AJF History and Objectives

 
A BRIEF HISTORY
 
 
The Australian Jujitsu Federation (AJF) formerly Australian Society of Ju-jitsuans (ASJJ), has a history within Australia that goes back over one hundred years to 1906 and Ryugoro Fukushima – arguably amongst the earliest forms of physical education within Australia by way of martial arts that is still active today.

Training - Katana

The formation of the ASJJ really became structured in the mid 1950s when many different jujitsu schools joined together under a common bond. The bond between those schools brought about a standardisation in the teaching, competency and assessment criteria.

This teaching standard applied throughout the ASJJ through to the mid to late 1970s. At that time two significant developments encouraged the ASJJ to restructure its membership criteria. These developments were the proposed introduction throughout Australia of what would become the National Coaching Accreditation Scheme (NCAS) and the formation in Victoria of the Martial Arts Council of Australia to satisfy a direction of the then Commonwealth Government.

Changes to the membership criteria opened the door to schools that wished to join the ASJJ while maintaining their own style in jujitsu through their teaching and assessment criteria. With these changes the ASJJ became an organization representing the views of many different styles of jujitsu. In the early 1980s the ASJJ gained recognition from the Australian Coaching Council with the responsibility for administering the NCAS program for all jujitsu instructors.

In the year 2000 members of the ASJJ took a major step towards a new vision for the organization. This culminated with a change of name to the ‘Australian Jujitsu Federation’. The objective was three fold, firstly to provide a greater involvement of members in the affairs of the organization, secondly to promote a common bond of sharing of knowledge while each school would maintain its own identity.

The third objective was to enable those members who had lineage within the teachings of the ASJJ (pre the events of the late 1970s) to pursue a separate identity. This was achieved in 2004 with the formation of ‘Koshinryu Jujutsu Australia’, which became the principal member school of the AJF and retains a documented history of Jujutsu in Australia focused on the life and times of Ryugoro Fukushima and the Australian Society of Ju-Jitsuans with records of events in Australia dating back to 1878 plus details of all members past and present of the ASJJ Black Belt Register.

Providing representation throughout Australia the AJF is actually a federation of member schools or organisations that include jujitsu and related martial arts; modern (gendai) and traditional (koryu), both sporting and non-sporting.

During 2004 the AJF as the eminent jujitsu organization in Australia, renewed its pursuit for formal recognition for jujitsu from the Australian Government. These renewed efforts resulted in recognition being achieved on 8th June 2005. Today the Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission recognises the Australian Jujitsu Federation.

In 2008 members amended the AJF constitution to further reinforce the membership provision for related martial arts, and in 2009 the Australian Sports Commission approved the administration by the AJF of the NCAS accreditation program be expanded to include: aikido, aiki jujitsu, hapkido, and kenpo jujitsu, this being in addition to jujitsu and Brazilian jiu jitsu. In 2010 the Australian Sports Commission also approved the AJF administering the National Officiating Accreditation Sceme (NOAS) for Sport Jujitsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Grappling.

AJF OBJECTIVES

July87 Vince Roger Les Len Ray Syd Gordon

July87 Vince Roger Les Len Ray Syd Gordon

      

Members

To provide inter-school, state and national forums for members to:

  • Participate in the sharing and development of their martial arts knowledge and skills
  • Participate (if they choose) in competition, in a spirit of friendship together with the opportunity to represent Australia at World Titles.
 

Instructors

To provide:

  • Opportunities for instructors, coaches and teachers, to further develop their knowledge and skills in: martial arts, appropriate sport sciences and coaching
  • Access to both the ‘National Coaching Accreditation Scheme’ (NCAS) and the ‘National Officiating Accreditation Scheme’ (NOAS)
  • A ‘Code of Ethics’ approved by the Australian Sports Commission.

The World Of Jujitsu

To provide or support:

  • Opportunities for interaction between members of the AJF and overseas schools and masters.

Recognition

To provide:

  • Recognition for individual achievement, while member schools retain their independent grading authority.

Representation

  • As the recognised Australian National Body, our role and objectives include the promotion and representation of our martial art, both within the world of martial arts and with government and non-government authorities involved with: the martial arts, budo, and/or the development of sport
  • The Australian Government through the Australian Sports Commission recognises the Australian Jujitsu Federation.

General Community

To strive to provide the community with a standard of quality in the teaching and coaching of martial arts within schools satisfying the criteria of becoming a ‘Member School’ of the AJF, and achieving National Coaching Accreditation under the NCAS program.

 
Training in Japan

Training in Japan

 
WCJJO Jersey - Colin McManus

WCJJO Jersey - Colin McManus

 NCAS ID Card-Front

 

 

Subscribe to Australian Jujitsu Federation by Email