QUIET TIME — Black belt Joe Zuccola carefully watches Saturday-morning testing.

Summer vacation let Sensei Melaugh and volunteers expand mat space by knocking down an unused rear room. Chuck Rosa, left, carries blocks. Workers included Ray McAllister, Melaugh's sons Greg and Ben and friends Tom Price and Peter Walters.

David Jr., Tim and Dave Blois

SummerCamp '07 pictures — Our three-day summer martial-arts training camp was great fun and great learning. You can see photos of some of the people at camp here.

Five top, tough students earn coveted black belts

George Chen (right) repels volunteer attackers, including a menacing John Quave of Winchester, in black-belt testing.

Five brown-belt students stood up to attackers and intense skill and knowledge testing to earn ranking as Small Circle Jujitsu black belts.

Four of the new black-belts received congratulations and new belts from Sensei Ed Melaugh after some three hours of testing at the school Dec. 16. Other students, including more-experienced black belts, assisted as ukes, volunteer attackers.

The fifth, student George Chen of Waltham, 30, formerly of Bedford, successfully faced tough testing and attacks Jan. 6.

In addition to Chen, they are: Dave Blois, 39, of Billerica, Jim Pasquale, 51, of Wilmington, Joe Rosberg, 43, of Burlington and Nuri Shakir, 27, of Nashua, NH.

Most of the new black belts have studied for five or six years in preparation for this test.

"I've been in martial arts for 16 years and with Sensei Ed for seven years," Pasquale said. MORE PHOTOS

Bad-weather closings

The school is usually open as scheduled, but if the weather is especially rough, call the school at 781 932 9366 to make sure we're open.

News of bad-weather closings will also be displayed at the top of this JujitsuDefense.Com main page. And if the Woburn school system closes for foul weather, we will most likely also be closed.

From tragedy comes drug fight

Most students at the New England Small Circle Jujitsu Academy know fellow student Chuck Rosa as strong and imposing -- with the grace, kindness and gentle demeanor of a man who doesn't have to prove anything.

Chuck Rosa

They might not know the heartbreaking events that left this father of six to mourn the drug-related deaths of two sons.

From tragedy has come Rosa's quiet determination to fight, in his way, the addictions that take young lives. One way he's fighting is as instructor, mentor and cook at Seacoast Youth Services, an after-school center in Seabrook, NH.

His center team took first place in a recent chili cook-off held to benefit a local toy bank for kids.

The Salem News told of Rosa's participation in a vigil highlighting the drug scourge that continues to bring down young men and women in Salem and Peabody, Massachusetts. The story is here.

Martial-arts and fitness board

You can reach it by clicking here. The lively board is open to all and students can trade information about techniques, events and general martial-arts topics.

Black-belt promotions last April

Determined Steve Rita fends off Larry Ruisi

After years of study, 17 advanced students earned black belt or higher ranking.

Boston-area students - and students from Chicago, Bermuda, and New York - faced strenuous testing by Sensei Ed Melaugh April 29 at the New England Small Circle Jujitsu Academy.

Many others, from lower-ranked to black belts, assisted as Ukes, volunteers who attacked again and again to test the candidates' skills.

The rankings are led by veteran Small Circle Jujitsu student Chuck Boeri of Burlington. He earned a sophisticated sixth-degree black belt.

Mark Tuthill of East Hampton, N.Y., earned a fourth-degree black belt. Tuthill is head instructor at Mark Tuthill's Martial Arts Center and Long Island Small Circle Jujitsu in East Hampton, N.Y

Third-degree black belt rankings were earned by Paul Skiffington of Tewskbury, Larry Ruisi of Medford, John Carlson of Burlington, Joe Zuccola of Wilmington, Rick Alford of Burlington and Steve Rita of Seabrook, N.H. Alford operates the Eastern Small Circle Jujitsu Academy in Wakefield.

Photo by Chuck Boeri

New first-degree black belts and Sensei Melaugh.

Second-degree black belt rankings went to Barry Brennan of Long Island, N.Y., Erik Kondo of Lexington, Tony Peters of Long Island, N.Y. and John Virga of Long Island, N.Y. Brennan, Peters and Virga are students of Mark Tuthill.

