The Dojo

James G. Campbell, Sensei

James Campbell, Sensei is the owner of and chief instructor at Yosokan Dojo. He is highly ranked in a variety of martial arts. Campbell, Sensei holds Kaiden (Master) levels in number of styles of traditional Japanese Jujutsu. In March of 2007, while in Japan he was promoted to the rank of Kaiden Shihan in KoKoDo Jujutsu. Campbell, Sensei is a Member of the Counsel of Shihan of the KoKoDo Kyushin Ryu Kai, World Organization based in Belgium. He is one of three private students of Irie Yasuhiro, Soke, founder of KoKoDo Jujutsu in Saitama, Japan. Campbell, Sensei travels to Japan and Europe every year both to teach and to continue his training in KoKoDo Jujutsu.

Campbell Sensei holds a Menkyo level (Sixth Dan, Shihan) in the traditional Japanese sword art of Muso Shinden Fudo Ikken Ryu, Battojutsu under Machida Kenshinsai, Sensei, of Enbukan Dojo in Nodashi, Japan. He has also been granted the prestigious Jo-ii award. The “Jo-ii” award represents the highest level of refinement, knowledge and skill regarding a specific makimono level and is considered to be a very special and uncommon level of achievement. Campbell, Sensei has been a private student of Machida Sensei(Kancho) and has been involved in the direct transmission (Jikiden) of this system as well as others for over a dozen years. He travels to Nodashi each year to live with the Machida Family as he continues his training in Battojutsu.

Yosokan Dojo is an authorized and fully licensed USA Shibu KoKoDo Jujutsu Dojo.
Yosokan Dojo is an authorized and fully licensed USA Shibu Enbukan Dojo.

Dojo Philosophy

We at Yosokan Dojo believe that the more people are engaged in ongoing training (a life pattern of training), the fewer victims there will be and therefore, a more peaceful world. The teaching at our dojo focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of yoso, the “small things” that enable our techniques to work. These principles allow our students to function more effectively and efficiently on the tatami (mat) as well as in all of life. Through extensive application, attention to yoso has become the hallmark of the Yosokan Family.

Yosokan Dojo has classes available in Jujutsu and Battojutsu (Iaido) for adults and young adults. This would include those teen- and preteen aged individuals with both the maturity and body size to fit into the adult classes. The first thing that the new student learns at the dojo is how to take good care of yourself as well as how to take good care of the person you happen to be training with. Our goal is to always have a safe and rewarding experience on the tatami and at the same time, to gain the powerful martial skills that will enrich your entire life.

In my years of training and teaching in the martial arts I have found that KoKoDo Jujutsu is an incredibly effective combat fighting art as well as great self-defense. As a result, I have spent a number of years teaching combat-oriented jujutsu to military officers that come through the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) here in Monterey. Many of these officers have served in Special Operations branches of the military. I have received letters of gratitude from some of them and certainly it has been my great honor to offer this level of training to those doing such vital work.