Sensei
Stephen P. Singleton began his Danzan Ryu
Jujitsu studies in the fall of 1966 (at age 16) at Penmar Jujitsu Kai in
Venice, CA. under Prof James Marcinkus (Rokudan, SCJA). He received his Shodan
in 1970 from Jim through the American Jujitsu & Judo Federation. He was
one of the early Black belts in Southern California and helped finance his way
through U.C.L.A by teaching Jujitsu. He became an Assistant Instructor at
Penmar Jujitsu Kai, an assistant to Joe Burlin (Nidan) at Pacific Palisades
YMCA & Jujitsu Instructor at Rustic Canyon Park & Westside YMCA. He
started & developed a junior Jujitsu program at the Westside YMCA when it
was still in construction.
He
served many positions in the local Southern California Jujitsu organization as
it was developing. In 1969 he served as Vice President of Region I, Area C of
the A.J.J.F. In 1972, he graduated UCLA and accepted a commission as a
lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. This curtailed his Danzan Ryu Jujitsu
studies for a time.
Upon
returning to civilian life, grad school and family responsibilities did not
leave much time for martial arts. A brief study of Shorin Ryu Karate while
stationed in Okinawa and some Tai Chi Chuan was the extent of it. In the mid
1980's he was able to hook up with some former friends in the Martial Arts. He
began once again to study Danzan Ryu Jujitsu plus Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu &
Filipino Martial Arts. He studied Cement Jujitsu with Mike Belzer (Professor/Godan,
SCJA), Wing Chun Gung Fu, Kickboxing, Within Arms Reach, Wrestling, &
Small Circle Jujitsu with Prof Wally Jay. He continues to expand his studies.
Jujitsu America, a Danzan Ryu Jujitsu organization, (President: Prof Willy
Cahill & Sr. Professor Wally Jay) recognized the abilities and hard work
that Steve has demonstrated in Jujitsu and promoted Steve to Sandan in Danzan
Ryu Jujitsu (JA).
Ranks
& Training:
-
Danzan
Ryu Jujitsu: Began in the Fall of 1966. Shodan, 1970 (MJF); Nidan, 1991
-
(SCJA);
Sandan, 1999 (Jujitsu America);
-
AJAMA.,
American Teachers Association of the Martial Arts, ranked him in Jujitsu
at Yodan/Senior Instructor in 1996.
-
Basics:
Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu, Filipino Martial Arts, Kickboxing, Shorin Ryu Karate,
Tai Chi Chuan, Wing Chun Gung Fu, & Small Circle Jujitsu.
Sensei Singleton submitted the following
additional material:
"I'm one of that bunch who started out at Penmar Ju-Jitsu Kai
with James Marcinkus (1966). I was the skinny high school kid with fellow white belts Jim
Nieto and Bob Belzer (among others). Then there were these annoyingly fantastic kids like
the Belzer
Brothers and their classmates taught by Dave Marcinkus. In 1969, as a Brown Belt, I served
as Vice President of AJJF Region 2 (Bob Reish, who had recently received his shodan was
President) and, in 1970, I received my shodan.
That year (my sophomore year at UCLA) I also started teaching junior
classes at Westside YMCA, Rustic Canyon Park and assisted at Penmar. Eventually, I
took over for Joe Burlin at Palisades YMCA on Saturdays when he went to Europe for a year.
Also started 'going with' one Helen Rodriguez, a senior at St.
Bernard High in Westchester. In 1971 (September) I married Helen (James Marcinkus
was best man) and in 1972, graduating from UCLA with a BA in Political Science, I accepted
a commission as a 2nd. Lt. in the USMC.
Then: studied Shorin-Ryu Karate in Okinawa for a year, stayed with
that for a while; came back from active duty to graduate school; studied some Tai Chi
Chuan; had very little time for ju-jitsu for several years as the kids grew up, did a
little Northern Style Kung Fu, then, in 1985, stumbled across Lawrence Boydston, Bob Reish
Mark Wald and Mike Belzer talking to Danny Innosanto when I went
to check out the Academy in Marina Del Rey. I was immediately sucked into Mike's 'Cement
Ju-Jitsu' classes there, studying Kali, Silat, kickboxing and Small Circle and, little by
little, found my way back to the Danzan mats via workouts with Lawrence Boydston's Quest
Academy.
In 1996 (I think) Helen (and I) were invited to the Okazaki Massage
Class taught by Bob Hudson. We took both Module 1 and 2 and are doing massages in our
"spare" time. Am also back at Westside Y with Bill Randall and Ed Shatzen, but I
consider Prof.
Hudson my Shihan. Oh, I forgot: They (Bill Randall Mike Belzer, Lawrence Boydston) made me
a Nidan in 1992.
There's bunches of other folks I've worked with--Cliff Stewart,
Wally Jay, Gracialla (right when she met Boggs along with Tony (Ju-Jitsah) Maynard) and I
helped Mark Wald with our two Camp Yama Bushi's in Big Bear.
Aloha. "
