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Selected
Credentials from Shihan Paul Arel’s Martial
Arts Biography
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Titles:
 International
Director/ Chief Instructor, International
Kokondo Association (IKA)
Founder,
International Karate & Jukido
Academies, Inc. (IKJA)
Chief
Instructor, Jukido & Kokondo
Yudanshakai (Black Belt Association)
Founding
Member, New England Martial Arts
Committee (NEMAC)
Member/Instructor,
Sub-Committee for Law Enforcement &
Crime Prevention (CDAP)
Advisor/Instructor,
Regional Police Self-Defense Association
Member,
New England Black Belt Hall of Fame
(Inducted in April, 1991)
| Author, Sankosho-
A Guide to Kokondo Karate &
Jukido (1989), |
Jukido
Jujitsu: The Realistic Ryu (1994);
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Time Line:
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1950 |
Began
studying Sanzyu-ryu Jujitsu with Sudo
Sensei, Fitchburg, MA |
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1952-1957 |
Taught
Jujitsu in New England. One of the first
occidental black belts in the U.S.. |
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1957-1959 |
Full-time
U.S. Marine. First stationed at Camp
Lejeune, North Carolina and then
throughout East Asia, including an
extended stay in Japan.
Some of the major systems studied
formally (and through free exchange
workouts) in these years include:
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Isshin-Ryu
Karate-Do (Don
Nagle) |
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Kodokan Judo (Ernie
Kates, Kodokan Judo Institute) |
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several Jujitsu
ryu |
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Sankata
Karate-jitsu (H.
Ishikawa) |
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various
Kobudo ryu |
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Aikijutsu |
While in the Marines, Mr. Arel worked as
a bouncer both on and off base in
Jacksonville, North Carolina. He was a
primary instructor of armed and unarmed
combat with the Fleet Marines (Force
Troops) and with several international
Special Tactics Law Enforcement
organizations. This time period presented
unique opportunities for learning and
exchange of martial arts techniques in
dojo around the world, as well as
real-life testing of all techniques in
many dangerous situations. He retained
techniques from a variety of traditional
ryu, and discarded those methods that
were not consistently effective. None of
Sudo’s Sensei Jujitsu techniques
were abandoned.
During this time period, Mr. Arel also
competed extensively and successfully in
both Judo and Karate shiai (tournaments).
While he found these events to be both
fun and informative, the most important
lesson he learned was that consistent
practice of martial arts for sport, where
there are rules and regulations, is
detrimental to one’s advanced
development of core self-defense reaction
time, versatility and overall fighting
effectiveness.
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1959 |
Honorably
discharged from United States Marine
Corps. Returned to Hartford where he
opened the Connecticut Judo Academy and
the state’s first karate school,
Karate, Inc. The style he taught was
Sankata Karate and the dojo was a member
of the International Sankata Karate
Federation.
Mr. Arel also founded Jukido Jujitsu in
1959.
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1962 |
Invited
to bring his top students to a special
clinic taught by Kyokushinkai Karate-do
founder Masutatsu Oyama in New York City.
Oyama personally invited Mr. Arel to
affiliate with the Kyokushinkai-kan as
his direct student. He became one of the
first official Kyokushinkai Branch Chiefs
in the United States. |
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November,
1962 |
Sensei
Arel authored the rules for the First
North American Karate Championships held
at Madison Square Garden. He also served
as a senior referee with Peter Urban
(Goju Ryu) and Don Nagle, including the
final match won by Gary Alexander, an
Isshin Ryu stylist and fellow Marine from
New Jersey. Mr. Arel demonstrated
disarming techniques at the United
States’ famous first tournament, and
then performed on Johnny Carson’s
Tonight Show with one of his young CT
karate black belts and Mas Oyama. |
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1963 |
Hosted
the First New England Karate
Championships at the Bushnell Memorial in
Hartford, CT. The Senior referees
included Don Nagle, Gary Alexander, Henry
Cho and Paul Arel. |
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1965 |
Hosted
the Second North American Karate
Championships at the Bushnell Memorial in
Hartford, CT for which Mas Oyama served
as the honored guest and Chief Referee.
Other officials and demonstrators
included Koichi Tohei (Aikikai Aikido);
Maung Gyi (Bando); & Bobby Lowe
(Kyokushinkai Hawaii). Prior to the
tournament, Oyama Sensei conducted a
large seminar in New Bedford, MA attended
by many of the early American karate
pioneers and hosted by Mr. Arel’s
black belt student, David Shuster.
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1966 |
Hosted
the First Inter-Collegiate Karate
Championships in New Britain, CT. |
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1970
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Resigned
from the Kyokushinkai-kan. Founded
Kokondo Karate and formed the
International Kokondo Karate Association
(IKKA), later renamed the International
Kokondo Association (IKA) in 1983. The
IKA includes both Kokondo Karate and
Jukido Jujitsu under its umbrella. With
its largest student bases in the
Northeast and the West Coast, IKA sensei
have operated dojo in 25 states as well
as in the Philippines, Spain, Portugal,
England, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong,
Central America and Finland.
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1989 |
Taught
the First National Kokondo Seminar at
Eastern Connecticut State University,
bringing together for the first time
Kokondo students and sensei from all
areas of the United States. After this
seminar’s great success, Shihan Arel
commits to make this an annual event
available to all IKA members. |
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1993 |
Held
the 5th National Kokondo Seminar at
Brandeis University, hosted by the
Brandeis Kokondo Academy.
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1996 |
Special
guest instructor at the National Summer
Karate Camp in Finland. This event
strengthened the international bonds
between Finland’s large and
successful Kokondo Karate program and the
IKA Hombu, greatly enhancing
Kokondo’s presence in the
international martial arts scene.
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1998 |
After
48 years of full-time devotion to the
international development of traditional
martial arts, Shihan Paul Arel is awarded
the rank of Judan- 10th Degree Black Belt
at the 10th annual Kokondo Nationals in
Seattle, WA.
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1999 |
July
29-August 1—The first International
Kokondo Seminar will be held in New
London, CT. |
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