Phoenix (Jersey) School Logo

About Us

Welcome

the Phoenix (Jersey) School for Therapeutic Arts, an unique school bringing together martial styles from Japan and China, taught in an uplifting and therapeutic way, from our own headquarters within the walls of a 200 year old Napoleonic Fort in Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands.

Originally founded in 1988 as an Aikido club, the school now includes in its curriculum, the traditional japanese sword art Iaido, taught in the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu style and the Chinese art of Yang-style Tai Chi.

The Graeme Pitman Memorial Dojo

Graeme Pitman Memorial Dojo

The School's home dojo (Hombu) is named after the founding Honorary Life President, Graeme Pitman FCIS, father to the School Director Nick. Graeme was totally blind for most of his life but overcame great odds and hardship to rise through the ranks within the civil service in Jersey, finally holding posts as Chief Officer to the old Public Building & Works Department and Fort Regent. He became Chief of Fort Regent in July 1983 and served for nine years until his retirement. Graeme always faced a problem head-on and was known for his firm but fair style of management. Such was the respect he was held in by many of his former staff that on numerous occasions that he visited the Fort after retirement he was still affectionally referred to as "chief". Although unfortunately no longer with us in body he is still very much part of us in spirit, a true modern day Samurai.

The dojo was officially named in a small intimate ceremony in December 2005 attended by members of the School and the new Honorary Life President, and Nick's mother, Freda Pitman who unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion.

History of the Jersey School

On 2nd January 1988 Nick Pitman registered a club with the KSK under the name of the Phoenix (Jersey) Kai-Shin-Kai School of Aikido and started teaching aikido to invited guests at Jersey Police Headquarters where he was a serving officer. On July 22nd of that year Nick travelled to Silverstone, Northants and successfully gained his 1st Dan in Traditional Aikido in front of a panel chaired by Sensei Mike Smith (Founder of the Kaishinkai).

Nick was due to transfer his school to Fort Regent in April 1990 when he was struck down with a dibilitating eye disease which required prolonged stays in hospital in both Jersey and London. Nick took his first public aikido class at Fort Regent in the July of that year.

The following year Nick was joined at the school by an old friend and aikido teacher Geoff Glancy and the week ly sessions increased. The first visit from a top UK instructor was in the summer of 1991 with the introduction of Sensei Tony Davis from Yate in South Gloucestershire, who is still linked with the school today as one of our Honorary Life Vice Presidents'. Jersey was visited on average twice a year by senior teachers from the UK.

Other teachers who came to Jersey between 1991 and 1995 included, in no particular order, Senseis' Mike Smith, Vincent Sumpter, Bill Harris, Martin Gowling, Craig Hargreaves, Mandy Lowe, Keith Denney and Frits Van Gulick, the latter of Tomiki Aikido in Holland.

In 1995 the school were introduced to Sensei Ted Devlin of Prescot, Merseyside and a few months later Nick sought to join his fledgling organisation, set up a few months earlier in deference to Sensei Devlin's first teacher, Shihan Francis Ramasamy of Malaysia. In March 199 6 the Phoenix School joined the Mushin-Wado Shinpo Society England and subsequently changed its name to the Mushin-Wado Shinpo Society (Europe) Jersey-Kai.

Nick travelled frequently to study with Sensei Devlin in Liverpool and for sessions with the Prescot Club where Nick taught on many occasions. In May 1997 the Jersey-Kai hosted the first Mushin-Do International Seminar (sponsored by Barclays Bank) with students from the UK, Eire, Italy, Switzerland and Jersey studying under Sensei Devlin and other high ranking UK Sensei, including Garry Masters, Richard Portsmouth, Terry Harrison and Roger Bish.

In November 1999 Nick accompanied Geoff Glancy, Debbie and Andrea D'Ulivo-Rogers and Rob Thomas to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, joining up with over 40 other european students, studying for two weeks under Master Ramasamy.

In November 2000 Jersey once again hosted an International Mushin-Do Seminar (sponsored by Lloyds TSB Bank) with students from Eire, Jersey, Switzerland, Italy, France and Kuwait with guest instructor, Mushin-Do Founder, Master Francis Ramasamy himself.

At that course Shihan Devlin was promoted to 8th Dan Kancho by Master Samy and Nick received his 4th Dan from the Master in front of his proud parents. Also during the weekend the Jersey-Kai launched 'Project 2000', a charity drive aimed at raising money for the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled. Over £1,000 was raised that weekend, proceeds coming from a collection at the public demonstration of martial arts and a dinner raffle.

