu

Anna started Jitsu in 1998 whilst at the University of Sheffield. She was awarded her brown belt in 2010 then co-founded Sheffield Jitsu Club in 2011, where she continues to teach both juniors from aged 8 to adults over 50. 

Anna and has taught at regional and national events including the Junior Atemi and Randori Nationals, Summer Ball and Edinburgh Nationals. In July 2022 Anna was promoted to Nidan. She credits her achievements to her training partners and instructors from all over the country.

Anna is one the highest ranking female instructors in the TJJF and hopes to inspire more to follow in her footsteps. Her biggest competition success was to win gold medal in the brown belt competition at the Atemi Nationals in 2011, and her goal is to win the Open Competition one day.