If Jim Aborn had a choice, not a single one of his students would ever be involved in a physical altercation. Should they need to defend themselves, however, Aborn knows they are up to the task.
“Martial arts is all about refining the person you are,” said Aborn, black belt and instructor at Honto Jutsu, which means truthful combat in Japanese. “We don’t want to fight, but we do live in a world where we have to advocate for ourselves.”
For over two decades, Aborn has taught Jiu Jitsu to the community, teaching his classes out of various school gyms and other places willing to give him the space. Currently, classes run Tuesdays at Pierce Elementary School in Bennington starting at 6 p.m. and Gilsum Elementary School on Thursdays starting at 6:30 p.m.
Aborn’s business model is not what you expect from a traditional martial arts school, as it is a non-profit and furthermore does not collect money from his students.
“Collecting money seems to cheapen things,” said Aborn, who recently decided to have new students donate $30 per month to a charity of their choosing for tuition. “There are a lot of schools that aren’t as wrapped up in teaching as they are in collecting people’s checkbooks.”
Stylistically, Aborn’s brand of martial arts is a distant relative of the Brazilian style of Jiu-Jitsu that many have at least heard of, and focuses specifically on being able to protect yourself in real-world situations.
“I try to keep things as close to real as possible,” said Aborn, who says his students do not participate in tournaments. “If you don’t try to keep it real, you shouldn’t be here.”
Currently, Honto Jutsu has a core membership of about eight to 15 students on a given night, although some nights can be larger or smaller. Some of Aborn’s students have been with him so long that their children have begun to train with him.
“This certainly isn’t for everyone,” said Jason Miller, who helps Aborn teach. Miller’s son, Jason Jr., also trains at Honto Jutsu, with both being black belts.
“Jason is one of the most gifted martial artists I have seen,” said Aborn. “Martial arts is something that is unique to every person.”
Aborn said he has had many different types of students throughout the years ranging from ex-military and police officers to women who had recently dealt with being attacked.
Regardless of what brought them to the class, everyone who tends to stay comes for the right reason: learning to defend themselves and their family.
“I fell in love with it as soon as I started,” said Carrie Buczynski, who joined at the urging of her boyfriend, Ty Snitko, about seven or eight years ago. “It’s important for me to be able to defend myself, especially now that I have [my five-moth old daughter Syddha].”
In addition to learning how to protect herself and her family, Buczynski has also gained valuable friendships in her time at Honto Jutsu.
“It’s just a good group of people,” said Buczynski. “I’ve spent holidays with Jim before. It seems like a big family.”
For those interested in learning more about Honto Jutsu, call Aborn at 532-9291 or Miller at 545-2267. Newcomers are also encouraged to drop in on a class.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.