so i looked for some tournament footage of this guy on google and no luck.
however I discovered that his base style is as follows below. It comprises jujutsu, judo, and lua. Lua is the indigenous martial art of Hawaii. And I have always wanted the opportunity to learn this nearly extinct martial art because of my hawaiian heritage.
learn something new everyday.
Danzan-Ryū (檀山流, "Sandalwood Mountain System" from a Chinese name for Hawaii) is a Ryū of jujutsu founded by Henry Seishiro Okazaki (1890–1951) in Hawaii. Danzan Ryū is ubiquitous in the United States, particularly on the west coast.
For a Danzan Ryū syllabus, see Danzan Ryū Lists.
History
[edit]Henry S. Okazaki
Seishiro Okazaki was born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan in 1890. In 1906, he immigrated to the island of Hawaii. Soon arfter, he was afflicted with a pulmonary condition which may have been tuberculosis. It was during this time, however, that young Okazaki began studying under Yōshin-ryū jujutsu sensei by the name of Yoshimatsu Tanaka in Hilo, Hawaii. Okazaki intensely pursued his studies under Tanaka and he found after sometime that his respiratory condition had gone into remission. Okazaki felt that the study of martial arts had played a large role in his physical recovery and as a result he decided to dedicate his life to the study and teaching of jujitsu and related disciplines. Later in his life he would adopt the western name, Henry.
In 1924, Okazaki returned to Japan and underwent a study of the various schools, or ryū-ha, of the then most popular Jūjutsu styles of Yōshin-ryū, Namba-Shoshin Ryū, Iwaga Ryū, Kosogabe Ryū, Kōdōkan Jūdō, and several others. Later that year when he returned to the Hawaiian Islands, he continued the study of jūjutsu under the various masters who had emigrated from Japan to Hawaii. Incorporating not only traditional jūjutsu, but also Hawaiian Lua, Okinawan Karate, Eskrima, Kung Fu, and wrestling, he began to synthesize the most effective aspects of these varies styles into an eclectic system which he called 'Danzan Ryū'. Okazaki used this name to honor his Chinese martial arts teacher, Wo Chong. The Chinese name for Hawai'i is T'an Shan (or in Japanese, Dan Zan) which translates as 'sandalwood mountain'. Hence the term Danzan-Ryu means Hawaiian Style.
[edit]First classes
Okazaki's school was founded in Hawaii. The name Kodenkan may be translated as 'The School of the Ancient Tradition' or as 'The School in Which Senior Students Transmit the Tradition.' Both translations are accurate . Okazaki's method of instruction prescribed that senior students to teach their junior students in the spirit of mutual assistance. Okazaki declared that this method of instruction was the foundational philosophy of the AJJF; Okazaki called this philosophy kokua, which in Hawaiian is defined as to mutually help one another. Another notable aspect of his philosophy was that he was willing to teach both people of non-Asian extraction and women the arts. This was frowned upon by parts of the Asian community in Hawaii at that time. By all accounts[citation needed] the original classes were grueling, and as below, Okazaki taught different courses to different individuals. (Esmailzadeh 1) Around the time of the founding of Kodenkan it took approximately four years to earn a Shodan ranking. During this time students trained 6–7 days a week.