This has been the first month of the Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu Homepage. I have received nice compliments from many of you. In addition, several of you have provided valuable input and suggestions to improve the page. Many thanks.
My purpose in starting this page was to take advantage of the Internet and provide global awareness about Danzan-Ryu. This allows people both in and out of DZR to have access to material that has not been readily available. I have spent much time researching the accuracy of the information presented here. Unfortunately, much misinformation has been propagated about DZR over the years. As Prof. Wally Jay noted recently, "Misinformation like this becomes facts in later history if it is not corrected today. It must be changed immediately before this distortion becomes the truth when there is no one around to dispute it." In this case, he was referring to a report on the Internet that former professional wrestler and movie actor, Prof. Toru Tanaka was the son of Okazaki's teacher, Yoshimatsu Tanaka. The truth of the matter is that Toru is the wrestling name of Charles Kalani, who is of Chinese-Hawaiian descent. Yoshimatsu Tanaka, on the other hand was Japanese. It is true, however, that the young Kalani did study at the Kodenkan in the 1940's.
While I am striving for accuracy on DZR history and techniques, I realize that there are other people in this system who have a variety of experiences, insights and viewpoints. For this reason, I have openly invited all comers to contribute material to the Forum section of this web page. By bringing this material to light, hopefully people will get a more complete picture of DZR. In this way, I hope that bridges will be built across some of the divisions that separate us.
I am encouraged by some recent developments, including the merger of the Shoshin-Ryu organization into the American Jujitsu Institute. I look forward to seeing what synergy will result in the DZR community from this collaboration. I wonder what would happen if all of the organizations did likewise.
I often mention the graduates of the 1993 Okugi class held by Profs. Sig Kufferath and Tony Janovich. This was a repeat of the 1948 class held by Okazaki and attended by Kufferath. When I attended the class in the summer of 1993, I felt a great sense of history and that this was an important event. It is my view that the graduates of that class are the nucleus of the next generation of DZR leaders. In addition to the Okugi, I am seeing a grass roots movement by several DZR people to correct some of the things that have been wrong in the past. I applaud the efforts of those whose put politics aside and have the courage to do what is right for Ohana.
Until next month.
George
First, let me thank everyone for all of the nice compliments on the page. It is a joy to hear from many old and new friends. I will continue to offer this page in the spirit of kokua and sharing.
The success of the page is also measurable in more concrete terms. My Internet provider, Radix of Maryland, sends me daily statistics on the number of times that my page has accessed. To date, the daily average is about 163 hits per day with peaks topping 300. Since July, the total number of hits is now over 6600. Thanks again!
It is also great to see others in the Okazaki Jujutsu family put up web pages. I was first influenced to do this after seeing Jay Swan's and Steve McLaughlin's pages. We can now find Danny Saragosa's AJI page, the Kodenkan of Las Vegas page of Rawlin Blake, Steve Balzac's KoDenKan Institute page, Rico Blom's page from Sweden and Paul Yoshimune's page. I think these are all great and I hope to see more in the near future.
This month, I would like to talk about leadership and politics in the Okazaki Jujutsu family. What type of men and women lead us today? Who wears the title Sensei, Professor, Shihan? What do these titles mean to us in Danzan-Ryu? I think it is incumbent upon any of us who are called these things to be extremely mindful of what comes out of our mouths and what our actions portray. In many cases, our leaders have been shining examples to us. We have seen the leadership of Shoshin-Ryu disband themselves for the greater good of Danzan-Ryu and merge with the AJI. We have also seen the countless self-sacrifices of Senseis who spend long hours with their classes, passing on the arts and traditions of Danzan-Ryu.
Regrettably, we have also seen actions that subtract from our leaders and unfortunately, these are the ones to which people most often point. The wife of one of my students recently told me, "I thought this stuff was all supposed to be about inner balance and character development. So, what is all this politicking and back biting and in-fighting all about? Shame, shame, shame! Is this what I want my son to learn from participation with his father?"
The term "politics" has been used profusely in matters relating to Danzan-Ryu. From my viewpoint here in the suburbs of Washington, DC, clearly most of these squabbles are not political, but rather are personal in nature. The term politics is often invoked to replace the courage to face a problem honestly. Former US ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith wrote, "Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable." Let's use our energies for more constructive endeavors.
