10th February 1939 – 12th July 2010.
He sadly passed away at 71.
Kancho Barry Bradshaw, 10th Dan, Chief Instructor of Australian Federation of instructors, was a husband, father, grandfather, Hanshi Ian Pollet’s Mentor and much loved friend.
Grand Master, Professor “Brad” Bradshaw, was the Founder, Director and Principal of the Australian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo & Chinese Boxing Federation of Instructors and Executive of the Australian Shihan Kai. Professor Bradshaw begun training in the martial arts in 1946. He has built a strong reputation nationally and internationally as an excellent martial artist and teacher. He achieved the ranks of Grand Master 10th Degree black belt in Jiu-jitsu, and Senior Professor, 9th Dan, in Judo and Chinese Boxing (Kung Fu), 6th Dan in Judo-do & Ido, and 1st Dan in Shotokan Karate. He was a Golden Gloves boxing champion and was highly experienced in the use of a variety of weapons including sword, jo and bo.
Professor Bradshaw was a student and disciple of Master Wally Strauss, 10th Dan (1908-1987),who was one of the pioneers of Judo & Jiu-jitsu in Australia. From 1968 until the 1980’s Professor was also a teacher for the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne and remains a life member of this organization. He has also been an affiliated member of the World Jujitsu Federation with the late Jan de-Jong, Jujitsu America with Wally Jay, Canadian Jiu-jitsu Association with Ron Forrester, the American Teachers Association of the Martial Arts with the late Duke Moore (being recognized as a 9th Dan Senior Professor, and was given a lifetime achievement award with ATAMA) and, the International Association of Martial Arts with Gary Alexander.
In 1966 he assumed the role of Australasian First Vice-President to the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame, which is affiliated with the World Karate Union Hall of Fame, and in 1997 he was voted in and appointed Chairman of the Australasian Sokeship Council which was a lifetime appointment. The Professor was also a Government appointed Member (one of six) on the Martial Arts Board of the State of Victoria, following a lengthy selection process of over 100 short-listed applicants. The Board was a governing body appointed by the State government to oversee and supervise all martial arts activities as related to the Martial Arts Control Act 1986, an appointment position that was renewed, unopposed, until the dissolution of the Board in 1996.
Professor began his training back in 1946 with Chinese Boxing (Kung Fu) at the Young Chinese League, and the Chinese Church of Christ. In 1950 he received his first Jiu-Jitsu lessons from Sensei Aubrey Bailey. Not long after, he took part in the “gold belt championship”, held for all Judo Jiu-Jitsu Academies in the area, representing Stennings Gymnasium and he claimed the prize. This was quite an achievement for a novice student. Master Wallace Strauss noticed this “heady”: young, brash stalwart, with a certain kind of aura, and he invited the young Professor, with his instructor’s insistence, to train at his own (Strauss;) dojo. Brad, as he was known in martial arts circles, took up the offer and stayed with Wally for more than thirty years as his personal disciple.
The 1960’s and 1970’s saw the Professor’s organization and teaching skills at work. He not only established numerous Academies, but he also displayed outstanding executive and managerial skills on behalf of Australian martial artists and the martial arts in Australia. With years of experience, the Professor saw the Hung Juan style of Kung Fu as a perfect blend and adjunct to the self-defence style of Jiu-Jitsu and Judo that he taught. This was a dream not shared by Master Strauss, however, who preferred Shotokan Karate to Chinese Boxing. This remained a heated point of debate for some time between the two Masters, until the Professor was granted permission by Master Strauss to develop this concept further in the late 1970’s. However, Master Strauss did not anticipate the successful merging of the three styles of Martial Arts. It was a success that boomed in 1981 where the Australian Federation of Instructors, teaching the three disciplines of Jiu-Jitsu, Judo and Chinese Boxing (Kung Fu), was officially founded as an independent organisation under Professor Bradshaw’s guidance. The Australian Federation of Instructors was the creation of a dream, as seen by Professor Bradshaw, providing a total self-defence program for his students.
Professor travelled extensively teaching Jiu-Jitsu and Taijitsu to Academies in Hong Kong, Taipei and China as visiting Instructor (and Technical Director, representative of Jiu-Jitsu and Taijitsu for the Australian Federation of Instructors) and running seminars and clinics for late Andy Lin (Andersen E K Lin) Executive Director, ROC Judo Association, Chung Shan District, Taipei, teaching Jiu-Jitsu and Taijitsu to Academies in Hong Kong and outlying areas of China, as well as giving lectures and advice to members of these Academies. Chinese Boxing was also represented in these lecture tours where the Professor had to demonstrate his skills firsthand against weapons before being allowed to enter the temples and training schools. Together with several of his black belt students, Professor also represented his country at Jujitsu America’s 14th Annual Hawaiian Convention in 1992. He has also run regular tours throughout New Zealand and Australia, sharing his skills and experience wherever possible.
