Anderson Bushi Kai (ABK) is a freestyle form of karate with origins in Goju from Okinawa.
Anderson Bushi Kai commenced as an Australian developed style founded in the late sixties by the Bob Jones Corporation (BJC). Bob Jones of Melbourne introduced Zen Do Kai freestyle karate to Queensland in the early 1970’s. It became the ultimate fighting style combining traditional concepts with practicality as learned by bouncers and doormen living and breathing the security scene in the 70’s and 80’s. The style grew very strong particularly in Queensland under chief instructor Malcolm Anderson. In 2001, Queensland separated from BJC and became Anderson Bushi Kai (ABK).
ABK focuses on martial art techniques and has evolved physical training by incorporating the use of energy forces developed through the mental and spiritual aspects of Zen.
White Fury is a leading family clan within ABK headed by 8th degree black belt Branko Rusan. Branko started training as a junior in 1974 with the BJC Corporation and is now Kaicho, Shaman and Kru Nai with ABK. He obtained his black belt in 1979 and is a first generation student of Bloodaxe under Malcolm Anderson.
Branko’s first class was with Bob Jones in the Adelaide Street Honbu in Brisbane. He has done classes with Richard Norton, Tony Quinn, Noel Hattwell, Steve Roberts, Jeff Else, James Reid and Ken Flemming. He has attended seminars taught by Chuck Norris, Bill Wallace, Benny (the Jet) Urquidez and Apidej Sit-Hirun (Muay Thai Living Legend and Thailand’s Best Kicker of the Century).
In 2007, Branko was named heir apparent of the ABK style.
In this honoured position, Branko has travelled extensively taking seminars for students in the ABK style. He has run sessions in Cairns, Gladstone, Sunshine Coast and Brisbane and holds monthly black belt classes. He is kata master for 5th degree black belt and has worked with O Kaicho Malcolm Anderson to release the ABK kata instructional DVD from white belt to black belt with a separate DVD on first degree black belt. These instructional DVDs provide consistency and accuracy on the ABK application of technique as displayed in kata and as required for grading through the ranks so they are essential tools for students and instructors.
For his 6th degree black belt grading, Branko completed a thesis on Saifa the first degree black belt kata for the ABK system. This thesis explains the concept of deadweight and has been used as a teaching aid by students and instructors and is the background to the instructional DVD.
Branko Rusan heads the White Fury family clan with students from white belt to 8th degree black belt and instructors running schools at Coorparoo and Algester, Moggill and Redbank. He has students actively training in Japan, England and the United States of America who regularly share their experiences.
Branko opened his first karate dojo in Darra in 1980. In 1984, as a second dan, he met brown belt Louise at a karate grading. Branko agreed to help train Louise for black belt and they married in 1987 (yes they did get married before she did her black belt grading!).
Together they opened Zen Do Kai karate and Muay Thai kickboxing clubs at Inala and Rocklea. At a training session one night, Branko went to demonstrate a leg kick on a kick pad a student was holding. The student couldn’t believe the power that could be generated by expert technique and described it like a “fury” coming towards him like a “pure fury - all I could see was the whites of his eyes - like a white light”. What better name for a martial arts club and from that day forward the club has been known as “White Fury”.
White Fury symbolises the ultimate power that can be generated from correct technique and use of the mind and body. White is pure, it is the combination of all colours in the light spectrum so it is all encompassing and can take on any disguise. Fury is the power and aggression from the concentration of pure technique. White Fury trains for ultimate personal power coming from the perfection of pure technique and mental and spiritual connection.
White Fury teaches students of all ages and abilities and specialises in body mechanics and black belt development.
White Fury Head of Family Profiles Branko Rusan
|
 |
He has walked on hot coals, kickboxed in the heat of Thailand and walked the same road in Japan as Miyamoto Musashi. From Europe but now a true blue Aussie, Branko Rusan has been training in martial arts for over 35 years.
