USJJO Designates Kenukan Mixed Martial Arts Academy a Regional Training Center

KenukanBudokaiFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Press Release)April 1, 2016 Cleveland, Ohio, USA. The United States Ju-Jitsu Organization (USJJO) announced today that the Kenukan Mixed Martial Arts Academy is an official USJJO Regional Training Center. Travis Boggs, the Owner / Chief Instructor of the Kenukan Mixed Martial Arts Academy (serving the Kansas City area since 1968 – Johnson County’s oldest martial arts academy), has been a member of the USA Team Development Committee of the USJJO and now his academy has been selected as an official Regional Training Center. Travis and his instructors will be developing athletes for USJJO related events held around the world, including at the UFC’s International Fight Week 2016, 2016 Pan American Championships in Panama, and the 2016 JJIF World Championships in Poland.

Travis Boggs made National Headlines several years ago when he appeared on MSNBC’s “Ashleigh Banfield Live” TV Show as a Flight Self-Defense Expert after training the two airline personnel that took down the “Shoe Bomber” Richard Reid in December of 2001.  Boggs is a Certified Flight Self-Defense Instructor with the America In Defense Program, founded by Bob Wall and Chuck Norris.

In 2008, Travis Boggs was named as one of his home town’s top 150 athletes during its Sesquicentennial Celebration (Olathe’s 150th year anniversary).  Boggs’ highlights as a competitor were: Team USA Ju-Jitsu & Karate Goodwill Games Gold Medalist, St. Petersburg, Russia; Team USA Ju-Jitsu & Karate Mediterranean Games Gold Medalist, Athens, Greece; 5-Time Kansas AAU Karate Champion; 3-Time AAU Regional Karate Champion.  Deciding to turn his focus towards coaching, Boggs was selected by the USJJO to serve as a TEAM USA Coach at the 2014 JJIF World Ju-Jitsu Championships held in Paris, France.

Besides competing and coaching, Boggs is known for his instruction to Delta, Ranger, Green Beret, and Special Forces Team Members, as well as Law-Enforcement Officers.  Travis Boggs was personally invited to assist world renowned self-defense expert Jim Harrison (Founder of Bushidokan and Ronin Jutsu Street Combat Systems) at the 2004 Arnold’s Health & Fitness Expo, an Arnold Schwarzenegger Event held every year in Columbus, Ohio.  In 2000, Boggs Co-Directed the 1st Kansas City Grappling Symposium (featuring world rated original MMA Fighters Ken Shamrock, Bart Vale, Keith Hackney, and Walt Lysak).

United States Ju-Jitsu Organization The USJJO is the National Governing Body of Ju-Jitsu in the USA and Official Full National Member to the JJIF. The JJIF represents Sports Ju-Jitsu worldwide and is the only Ju-Jitsu organization recognized by the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA). The JJIF provides the opportunity for elite athletes from their National Members to compete in the World Games, which are organized and governed by the IWGA under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Including the United States of America, the JJIF has 106 member countries on 4 continents.

The JJIF offers three forms of ju-jitsu competition: the Fighting System, Ne-Waza (Brazilian Ju-Jitsu) and the Duo System. See http://usjjo.org/competition/

The Ju-Jitsu fighting is a one-on-one competition divided into three parts. For part one, the competitor attempts to score with various strikes, punches and kicks. Part two begins after one competitor grabs the other and from there they battle for a take-down to the ground. Part three involves submissions such as strangulations, holding and barring/locking of various body joints. The winner is the competitor that accumulated the most points throughout the match, however an automatic victory may happen if the competitor received “Ippon” (clean action/full points) in each part.

The Ne-Waza (Brazilian) fight starts in a standing position and the competitors try to gain points with several throwing, take-down, immobilizing techniques, sweeps and submissions. The fight can ultimately be won by a submission. If a submission does not happen, the fight is won by the competitor that has accumulated the most points throughout the match.

The Duo System is a discipline where teams of two ju-jitsu athletes compete against each other. The teams demonstrate possible self-defense maneuvers against a variety of attacks. The attacks include strangulations, hit attacks, embraces, chokeholds and weapons.

The USJJO is committed to developing both self-defense and sports ju-jitsu. Many opportunities for seminars, courses and competitive events focusing on both self-defense and sports ju-jitsu are offered by the USJJO, JJIF and affiliated members. In addition to the competitive training, some of these courses have included personal protection; weapons take away from an attacker, enhancing self-confidence in dangerous situations and course quarter combatives for your personal safety. The USJJO always encourages and welcomes requests for new seminar topics.

The United States Ju-Jitsu Organization is a non-profit organization. For more information, please visit www.usjjo.org. You can contact Sarah Stanton, President, at sarah.stanton@usjjo.org or Scott Long, Secretary, at scott.long@usjjo.org.

You can visit Kenukan Mixed Martial Arts Academy at www.kenukan.com. You can contact Travis Boggs, Chief Instructor, at kenukan@aol.com or call 913-782-5425