The Story of Yoshitsune Jujutsu
 Junji Saito, founder of the Yoshitsune
Jujutsu system, moved to
the United States in 1960. He had been a reporter for a Japanese
newspaper and was assigned to London, England some years prior to
Lloyd George becoming prime minister of England. Saito after
being disappointed with Kodokan Judo first trained with an 86 year
old Jigen Ryu master who taught him their form of Jujutsu. He
later trained with his long time childhood friend, Ryuho Okuyama,
the founder of Hakko Ryu and he eventually became the highest rank
possible in that system, Shihan Menkyo Kaiden
Michael DePasquale Sr. met his teacher, Junji Saito for the first
time in January of
1960. At the time Mr. DePasquale Sr. was employed as a railroad
police officer. One night while he was traveling
to the Pennsylvania Station, NY to pick up work papers related
to freight thefts, he chanced to meet his future teacher for the
first time. Saito Sensei had just arrived at the station himself
from Philadelphia.
Saito Sensei can be described being very small in stature, 5 feet
tall and very slender with a full head of white hair. Saito
Sensei was not very strong looking, was very soft spoken and wore
wire framed glasses. This all added to his appearance and the
impression one got when meeting him for the first time. Shihan
DePasquale Sr. described Saito Sensei as having ability far superior
to anyone he had ever met, and that his ability was to teach was unsurpassed! He
had a way about him to make people listen attentively and understand
as he passed on his martial arts knowledge.
Soon after arriving in the United States Saito Sensei took all of
his favorite techniques from the systems he had studied and combined
them into a system that became known as Yoshitsune Jujutsu. His
thought was these techniques were more suited to the larger physique
and self defense needs of Americans. In addition, Saito Sensei
transmitted the Hepi Ryu system of Bo Jutsu at the Yoshitsune Dojo.
Michael DePasquale Sr. founded the Yoshitsune Dojo in 1961. He
trained in and taught traditional,  authentic
Japanese Jujutsu for more than half a century, and was commissioned
as Shihan ("master
instructor") in Hakko
Ryu Jujutsu by Soke Ryuho Okuyama of Omiya,
Japan. DePasquale’s principal instructor for more than
26 years was Junji Saito, a Shihan Menkyo Kaiden (master instructor
with all of the style's secrets). In 1964, Shihan DePasquale performed
Jujutsu demonstrations at the Japanese Pavilion of the New York
World's Fair.
Upon Junji Saito’s passing in 1988, Michael DePasquale Sr.
became the headmaster of the Yoshitsune Jujutsu system. Shihan
DePasquale is regarded by many to be the father of American Jujutsu
who started his Jujutsu training in 1944 while a member of the CID
Division in the US Army. He received numerous awards and distinctions
during his life time including his induction into the Black Belt Hall
of Fame, Jujutsu America’s Hall of Fame and was the recipient
of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Black Belt Magazine.
He remained Yoshitsune Jujutsu’s headmaster until his passing
in October, 2006. His son, Michael DePasquale Jr. is now the
headmaster. Michael Jr started his training under his father’s
guidance at the age of 6 and has been awarded numerous awards and
distinctions as well, with over 60 differe nt
awards from members of his peers, Jujutsu America’s Hall of
Fame, Battle of Atlanta Hall of Fame, Blue Grass Grand National Hall
of Fame and many others. He has published 3 different magazines, his
last one being Karate International Magazine, as well as 8 different
books his first one being Simon and Schuster’s 1977 Monarch
Illustrated Guide to Ju-Jitsu. He is till this day a sought out seminar
leader teaching the Combat and Traditional Yoshitsune Ju-Jitsu that
was taught to him buy his late father.
East Coast Grandmaster Michael DePasquale, Sr. Receives Lifetime Achievement Hall of Fame Award fromWorld Renound Black Belt Magazine.
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