From humble beginnings born in a small impoverished overseas village his family migrated to Australia in 1971 taking up residence in a migrant hostel at Wacol. He could neither speak English nor did he know anyone in his new country. Within three years the family was established and the 14 year old Branko was catching a train and two buses to get from his home in Wacol to the Brisbane Bob Jones Zen Do Kai dojo in Adelaide Street Brisbane where his passion for martial arts would lead him on a magnificent life journey.
Branko was a quick learner and was fortunate to train alongside some of Martial Arts greats including Malcolm Anderson, Bob Jones, Richard Norton, Tony Quinn, Steve Roberts, Noel Hattwell (RIP), Jeff Else, Trevor and Garry Patterson, Kenny Flemming and James Reid who all had a significant influence on the developing martial artist.
Branko progressed through the ranks but learnt humility early when he failed his first attempt at black belt. This lesson was not his alone as Bob Jones failed 8 out of the 9 students attempting black belt that day. Not to be deterred, Branko, as the only one to stay with the style, persevered and tried again for as they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger! He stuck with it and in 1979 got his black belt and opened his first club at Darra a year later. During this time he was also named international student of the year and apprentice of the year.
In 1982, he was given the challenge of 19 days to prepare for the ultimate marathon grading second degree black belt. This grading was 30 two-minute rounds of sparring against a fresh black belt every round. His opponents included international kickboxing champion Tony Quinn. He may have lost 4 kilograms during the two hour grading but he only lost two rounds and took out the trophy for the most kicks and went back to work the following day as a fridge mechanic.
In 1990, as the head of the White Fury family clan, Branko performed his 5th degree black belt grading in front of Bob Jones and was graded by Noel Hattwell with a higher rank panel of Malcolm Anderson, Steve Roberts, James Reid, Jeff Else, Bill Bowman and Kenny Flemming. From the hardest men in the style Branko was awarded 98.8% a score that would stand unbeaten for the next five years.
During the 1980’s, Branko focused on training and developing kickboxers and non contact tournament teams with his most successful team remaining undefeated for two years. It would not be long before Muay Thai was introduced to Queensland and Branko was one of the first instructors to learn, compete and teach the style. He travelled with Malcolm Anderson to Thailand several times training at the Fairtex Gym in Thailand. He has since trained and been corner man for seven title holders who have become Australian and South Pacific kickboxing title holders across weight divisions.
In 2001, Branko was named Bushido of the Year and in 2002, 12 years after his last grading, he took up the challenge of the style’s inaugural 6th degree black belt grading. This grading signified a new direction for ABK Karate as the style was now delving into the more spiritual side of the martial arts, studying shamanism and hara projection and for Branko this started a path into reconnective healing which culminated in his 8th degree grading some six years later.
In 2004, Branko undertook his 7th degree black belt grading and achieved probationary 8th degree. This grading was the first ever warlords camp held in the midst on the mountains. A traditional Japanese encampment was set up with every person in traditional Japanese dress and all camps displaying the personalities of each club. The gradees performed traditional tea ceremonies and fan kata. Students came from all over Queensland to witness this first ever 7th dan grading.
In 2007, Branko was named heir apparent to the ABK style and completed his journey to full 8th degree black belt in an energy and healing workshop conducted in the presence of O Kaicho Malcolm Anderson and high ranking students.
Branko has travelled to Thailand, Europe, Samoa, New Zealand and Japan to further his training and martial arts journey. He has students teaching in the United States, England and Japan. He has travelled the world to find the Mecca of martial arts and discovered that it exists here in the hearts and minds of the students he teaches.
“I have been to Europe, Thailand, Samoa, China and Japan. My students have travelled to New Zealand, England and the Americas and the answer is the same. The best training in the world exists here within,” said Branko Rusan.
“We have something other places lack and that is passion. It is the passion that made Miyamoto Musashi a legend and it is that same passion that drives today’s students to find the budo within,” according to Branko Rusan.
After 35 years of learning and a great many of those spent in teaching and analysis of technique, one of Branko Rusan’s favourite obsessions is the perfection of technique.
He has taught people how to bring out their personal best and his students have been rewarded by taking out first place positions in karate gradings and competitive tournaments. Achievements have included girls taking first position in competitions of 70 male competitors in a male dominated sport. A child and a young man coming back from a major personal set backs and life threatening injury to regain their confidence and self esteem; and a man of 57 being competitive in a marathon physical competition outscoring people 40 years his junior.
