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The 50-Year Club

 

The 50-Year Club honors those individuals who have dedicated at least 50 years of their lives to practicing and promoting Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. We are fortunate to have such dedicated individuals in our midst.

The honorees are listed below, and includes the year he or she began the study of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu.




1948 – Professor Lamar Fisher, Judan
Professor Fisher first became a student of Professor Bud Estes in 1948, and taught at the Chico Judo and Jujitsu Academy from 1950 to 1972. He achieved the rank Godan and title of Professor in 1956. Prof Fisher also taught women's self defense courses for 10 years at Butte College. In 1972, he became school head of the Nibukikan in Chico, California. He was promoted to Kudan in 1985, and Judan in 1995. Prof Fisher was the Senior Professor of the AJJF up until his death in 2009.

 

1952 – Professor John Congistre, Kudan
Professor Congistre began his training with Professor Ray Law in Oakland, California, and practiced there until the dojo closed in 1969. He has studied and competed in sport judo, earning the rank of sandan. Prof Congistre has also trained in karate, kendo, and massage. Prof Congistre is currently the Treasurer of the AJJF. The Shoshin Ryu Yudanshakai have recognized Professor Congistre's rank of kudan and have made him a life member.

 

1954 – Professor William G. Randle, Judan
Professor William G. Randle, Kudan, began jujitsu in 1954 at Prof. Law’s dojo in Oakland, conveniently located eight doors down from his grandparents’ home. He opened his first dojo in 1958 in his parents’ garage in Santa Monica. In 1962, he started his second dojo at the Santa Monica and Palisades YMCAs and after a hiatus in the Franciscan Brotherhood in Ohio and Texas (where he also had a dojo at St. Edward’s University), opened the Westside YMCA Jujitsu dojo in West Los Angeles in 1972 and has been sensei there ever since. Character development is the primary focus of Prof. Randle’s teaching. Professor Randle and his lineage are responsible for over 200 Danzan-Ryu black belts. Prof Randle is a Director of the Santa Monica YMCA and serves as House Committee Chair and Board Member of the Santa Monica Rotary Club.

 

1956 – Kathi Congistre, Sandan
Kathi Copley Congistre began her training in Professor Law�s Junior program August, 1956. Through Law�s Junior program, Kathi taught future AJJF Professors Don Cross and Rory Rebmann. Kathi received her shodan February, 1962, Nidan March, 1963 and Sandan in 1965. Kathi married John Congistre, her first instructor in 1966. Kathi, along with John and the Rebmann�s have co-chaired several AJJF Conventions and worked on Shoshin Ryu and Ohana Conventions.

 

1956 – Patricia Rebmann, Shodan
Patricia Copley Rebmann began her training in the junior program under Professor Ray Law in Oakland, California. At the age of 12, Patricia met another student by the name of Rory Rebmann and she and he were later married in 1968. She continued to train at Laws until 1969 when the Dojo closed. It was in 1973 when she and Prof. Rory Rebmann began the Amador Judo & Jujitsu Studio, located in Livermore, California. She is a past recipient of the Prof. Burt Aspinall award and helped to host a multitude of AJJF Conventions and Ohanas. She still is very actively involved in instructing youth and the everyday running of the dojo.

 

1957 – Professor Tom Ball, Kudan
Professor Ball began jujitsu with Bud Odom and received his shodan in 1958. He taught at UC Davis in 1964 as a yodan and founded the first martial arts dojo in Davis since World War II. Hundreds of students from around the world studied with him from 1964 – 1972. Prof Ball is currently school head of the Shingi Kan. He has also helped establish the AJJF's Okazaki Restorative Massage Program, now known as the Danzan Ryu Seifukujitsu Institute, and sits on the Standards Committee. He has been the Senior Professor of the AJJF since 2009.

 

1957 – Professor Don Cross, Shichidan
Professor Cross began his training with Professors Ray and Marie Law in Oakland, California. Prof Cross has also studied tai chi chuan, judo, kempo, Goju Ryu, Shotokan Karate, kendo, Sil Lum Kung Fu, and chi gong. Prof Cross has served on the AJJF's Board of Managers as the Manager of Regions and the Manager of Internal Relations. He also helped develop the AJJF Okazaki Restorative Massage Program, now known as the Danzan Ryu Seifukujitsu Institute. Prof Cross was the sensei of Jujitsu-Do Martial Arts Center for 33 years and currently serves as the Vice President of the AJJF.

