Description
The first jujutsu dojo in the United Kingdom, established by Sadakazu Uyenishi
in 1903 at 31 Golden Square, Piccadilly Circus, London. Uyenishi taught jujutsu,
performed demonstrations and took on challengers here for four years, including
classes for the British Army and women's self-defence classes. He left the
school in the charge of his senior student William Garrud when he returned to
Japan in late 1908; it continued through the Garruds and influenced the
politicisation of jujutsu as women's self-defence. The building was
demolished by 1930.
Also known as
Golden Square Dojo
Locations (1)
-
location_onLondon
31 Golden Square, Piccadilly Circus, London
warning
No sources cited
Instructors (5)
-
Uyenishi Sadakazu
Head instructor
1903 – 1908
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
A journal article and Wikipedia agree.
“by 1903 he had established his own dojo, the School of Japanese Self Defence,
at 31 Golden Square, Piccadilly Circus”
— Sadakazu Uyenishi - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)link
history
info
“In 1903, Sadakazu Uyenishi established a jujutsu dojo on Golden Square,
Piccadilly Circus.”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
-
Gunji Koizumi
Instructor
1906
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
expand_more
“Another Japanese instructor, Gunji Koizumi, would also teach at the Golden
Square Dojo in 1906”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
-
William Garrud
Head instructor
1908 – 1925
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
A journal article and Wikipedia agree.
“before leaving the U.K. Uyenishi passed control of the Golden Square Dojo to
his students, William and Edith Garrud”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“William and Edith continued to run the Golden Square dojo as owners and
instructors until 1925 when they retired from teaching.”
-
Edith Garrud
Instructor
1908 – 1925
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
A journal article and Wikipedia agree.
“William would teach the men and Edith the women and children's classes.”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“Edith Garrud continued giving lessons to women and children while William
taught the men.”
-
Trained here (4)
-
Edith Garrud
under
Uyenishi Sadakazu
(1903 – 1908)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Wikipedia states the Garruds studied under Uyenishi, initially at the Bartitsu
club; Brough (2020) records they were students of Uyenishi and that he passed
control of the Golden Square dojo to them on his departure;
Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state they were originally trained by Uyenishi Sadakazu.
“The Garruds trained under the school's jujutsu instructors Yukio Tani and
Sadakazu Uyenishi [...] After the Bartitsu school closed in 1902, the Garruds
continued training under Uyenishi at his own Golden Square Dojo”
“Husband and wife, William and Edith Garrud, had been students of Uyenishi,
initially at the Bartitsu club, and then at the Golden Square Dojo”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“Garrud and her husband William were originally trained by Uyenishi Sadakazu”
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
link
info
under
Tani Yukio
(1903 – 1908)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Wikipedia states explicitly that the Garruds trained under the jujutsu
instructors Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi at the Bartitsu School of Arms and
continued under Uyenishi at Golden Square; corroborated by Brough (2020).
“The Garruds trained under the school's jujutsu instructors Yukio Tani and
Sadakazu Uyenishi [...] After the Bartitsu school closed in 1902, the Garruds
continued training under Uyenishi at his own Golden Square Dojo”
“While training at the Golden Square Dojo the Garruds trained with the best
instructors of the time including Uyenishi, Tani, Taro Miyake, Mitsuyo Maeda,
and Akitaro Ohno”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“Garrud and her husband William were originally trained by Uyenishi Sadakazu”
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
link
info
-
Emily Diana Watts
under
Uyenishi Sadakazu
(1903 – 1906)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
By 1903 Watts joined the Golden Square dojo run by Sadakazu Uyenishi and Akitaro
Ono in Piccadilly; both Wikipedia and Brough (2020) state she joined in 1903.