Branko has mastered fire walking and has provided motivational sessions for schools and community groups. He teaches and is proficient in the sword, boken, nunchaku, escrima sticks, bow, knives, bag work, fan, tonfa, ground wrestling and all aspects of self defence, body mechanics and kata. He specialises in helping his students get the best out of themselves and developing to their fullest potential.
Branko’s journey in martial arts continues in strength with his philosophy of helping each person be the best they can be through perfection of technique and understanding of body mechanics.
Branko Rusan holds classes in Brisbane and travels with O Kaicho Malcolm Anderson head of Anderson Bushi Kai to take instruction to students throughout Queensland and to other States.
Branko Rusan
Commenced training - 20 April 1974
Membership no. J47
1974 blue tip
1974 blue belt
1975 green tip
1977 green belt
1978 brown tips
1978 brown belt
1979 black belt, Sensei
1980 1st dan
1982 2nd dan
1985 3rd dan
1987 4th dan, Renshi
1990 5th dan, Shihan
1991 Dai Shihan
1997 Kyoshi
2000 Tasshi
2001 Bushido of the Year
2002 6th dan, Dai Tasshi
2004 7th dan, Hanshi
2004 prob 8th dan, Kaicho
2007 named heir apparent
2008 8th dan, Shaman
White Fury Co-founder of Family Profile -
Louise Rusan
8th degree black belt
Kaicho, Shaman, Kru Nai
Like many martial arts students, Louise Rusan started training as a university student.
“I was doing photography as part of my journalism studies and I wanted to get some good photos. You know blood and gore sort of stuff. I had a friend who trained karate so I went along to take some action shots,” said Louise. “I was so impressed by what I saw I just had to join”.
That was in 1982 and she has been training ever since.
A marriage and three children later, Louise is the highest ranking female in Anderson Bushi Kai. She is Kaicho, Shaman, an 8th degree black belt and combines all of this with a very successful senior management business career.
But her journey was not without misadventure having experienced a bad accident as a brown belt.
“When I decided to take up karate it was mainly for self defence. I thought if I am going to be attacked on the street it won’t be by someone polite who plays by the rules so the best thing to do would be to train with the thugs and learn the street rules" said Louise.
“When I first started training it was very rough. It was not uncommon to come home with a black eye, bruises, lumps, bumps you name it. In the early days it was mainly the men who trained and largely they were security guys and those who had been around. Mouth guards and body protection was not the norm. Unfortunately I learned the hard way one night when a fist to the mouth landed me in the emergency ward. But you learn and you grow and I think what I learnt the most was that I am a survivor and can handle anything life throws at me,” said Louise.
“Fortunately training is no longer like the old days we have got a lot smarter. We understand that you don’t need to get a beating or beat someone up to be a good martial artist. Because of this changed approach we now have a lot more business people who train. Business people can’t afford to turn up for work battered and bruised or worse still miss work because of injury so the new world order is very attractive for them. We also see a lot more kids, women and older people taking up training and that brings a family atmosphere to the dojo. It doesn’t mean we don’t train hard it just means we get to keep all our teeth!
“Karate has shown me some wondrous things like meeting my husband and watching people grow beyond their wildest imaginations”, said Louise.
“I remember a lady who was too sacred to be left alone in the house if her husband was not at home. She was a nervous wreck worried that something might happen to her. She started training and her confidence and self esteem grew and she became a self assured confident woman. I remember walking down the street with her not long after she started training. A car appeared to be slowly stalking behind us. She whispered in my ear “you take the left side I’ll take the right and we’ll jump this guy”. I laughed and said he is just looking for a parking spot but I did admire her spunk.
“My ambition was to get to black belt and then walk down the wildest street in Brisbane to test my abilities but after experiencing serious injury I realized that my greatest demons were the ones inside me that threatened my confidence and self esteem. Training has helped me to put these behind me and to be the best that I can be” said Louise.
