Menkyo Kaiden-Shihan Ken Hoggart

Hakko Denshin Ryu JuJutsu Federation,  Canadian Representative.

Shihan Hoggart started martial arts at 12 years of age. Shiryn Ryu Karate under the instruction of Sensei Ron Tyndall in Holmesville, Ontario. Holmesville is a small community in South Western Ontario where Shihan Hoggart spent most of his adolescent and teenage years. Shihan Hoggart trained strong for about 2 years and then off and on for another 2 years. He loved Karate, however the carefree days of being a young teenager prevented him from training very seriously. Sensei Ron Tyndall was a great influence for Shihan Hoggart helping him to develop the right attitude and philosophy for the martial arts as a whole.

Ken Hoggart then trained a small portion with his father. (Who had studied Judo and had been ranked as a blue belt). The basic fundamentals of break falls, balance and chokes was the primary focus of their training. It was here that Shihan Hoggart developed a good grasp of ground fighting. These basics have stayed with Shihan Hoggart to this day.

At the age of 17, Shihan Hoggart decided to get back into regular training. Mr. Hoggart attempted to return to Karate but keep finding excuses for poor attendance. Due to having a part time job, school, and a car to maintain (and drive), he found himself not making as many classes as he should have. Shihan Hoggart also trained a little on the side with a friend of his (who also had some experience Karate as well as some Aikido and Kung Fu).

The start of Shihan Hoggart adult years took him to Toronto, Ontario where he went to College. During college, he trained in boxing and some kickboxing with some roommates. As a college student finances were limited so he trained a lot in a small apartment with some friends that had various martial art backgrounds. Many experiences were shared during this time.

Shihan Hoggart got married near the end of his college days. That took him to a different level of commitment. He was unable to train for a couple of years due to his obligations as a husband and a father. Shihan Hoggart still worked out, on his own fairly regularly, and tried to get back into Sensei Tyndall?s club from time to time but for the most part he took some time away from training.

In 1990 he was single again. Shihan Hoggart decided to put his heart and soul into training again for both the physical aspects and the philosophical benefits. He started training in Shoto Kan Karate under the instruction of Sensei Steven Lonsdale, Sensei Lance Anderson, and Sensei Sylvain Babin. Shihan Hoggart trained for about 2 years with a special interest in Ju Jutsu on the side. Ken was training at least 4 nights a week with Karate and Ju Jutsu combined. As time passed Shihan Hoggart lost interest in the Karate aspect and started to focus more on the Ju Jutsu. This was probably due to his first love of Judo and grappling. Soon the Karate training was no more and Shihan Hoggart went very seriously into Ju Jutsu training. This style of Ju Jutsu was Honti Yoshin Ryu. By then Shihan Hoggart instructors Phil Bradley and Steven Lonsdale were in the process of developed their own style called Nisi Youshin Ryu.

It was in and around this time frame when Shihan Hoggart met Sensei Michael J. LaMonica. Sensei LaMonica is from Akron, Ohio, USA with martial art and law enforcement credentials rarely equaled. It seems as though Shihan Hoggart finds out more and more about Sensei LaMonica every year. In 1991 / 1992, Shihan Hoggart found a serious attraction to Sensei LaMonica's style of Hakko Ryu Ju Jutsu. It was so gentle in application but so painful in receiving the techniques. The description of ?white lightning was (and still is) the only way to describe it. Shihan Hoggart has since embraced the teachings of Sho Dai Soke Okuyama and Dai Shihan LaMonica. Shihan Hoggarts hard work eventually paid off, as he became one of Sensei LaMonica's senior students.

This eventually led to a more intimate relationship between Sensei LaMonica and Shihan Hoggart. Shihan Hoggart regards Sensei LaMonica not only as a great martial arts master but also as his mentor and a second father. Shihan Hoggart regularly travels to Sensei LaMonica house and spends time receiving, and working the finer points of the Ryu. Sensei LaMonica awarded Shihan Hoggart the prestige position of Canadian Representative for the Hakko Denshin Ryu Jujutsu Federation and is the Head Instructor of his own organization, Shining Mountain Dojos Canada.

In 2003 Shihan Hoggart was awarded the rank of Menkyo Kaiden-Shihan in August at the annual Gasshuku. Shihan Hoggart continues to forge ahead with excellent leadership skills and has greatly developed the organization of the Hakko Denshin Ryu JuJutsu Federation here in Canada.