The Jersey-Kai also took part in the JSAD Games providing a therapeutic movement session for those with Down's Syndrome and learning difficulties. This proved a popular addition and has continued ever since. The Founder and President of JSAD Mr. Paul Patterson has since become an MBE in the Queen's Honours and is our School Patron. This School is inspired by Paul's courage and dedication to furthering sports opportunities for disabled athletes worldwide and is a worthy Patron of a School dedicated to helping others.

The Jersey-Kai is now in its permanent dojo within the walls of Fort Regent, a Napoleonic Fort built on the hill above St. Helier in 1806. We train in a restful and therapeutic atmosphere with the dojo decorated to the School's own specifications which includes many personal touches.

In June 2004 this website was launched to offer prospective new and current students up-to-date information about the School and the classes on offer which currently include Aikido (under Sensei Pitman), Iaido (under Sensei Carl Ashcroft) and Tai Chi (under Sifu Ashley Jehan).

In July 2005 the Jersey-School chose to follow our own path in the martial arts world and with our own comprehensive insurance and independent set-up we have created the 'Phoenix (Jersey) School for Therapeutic Arts', a group of like-minded people who wish to meet and train free of politics in a safe and secure environment. We continue to acknowledge the people who have influenced our development throughout the years and promise to continue in the pursuit of knowledge in our chosen arts with calmness and a state of mushin (formless mind - clarity of mind).

In December 2005 the new School held its first Aikido seminar at Fort Regent under its new name with guest instructors Sensei Tony Davis - 5th Dan (Yate) and Sensei Ian Bailey - 4th Dan (Cheshire Aikido Club).

Instructors who have directly and significantly influenced us over the years (in chronological order) are: Sensei Ezio Chatrian (5th Dan); Sensei Mike Smith (7th Dan); Sensei Tony Davis (5th Dan); Kancho Ted Devlin (8th Dan); Soke Francis Ramasamy (Founder Mushin-Do); Naruhiko Murasaki Sensei and Tadatoshi Ueda Sensei (Harmonious Arts Association - Japan).

In March 2006 the School was further strengthened with the introduction of Sifu Ashley Jehan and his Tai Chi classes, now held on Wednesday and Friday. Sifu Ashley is the student of Master Martin du Feu and used to run the Taoist Way Wushu Academy. This now means that the Phoenix School holds classes on five days a week, Monday to Friday.

Phoenix Circle of Friendship

Although most organisations are set up and run with the best of intentions, sadly it is all too common for some groups to descend into petty politics, back-biting, empire building and all manner of unpleasant traits which direct us away from why we are studying this wonderful art in the first place.

It was Nick's intention when setting up the Phoenix School to have some sort of forum for friends and aikido students from all over the world where they could feel comfortable meeting to share aikido knowledge at each others dojo when time and finances permitted with the only proviso that they should train in an atmosphere of calmness and friendship akin to the original ideals of O-Sensei of Love and Harmony with Nature and our fellow man. Thus was born at the same time as the Phoenix School, the 'Phoenix Circle of Friendship'. This is a non-constituted body which on paper does not exist but to friends that agree to its higher ideals of love, harmony, friendship, integrity etc. it is a vehicle for shared knowledge and experiences. There is no membership just an empathic existance. Currently linked to the PCF are:

Martial Arts for the Disabled

In 2000 to mark the visit of Master Francis Ramasamy to Jersey the School adopted the Jersey Sports Association for the Disabled as a worthy charity to raise money for. Under the heading of Project 2000 over £1,000 was raised that weekend and we also instructed disabled people, mainly those with Downs Syndrome and Learning Difficulties, in a therapeutic movement class. This remains a regular feature in the School’s calendar every November. In 2005 when the School became independent the project was renamed Project Phoenix.

Such has been the popularity of these sessions that Kai-Chi Nick Pitman, who is disabled himself, decided to formalise the training and set about researching and implementing a way of introducing martial arts for the disabled.

In November 2007 Tyrone Nicholson became the first disabled student to attend able-bodied aikido classes and a permanent Aikido for the Disabled class was included in the School’s curriculum in 2008. There is work underway to formally create the Jersey Association for Disability Martial Arts later in 2008.