Saturday 10th May 2025 10:30-15:30. Adults £20.00 Children £10.00. Half price for IBF Members
Mountfitchet Romeera Leisure Centre, Stansted Mountfitchet, Forest Hall Road. CM24 8TZ. (Free Car Park)
For Further Information Call: 07918713108 Email: hayden@ibfgb.com Website: www.ibfgb.com
So proud to announce British Ju-Jitsu Royalty at the 'Spring Break' May Seminar 10th May 2025 at the Stansted Mountfitchet Leisure Centre.Pictured is my father with his Sensei Soke James Blundell 'Father of Ju-Jitsu in Great Britain'.We have his Son and Grandson teaching at our seminar Soke Kenny Blundell and Sensei Wayne Blundell going to be a day to remember 🙏🏻
➤ Our main objective with the IBF in the UK 2025/26 is to increase membership especially with other representatives in Martial arts and styles in the UK.
➤ UKMAS Trade Stand and Demonstraions 3rd and 4th May 2025
➤ IBF GB Spring Break Stansted 10th May 2025
➤ International Summer IBF Seminar Denmark 21st June 2025
➤ Vice Presidents IBF Seminar Doncaster 25th October 2025 ➤ International Winter Seminar/Gradings Denmark 28th/29th November 2025
UKMAS Doncaster 3rd and 4th May
Spring break 10th May Mountfitchet/Stansted leisure centre Meal that evening lots coming over Germany, Denmark, Holland and Belgium
Summer Seminar Uldum Denmark 21st June
29th November Winter Seminar (North England)
Sensei Tom Starling President of the IBF Great Britain in collaboration with friends and Masters from all over the world will release in 2025 the new 2nd,3rd,4th,5th and 6th Dan manual of Jiu-Jitsu endorsed by the International Budo Federation.
Sensei Hayden Michaels Vice President and Secretary IBF Great Britain is now redesigning the complete Kobudo system and grading syllabus for the IBF.
I would like to be the first to offer my best wishes to Sensei Hayden Michaels who is now officially Vice President and General Secretary to the IBF Great Britain
- Sensei Tom Starling 8th Dan president IBF Great Britain
Tom Starling started learning judo in 1969, as a little boy in Lowestoft.
His father, also named Tom, was himself a martial arts teacher, who introduced many in Suffolk and our neighbouring counties to the sports.
"We were studying in the IBF (International Budo Federation) and learning judo way back in the '60s," explained Mr Starling.
"My dad started to get into jiu-jitsu around 1971. He opened a club a Somerleyton. It built up from there – Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex.
"At one point, he had about 12 clubs in East Anglia in the '70s and '80s."
He credits his father, now aged 91, with bringing jiu-jitsu to East Anglia, at a time when few were practising the martial art in England during that time.
"I've stuck with it ever since – even when I was in the army, I carried on training."
Jiu-jitsu is a martial art which originated in Japan. The practice is used as self-defence, coming from the Japanese word jū, which means gentle.
In 1979, 17-year-old Tom began teaching jiu-jitsu himself.
Mr Starling joined the Grenadier Guards at 16, where he served for six years.
He then joined the prison service where he remained for 18 years, working as a control and restraint instructor, delivering riot and physical intervention training to staff.
Mr Starling's jiu-jitsu skills were highly useful, and he was able to teach the martial art to staff, showing them how to safely deescalate potentially risky situations.
He now works for the NHS in mental health services, teaching similar skills to nurses and other staff members.
Mr Starling is now President of the IBF, and has reached the rank of eighth dan.
His rank and skills are recognised internationally. In August, Mr Starling travelled to Australia, delivering seminars all over Queensland.
Another seminar he delivered in Ipswich attracted people from countries as far as Germany, Holland and Denmark.
However, Mr Starling has always been clear that he does not want to make a living from teaching martial arts.
He prefers to share his skills with the community.
"I was lucky as a kid growing up, doing judo, Aikido and jiu-jitsu," he said. "It all used to cost a few pennies – it was 10 pence for a lesson, which wasn't even much then!
"I've tried to bring it back to its roots, which is what my dad started up all those years ago."
Mr Starling delivers classes in Castle Hill Community Centre.
"After Covid, I decided I wanted to start another club," he explained.
"I like to see children developing their confidence. We teach a lot of kids with special needs, including some who are non-verbal.
"They've come on in leaps and bounds."
Adults, too, have been intrigued to learn jiu-jitsu. The martial art has appealed particularly to women, who are conscious of the need to learn self-defence.
Mr Starling is determined to keep the cost of lessons as low as possible, so that nobody is excluded who wishes to learn.
The clubs are run as a non-profit organisation, with fees covering of insurance. The first two lessons are free of charge.
"You don't need to be a member, you don't need to buy the suit," said Mr Starling.
"People thrive on something like this."