HISTORY
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Richard Behrens Shihan
in the mid 1900's, after studying various Japanese martial arts and disciplines, Richard Behrens Shihan felt that something was missing. Every martial art had its benefits. Some focused on grappling, some on toe-toe fighting, some on projections or throws, etc. He believed that if you combined some of these styles, you could come out with one all encompassing martial art. On top of this, the main focus was to be full contact training dealing with realistic attacks and a strict adherence to Zen meditation. He named his mixed martial art style "Senso-Ryu". He felt that the term "Senso" or "war" was appropriate because of the aggressive nature of the system.
Behrens Shihan was not the first, nor the last, person to combine or modify other martial arts to create one single system. Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu were created the exact same way. What set Senso-Ryu apart from some those other arts was the aggressive style of training, only adults were accepted as students, and the focus on Zen meditation for dealing with the physiological effects of extreme violence.
Behrens Shihan was not the first, nor the last, person to combine or modify other martial arts to create one single system. Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu were created the exact same way. What set Senso-Ryu apart from some those other arts was the aggressive style of training, only adults were accepted as students, and the focus on Zen meditation for dealing with the physiological effects of extreme violence.
Behrens Shihan began teaching in New York City in the 1960's. During this time he taught people from all walks of life including many members of the NYC Police Dept. In 1979 he moved to South Florida and continued teaching. In 1983, Ted Hanulak Sensei, with plans of becoming a police officer, began his studies under Behrens Shihan, training for 9 years.
In 1992, Hanulak Sensei began teaching in south Florida, eventually moving to Indianapolis, Indiana where he continues to teach at the Sensokan Dojo Indianapolis. Hanulak Sensei has been teaching for 30 years as of 2022.
Senso-Ryu is an extremely effective martial art of self-defense, particularly for use in police work. Many involved in studying and teaching the art of Senso-Ryu over the decades have been in law enforcement all around the Untited States. Senso-Ryu is a "gendai Bujutsu" or modern style of martial art that is taught in an old school fashion.
Below is a brief general explanation for the arts that are part of Senso-Ryu:
JUJUTSU - 柔術
"Ju" can be translated as "gentle, soft, supple, flexible, pliable, or yielding", and "jutsu" can be translated as "art or technique". "Jujutsu" thus has the meaning of "yielding-art", as its core philosophy is to manipulate the opponent's force against themself rather than confronting it with one's own force. Jujutsu developed to combat the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no form of weapon. Because striking against an armored opponent proved ineffective, practitioners learned that the most efficient methods for neutralizing an enemy took the form of pins, joint locks, and throws. These techniques were developed around the principle of using an attacker's energy against them, rather than directly opposing it.
AIKI-JUJUTSU - 合気柔術
Aiki-jujutsu can be broken into three styles: jujutsu (hard); aiki no jutsu (soft); and the combined aiki-jujutsu (hard/soft). Modern Japanese jujutsu and Aikido both originated in Aiki-jujutsu, which emphasizes "an early neutralization of an attack".
Like other forms of jujutsu, it emphasizes throwing techniques and joint manipulations to effectively subdue or injure an attacker. Of particular importance is the timing of a defensive technique either to blend or to neutralize an attack's effectiveness and to use the force of the attacker's movement against him. Aiki-jujutsu is characterized by ample use of atemi, or the striking of vital areas, to set up jointlocking or throwing tactics.
KENJUTSU - 剣 術
Kenjutsu is an umbrella term for all schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration. Some modern styles of kendo and iaido that were established in the 20th century also included modern forms of kenjutsu in their curriculum. Kenjutsu, which originated with the samurai class of feudal Japan, means "methods, techniques, and the art of the Japanese sword".
Traditional Kenjutsu is practiced with "bokken" or wooden sword. Training includes kata (pre-arranged movements) and in some schools such as the Sensokan Dojo, free style multiple attack practice at the higher levels.