User:Bwshark/Professor Georges Sylvain

Professor Georges Sylvain, 10th Dan, is the founding father of Can Ryu.

Can Ryu was developed from Professor Sylvain's combative experiences, his policing career and his study of Eastern and Western combat sports.

Mr. Sylvain served as an MP in the Canadian Armed Forces during the Korean war and as part of the occupation force in Germany. He studied intently with Defendo founder and Canadian military tactics instructor Bill Underwood. He was only 17 years old and attached to Canada's toughest soldiers. He had to learn his craft quickly.

Upon his return to Ottawa, Mr. Sylvain took up judo, boxing and karate to quench his growing thirst to find the truth in combatives. His participation in judo would lead him to meeting and subsequently grading for a shodan with Master Frank Hatashita and Mr. Ron Forrester, the president of the Canadian Jiu-Jitsu Association. Mr.Sylvain's unorthodox but rough and effective methods impressed the pair very much during a test that involved a circle of death drill with 5 judo black belts! In December of 1963 Sensei Sylvain was granted his shodan. Mr.Forrester and Mr.Sylvain would forge a friendship and influence each others' Canadian systems of jiu-jitsu for many years to come.

Mr.Sylvain's karate involvement would lead him to Master Masami Tsuruoka and Master Chitose himself. Mr. Sylvain forged a competitive path that would have him fight more than 3000 official tournament and club matches. This was the Chuck Norris and Wally Slocki era in competitive karate. Fighting your way out of Ottawa was tough enough with Georges, Fern Cleroux and Harry Villeneuve being the gatekeepers! Mr. Sylvain would become a legend in breaking circles. His amazing feats included smashing concrete with his head and 5 pieces of 2 inch concrete with no spacers with his hands! Mr. Sylvain would eventually leave karate as a 4th Dan in order to concentrate more steadfastly on the evolution of his jiu-jitsu.

Sensei Sylvain's knowledge of hand to hand combatives and his growing expertise in the various martial arts landed him the job of Chief Tactics Instructor for the RCMP through the mid 1960s. From 1971 to 1996 Mr. Sylvain was the Tactics Professor for the Police Foundations department at Algonquin College. This is the reason why we call him Professor to this day. He also earned a "Professor" title from American Jiu-Jitsu master Rod Sachernowsky, dated "indefinitely". His police career provided him with a meeting with a Missouri man named Bruce Siddle. Through Mr. Siddles teachings, Professor Sylvain became internationally recognized as an expert in Pressure Point Control Tactics. Mr. Sylvain gave seminars on the subject all over North America. Today his Can Ryu method of self defence relies heavily on this knowledge.

Professor Sylvain wrote an article for a prominent martial arts magazine detailing his thoughts on how full contact karate would benefit greatly if the participants would use boxing skills combined with thier kicking. A short while later another writer would coin the term kickboxing. To prove his method, Professor Sylvain took a young jiu-jitsu student who was failing miserably on the karate circuit because he was too rough under his wing. He taught the youngster some boxing skills that he could use in conjunction with his own formidable kicking talents. Who was this young man and what became of him? None other than 23 time World Champion Jean-Yves Theriault. Professor Sylvain was a big part of the Iceman's early training.

Professor Georges Sylvain was inducted into the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame in 2008 for his pioneering efforts in Canadian martial arts.

While MMA gyms are popping up everywhere today, you should take note that Professor Georges Sylvain's Can Ryu of 1964 was already incorporating striking, blocking, throwing, joint locking, neck restraint and ground defence!

Major lineages include but may not be restricted to Can-Ryu as taught by John Therien, Ninja-Ryu founded by Denis St Jean and Jules Ladouceur, and Can-Ryu 2000 continued by Ed Hiscoe.