Danzan Ryu Japanese Jiu Jitsu

Sifu Richard Bustillo, and Professor Luke with our class

Danzan Ryu Japanese Jiujitsu

Danzan Ryu Jiu-Jitsu has an extremely special place for me being a Japanese martial art founded in the Hawaiian Islands with influences taken from numerous martial arts that the founder Henry ‘Seishiro’ Okazaki had been exposed to. Professor Okazaki was born in Japan and moved to Hilo, Hawaii where a few years later would be diagnosed with a lung disease thought to be tuberculosis. In order to combat his condition, he began training in Judo which he became completely captivated with and began training with all his being which would eventually lead to his symptoms disappearing. His studies would lead him through a number of different styles and eventually travel across Japan acquiring techniques and earning a Professorship in martial arts. Upon returning to Hawaii, Professor Okazaki would gather the techniques he had collected thus far to create his own system “Kodenkan” and his school “Danzan Ryu” in honor of Hawaii and an instructor of his. Professor Okazaki would become one of the first instructors to break tradition and teach outside ethnicities his arts which would lead to trouble from the Japanese similar to Bruce Lee faced in his decision to teach westerners Kung Fu.

Professor Okazaki had also studied Physical Therapy and opened the Nikko Sanatorium of Restoration Massage, in which he would treat a number of renowned clients including Shirley Temple, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the wife of John A. Burns to name a few. This would mark the beginning of the Professor Okazaki Seifukujutsu System which all Danzan Ryu practitioners are expected to excel in. Professor Okazaki would organize the American Jiujitsu Institute which is the longest standing Martial Arts organization outside of Japan which is still in operation today.

Education in history has not always been so available nor mandatory which resulted in many individuals lacking education. Martial Arts masters were referred to as Professors, for not only their ability to instruct in the fighting arts but additionally their ability to instruct in various aspects which would lead to their students' personal development. This is an extremely key component that many “fighting arts” are severely lacking in our current day, and why I believe we as a community must begin teaching our students the esoteric principles of martial arts once again. Professor Samuel Luke was an extraordinary man who I had the extreme honor of meeting in my lifetime and consider him a lifelong role model. Professor Luke would always speak about the esoteric principles of Danzan Ryu Jiu-Jitsu and of their importance, ensuring that us the younger generation would never forget its teachings.

I began my own journey in Martial Arts through Muay Thai and later Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, and had always found something lacking in instruction. While we were constantly learning how to harm opponents, I found the discipline, and other lessons completely lacking from these systems and began my journey of searching for an art which encompassed these into their instruction. I would find the art of Muay Chaiya a southern form of Muay Boran or ancient Thai boxing which Muay Thai had been derived from, however, living in Hawaii there was no way to receive instruction aside from visiting Thailand which was not an option at the time. So I began searching the roots of Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu and was fascinated in its origin story which all started with Jigoro Kano and ultimately Jiu-Jitsu. My research of Japanese Jiu Jitsu had eventually led me to the system developed within Hawaii “Danzan Ryu” which held techniques from many martial arts, just as I had been collecting in my quest for my own Jeet Kune Do. I would come to learn many amazing stories first hand, such as Bruce Lee having been exposed to Danzan Ryu through Professor Wally Jay, a student of Professor Okazaki.

I hope we can all become exposed to real systems like these, who not only teach violence but principles, the ability to heal those we may eventually hurt, and the discipline which MMA and BJJ schools have completely forgotten.