Our history
The Club was founded by Sensei Reg Stone in 1968 and has operated as a friendly, family run club for over 50 years.
Originally established as a Judo Club (Atlantic Judo Club), the Club’s first dojo (place of training) was at the Atlantic Social Club on Wright Street in Broadheath, Altrincham. The Club continued to train at this location until the early 1990s, when the Social Club was demolished to make way for a Retail Park.
The Club relocated to the Dawson Road Scout Hut and trained there for a number of years before moving to our current location – Lyburn Hall Scout Hut, Brook Close Timperley in 2004.
Sensei Reg was graded to Judo Black Belt (1st Dan) by Sensei Akinori Hosaka in 1968 and the Atlantic Judo Club was affiliated to the British Judo Council (BJC) from 1973.
Sensei Reg continued to grade in Judo until 1998 when he was awarded his 4th Dan. In parallel with his Judo training, Sensei Reg also trained in Aikido under Kolesnikov and traditional Japanese Ju Jitsu under Professor Clarke, Professor Hodgson (British Ju Jitsu Association), Senseis Hughes and O’Connor (Nippon-Dia-Budo-Kai) and Sensei David Hand (Bushi Kempo Ju Jitsu).
In 1992, Sensei Reg was awarded his Black Belt 1st Dan in Bushi Kempo Ju Jitsu. At this time the Club was re-branded as a Martial Arts Club (Atlantic Martial Arts) and the Club’s focus moved from the sport of Judo to more traditional martial arts and self-defence.
The Club’s unique style, developed by Sensei Reg, is a mixture of Ju Jitsu and Aikido with a strong influence from the grappling, throwing and submission techniques of Judo.
Atlantic Martial Arts Club is affiliated to the Bushi Kempo Ju Jitsu Association and Sensei Reg continued to grade with the Association and teach at National Seminars until he achieved the grade of 7th Dan in Ju Jitsu in 2019.
Now in his 80s – Sensei Reg no longer actively trains, but remains the Club Leader, Head Sensei and respected figurehead of the Club.
The role of Chief Instructor has now been passed to Sensei Reg’s oldest son (Sensei Chris – Ju Jitsu 6th Dan).
