Thursday, March 29, 2007
Just checked the Saratoga Martial Arts Festival site, in preparation for attending this weekend, and found the news that Sensei Jim Tirey passed away last week, at age 54.
When I attended SMAF in 2004, I took Sensei Tirey's seminar on aikijujitsu self-defense techniques partly because I was interested in the subject and partly because I don't believe I was particularly interested in the other options during that time slot. I was a bit worried at first, because Sensei Tirey did not look all that impressive - he was older, dressed in black sweats, didn't look to be in great shape, and seemed fairly unassuming. And in that seminar I re-learned a valuable lesson about judging by appearances, because it was one of the best sessions I did all weekend. Sensei Tirey not only knew his stuff backwards and forwards but he was also a fantastic teacher who made his techniques accessible to someone without much experience in aikido or jujutsu and made his seminar fun and exciting. I had a blast, and I hoped to some day do another seminar with him, possibly at this year's SMAF.
Now that won't be possible. And it is definitely my loss, and a loss to all those who might have learned from him.
Checking around a bit, it appears he was something of a legend in Special Ops and had a long and impressive career in the military, in addition to his extensive training in a variety of martial arts. Here's his bio, written up for SMAF 2004:
A student of martial arts for more than 20 years, Sensei Tirey has studied boxing, Shotokan Karate, Kuk Sool Won, Hapkido, Military Hand to Hand Combat, Icho Yama Ryu Aikijujutsu, Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai, and Full Contact Martial Arts. Retired from the US Army, he is a graduate of the Infantry Officer’s Basic and Advanced Courses, Command and General Staff College, US Army War College, Airborne School, Ranger School, Special Forces Qualification Course, Special Operations Training Course, French Army Commando School, and the Naval Special Warfare Military Freefall School. He had active service in the Persian Gulf, Desert Storm, Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe in Special Operations Units. Sensei Tirey is privileged to be studying Icho Yama Ryu Aikijujutsu under Dave Lamond Sensei; Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu Kodokai under Kiyama Shihan, Roy Goldberg Sensei and Dave Lamond Sensei; and Full Contact Martial Arts under Doctor Dave Wink. (courtesy of SMAF 2004)Rest in peace, Sensei Tirey. There is no question in my mind that you will be missed.
Sensei Jim Tirey in 2004 (photo courtesy of SMAF 2004)
JMH