Louise went on to black belt and took out the trophy for best black belt out of a field of 70 men and four women. She then went on to take out best first degree black belt. Bob Jones was at both gradings.
In 1989, Louise was named Ishoa of the Year.
In 1990, at a time when women didn’t need to do the marathon second degree black belt grading, Louise did 30 rounds against a fresh black belt every round.
“At one stage of the grading it seemed that the toughest fellows in town had turned up to spar me so I asked the grader if they could get anyone any bigger or uglier so they lined me up against a golden gloves champ in the heavy weight division! Lucky for me that at 135kg he was slow and couldn’t use his legs well. I had been training Muay Thai so those skills came in handy and I was super fit and a survivor so nothing was going to stop me from getting through” said Louise. And nothing did, she took out best second degree black belt on the day.
Louise fell pregnant with her first child straight after 3rd degree black belt and performed 4th degree black belt four months pregnant with her second child.
She understands the balance of work and home life having trained in the small hours of the morning when the family was asleep. She went for 5th degree black belt when her third child was 18months old.
In 2002, Louise was the only female to attempt the inaugural 6th degree black belt grading. She then went on to 7th degree black belt at the warlord camp in the Esk mountains and in 2008 ran her own Shaman camp on the Winter solstice at Tenterfield.
Louise Rusan
Commenced training – February 1982
1982 blue belt
1982 green belt
1982 brown belt
1983 brown belt black tips
1987 black belt – best on day
1989 1st dan black belt – best on day
1989 Ishoa of the Year, Sensei
1990 2nd dan – best on day
1991 3rd dan
1994 4th dan, Renshi
1999 5th dan, Shihan
2001 Kyoshi
2002 6th dan, Tasshi
2004 7th dan, Dai Tasshi
2007 Hanshi
2008 8th dan, Kaicho, Shaman
White Fury Instructor Profiles
Club Instructors |
|
Kaicho Branko Rusan, Kaicho Louise Rusan |
Coorparoo |
Dai Sensei John Message |
Moggill |
Dai Sensei Oscar Avellaneda |
Algester |
Sensei Pat Cristea |
Redbank |
White Fury Family Black Belts |
|
| Branko Rusan | 8th dan black belt, Kaicho, Shaman, Family Head White Fury, Bushido of the Year 2001 |
| Louise Rusan | 8th dan black belt, Kaicho, Shaman, Co-founder White Fury, Ishoa of the Year 1989 |
| Karlo Bortic | 5th dan black belt, Dai Shihan, Head of White Knight family |
| Andrew Watts | 5th dan black belt, Shihan |
| Tony Mitchell | Probationary 5th dan black belt, Renshi |
| Nathan O’Leary | 4th dan black belt, Renshi |
| John Message | 3rd dan black belt, Dai Sensei |
| Oscar Avellaneda | 3rd dan black belt, Dai Sensei |
| Pat Cristea | 3rd dan black belt, Sensei, Head of Shugyosha clan |
| Jake Holliday | 3rd dan black belt, Sensei |
| Jason Hill | 3rd dan black belt, Sensei |
| Frank Belfiore | 3rd dan black belt, Sensei |
| Troy Donnelly | 3rd dan black belt, Sensei |
| Leisa Harris | 3rd dan black belt, Sensei, Ishoa of the Year 2003 |
| Jessica Belfiore | probationary 3rd dan black belt, Sensei |
| Erin Bortic | 2nd dan black belt, Sensei, Ishoa of the Year 2005 |
| Michael Belfiore | 2nd dan black belt |
| Scott Titmarsh | 2nd Degree black belt, Dai Sempai |
| Tim Smith | 2nd dan black belt |
| Keith Smith | 2nd dan black belt |
| Graham Gerathy | 2nd dan black belt |
| Ben Williamson | 2nd dan black belt |
| Kris McDonald | 2nd dan black belt |
| Carly Perrin | 2nd dan black belt |
| Scott M | 2nd dan black belt |
| Kristy-Lee Hayes | probationary 2nd dan black belt |
| Adam Markovic | probationary 2nd dan black belt |
| Steven Jugovic | 1st dan black belt |
| Paul Urquhart | 1st dan black belt |
| Jonathan Donaldson | probationary 1st dan black belt, Dai Sempai |
| Chris Beaver | probationary 1st dan black belt |
| Jo Mann | probationary 1st dan black belt |
