…Senior Military Adviser to the Great Eastern Army

[DarkPhoenix]

Is he Japanese? To me he looks caucasian. The reason I'm wondering is the unbroken bloodline going back over 1200 years.

He's about as Japanese as I am. His wife Olga is the second in command.

[Gezere]

Saigo ha Daito Ryu Aikibujutsu - Menkyo Kaiden (which does NOT equal successor)???
Saigo ha Katabami Ryu JJ - Headmaster/Head family????

For it to be Saigo ha that would mean there is someone named Saigo who started this particular line but I can't find any info on it or the Katabami school period outside of this guys affiliated sites.

Just an FYI I have found nothing saying he is a JKA Judan.

[judoka_uk]

Is he Japanese? To me he looks caucasian. The reason I'm wondering is the unbroken bloodline going back over 1200 years.

I think that's a misreading I don't think he's claiming to be a blood descendant rather that there is an unbroken lineage going back to the bloodline of the system founder and the Emperor.

Like this:
http://www.ajjif.org/ajjif_executive_branch/lineage

He has a Russian name and sounds like he has a Russian accent when speaking in the videos.

[Rock Ape]

Saigo-ha is an invention of a westerner, I forget the name but it's all associated with Halls of fame, World Soke Councils and dan grade/title circle-jerking.

Saigo-ha is no more Japanese than Katabami Ryu.

Edit:

The "offical" homepage of Saigo-ha:

http://webspace.webring.com/people/xu/um_2705/main.html

Headed by a 9th dan westerner by the name of John Williams

[Gezere]

Saigo-ha is an invention of a westerner, I forget the name but it's all associated with Halls of fame, World Soke Councils and dan grade/title circle-jerking.

Saigo-ha is no more Japanese than Katabami Ryu.

I figured as much.

[Rock Ape]

Interesting how there seems to be more than one "headmaster" of Saigo-ha.

Here : Taken from the Kunin website

[Rock Ape]

And how Kunin describes himself with regard to Saigo Ha.

[Rock Ape]

Notice how what should be the Japanese method of writing "Ju Jutsu" is actually "jiu-Jitsu" this indicates to me there's an intentional misleading because in my experience, no Japanese budoka would use that term to describe Daito Ryu.

[Sisyphus]

Damn!

I always have read that Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto-ryu was considered the oldest, legitimate, validated lineage within koryu bujutsu circles - founded during the mid-1400s.

What else haven’t I been told?

Oh wait – maybe the above qualifiers answers the question.

[Rock Ape]

Yes, even those pesky ninjers are in there some where as well !