After 2 hours of rigorous testing, Dawud, Doug, and Omar passed the yellow belt test in the Laughing River Jujitsu system. Congratulations!

Dawud demonstrating Laughing River Jujitsu Kata 16: Changing Height
Whenever you get up or go down you’re in a very vulnerable position. Fights often ends when you’re taken to the ground. The Laughing River Jujitsu system kata 16 gets you to be stable as you descend and ascend so you’re not vulnerable to attacks.

Doug demonstrating Laughing River Jujitsu Kata 16 application: Attack While Changing Height
You can be balanced and ready at every point while under attack.

Doug demonstrating Laughing River Jujitsu Sitting Horse form
A attack does no damage if you’re not there to be hit. Laughing River Sitting Horse show the economy of evading attacks without taking a single step.

Omar demonstrating Laughing River Jujitsu Sitting Horse application
Sitting Horse form gets you in tune with the attacker. The Laughing River Jujitsu system trains your response so that you sense the attack even before the attacker strikes.

Dawud and Omar playing the Laughing River Jujitsu PUSH PULL GAME
The object of the game is to take the other person off balance. You start off by planting your feet down in a fixed position. The goal is to stay planted in that position while trying to get the other person to take a step. In the Laughing River Jujitsu system, size doesn’t matter. A person of smaller stature can uproot a bigger or taller person. The Push Pull Game is a fundamental exercise in the Laughing River System. It’s a fun way to train your balance and equilibrium—a basic principle in self-protection.

For more information on Jujitsu classes, email info@thelaughingriver.com or call 718-397-9111.

When did you first take interest in the martial arts?

In 1971 when as a 10-year-old child, I watched Bruce Lee as Kato in the TV series, The Green Hornet. I thought wow! He is so magnificent, and I wanted to move like him. It was his intensity, focus, and concentration that I admired most. I also wanted to know how to protect myself.

Who was your first teacher?

At age eleven it was to my good fortune to learn that a man name Richard Lazarus was teaching Ju-jitsu in my hometown of Bay Shore, Long Island. He was a New York City detective. His dojo was an extension to his home. He treated his students like family.

How long did you study Jujitsu with Sensei Lazarus?

I studied Jujitsu with him for about eight years. Studying martial arts with Sensei Lazarus was just what I needed as a young man. His lessons were very challenging. We would work out for hours with puddles of sweat pooling around our feet. While in zenkutsu or kiba stances we often had to grip the floor with our toes just to keep from slipping and sliding in the puddles. By age 14, Sensei Lazarus awarded me my first black belt. I continued my studies with him until I went away to college in 1978.