 

1958 – Professor Larry Nolte, Rokudan
Professor Nolte began his training with Professor Tom Ball. In 1960, he was awarded his shodan by Professor Bud Estes and Tom Ball. He became school head of the Medford Judo Academy in 1962 and has coached wrestling at the high school and junior high levels for more than 30 years. Prof Nolte has also trained in sport judo, karate, and Okazaki massage. More than 40 of Prof Nolte's students have been promoted to black belt and the Medford Judo Academy remains the oldest continuously operating dojo within the AJJF. Prof Nolte also graduated from the 2003 Okugi course taught by Professor Tony Janovich, where he received a Kaidensho and teaching title of Shihan. Prof Nolte currently serves as the Secretary of the AJJF.

 

1958 – Professor Dennis Estes, Rokudan
Professor Estes holds a black belt in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu that is recognized by both the American Judo and Jujitsu Federation and the Kodenkan Yudanshakai, as well as a black belt in Daito Ryu AikiJutsu. Prof. Estes began training in 1959, at the age of six years old. He and his father Art Estes began training with Jay Monahan in Pullman, Washington. Monahan Sensei trained in both Kodokan Judo and Shudokan Karate while in Japan and later in the San Francisco Bay area in Danzan Ryu Jujitsu under Prof. Ray Law.
After moving to Utah in the early 1980's, Prof. Estes and his father opened the Estes Bushido Jutsu Kan in Lehi, Utah. This was in 1982. A year later Art left this dojo and started Yamanaka Kodenkan in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Dennis continued as Sensei of the Bushido Jutsu Kan. While instructing here he had 5 students reach the rank of black belt. This school has been turned over to Robert Hodgkin and Tom Greenwood. In 1986 Dennis moved to Eureka, Ca. and within six months had started a new dojo. This one he named JOBU SHIN KAN, which translates as School of the Strong Martial Spirit. This school has produced more than 21 black belts, 5 of which were charter members.
In 2003 Professor Estes left Eureka, California and moved north to Gresham, Oregon where he opened JoBu Shin Kan Hoku. The original dojo was left in the care of Sensei Jon Sylvia and Prof. Estes carried the name with him adding Hoku (north) to differentiate between the two schools.
Prof Estes trained with his father as his Sensei until he reached the level of Nidan. At that point his training switched to Prof. Robert Hudson with additional training from Prof. Tom Ball. In addition he trained with several gifted martial artist in and out of jujitsu. Professor Estes has said, "Without the training and development of Senseis Estes, Hudson and Ball I would not be the martial artist I am today."

1958 – Professor Rory Rebmann, Hachidan
Professor Rebmann started jujitsu in 1959 at age 11 under Prof Ray Law. As part of his training, Prof Rebmann studied Shotokan Karate and Bushido Jujitsu. Prof Rebmann also holds a godan in Kodokan Judo and a hachidan in Goshi Jujitsu. He was awarded the Kodenkan Heritage Award for 2001. He is currently the owner and head instructor of the Amador Judo & Jujitsu Studio in Livermore, CA which has produced many national judo and jujitsu champions. Prof Rebmann was the previous president, vice-president and central office manager of the AJJF.

1958 – Professor Clyde Zimmerman, Hachidan
Professor Zimmerman began his martial arts training in Sherman Oaks, California in 1959. He studied Kodokan Judo, Danzan Ryu Jujitsu, Shotokan Karate, kung fu, and aikido. In the early sixties he opened a dojo in Encino Park, CA and started a judo team at St. John's College in Camarillo, CA. After college, Prof Zimmerman went into law enforcement receiving P.O.S.T and B.P.S.T. certifications. He then began teaching both for law enforcement agencies and in his own dojos in California and Oregon. He next moved to Gardnerville, Nevada, opening a successful dojo in Carson City, NV. For his work there Prof Zimmerman has received many awards including the Luciano Service Award and Instructor of the Year Awards from the Shoshin Ryu Yudanshakai and the American Jujitsu Institute.

 

 

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