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Joao Santos Sensei 4th Dan M.G.R.Y. |
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 Joao Santos Sensei |
Born in 1973 in Lisbon, Joao Santos Sensei is the National Director for Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu in Portugal.
He holds black belts in Ju-Jitsu and Kobu Jutsu, and is a Brown Belt Karate, and regularly trains in the art of Escrima / stick fighting. Joao is also a fully qualified practitioner of Shiatsu and Acupuncture. Joao is responsible for the teaching of over a hundred students within Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu Portugal. The clubs are located at: Academia de Jujitsu Joao Santos, Santarem, Bucelas, A.D.C.A. and Externato Joao XXIII. Joao is a personal senior student to Kevin Pell Hanshi and travels to the United Kingdom regularly for intensive training at the Honbu Dojo in Norfolk, England. Click here to read Joao's testimonial. |
On Saturday the 26th of March 2005, Kevin Pell Hanshi presented Sensei Joao Santos with his Yondan (4th Dan). This promotion was presented at the 15th anniversary dinner presentation evening, in Borehamwood Hertfordshire (the home of Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu) celebrating the formation of the Sekai Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu Renmei in recognition for his outstanding contribution to Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu.
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By Sensei Joao Santos National Director Portugal January 2003 
I was born in 1973 in sunny Lisbon, in Portugal. Ever since a young age I was always attracted by combative arts, and after a few unofficial experiences I started Karate. Although I had good instructors, I always felt there was something missing, so I started looking for a more complete art, and found Jujitsu, starting to train with the only available Portuguese instructor at the time, achieving the grade of black belt in 96. Jujitsu training led me to specific grappling arts, training Submission Wrestling, Judo and becoming close to the Gracie Family studying Gracie Jiu-jitsu with Royler, Robin, Royce and Rolker Gracie. The weaponry training in jujitsu also led me to train in more specific weapons systems, so i learned Kobu Jutsu for some years and also started training Escrima, the weapon based Philipino Martial Art. Parallel to martial arts training I also studied oriental medicine, being a qualified acupuncturist and Shiatsu therapist. This skill I consider a very good balance in my life and also took me travelling to many places. I have treated people almost all over the world (including Soke Kevin Pell), and also taught specific shiatsu techniques for martial arts on Ishin Ryu seminars. The first time I came out of my country to train, I met a man called Kevin Pell in 97 in Spain. He was teaching his jujitsu at a martial arts convention in Madrid, and that was the beginning of it all. I met the same man again in 98 in the same place, and i can still remember the expression on his face while he was teaching, and the smile he had after the classes. It impressed me the reality of the techniques, the spirit behind them, and the big man executing them with no effort. I decided to train with this man, and went to England in April 99. Kevin Pell's true love for the art took me to stay in his house as his guest, where I saw Ishin Ryu from the inside, the technical aspect of the art, the organization, everything. At the end of my stay Shihan asked me if I wanted to be a part of Ishin Ryu, "yes, that would be great...", only later I realised that meant I would become the first international representative of SIRJJR. The importance of this is that no money changed hands, no grades were sold, and nothing was imposed. Kevin's honesty aloud me to keep my independence at all levels, and to this day it still is like this everyday and in every situation. After that Ishin Ryu started to grow, in England and abroad. I started competing late, the first tournament I did was in 2001 (damn! I was so nervous that today I still don't remember anything), where I won the European Gracie Jujitsu Cup in Barcelona. Since then i kept competing and got a few good results: - World Master BJJ champion 2004 - 2x European BJJ champion (2004, 2005) - International Submission Grappling champion London 2004 - Copa Gavazza Rio de Janeiro master champion 2004 - Brazil BJJ master champion 2003 - Copa Meier Rio de Janeiro master champion 2003 - Portugal national BJJ champion 2003 - 2 x Spanish GJJ champion (2003/2004); - WMAS mix fight champion 2003 - KSBO grappling silver medallist 2002 - Coimbra Grappling Champion 2002 - Norfolk Derek Skipper Judo tournament champion -78kg and absolute division champion (2002) - 4th place Submission grappling in Euro 2001 BJJ tournament Vittel - European GJJ champion 2001 ... and a few others, but its not important About grades... everybody knows I don't really care about them... so, just for the record, the only thing I have to say about this (also because it came by surprise and i didn't pay anything for it) is that I was awarded my 3rd Dan in Ju-Jitsu by Soke in February 2000. Today I still travel regularly to train, teach, and participate in activities such as First Aid Courses, Survival Courses, seminars and competitions. My team also won grappling competitions in Portugal, Spain and England, and became second in the first Embu Championship of the SIRJJR. My group grew to become the biggest jujitsu team in Portugal, with clubs spread around the country. I started to teach seminars on a regular basis in Lisbon and other areas of the country, to civilian, other martial arts organizations, police, military and security personnel, and in 2002 became an international instructor teaching seminars outside Portugal. I took our system of jujitsu to many places, doing demonstrations all over the country and in England. Today, although I carry a few injuries, I still train and teach everyday Joao Santos Sekai Ishin Ryu Ju-Jitsu Renmei - Portugal National Director www.ishinryu.com joao@ishinryu.com |
Sensei Joao Santos being presented with his 4th Dan
from Soke Kevin Pell