What Is Danzan-Ryu Jujitsu?

There are many flavors of jujitsu, called systems or schools; the system taught at Kodai No Bushido and Shanti Jujitsu Dojo is called Danzan-Ryu. The Danzan-Ryu is a synthesis of the best techniques of the ancient jujitsu schools (Yoshin, Kosogabe, Shibukawa-Ryu, Yoshin-Ryu, Namba-Shoshin-Ryu), Okinawan Karate, Chinese Kung-Fu, Hawaiian Lua, Filipino knife fighting, and traditional Japanese restorative massage and healing techniques. It was developed by Professor Henry S. Okazaki whose school, the Kodenkan, was headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Professor Henry S. Okazaki

Danzan-Ryu translates to Cedar Mountain School or Hawaiian Island System.

Kodenkan translates to The School of Ancient Tradition or The School in which Senior Students Transmit the Tradition. Both are accurate translations, in that Danzan-Ryu is based on ancient jujitsu schools, and the method of instruction requires that senior students teach junior students in the spirit that Okazaki declared was inherent in the Hawaiian word kokua:

To Help One Another.

At the dojo we approach our training on many levels. The core of our curriculum comes from the AJJF Kata Manual. A set of boards listing the basic Danzan-Ryu techniques taught at the school are posted on the wall at the dojo for student's reference. Students may use our web boards as a foundation for their notebooks.

The Danzan-Ryu system begins with instruction in exercises, forward and backward rolls, and front, side, and back falls that allow students to be thrown safely. The basic techniques of the system are arranged into eleven lists of 20 to 52 techniques each. There are five fundamental Danzan-Ryu Jujitsu lists taught below the black-belt level. They are:

Yawara	20 basic holds and escapes
Nage Te	20 basic throwing arts
Shime Te	25 grappling arts
Oku No Te	25 combination techniques
Goshin Jitsu	28 advanced self-defense arts

Additional lists are also taught in the Jujitsu classes. These remaining lists, most of which are primarily taught above the rank of black belt, include: defenses against gun, knife, staff & sword; demonstration arts; iron fan and yawara stick arts; blocks; kicks; strikes; and a system of resuscitation (kappo) arts and restorative/massage (seifukujitsu) healing techniques.

Ask the AJJF Professors, "What is Jujitsu"?

To Notes On Master Okazaki And The Origins Of Danzan Ryu. Article from The Kiai Echo, Spring 1996.

To George Arrington's Danzan-Ryu Jujitsu Homepage

To addition Danzan-Ryu Jujitsu pages

To the Kodai No Bushido home page.

To the Shanti Jujitsu Dojo home page.