In Memory
Sensei John Gussman
Coach John Gussman began the study of Kodokan judo in 1962 with Frank Hubbard Sensei in Dearborn, MI and began the study of DanZan Ryu jujitsu in 1975 with Prof. Pat Browne. He competed in judo on a national-level until 1978 and then went on to coach and train judo competitors on both the national and international level. He also taught DanZan Ryu jujitsu beginning in 1986 when he and his wife Maureen founded the Fox Valley Judo and Jujitsu Club.
At the time of his passing, John held the rank of Godan (5th Dan) in Kodokan Judo, was an Internationally Certified Judo Coach through USA Judo, and coached national and international judo competitors at the Junior and Senior level.
Pat Browne
Prof. Patrick Joseph Browne took his first Danzan-ryu jujitsu class in the fall of 1967 at the Naperville YMCA, taught by Steve Paulding Sensei, a longtime student of Professors Ray and Marie Law. Steve had a class full of beginners and urged Pat to join and help him. Pat began learning Danzan-ryu the next day. He soon founded Explorer Post 187 Judo Club, where he taught until 1972
Pat was promoted to the rank of shodan in 1969. He took over the Naperville Judo Club from Steve Paulding in July of that year and was promoted to nidan in 1970. In 1973, Pat was promoted to sandan. In 1974, Pat moved his jujitsu club to the Downers Grove YMCA and renamed it the Suburban Kodenkai. Pat continued to teach in Downers Grove until 1990, when he moved his dojo from the Chicago suburbs into downtown Chicago, where he taught until 1996.
In 1983 Pat hosted Camp Kodenkan Midwest for the first time. Through the annual 10-day summer camp, Pat was able to introduce the Midwest jujitsu students to the top Danzan-ryu instructors in the country. Also, camp created and solidified the Midwest Kodenkan community.
Professor Patrick Browne passed away on May 23, 1996, surrounded by his family and Jujitsu Yudansha. At the time of his passing, Professor Browne held the rank of 7th dan in Danzan-ryu.
Over the years, Pat promoted 17 black belts and was responsible for the propagation of Danzan-ryu Jujitsu throughout the Midwest. As of 2002, there are at least a dozen active Danzan-ryu schools currently headed by Pat’s Yudansha or their students.
In September 2002, Professor Pat Browne was inducted into the Danzan-ryu Jujitsu Hall of Fame by the Shoshin Ryu Yudanshakai.
Each year at the end of May, Pat’s friends, students, and his “grand students” (as he used to call them) gather for the Professor Pat Browne Memorial Convention to celebrate Pat’s life through the practice of Danzan-ryu Jujitsu.