| Zoran Vekic | black belt |
| Mick Ivaneza | black belt |
| Owen Clunn | black belt |
| Redzo Mujcic | black belt |
| Salih Mujcic | black belt |
White Fury Muay Thai instructors |
|
Branko Rusan |
Kru Nai |
Louise Rusan |
Kru Nai |
Brandon Levi |
Kru |
Jason Hill |
Kru |
Karlo Bortic |
Kru |
John Message |
Kru |
Oscar Avellaneda |
Kru |
Pat Cristea |
Kru |
Michael Grabbe |
Kru |
Andrew Grabbe |
Kru |
Leisa Harris |
Kru |
Glen S |
Kru |
Erin Bortic |
Kru |
Jessica Belfiore |
Kru |
Scott McLaren |
Kru |
Special Events
Inaugural 6th dan grading - 2002
After many years since their last grading and with the new direction ABK was embarking upon, Malcolm Anderson threw down the challenge to his highest ranking students to step back on the battle field and prepare for 6th degree black belt. Six stepped up to the challenge.
James Reid and Branko Rusan were already 6th dan but accepted the challenge along with Louise Rusan, Marty Scroggins, Pat Kiely and Craig Singleton.
On 20 September 2002, a closed grading with only 5th degree black belts and above witnessed this historic event. The grade kata was designed by Noel Hattwell in what was to be his last year with us in this world. Noel rang the gradees from his hospital bed on the day of the grading but sadly passed away in the days following.
The gradees did Noel proud however as the energy generated drained cars parked on the street with all car batteries dead by the end of the night. The grading was chanted by ABK head Malcolm Anderson and attended by greats such as Steve Roberts, Jeff Else, Rod Miller, Big Dennis and Ken Flemming. There were 32 witnesses at the rank of 5th dan or above at the grading.
Anderson Bushi Kai Warlords Camp - 2004
In the midst on the mountains on the weekend of the Japanese celebration of the dead, martial arts warlords took to the battle field to test themselves for the ultimate 6th degree black belt grading and for the first time ever a 7th degree black belt grading.
Sixth degree was awarded to Will Ferris, David Hughes, Peter Oldham, John Philistin and Garry Sinclair.
For 7th degree, Branko Rusan, James Reid, Louise Rusan, Marty Scroggins, Craig Singleton, Pat Kiely, Errol Wright and Dessie Wright set up their warlord encampments complete with assistants and students. This grading, in complete Samurai surroundings, involved a traditional tea ceremony and fan kata. Personal journeys also required completion of a project unique to each individual. Branko Rusan created a weapon incorporating the antlers of a stag. Louise Rusan presented a display of hand crafted Origami.
This auspicious grading took place over the weekend of 13 – 15 August 2004 in the Brisbane Valley past Esk. It was attended by students from all over Queensland as well as ABK Style head Malcolm Anderson and Sunshine Coast head Steve Roberts. High ranking martial artists from Adelaide also attended. Branko Rusan was awarded probationary 8th dan at this grading.
Yin Shaman Camp – Valkyrie Coven - 2008
In the stillness and meditation of Yin at the coldest point of the winter, Louise Rusan held a camp at Tenterfield to experience her Shamanic journey. This camp held on 21 June 2008, was the weekend of the Winter Solstice, the most powerful Yin point of the year.
A group of 20 martial artists joined her to walk the path to personal actualization for empowerment, self healing and the finding and fulfillment of their intrinsic essence.
A major feature of the camp was the formation of the Valkyrie Coven.
Shaman Journey – Reconnective Healing - 2008
In September 2008, Branko Rusan held a workshop at O Kaicho Malcolm Anderson’s residence to express his Shamanic journey and to share the power of reconnective healing. Collectively the group witnessed the generation and exchange of energy forces and listened to the power of reconnective healing as a life force. Branko Rusan is an accredited reconnective healer and has travelled overseas to study this path.