First-degree black belt, the first black-belt rank, was earned by Jim Cazeau of Chicago, Illinois, Shawn Harvey of Hamilton, Bermuda, Josh Johnson of Lynnfield, Steve Iannetti of Lynn and Mike Welch of Burlington. Johnson and Iannetti are students of Rick Alford.

Shawn Harvey is Melaugh's first international black belt. He is the founder of the Bermuda Small Circle Jujitsu Academy and is Bermuda's first Small Circle Jujitsu black belt. Jim Cazeau is Melaugh's first Chicago black belt.

Street-smart training tapes, DVDs available

With titles ranging from drills and fundamentals to knife defense, you can order comprehensive how-to training videotapes and DVDs from Sensei Ed Melaugh.

The practical street self-protection videos were filmed with some of Melaugh's experienced black belts and other outstanding martial-arts figures.

For example, the knife-defense video shows and explains street-practical ways of dealing with a knife mugging. "We're showing students how to take the power. I show how to recognize the weaknesses of the attacker, how to take him down, and how to get out safely," Melaugh said.

The take-down video, which works with the Drills and Fundamentals tapes or DVDs, is produced along similar lines.

"It's when you get in tight with somebody and use your legs and feet to sweep and hook them down."

DVDs and tapes cost $39.95 each, plus shipping and handling. Melaugh made the training videos with black belts Sandy Lasa, Paul Skiffington, Rick Alford, Mark Tuthill and Chris Peterson.

Some of the DVDs and tape titles are:

• Practical Street Self-Protection — Fundamentals. • Practical Street Self-Protection — Drills. • Practical Street Self-Protection — Take Downs. • Practical Street Self-Protection — Knife Defense. DVDs and videotapes are available at the school or by mail for $39.95 each, plus shipping & handling. "They supplement regular training with advanced concepts and techniques," Melaugh said. "They also reinforce what students have learned in class and help fine-tune street skills." Students can work on particular skill sets until they are completely comfortable. The training-media order form is here.

VISIT— Sensei Melaugh is flanked by Peter Bobo, left, Shawn Harvey and Dave Rhodes.

Jujitsu instructors and students from Bermuda, Indiana and Tennessee made the trip to the New England Small Circle Jujitsu Academy to study with Sensei Ed Melaugh. Visitors Shawn Harvey of Hamilton, Bermuda, and Dave Rhodes of Bloomington, Indiana, have studied with Melaugh and brought Small Circle Jujitsu to students on their home turf. Peter Bobo of Nashville, Tennessee, has organized students in the Nashville suburbs to learn Small Circle.

Melaugh has taught and tested at the three locations for several years.

"They were here for more training, to bring it back to their home towns. They came to learn more and we learned from them too," Melaugh said. "They traveled thousands of miles for this knowledge."

"We're trying to develop people around the country -- and out of the country -- to learn and teach Small Circle Jujitsu. It's a developmental program.

"I want to be able to share what I've learned and then have them share it with new students. I'm doing it here, of course, but there's a whole world that's starting to look at Small Circle Jujitsu and realize how practical it is for street self protection."

 

Ten top teachers in camp video You can get the terrific how-to video from SummerCamp98. It offers step-by-step self-defense instruction from ten of the best. Summercamp gives you holds, takedowns and techniques from Small Circle Jujitsu® founder Prof. Wally Jay and Prof. Lee Eichelberger, Sensei Ed Melaugh and Sensei Ron Ogi. You'll also learn from guest instructors Dave Castoldi, Evan Pantazi, Chris Peterson, Rob Gale, Clare Sullivan and Stan Miller.   Click on the photo to see details of this special training video.

Black-belt profile Ringside with martial-arts referee Steve Rita Steve Rita In 1990, when Sensei Melaugh opened the New England Small Circle Jujitsu Academy, Steve Rita was his first student. The school moved in 1993 from Stoneham to Woburn and has greatly expanded. Rita is now a senior student, a third-degree black belt in Small Circle Jujitsu and a state-certified martial-arts referee. In his white shirt and black bow tie, he officiates at full-contact martial-arts fights around the state. In the beginning “Back then, things were very different. It was much harder,” Rita said. “Classes were 2½ hours long. We were doing throws all the time, on a hard mat that we had to roll up after every class. Ed had to share the space [in Stoneham] with Tom Bruno, who had a karate school there on the off nights.” Rita grew up in Reading and lives in Seabrook, NH. He was already a black belt in Shorin ryu karate when he attended an open house at the new school. [CLICK HERE for more of Steve Rita's black-belt profile and what he says is the most important thing a student can learn.] Visit our black-belt gallery by clicking here.

