I am born the first son to both parents holding black belts and an extensive family consisting of brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles involved in the martial arts. This is a LEGACY for me and I hold strong LINEAGE. I have been involved in the Martial Arts for 32 years and counting. I didn’t start to get full understanding to its physical level till 7yrs old, it’s mental level till 13 yrs old, and it’s spiritual level till 17 years old.  My Uncles who are two of my present Grand Masters, Monk Jude Innocent and Tiger Paul Innocent, pushed me to do things I didn’t feel I was ready for and taught me NOT to care about what other martial artist on all rank levels thought about me. This would hold me back from what I am doing and where I am today. This is what is known as the “POLITICS of the Martial Arts”. I am Yin and yang to that….I care of its great influences to those who seek it and at the same time don’t really care for its nose up in the air so called feelings on how others “should” do it according to the Japanese/Chinese/Koreans rules and traditions.

I am a Founder of a system that was completed in 1998 (28yrs old 6th Dan under Tiger Jude 7 Styles) while teaching for another Japanese based Mixed Martial Arts (2nd Dan IOMASDA RYU) at that time. Learning majority traditional when younger, this system geared my eyes to open to a new world where there would be struggle to prove its effectiveness. A lot of what Bruce Lee went through. I was inspired to do the same. After leaving this system, I started teaching my newly founded art to friends and families in that way I can test it’s effectiveness and flaws and continue to evolve it as it is being built. While doing this, I involved myself in the “politics” to get my name out there across the world so that they can be familiar with what I am doing. I’ve gained and maintained very strong contacts by doing this.

I moved to Florida in 2002 and in 2003, tested and was awarded my 7th Dan under Tiger Jude 7 Styles. I was contacted by Grand Master “Pappasan” Jack Stern of WOMA (World Organization of Mixed-Martial Arts) in 2004 which has kept an eye of what I was doing for my community for some time and invited me to be a part of the largest organizations which has been around for decades. He has a LARGE amount of Grand masters and Founders who back him up regardless of what ever past history or what others think about this great man. He has TRULY showed me many things! I was accredited with a SOKESHIP/FOUNDERSHIP Certification for my system. With this I was awarded 10th Degree Black Belt which indicated that I was the Head Grand Master of “MY” system. NOT no other TRADITIONAL system. Being brought up in a traditional mind-state, I accepted the degree but put myself at 8th degree to keep my humility about myself mentally and spiritually. (You haters still with me?)

Let me break it down like this from a very informative article written by Soke Ed Annibale and from my past research for all you “haters”……………
 
Anyone who founds their own system is a Soke or Shodai (Founder), however, that does not mean they should go around calling themselves Soke. Maybe some of the old Masters such as Ueshiba, Kano, Shimabuku, Oyama and others never used the title of Soke, but nonetheless, all of these men were.

As for 40 year old Grandmasters, let me shed some light on this subject. Bruce Lee was only in his early 30s when he passed away, yet he was and is still highly respected, yet he never earned a black belt. His art of Jeet Kune Do is still practiced today by many and Bruce Lee is still admired throughout the world.

At age 31, Hwang Kee combined Soo Bahk Do / Tae-Kyon, Karate Formd out of books, with the Chinese T'ang method and developed Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.

At age 40, Mas Oyama established his Kyokushinkai headquarters. Grandmaster Kang Uk Lee of Tang Soo Do was a 6th Dan at the age of 29 and by the time he was 40 received his 9th dan. From the information I was able to gather, Grandmaster Ji, Han Jae of Sin Moo Hapkido studied with Choi, Yong Sool from 1953 until 1956, only three years before opening his own school, An Moo Kwan. In 1957, Ji held the rank of 3rd Dan in Yu Kwon Sool. Only six years from his beginning with Choi, Ji Han Jae claims to have founded Hapkido in 1959. And lastly, how dare a 22 year old with only a few years of study in Jiu-Jitsu found his own art and call it Judo. Jigoro Kano was born in 1860, received instruction in Jiu-Jitsu for the first time in 1877, and by 1882, he founded Judo. By the time Kano was 40, Judo had come to enjoy great popularity.

Regarding martial artists who found their own systems, they are not doing anything that the Grandmasters and Masters of the past didn't do. If you look into the history of what people consider traditional martial arts, every art was founded by someone who trained in different arts before developing their own. Look at the art of Hankido. This combines Korean Hapkido with Japanese Aikido. Mas Oyama trained in Chabi (a combination of Kempo and JuJitsu), Shotokan and Goju-Ryu before developing his Kyokushinkai. This is true tradition. I laugh when so-called traditionalists make comments about newly founded systems. They don't seem to realize that at one time the art they are studying was also considered a new martial art.

In closing, there are followers and there are leaders, however, a good leader must have been a follower at one time. Some people are just not leaders, but they should not slander those who are. If it weren't for leaders, we would not have arts such as Aikido, Judo, Kyokushinkai, Isshinryu, Tang Soo Do, and many other martial arts. So, why is it that only Asians can found their own style or system after only a few years of training, yet Americans with 20 years or more in the martial arts who develop their own system are looked down upon? Are Americans too stupid and unworthy? I don't think so. I do however think there are a lot of people out there who are close-minded about change and new ideas, and others who are jealous that they are not leaders or not the type of leaders that they see in others like myself. It is time for those who call themselves traditionalists to open their eyes and do some research, and maybe they will see how the martial arts grew to where they are today and be thankful for those people who took the chance to be leaders.
I have heard of groups stating that martial arts organizations with mixed styles are just made up of individuals who could not make it in the real martial arts. What they are basically saying is that Hwang Kee, Morihei Ueshiba, Yong Sool Choi, Mas Oyama, Jigoro Kano, Tatsuo Shimabuku, as well as more modern martial artists such as Wally Jay, Bruce Lee, and many others who founded their own styles and systems could not make it in the real martial arts, or possibly these dinosaurs as they call themselves are just a bunch of followers who could not make it as leaders and they are jealous of those who do lead. If you are a follower, then follow, if you are a leader then lead, but one should not look down on others for having a different outlook on things. The world would never evolve and progress without those who take a chance.

Finally, regardless of what I write and those who read, I will always have haters and I would like to thank you for keeping my name alive in your mouth. I mean, I must be doing something right if you’re talk, right??? Oh yeah, and one more thing………..READ MY CREDENTIALS!!!!

STOP HATING!!!!

Grand Master Jean-Francois Le Grand, Ph.D. 8th Dan
Founder/Soke LOST LEGACY SYSTEMS
Shidoshi S.T.E.A.L.T.H. Kage Ninjutsu Ryu System