Batemans Bay’s Peter “Froggy” Morton was formally farewelled last week.

Tracy Innes, Peter Fetterplace, Ashley Connell and Ben Innes met Mr Morton in 1982.

Mr Innes said he did not realise that the meeting would “change his life forever”.

Mr Morton, at a surf club function, said he was going to start a martial arts school in Batemans Bay, and asked the group whether they wanted to be involved.

“In our naivety we said, ‘yeah, sure, we’ll do it’,” Mr Innes said.

“For a lot of us in the community that set us on the path for something that changed our lives immensely.

“We’re all still involved in the martial arts more than 30 years on.”

Mr Innes says the things Mr Morton achieved in his life are too numerous to mention: “it would actually fill your paper up,” he said.

He was born in Queanbeyan in September, 1932.

Mr Morton’s passion for martial arts evolved out of his interest in self-defence and keeping fit.

In early 1946, Mr Morton began his association with martial arts, practising kodohan judo in Canberra.

In 1952, he began learning jujitsu. He later trained with Viv Sacgaio’s Boxing School and Australian heavyweight wrestling champion Sergeant Jack Dealy.

He took a trip to New Zealand with the NSW Country Rugby Union team, and was nominated to learn strapping, thus became interested in and involved with sports medicine.

By 1958 Mr Morton had his own jujitsu school in Canberra.

After 34 years of hard work, rigid self-defence discipline and many hours of training, Mr Morton was graded a 6th dan black belt at the headquarters of Jishukan Honbu in Japan by principal Shuho Sugita.

He was recognised then to embody “the spirit of the Samurai that any Westerner could hope to aspire to in Martial Arts”.

In 1972 Mr Morton was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) by Queen Elizabeth II for services to youth, physical fitness and sport. He was described, on receipt of his BEM, as a “one man community service club”, dedicated to youth betterment and to alleviation of suffering among old people, with a deep combination of principles, humanitarianism, civic responsibility and unselfishness.

To these qualities, Mr Innes can attest.

“Frog opened the Batemans Bay branch of the Peter Morton Academy of Self Defence in 1982,” he said.

“Those who had the privilege to train with him had the honour to not only learn self-defence, but honour, respect and life skills.”

Mr Innes said Mr Morton trained netballers, rowers, rugby players, rugby league teams and was also renowned for his skills in physiotherapy. 

“Anyone with sports injuries - a lot of the rugby league players used to go to him - and virtually out of his own pocket,” he said.

“He’d always work on people, he was never one for rewards; he was virtually a one-man community.

“Frog was one of nature’s true gentlemen – his motto and the motto of the Academy was ‘Be Master of yourself’.

“The people that he’s touched will continue on his legacy.”

Mr Innes praised Mr Morton’s family and wife Lorraine.

“Frog and Lorraine made a great team,” he said.

“The love Lorraine showed to Frog during his years of illness was very special.

“May he rest in peace.”