Martial Arts Biography - Jody Perry

When I first started High School I ran around with some guys that liked to fight. Actually it was a carry-over from Jr. High School. I remember having to live up to my older brothers reputation - tuff, part crazy and not afraid to fight anybody. My friends were all pretty well known for their fighting abilities, and must of them had big brothers, usually two to three years older than us. So my friends and I had that ace in the hole, if anybody beat us up, they had to deal with one of our older brothers.

During my freshmen year, trying to be "Cool" and keep in good with my peers, I hung out with a group of people that smoked at the back of the school and stayed just on the borderline of dropping out or being kicked out of school.

One day a friend of mine that also hung out with us, joined the wrestling team at school and spent the whole freshmen year trying to talk me into trying out for the team. But I was "too cool." I kept telling him that wrestling was crazy and that I would never join because it wasn't "cool."
When our sophomore year began, again my friend started on me to join the wrestling team. I did have a new mind-set about school after my freshmen year: And I did see that hanging out with the crowd I was with was not going to get me anything but in trouble. I also started thinking that I wanted to have more to show for high school then a fat lip, black eyes, and missing teeth from fighting. So agreed to try wrestling for "just one practice." I told my friend that I would try it once, and if I didn't like it, he had to leave me alone and never talk about wrestling again. As it turned out, to this day- I have not stopped wrestling.

Wrestling in high school has to be one of the most influential times of my life. I believe that wrestling not only helped me get through school, but it opened up doors to my mind, heart, soul, and imagination. I'll never forget my first wrestling meet; it was at home and we were down to the last match when the captain of our team dislocated his shoulder.I remember the coach walking onto the mat to consult the captain that was in a lot of pain. After some hand gestures and head shaking one of the coaches held the captain while the other coach jerked and popped his shoulder back into place. Then the match continued. The two wrestlers battled on initiating move, after move, one person gaining control then the other winning it back. Then a scream and the match was stopped again. The captain's shoulder was out again. The score was in our favor by two points and the two wrestlers still had two minutes to go. Because our captain was hurt, he could have forfeited the match, but we would have lost the meet. Again the coaches approached the mat, and again arms were waving and heads were shaking. Then again, the coaches secured our captain and popped his shoulder back into place. By now me, and everyone in the stands are dying just thinking about the pain. The match went on. With 30 seconds left in the match, it happened again for the third time. Everyone wanted to stop the match but the captain of our team would not have it. He grabbed his shoulder himself and with a great yell, jerked his shoulder back into place himself. With tears running down his face s from the pain, he pushed the coaches away and ran back to the center of the match motioning his opponent to come to the middle to finish. Thirty seconds later it was over. When the referee blew the whistle indicating the end of the match, and that we had won, the captain ran into the locker-room screaming and holding his shoulder. SACRAFICE. DEDICATION. DISCIPLINE. LOYALITY. TOUGHNESS. GIVING ALL. DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES. That was my first impression of a wrestler.

Old School/Warrior
As a high school wrestler I wrestled in the 95 lb. weight class my first two years. In my senior year I wrestled in the 105 lb. weight class. I can't really say what my normal weight would have been because I was always dropping weight. So I don't think I ever had a normal weight. I remember sitting in a sauna after our workouts trying to shed a few more pounds so I could eat. There were times we stayed in the sauna until we passed-out and someone had to carry us out. We would then jump or be thrown into a winter cold outdoor swimming pool, then go back into the sauna. There were times we sat in the sauna that was so hot the newspapers would become brittle and crack. There were times we exercised in the sauna fully dressed in hooded sweatshirts, sweat bottoms and gloves until we lost 5 to 10 lbs. As if that were not enough, there were times that we would not eat for one, two, or three days to make sure we made our weight. And then, there were those of us that even after not eating for one day, running 5 or 6 miles, on top of our normal wrestling workout, and sitting in a sauna, go home at night and eat a box of ex-lax laxative to get out anything that was left inside our stomach. Little did we know how detrimental that was to our health. All though my dieting was dangerous and unhealthy, I still wrestled well and always made weight.

My Judo Sensei Al Ikemoto told me a story one day when we were on our way home from a seminar in Mazatlan. He told me of how his father trained in Japan under one of the great Judo instructors. He said that at the dojo where his father trained, during the summer they closed all the windows and doors. During the winter, they opened all the windows and doors. Snow, wind and rain would determine the temperature of the dojo. Sensei Ikemoto said that many times the practices were so hard it made his Father urinate blood. Their training was hard and very demanding. Many sacrifices had to be made.

Demanding of, and pushing to the limit, your body, your strength, your mind, your soul, your spirit, and your ego must be experienced before one can understand the true value of training as the warrior athlete.
Wrestling taught me about sacrifice and dedication - a high school warrior? Perhaps.

Junior College Wrestling
1975 League Champion
1976 Undefeated in League

Freestyle Wrestling Nationals
1977- Bronze Medal Freestyle Wrestling
1979 - Moved to Turlock, California to Coach on the staff with, and train under Greco-Roman Olympian Buck Deadrich. Trained in Freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling, and Sambo.
1980 World Team to Germany - Greco Roman Wrestling
1980 Olympic Trials Greco-Roman Wrestling
Boycott of Olympic games
Looking for the Edge

Kung Fu
In 1980 after the boycott of the Olympic games, began training with
Sifu Kym Camacho in Turlock, Calif. The discipline was Kung Fu and Tai Chi.
1981 World Team to Cuba - Greco Roman Wrestling
Wing Chun
In 1982 trained in Wing Chun in San Jose, Calif. under Ben Der. At the same time I was studying Fu Jow and Tibetan Meditation also in San Jose, Calif.