The Japanese term "Shihan" literally means model teacher. This title is part of the Menkyo licensing system that pre-dates the "kyu-dan" system. Very few people are awarded this title. (Most recently, a Shihan diploma was awarded to Bob Hudson at the 1993 Okugi class. Bob was the only student out of 24 to receive that title.) We who are leaders in Danzan-Ryu should strive to be models for our students and provide them the proper mold in which they may be shaped.
Until next month.
George
This past month has shown continued growth of both content and interest in the Danzan-Ryu Homepage. As many of you have seen, I have included a lot of new material on massage, DZR people, historical photos, etc. The response has been generally excellent. I have received many complimentary e-mails and phone calls regarding the page. I also have kept stats on the number of time the page has been accessed. For those of you who like statistics, the current average of daily hits is 159. Over the past month, the linear regression slope has varied from -0.2 to +0.5 with the majority of days in the positive range. The total number of hits since July has also topped the 10,000 mark.
The page has also stimulated a lot of interesting discussion between myself and other DZR practitioners. Topics have ranged from: "the page needs to include a particular instructor's biography" to "what was the genesis of some of the major DZR organizations" to "why is the Seifukujutsu done in a particular manner". I must admit that I certainly don't have all the answers and I have appreciated the input provided in these discussions. To repeat an earlier statement: If you have material that you would like to see on this page, please send it to me and I'll include it. I don't discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, OR EVEN DZR ORGANIZATIONAL AFFILIATION!!! ;-)
Some news items:
Danzan-Ryu Kanji Updates:
The more I research the history, techniques and traditions of Danzan-Ryu, the more interesting things I find. When translating some of the Okazaki mokuroku scroll, I found that some of the technique names did not match those on the "official" boards. Here are some examples:
From Yawara:
Imon Tori was incorrectly translated as "polite hold". Whereas "imon" may mean "consoling", the characters on the scroll don't read that way. "I" (also read "E") means the point at which the kimono jacket lapels cross (e.g. the chest) and "Mon" means emblem (as in the crest worn on the breast of the kimono). Since this art is a defense from a chest push, this translation makes better sense.
From Nage:
Kani Sute is often incorrectly spelled as Kane Sute. The Japanese word "Kani" means "crab".
From Shime:
Several arts have often been misspelled. Here are several with the correct spelling in bold type:
Eri Gatame - Yeri Gatame
Tsukkomi Shime - Tsukikomi Shime
Shika no Issoku Shime - Shikano Itsusoku
Shidare Fuji Shime - Shidaro Fuji Shime
From Oku:
Kine Katsugi is somtimes written Kinu Katsugi. While "Kinu" may mean cloth or silk, "Kine" is the Japanese word for a wooden pestle or piledriver. This art means "piledriver shouldering".
From Kiai:
Although there are not many spelling variances here, I have found an interesting difference between the Bud Estes scroll and some of the later scrolls. In the Tessen list, Prof. Estes' scroll has the technique "Tomoe Mawari" which does not appear on the scrolls of later Kodenkan graduates.
From Fujin:
Hon Gyaku is the correct name for Hung Gyaku.
From Shinnin:
Isami Tsuki Nage has often been written with the word "Tasuke" or "binding cord". This is incorrect. The word "Tsuki" means "to thrust" and thus the entire name of this technique means "courageous thrusting throw". Those of you who have done this art, will agree with this translation.
From Shinyo:
Sennin Kage (gang defense arts) has often been written as "Sennin Gake". I suspect that a typo was made somewhere in the distant past. "Sennin" means 1,000 people and "Kage" may mean "shadow", but in this instance is more appropriately translated as "backing assistance".
From Shingen:
The name of this board is probably the most glaring error. Shingen no Maki means "original spirit scroll". This name is often mispronouned as "Shin Jin", "Shinen Jin" or something else.
SO WHAT! What difference does any of this make??? It is certainly true that reversing the syllables of a technique's name has absolutely zero bearing on how well you perform a technique. The problem lies in the fact that these are errors, if left uncorrected, will multiply over time. This would be the same if you didn't correct a child who was using improper English grammar. In Danzan-Ryu, we who are of this generation of teachers should be vigilant of the correctness of what we are transmitting to the next generation.
Until next month,
George
Welcome to the Danzan-Ryu Homepage! The purpose of this web site is to provide accurate information about the Jujutsu system of Henry Seishiro Okazaki. Here you will find information about history, techniques, people, philosophy and even the dreaded politics. Although I am affiliated with one particular DZR organization, I have done my best to be open to all of the other organizations. That's probably the way Prof. Okazaki would have wanted it.
