Skiffington is a “natural”
Paul Skiffington says that earning his black belt in Small Circle Jujitsu was the natural thing to do.
"It was a long-range goal when I got into studying seriously. It's a natural progression. All the other belts are re-enforcement," he said.
Skiffington frequently assists Melaugh in jujitsu classes and regularly leads Cardio Kickboxing classes. A 1976 Malden High School grad, Skiffington has been a Malden police officer since 1993.
Northeastern
He has a degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University, an associates degree in business management from Northeastern and is working on his Master's in criminal justice at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell. He and June Lepke have lived in Tewksbury for three years.
Control rather than hurt
"For street self defense training, Small Circle is the best system around. It's beneficial for civilians and law-enforcement people," he said. "The training helps you control, rather than hurt."
Skiffington said it's hard to point to the most-useful aspect, but he probably uses joint locks most.
"It's easier than using brute force," said the 5-foot 10-inch Skiffington. "A lot of times, people are hyped on alcohol or drugs or both. So you have to use what you have to advantage.
“Small Circle helps you do that because you can work a lot more efficiently.
“I'm not going to muscle some big dude, but having the training means you're not going to fight this big person on his level."
He earned his black belt in March, 2001, after five years of study with Sensei Ed Melaugh. 
Paul Skiffington
