The JERSEY Connection....

INTRODUCTION:

I have been in touch with Sensei Pitman for some years now, on an off.

After a number of disappointments over the last 18 Months with other projects regarding Martial Arts and disabilities. I have after some long soul searching decided to twin with Jersey and put all my eggs in one basket and see really what can be done with Disabilities and Martial Arts.

I have decided for fourtecy sake, to keep the Disability Martial Arts Association (D.M.A.A. links and info on our website as some of the things they do are similar in many ways.

After a lot of research over the past few months and gathering a lot of data, I have discovered that people have been looking at disabilities and Martial Arts issues for many years and these issues are far from being new. I myself, have many ideas at least 30 years ago, but, it is easy to have ideas and do little about them.

There will be in the future much more added to this page and I will be moving items as soon as things start to happen.

All information regarding the Jersey Conection will be found on ic's Website: under the disability link.

As you can see, Sensei Pitman has already started placing items here, an I do sincerely hope she will continue to do so. Between us I am sure that this page will be of interest to all who visit here.

SteveFyffe Sensei.

The website of the Phoenix (Jersey) School for Therapeutic Arts

Hello from Jersey

I would like to thank Steve Sensei for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this web page.

It is true that we have been in contact for a while now but circumstances have conspired to keep us apart for the time being.

This I hope to rectify in the coming months with a trip to visit you all in Norwich and to train with and share knowledge with like minded people.

My School is 25 years old next year and I am in my 32nd training year. Several years ago I created the Phoenix Circle of Friendship in an effort to banish politics and egos from the aikido equation. My simple philosophy is that a person should be able to come together with like minded individuals in each others' dojo and share martial arts knowledge in an atmosphere of harmony and friendship, no agenda, no politics just peaceful co-existance.

Many have joined this way of thinking and the Circle goes from strength to strength.

I currently hold the position of Director Disability Martial Arts in the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled offering aikido classes to those with disabilities. I myself am partially sighted and Steve Sensei and I were drawn together by common threads in all aspects of life.

May this be a long and happy union of Schools and aikido study. Thank you for reading this,

a humble student of aikido
Roisin Pitman
5th Dan Aikido

On Saturday 12th November during the 20th Jersey Disability Games, Sempai Tyrone Nicholson successfully graded to Shodan.
Despite suffering from quadriplegic arthetoid cerebral palsy, Ty has studied aikido without a break for four years and has learned to adapt the art to his circumstances.
In front of the School's Yudansha panel and visiting Sensei Mike Smith - 7th Dan, Ty presented an eight section aikido presentation, using ukes Eduardo Nascimento, Liane Guillou and Sensei Roisin Pitman.
During the same weekend Tyrone was also the winner of the Tim Collins Memorial Trophy at the Annual Dinner of the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled, the award being for the Wheelchair Sports Person of the Year.

Phoenix Circle of Friendship

In the last thirty years I have walked away from two national organisations because persons within those groups sought to control peoples' private lives and their training lives to such an extent that it became uncomfortable and I for one did not enjoy the politics or the manipulation of individuals that I had witnessed first hand.
Several years ago when I became an independent group I vowed that my dojo would never be such a negative place to be, and thus I created the "Phoenix Circle of Friendship" where like-minded individuals would be encouraged to come together as friends, in each others' dojo, to share knowledge in an atmosphere of harmony and friendship, no politics, no one group in charge, no one person at the top.
The group does not exist in any form, it merely exists in the minds of like minded people. It just "is".
Currently inducted into the Circle of Friendship are the following groups / individuals:

Phoenix (Jersey) School for Therapeutic Arts
Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled
Master Martin du Feu (Wushu, Toulouse, France)
Sensei Tony Davis (Yate Shin Cho Aikido Club)
Sensei Glenroy Gaymes (Taekwondo, St. Vincent, West Indies)
Sensei Thierry Cevey (Aikido - Switzerland)
Cheshire Aikido Club (Senseis Ian Bailey/ Lee Karellen)
Shikan Aikido Club (Stockton) Sensei Peter Hayden
Sensei Mike Smith (BAA) 7th Dan
Associazione Arti Marziali Valle D'Aosta (Italy -Sensei Ezio Chatrian)
Oxford Aikido Club & Silverstone Aikido Club (Senseis Scott Lacey/Stuart Greenstreet)
Aikido Organisation of Ireland (Sensei Simone Chierchini)
Aikido Club de Courbevoie (Paris - Sensei Philippe Duc)
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The late Sensei Geoff Glancy (Jersey & Liverpool) 1953-2008 (became aligned to the Circle one month before his death)