Keith Morgan

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Keith Morgan is a British teacher of jujutsu and founder of the Shin-Gi-Tai group of schools in 1980. The original dojo was based in Streetly, Sutton Coldfield, England, and had the full backing of the British Ju jutsu Association.

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[edit] Early Career

Morgan started training in 1968 at the age of ten. His first teacher, and the one who probably proved to be the most influential, was Geoff Watts, who had been a personal friend and student of the late Gunji Koizumi. Koizumi had studied Shinyo Ryu Ju jutsu, Shin Shindo Ryu Ju jutsu and Akishima Ryu Ju jutsu. He was also a Ken-Jutsu teacher, probably the first in Britain.[citation needed] Morgan’s lessons alternated between ju jutsu and judo training and methodology. Emphasis was put on the teaching of principles, the understanding of technique and its application.

[edit] Kempo

When Watts retired from the B.A.I. in 1976, Morgan started to travel to London several times a week to train under the tutaledge of Richard Morris. It was here that Morgan was introduced to the techniques of Kempo. To supplement his training he also began learning Wado-Ryu Karate-Do under Peter Suzuki and Shukokai Karate-Do under Eddie Daniels. From 1982 he then became a personal student of Robert Clark, 9th Dan, of the World Ju jutsu Federation, based in Liverpool.

In 1986 he was promoted to Nidan, in 1990 to Sandan and in 1992 to Yondan. In that period he was also invited to become a member of the Senior Instructor section. He was appointed as a Technical Officer of the W.J.J.F. In 1994 he was awarded a Level 4 coaching certificate, the only person within the W.J.J.F. to have this certificate level, bar that of the national coach. In 1995, Morgan, by invitation, entered the Godan exam and passed, becoming one of the youngest 5th Dans in the country. He was also promoted to Senior Technical Officer of the W.J.J.F. His 6th Dan followed in 2000 via the prestigious Dai Nippon Butoku Kai and he was awarded his 7th Dan in 2002.

[edit] Recognition

In 1985 Morgan’s studies of Ju jutsu were recognised when he was awarded the rank of Yudansha by Munetoshi Inouye of the Hontai Yoshin Ruy (Dai Nippon Keitenshya Dojo) on behalf of Risho Hyabachi of the Minamoto Ruy-Hyogo Ken, which is one of the oldest schools of Kenjutsu and Ju jutsu in Japan, founded in 1559.[citation needed] In 1990 Fumon Tanaka of the Kukishin Ryu Bu-Jitsu also awarded Morgan Yudansha. He visited Kyoto, Japan in May 2002 when he represented Great Britain at the Hombu of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. In November 2003 he was inaugurated into the Black Belt Hall of Fame by the EUSAIMAA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.


[edit] Teaching

Apart from teaching at his own clubs, Morgan is in demand to conduct seminars both nationally and internationally and he has taught throughout the UK, in Denmark, Sweden, Italy, France, Germany and in the USA. He has also taught several specialist courses for women on self-assertiveness and self-defence, door control security, control and restraint courses for nurses, silent sentry-interception courses via the Ministry of Defence. Morgan is one of the few instructors versed in the traditional Kuatsu/Kassei-Ho revival techniques and is a member of the British Shiatsu Association. He is also a fully qualified Shiatsu practitioner with a private practice in the West Midlands, England.

[edit] Writings

Keith is a regular columnist of Martial Arts Illustrated under the name "Bends the Branch". A full-time dojo was opened in 2005 in Rugeley, Staffordshire, England.