“By 1903 Watts had developed a strong interest in jujitsu and joined the Golden
Square dojo of Sadakazu Uyenishi and Akitaro Ono.”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Emily Diana Watts -
Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link
history
info
“Emily Diana Watts had also joined the Golden Square dojo in 1903 and in 1906
wrote The Fine Art of Jujitsu.”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“Watts (ca. 1865–?) had trained with Sadakazu Uyenishi (1880–?), one of several
jujutsu practitioners whom Barton-Wright had brought to England in 1900, and his
student William Garrud (dates unknown).”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
-
Phoebe Roberts
under
Uyenishi Sadakazu
(1903 – 1907)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Joined Uyenishi's Golden Square School in 1903 and was promoted to
instructor within a year; Callan/Heffernan/Spenn explicitly describe Tani and
Uyenishi as her teachers. Corroborated by Brough (2020).
“By that time Roberts had joined the Golden Square School of Jujutsu, in
Piccadilly, which was run by Uyenishi Sadakazu (aka Raku) [...] As one of the
earliest female members, Roberts was a pioneer. Owing to her proficiency and
marketing appeal as an Englishwoman, Roberts was promoted to an instructor
within a year of training.”
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
link
info
“An early notable female student was Phoebe Roberts. Roberts joined the Golden
Square dojo age 16 years old, and she was promoted to instructor within a year”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
under
Tani Yukio
(1904 – 1908)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state Roberts performed alongside her teachers, naming
Tani and Uyenishi, and that Tani taught at the Golden Square School from 1904.
Her later 'ladies instructor' role at Tani's Japanese School of
Ju-Jitsu corroborates the relationship.
“By December 1904, Roberts was performing alongside her teachers. Both Tani and
Uyenishi gave a demonstration at Caxton Hall along with Miss Roberts and another
expert, Emily Watts.”
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
link
info
alt_routeIndirect
“Sandow's Magazine recounted another demonstration, this time at the
Marlborough Hall, Regent Street, featuring Roberts alongside Messrs Kanaya,
Tani, Maiyake, Huji, and Eida [...] Roberts appeared in Sporting Life in 1906,
along with Miyake, Hirano, Yamashita, and Omura, demonstrating at the
headquarters of the Japanese School of Ju-jitsu on Oxford Street.”
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
link
info
-
William Garrud
under
Uyenishi Sadakazu
(1903 – 1908)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
expand_more
fact_check
Garrud was Uyenishi's senior student, took over the Golden Square dojo on
his departure, and dedicated The Complete Jujitsuan to Uyenishi. Attested by
Wikipedia, Brough (2020) and Garrud's own book.
“They studied under Japanese jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi
[...] When Uyenishi left for Japan in 1908 Garrud took over Uyenishi's
dojo.”
“Following Uyenishi's tour of Europe, he returned to Osaka where sometime
later he died of tuberculosis [Bowen 2011a]. However, before leaving the U.K.
Uyenishi passed control of the Golden Square Dojo to his students, William and
Edith Garrud.”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“Within the book William Garrud pens a dedication 'To my trainer Professor
S.K. Uyenishi "Raku"'”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
under
Tani Yukio
(1903 – 1908)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
expand_more
fact_check
English Wikipedia states explicitly that the Garruds studied under Japanese
jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi; corroborated by Brough (2020).
“They studied under Japanese jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi
and later opened their own London dojo.”
“While training at the Golden Square Dojo the Garruds trained with the best
instructors of the time including Uyenishi, Tani, Taro Miyake, Mitsuyo Maeda,
and Akitaro Ohno”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
Tags
jujutsu · historical
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). School of Japanese Self Defence. In
Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database.
https://martial.is/entity/01M06FKBQ1K6KP86BRFQR0JB7G - CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed
ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01M06FKBQ1K6KP86BRFQR0JB7G, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {School of Japanese Self Defence}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database}, year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01M06FKBQ1K6KP86BRFQR0JB7G}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
https://martial.is/entity/01M06FKBQ1K6KP86BRFQR0JB7G
Database content on this page is CC BY-SA 4.0;
the database right is separately reserved. Licensing