Since its inception in July 1995, this page has been accessed over 16,000 times and the average daily number of hits is 175. As last month, for you statistics fans, the current linear regression slope is 0.7 with an intercept of 146.
I continue to add dojo listings, e-mail addresses and biographies as I receive them. Please continue to send any of this type of info to me at DanzanRyu@yahoo.com. I also welcome any contributions of essays by the readers for inclusion in the Forum section.
I have recently seen some nice additions to some other DZR web pages. Rawlin Blake has added some nice pictures to his Las Vegas Kodenkan page. Dan Saragosa has added some historic photos from his archive to the AJI homepage. For links to these and other nice Danzan-Ryu pages, see the Links section.
Jujitsu America Convention '95
Living on the east coast has some definite disadvantages when it comes to attending predominantly west coast Danzan-Ryu functions. Fortunately, the 17th Annual National Convention of the Jujitsu America organization was held last month just outside of Boston. The convention's host Ed Melaugh put a fantastic weekend together at the Burlington Marriot. I took a group of my students up there for their first major DZR event. We all had a great time.
Some of my experiences are as follows:
Next year's convention will be held in conjunction with the Ohana '96 festival in San Jose. It was also announced that Ron Ogi is throwing a big party in Hawaii in 1997 to celebrate Wally Jay's 80th birthday. Start saving your pennies now!
The Official Kata Version?
Over the years, I have observed that various Danzan-Ryu dojos teach the techniques in a variety of ways. While this is fine for someone who only learns in one school, it has caused some confusion for people who have cross-trained in several dojos. It has also caused some major problems for some who have tested for rank by a board of examiners who practice the arts differently. In my particular case, I had to re-learn all of the board techniques prior to taking my Nidan exam. I had to do this because the board of examiners would have failed me if I performed the techniques in the manner of my instructor. To make things worse, I had to learn the "official kata versions" of the techniques in about two weeks.
This incident led me to explore the question, "Just what is the official kata version of the techniques?" In doing so, I found that each DZR teacher has a particular lineage back to Prof. Okazaki. In addition, that lineage may trace back to different times in Okazaki's life. Ray Law and Bud Estes left Hawaii in the late 1930's, John Cahill and Wally Jay left in the late 1940's and Sig Kufferath stayed there until 1960. Each teacher had a different picture of what made up the DZR curriculum since Okazaki changed his system over time. For this reason, the students from one lineage may practice a particular art differently from those students who came from a different lineage. The teachers in many of these schools will adamantly assert that they teach the "original" Okazaki techniques, but the techniques vary from school to school. Hmmm. Who is right? Who is wrong? What is the "correct" version?
I think the best (at least, the most satisfying) answer has come from Prof. Kufferath. He has told me on several occasions that each of the twenty Yawara techniques has at least ten variations. He also says that this applies to the other boards as well. I can easily accept this after reading the Okazaki mokuroku scroll. At the beginning of each board on the scroll it gives first the name and then the count of how many techniques are contained on the particular board. For example, at the beginning of Yawara and Nage, it says, "Niju Te, or twenty techniques." While the word "Te" means "hand", it is also used in the Japanese language as a counter for techniques. In some of the other boards, like Kiai no Maki, it reads, "Niju Shichi Hon, or twenty-seven basics." It is reasonable to extrapolate from these examples that Prof. Kufferath's assertion was correct. To add weight to this is also his personal experience with Okazaki. Prof. Kufferath correctly states that Okazaki was constantly updating his techniques to make them better.
So where does that leave us? First, teachers should be less adamant about restricting the curriculum to "only" the way their instructor taught the art. While I strongly believe in knowing the origin and heritage of one's art, I also feel that this type of attitude is transferred to the students. This will cause a hindrance to future growth of the system. Second, I think that those who are in the position to validate a candidate skills for rank testing need to be more accepting of variances in the student's techniques. As an examiner, if I saw an unfamiliar way that a candidate performs Kotegaeshi, I would simply ask the person to explain the purpose of that particular art. If they genuinely understood what they were talking about, I would pass them on the technique. (I may also show them another way to do the art.) Finally, remember that most martial art visionaries were "mold-breakers" and "risk-takers". Prof. Okazaki stood up to challenges from his own Japanese community in Hawaii when he taught the "Gaijin". He was also ostracized by some of his instructors for doing this. He was his own man and he did what he felt was right. Fortunately, these lessons have been passed down to us.