Judo
In 1983 continued training with Ben Der in Wing Chun but left Fu Jow and started training at the San Jose Judo Buddhist Club. We also trained with the San Jose State Judo team that were 22 time Judo Champions.
Greco- Roman Wrestling Nationals
1983 Silver Medal Greco-Roman Wrestling
1984 Olympic Trials Greco-Roman Wrestling
4th place team alternate

Sambo
After the Olympic trials and games in 1984 trained and assistant coached with Steve Siroy at Chabot College in Hayward, California. Steve was trained by Professor Wally Jay in Jujitsu and Professor Willy Cahill in Judo. With Steve I trained in wrestling, Judo, and Sambo. Steve Siroy was known internationally in the Sambo world, for being the best Sambo fighter the U.S. ever produced.

Sambo Nationals
1984 Gold Medallist Sambo 114 lbs.
1984 Silver Medallist Sambo 125 lbs.
1984 Bronze Medallist Sambo 136 lbs.
1984 Received Black Belt in Sambo

Kempo Karate
1986 - Moved to Hawaii for a short time, worked with wrestling programs at Iolani High School, Waipahu High School and other wrestlers preparing, as I was, to compete in the Hawaii Pacific Rim Games. Also trained at the YMCA. Discipline was Kempo Karate, and trained with a few members of the Hawaii Police Department Judo Club.
1987 World Team to Milano, Italy - Sambo - 4th place in World Championships
1988 Olympic Trials Greco-Roman Wrestling - 4th place team alternate
1988 AAU - USSA Nationals Sambo - Gold Medallist 114 lb. Weight class
1988 World Team to Japan - Sambo
1988 - After the World Champions, traveled to Okalahoma to train in Judo and Sambo under my world team coach, Olympian Sensei Pat Burris and Sambo World Championship Silver medallist Ron Tripp.

Gracie Jujitsu
In 1988,1989,1990,1991 in Hawaii training with Relson Gracie in Gracie Jujitsu; also in Guam, U.S.A. during these years, trained in Okinawan Karate and Muay Thai.
1991 - Returned to Mainland and trained under Sensei Al Ikemoto and the Sacramento School of Martial Arts. Trained in judo and Sambo.
1991 - Pacific Northwest Judo Championships Silver Medallist
Received Black Belt in Judo from San Jose Judo Buddhist Club Sensei,

Judo Nationals
1991 Bronze Medallist - Honolulu, Hawaii (Masters Division)

Mixed Martial Arts
In late 1991 - Moved to Santa Rosa California and began training under Sifu Brian Ollis, and Sifu Sam Goodman. Disciplines were, Cha Na, Tai Chi, Pa Kau, and Escrima/Arnis. Also began Aikido classes with Sensei Denise Tatoya. (Denise spent 10 years training with O'Sensei in Japan. He teaches traditional Aikido).

First Full Circle Classes Begin - 1991
1991 - Begin researching and training and competing in Sport Jujutsu

More Mixed Martial Arts
1992 - Continued studies started in 1991 plus was introduced to Daito Ryu and more
Pa Kau. Also ventured into Tang Soo Do, Choi La Fut, Tae Kwon Do, and Jeet Kune Do
1993 - During this year I was introduced to the founder of Model Mugging, Matt Thomas and started training to be a model mugger.Padded assailant.
1996 World Team to St. Jean De Luz - France - Sambo
!996 - World Champion Gold Medallist, Masters Division
!996 - World Champion Silver Medallist, Senior Division
1997 - Received Judo Rank of Sandan from Team Sacramento School of Martial Arts, Sensei Al Ikemoto and Sensei Jack Carter
1997,1998 - Began documenting and Refining the development of the Full Circle program.
1998 World Team to Russia (Competitor and Head Coach) - Sambo - 5th place winner

Pankration
1999 - Pankration introduced to the U.S. by Greece via, Black Belt Magazine. I responded to the call and assisted in the organization and development of International Federation of Pankration Athlima in the U.S. Became a certified referee. Also coached 10 fighters to the Pankration Nationals, and World Team trials.
1999 - Inducted into the Pankration Hall Of Fame
2000 AASF Nationals & Pan American Wrestling Championships Sambo - Gold Medallist 114 lb. Weight class
2000 - Continued development of Perry's Full Circle and Pankration Team building
Produced more Pankration National Champions along with son Sensei Jay Perry.
2000 - Inducted into the Pankration Hall of Fame with Son Jayson Perry as Father and son team.
2001 - Member of the Full Circle Pankration Team wins Gold medal at World Championships in Greece.
2001 - Founder Jody Perry asked to go before the board of "The World Martial Arts Hall Of Fame Council," to prove himself and demonstrate his newly founded system. Mr. Perry received multiple awards for his presentation including induction to the Hall of Fame and a P.H.D. in martial arts.

Wing Chun
2001 - Began studying Wing Chun under Sifu Bert Rodrigus of Santa Rosa Wing Chun. This school is associated with Sifu Chris Chan and the U.S. Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy, San Francisco California.
2002 - Received a Level I ranking in Wing Chun from Sifu Chris Chan.
2002 - Inducted into the Hall Of Fame and received promotion to Grandmaster by Hawaii Martial Arts International Society.
2002 - Inducted into the Hall Of Fame and received award for "Supreme Grandmaster of the Year," by "The United States Martial Artist Association."
2003 - Inducted into The Hall Of Fame of "The Action Martial Arts Magazine." Receiving the award for "Outstanding Contribution to the M.A. Grandmaster."