martial arts, self defense, kodokan judo, tekkenryu jujutsu, New Jersey, NJ


Martial Arts Instructors

ZenShin Premium Martial Arts and Self Defense Instructor Staff

Please Note: to ensure student safety, all ZenShin Martial Arts Instructors have undergone a mandatory criminal background check.


Damian Ross Sensei
Damian Ross is the director of ZenShin Martial Arts, Health and Fitness in Pompton Lakes, NJ. He is the head instructor of Tekkenryu Jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He is also the president of The Self Defense Company, an organization that is dedicated to spreading the truth about martial arts and self defense though instructional videos and a worldwide network of instructors. 
Mr. Ross started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, he met the founder of Tekkenryu jujutusu and has studied under his direction since.
Sensei Ross also continues to study and train under world famous Judo and Karate Sensei Yoshisada Yonezuka, 9th degree black belt. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross is one of the foremost trainers and instructors of World War II hand to hand and close quarters combat methods and reality martial arts and self defense. These methods are considered by many to be the most effective means of personal protection and remain the only proven and documented method of hand to hand combat.


Below is a list of some of Sensei Ross’s ranks and honors.

Founder and Director of ZenShin Premium Martial Arts and Self Defense
President, The Self Defense Company
Yodan (4th Degree Black Belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it's Founder
Nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka (9th Dan)
Nidan (2nd Degree Black Belt) Tae Kwon Do under Philip Ross
Varsity Wrestling Coach Ridgewood High School, Ridgewood, NJ
Varsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner
2 time Garden State Games Open Karate Champion (Black Belt Division)
2 Time National Runner Up Judo Nationals
First Place East Coast Judo Championships
All-State Wrestling New Jersey, Ridgewood High School 1984
All-State Football New Jersey, Ridgewood High School 1985
Ridgewood High School Hall of Fame Wrestling . Inducted 2008
Ridgewood High School Hall of Fame Football . Inducted 2008

 

Peter Barry Sensei
Sensei Barry was the first student of Sensei Ross. He began his study of Tekkenryu Jujutsu in 1998 in the “original dojo” in Emerson, NJ. Sensei Barry convinced Sensei Ross to teach him what he knew and after that he never looked back. He became one of only 4 Black Belts in the world in Tekkenryu Jujutsu in 2007 and continues to study, train and teach.

Mr. Barry is a Marketing Executive for Seiko Corporation where he has worked since 1988. He continues to be a corner stone for the dojo and is the adult program director for the ZenShin Dojo in Pompton Lakes.

Shodan (Black Belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu
Ikyu Kodokan Judo

 

Roger Jones Sensei
Sensei Jones began his life on the mat with wrestling when he was in the 8th grade. HE continued his career and was a standout at Ridgewood High School (He was the Captain of team when Sensei Ross was a sophomore). Mr. Jones was a three sport athlete in high school and continued with football and wrestling in college at F&M College. Mr. Jones earned his black belt in Tekkenryu Jujutsu in 2007 and his Black Belt in Kodokan Judo in 2008.

When he’s not the head instructor of the ZenShin Dojo in Pompton Lakes, Sensei Jones has his own private law practice in Ridgewood, NJ.

Shodan (Black Belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu
Shodan (Black Belt pending) Kodokan Judo

 

Sempai William Becher
Sempai Becher has been studying at ZenShin since 2002. Ever since he was young he was a competitive athlete, excelling at foot ball (Team Captain at Ramsey High School in Ramsey NJ). William also wrestled and played some football in college. Only after a few years at ZenShin, Sempai Becher won a New Jersey State Championship in Judo. Today you will find him on the mat at ZenShin, training and helping others achieve their goals. He has been an excellent addition to the Instruction Staff.
Sankyu Tekkenryu Jujutsu
Sankyu Kodokan Judo

 

 

 

Sempai Ian Fosso
Sempai Fosso served his country for several years as a survival specialist and diver in the US Navy. Since 2003 he has studied Tekkenryu Jujutsu and Kodokan Judo diligently. Mr. Fosso is also the director of the 10 Lesson Self Defense Program and a Professional Instructor with The Self Defense Company.
Sankyu Tekkenryu Jujutsu
Sankyu Kodokan Judo

 

 

 

Instructor Candidate James Klienfelder
Mr. Klienfelder has been on the mat at ZenShin since 2005. A fixture in our Judo classes, he adds a whole other dimension to the work out. Not only is Jim becoming and excellent Judoka, he has fantastic boxing skills, when he hits like it feels like sledge hammers. Jim is the latest addition to the growing instructor crew.
Shichikyu Tekkenryu Jujutsu
Shichikyu Kodokan Judo

 

 

 

CLICK HERE TO VIEW LINEAGE

For your safety, all ZenShin Martial Arts Instructors
have undergone a mandatory criminal background check by Sterling Testing Systems.

 

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A Brief History Martial Arts and Self Defense

Many martial arts and self defense systems are derived from military combatives; the study of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts in warfare. After all, the term "martial art" means "art of warfare." For example, the sport of judo comes from jujutsu, which comes from samurai grappling, which was part of the training Japanese warriors received as preparation for battle.

Many weapon-oriented martial arts, such as iado, kendo, kyudo and naganata-do originated in schools of martial techniques for warriors. These weapons, the sword, bow and arrow, and pole arm, were the assault rifles and machine guns of their time--the default weapons of military fighters--and as such were key components in combat training.

The Western interest in East Asian Martial arts dates back to the late 19th Century AD, due to the increase in trade between America with China and Japan. Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the martial arts, considering it to be mere performance.

Edward William Barton-Wright, a railway engineer who had studied the martial art Jujutsu while working in Japan between 1894-97, was the first man known to have taught Asian martial arts in Europe. He also founded an eclectic martial arts style named Bartitsu which combined jujutsu, judo, boxing, savate and stick fighting.

William E. Fairbairn, a Shanghai policeman and at the time a leading Western expert on Asian fighting techniques, was recruited during world War II by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to teach UK, U.S. and Canadian Commando and Ranger forces Jujutsu.

The seminal self-defense book Kill or Get Killed was written by Colonel Rex Applegate, who worked closely with Fairbairn to train the "First Special Service," a joint U.S. and Canadian army unit; it became a classic military treatise on hand to hand combat and created the reality based martial art "Defendu." Modern variations that can still trace an authentic lineage to Applegate are very few.

Seeing the need to bring these legitimate and proven techniques and method of close-combat back into the Modern world of "hobby" Martial Arts (Karate, Kung Fu, Capoiera, Aikido, etc.) and "sport" Martial Arts (Judo, Brazilian Jui-jitsu, Wrestling, Kick Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts, Ultimate fighting , etc.), Yoshisada Yonezuka, Damian Ross, Roger Jones and Peter Barry have dedicated their lives to teaching, instruction, and spreading the "truth" about Martial Arts, street fighting, self defense, and close combat.

This site is the only link to that legacy

Please be aware of the following common misspellings as relates to common martial art and self defense searches: martial atrs, martial atrs weapons, martial arts spuplies, martial arts eqiupment, martail, marital arts uniforms, amrtial arts supply, amrtial arts books amrtial arts. Self Defence, slef defense, self defnes, slef defnes

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