Until next month,
George
Welcome to the Danzan-Ryu Homepage! The purpose of this web site is to provide accurate information about the Jujutsu system of Henry Seishiro Okazaki. Here you will find information about history, techniques, people, philosophy and even the dreaded politics. I have recently been in contact with a number of people in the DZR community. I will share some of these comments later in this month's letter.
Okay statistics fans, here's the current data: Average no. of daily web page hits = 192; total number of hits since July 1995 = 24,000; linear regression slope = 0.9; linear regression intercept = 138.
As some of you know, the Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu Homepage has generated a lot of interest both inside the DZR community and out. In this month where we in the U.S. celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, I must express my thankfulness to everyone who has accessed the page and gotten something out of it.
During October, there were very few additions to the page, such as pictures, bios, etc. In November, I plan to add some more bios and some extremely rare photos. Stay tuned!
Love That Internet!
The Internet and the rest of the global information infrastructure has presented people with an unprecedented freedom of access to a great wealth of data on a wide variety of topics. Martial artists have certainly taken advantage of this in several ways. There is the World-Wide Web, list server discussion groups, Usenet newsgroups, file transfer protocol (FTP), and even simple E-mail. Along with the several web sites realted to DZR, I regularly participate in a list server devoted to the discussion of Jujutsu. Often the discussion turns to Danzan-Ryu matters. Here are some selected comments that I have seen recently (I'll leave off names):
Related to massage:
The techniques you mention are only two of an extensive DZR curriculum that deals with the normal bumps and bruises that occur when working out to dealing with a variety of systemic afflictions. Seifukujutsu is a whole system of healing in Japan, and one must conclude an intensive training to be certified as a seifukujutsu practitioner or "Dr."
About Yawara and linguistics:
Unfortunately, when mentioning "yawara" to many people, they immediately think of the short stick. The older meaning is much more germane. As a point of interest, the name Yawara is used for the first kata in the Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu system. When the founder wrote this out in Japanese, he used the hiragana Ya-Wa-Ra instead of the kanji. This was to avoid confusion with the other pronounciation, "Ju".
More on Japanese language:
A ... Japanese would read the kanji a certain way, there are several readings to many kanji. A simple example would be "Deashi Harai" many Japanese would look at this kanji and say "Deashi Haki" but in DZR it is pronounced Harai another reading of the character.
About Randori:
When the classical form deteriorates to Tori/Tori, then it becomes Shiai without a Ref (Sport Judo). A major difference, also, is that there are many Nage techniques which are taught, and the classical form allows for examining how best to apply them against someone who is not overly cooperative. This builds the timing reflexes needed to go to the combative sequences.
On Conventions:
I have attended every American Judo and Jujustu Fed. convention since 1959, including Ohana '90,'92, and I gather enough energy and motivation to carry me over to the next one. These sorts of gatherings are very valuable to any and all.
On the Iron Fan:
The techniques in the DZR iron fan scroll uses a closed fan. In fact, the tessen is made out of a solid piece of iron and doesn't open. I have heard this mistakenly called a "tetsu bo", but this instrument is a long (~6 ft.) iron bar.
On teaching children:
Don't teach them to fight. Teach them self defense. The difference is a matter of attitude. Fighting is the last resort, and ultimately leads to more fighting. Teach them conflict resolution in the simplest of terms.
AJJF - The Second Coming?
I talked to some people last month about the public perception of the American Judo and Jujitsu Federation (AJJF). The conversations have ranged from acrimony to devotion and lots of levels in-between. One of the AJJF professors gave me some insights that I thought would benefit the total DZR community. Since its beginnings in the late 40's - early 50's, the AJJF has been the primary DZR organization on the mainland and has the largest membership and infrastructure. It also has dojos from Hawaii to Pennsylvania and lots of other states, too.
Starting in the 1960's, the AJJF was the focus of several incidents which tainted the image of the AJJF. Some of these incidents caused some black belts to leave the AJJF and form independent organizations. Unfortunately, I was an AJJF member during the time of some of this divisive time and got caught between some power struggles at the time of one of my exams. This certainly left me with some bad feelings about the AJJF. To make matters worse, there was some public criticism by the AJJF of the 1993 Okugi class held by Prof. Kufferath and Prof Janovich. I attended this class along with a number of AJJF black belts.
