New Zealand Ju-Jitsu Federation
Outstanding Service
Hans van Ess—Presented at Auckland, 25 September, 2004
Hans van Ess Outstanding Service Award
Hans arrived from Holland in 1961 having trained under such greats as Jaap Nauwelaerts d'Agé (9th Dan), Gé Koning (9th Dan) and Anton Geesink (10th Dan). In 1962 he set up the NZ Judo College in central Auckland and began teaching the Kawaishi system of judo and ju-jitsu.
Hans helped found the NZ Jiu Jitsu Association in 1968 and in 1974 became Match Controller for the fledgling tournament scene, establishing a referees' and judges' course the following year. He remained active in the NZJJA until his retirement in 1996, by that time having achieved the rank of 7th Dan.
Today more than half of all clubs in New Zealand have been affected by Han's contributions. Among the notables to have trained under Hans are Gary Trail, Laurie Olliver, Jack Bailey, Ivan Gale, Steve Heremaia, Bruce Wilson, Dave Butler, Rob Powley, Baret Patel and George Taka.
Gary Trail —Presented at Auckland, 14 May 2005
Gary Trail Outstanding Service Award
Gary Trail joined the NZ Judo College in central Auckland in 1966, initially learning judo under Henk Broewer, and a year later begining studies in Kawaishi Nihon Goshin Jutsu with Hans van Ess (7th Dan). In March 1971 Gary was graded to sho-dan (1st degree) and began running the College's ju jitsu classes, taking over the full management of the College in 1972. That year Gary's club amalgamated with Steve Heremaia's Rongo School of Jiu Jitsu and Ivan Gale's two NZ Jiu Jitsu Association clubs to reform the NZJJA (previously formed in 1968) and Gary took over the organisation's chairmanship.
In 1976 Gary left Auckland for Ruakaka where he opened the Bream Bay Jiu Jitsu Kai and in 1986 he shifted further north to Houhora, teaching under the NZJJA banner until 1997 when he allowed himself to fade from the NZJJA scene and began to focus more on his own club which he renamed the Southern Cross Jiu Jitsu Society. In 1985 Gary was made a life member of the NZJJA; in total he spent thirteen years as a NZJJA committee member, including eleven years as chairman.
Currently Gary holds the grade of roku-dan (6th degree) and is this country's foremost expert in the Kawaishi method as first introduced to New Zealand. He is a fine historian and his "The History of Jiu Jitsu and its Counterparts" is a sound and interesting book.
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