Why train? Some students train with Sensei Melaugh to stay in good health or in good shape. Others want the empowerment of Melaugh's street-wise jujitsu and practical street self protection. BRIDGE — Sensei Ed Melaugh reads a threatening motion and comes to a bridge position to shut down the bicept lines of an opponent. Some have enrolled their sons and daughters for the self discipline, concentration and sense of accomplishment. And others want it all. We asked two students — Monhdil Jose and Mary MtPleasant — to put the “why” of training here into words. Mary MtPleasant “I'm a woman and I go places by myself,” said Mary MtPleasant, 27. “You never know if you're going to need to defend yourself. And I also get to stay in shape.” A University of Pennsylvania grad, MtPleasant is an IBM software specialist who recently earned her orange belt in Small Circle Jujitsu. She also works out in Fitness Kickboxing classes. “While I'm keeping in shape, I'm learning a useful skill — how to defend myself,” said the Billerica resident. Monhdil Jose Monhdil Jose Monhdil Jose is a Marine Corps reservist and union carpenter. He and his wife, Shelley Bell, live in Tewksbury. The 25-year-old has impressive physical strength, a fact noted by other students. “I work with concrete,” he says, and laughs. “I guess it's genetics.” But why train here? “This is the only [martial] art that comes close to street fighting,” Jose said. “A lot of the other arts are just boxing and kicking from a distance. Here you get up close and personal so you're one on one. I was doing other sports and they weren't getting me anywhere. I was doing soccer but I wasn't feeling the vibe, or whatever you call it. “In here, I get a workout and I feel much better when I go home all sore. It feels good. And being in the Marine Corps, it helps me a lot too.”

Fitness Kickboxing in the news Click here to see the newspaper story that outlined the healthy, heart-pumping, body-toning benefits of Fitness Kickboxing classes at the New England Small Circle JuJitsu Academy.

FITNESS THREE -- Ready for their Fitness Kickboxing class are, from left, Michele DeAngelo of Stoneham, Marie Downie of Woburn and Christina Theokas of Reading. [Click on this photo for a larger version.]

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A membership message from Sensei Ed Melaugh

This web page is provided for students and friends of the New England Small Circle JuJitsu® Academy and for other practitioners of Small Circle Jujitsu®. We also welcome visitors from different martial-arts disciplines and people who want a look at our self-defense training.

Please sign our guest book, below, so we can keep you up to date and provide the services you need.

This is also a window for people who have heard of the good things that our students are doing and who want to know more. You can click here for details of our trial enrollment program.

I have found that martial-arts training, especially Small Circle Jujitsu training, teaches self respect and respect for others. In addition to valuable self-defense skills, it teaches self discipline and concentration. For many of our students, that translates into improved scholarship, school grades and on-the-job performance.

-- Ed Melaugh

Summer Camp 2003 -- You can see photos of many of the students who took part in this great weekend by clicking here. Summer Camp 2004 --Click here for a look at the setting for Summer Camp '04, Summer Camp 2005 -- Photos from our Summer Martial Arts Training Camp are here. Master Ron Ogi of Honolulu, featured instructor, added his own pictures. Jujitsu web highlights Interview. To learn what makes Small Circle Jujitsu training special, click on the button at left to see a killer interview with Sensei Ed Melaugh. Affiliates. We're officially affiliated with these fine martial-arts organizations. Click blue button for details. Links. Click this button for a selection of other fine martial-arts web sites.

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© New England Small Circle JuJitsu Academy. “Self defense that makes sense” and “Ed Melaugh's Jujitsu” are copyright © 2002, 2008 by Ed Melaugh.

   

Updated 8/18/08 Web marketing and communications by Dan Sheridan. Unless otherwise noted, photos are copyright by Dan Sheridan. Click here to report access, content or technical problems.