Since that class, I have noticed a new spirit in the AJJF. At the 1994 Ohana convention in Las Vegas, AJJF Sr. Prof. Lamar Fisher declared that he wanted to see the fulfillment of Okazaki's dream of a DZR dojo in every state, regardless of organization. I have seen more and more teachers seeking the counsel of Prof. Kufferath, who was once neglected by the AJJF. One Professor recently expressed to me how important it was to recognize the position of both Kufferath as well as the late Prof. Bud Estes. Prof. Estes was indeed a very nice person and a top martial artist.
Although I now affiliate with another organization, I recognize the importance of the AJJF in the history of Danzan-Ryu. There are many fine DZR teachers and students in the AJJF. In the spirit of Ohana (family), let's concentrate on our similarities instead of our differences.
Until next month,
George
Welcome to the Danzan-Ryu Homepage! The purpose of this web site is to provide accurate information about the Jujutsu system of Henry Seishiro Okazaki. Here you will find information about history, techniques, people, philosophy and a touch of opinion.
Here's the current statistical data on the page: Average no. of daily web page hits = 200; total number of hits since July 1995 = 29,000; linear regression slope = 0.9; linear regression intercept = 138. This past month also resulted in a record for a daily number of hits. On 11/6/95, there were 435 hits, but then on 11/22/95, there were 461 hits! This occurred after some lively discussions on the Jujutsu mailing list.
Den
Our system of Jujutsu is based on transmitting the tradition from senior to junior. As the junior students gain knowledge and experience, they become teachers and the system is propagated. The Japanese word "Den" can mean both tradition and transmission. It is therefore fitting that Prof. Okazaki used this word in the name of his Honolulu dojo, the Kodenkan, or "ancient tradition school". When we see this name, it reminds us of the manner in which the Professor chose to spread his school. Kodenkan students have spread this tradition from Hawaii to California and then to the rest of the country.
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
There are obviously lots of Jujutsu practitioners out there who claim some lineage back to Okazaki. I think we all know who our teacher is. Most of us also know who their teacher's teacher is. How many of us know our lineage back to Prof. Okazaki. If you can trace back to one of the original students, (Sig Kufferath, Bud Estes, Wally Jay, Ray Law, John and Willy Cahill, Richard Takamoto, Steve Byzek, Marion Anderson, Curly Friedman, Richard Rickerts, Tony Muran, ...) then you have traced back to Okazaki.
(FYI, here is my lineage: H.S. Okazaki, Ray Law, Bill Randle, Jim Marcincus, Mike Belzer, me. I also consider Sig Kufferath to be one of my teachers.)
Who Are You?
I want to make a request of the DZR folk who read this page. If you are a Sensei, I want to include you in this page. I'm sure that your students would like to see your bio included in the People and Dojos sections of this web site. (And hey, its free advertising for your school!) I am interested in the following information on you:
To make it easy for you, I have included a hot link to help you send this info to me. Just Click Here to send me a mail message. (Note: If this hot link doesn't work for you, my e-mail address is DanzanRyu@yahoo.com) I hope to hear from you soon!
Shameless Plug
For the upcoming holiday season, I hope you will consider the perfect gift for your favorite DZRer. The Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu T-Shirt! For only $15, you can own a shirt with an original design of Prof. Okazaki along with the kanji names of the DZR boards. For a small image of the front and back of the shirt, click here. Sizes range from S to 3XL.
Also, there are still copies of my Yawara book available. This book includes descriptions of the techniques along with historical material. This makes a great stocking for only $15.
Send your order, with a check or money order to:
George Arrington
13908 Lee Jackson Hwy. #100
Chantilly, VA 22021
Dangerous Techniques
Have you ever noticed that Yonenbu no Kata (the Okazaki children's class list of techniques) is a subset of the Nage Te arts. While there are 20 techniques in Nage, the Yonenbu list only has fifteen throws. The excluded five techniques are:
These techniques are somewhat more risky for the uke to take. For this reason, Okazaki felt that they shouldn't be taught to children. There is a story that someone was once severly injured in practice after taking Kani Sute. Supposedly, Okazaki excluded the technique from his curriculum for a time.
Hanaji Tome
During practice, have you ever had a nosebleed? How can you stop the bleeding? Here are some ideas:
As with any medical condition, if the bleeding persists, see a physician.
Original Spirit
The most important list of techniques in the entire Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu system is the Yawara list. These 20 techniques form the basis for most self-defense arts. Each basic Yawara technique has at least 10 variations, thus making this list span over 200 arts. Learn the Yawara arts well.
Happy Holidays and see you next month,
George
Your comments are welcome.
This page maintained by George Arrington.
Back to Home Page.