Danzan-ryū

Lore & Background

Seishiro Okazaki was born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan in 1890 and immigrated to Hawaii in 1906. After being afflicted with a pulmonary condition possibly tuberculosis, he studied Yōshin-ryū jujutsu under Yoshimatsu Tanaka in Hilo, Hawaii. His health improved, and he dedicated his life to martial arts. He later adopted the Western first name Henry. In 1924, Okazaki returned to Japan to study various jujutsu schools, including Yōshin-ryū, Namba-Shoshin Ryū, Iwaga Ryū, Kosogabe Ryū, and Kōdōkan Jūdō. Returning to Hawaii, he continued studying under Japanese masters and incorporated Lua, Shōrin-ryū Karate, Eskrima, Boxing, Chin Na, and Folk Wrestling into his system, naming it Danzan Ryū to honor his Chinese teacher Wo Chong. The name derives from the Chinese name for Hawai'i, T'an Shan, meaning 'sandalwood mountain'.

Reader's Guide

Danzan-ryū's significance lies in its role as a pioneering hybrid martial art in the United States, blending Japanese jujutsu with Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, and Western techniques. Founded by Seishiro Okazaki, it was one of the first jujutsu systems to openly incorporate non-Japanese elements, reflecting Hawaii's multicultural environment. Okazaki's willingness to teach women and non-Asians challenged prevailing norms and broadened the art's reach. The style's legacy is carried on by several major organizations, including the American Jujitsu Institute (founded by Okazaki in 1939, the oldest martial arts organization in the US), the American Judo and Jujitsu Federation (founded 1948), and Small Circle Jujitsu (developed by Wally Jay). These groups have standardized curricula and promoted the art's ethical philosophy. Danzan-ryū also influenced US military hand-to-hand combat training during World War II. Its healing traditions, such as Okazaki Restorative Massage, continue through certification programs. The art's syncretic nature and emphasis on mutual aid (KOKUA) remain central to its identity.

Did You Know?

• Seishiro Okazaki adopted the Western first name Henry.
• The name Danzan-ryū honors Okazaki's Chinese martial arts teacher, Wo Chong, and uses the Chinese name for Hawai'i, T'an Shan, meaning 'sandalwood mountain'.
• Okazaki's method of instruction embodied the Hawaiian concept of KOKUA, meaning to help each other.
• The American Jujitsu Institute, founded by Okazaki in 1939, is the oldest martial arts organization in the United States.

From Illness to Vocation: Okazaki's Path to Jujutsu

Seishiro Okazaki was born in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, in 1890 and emigrated to the Hawaiian Islands in 1906. Shortly after his arrival, he was struck by a serious pulmonary condition that may have been tuberculosis. During his convalescence in Hilo, he began training under Yoshimatsu Tanaka, a Yōshin-ryū jujutsu instructor. Okazaki pursued his studies with such dedication that his respiratory illness went into remission, and he credited the martial arts practice with playing a major role in his physical recovery. This experience convinced him to devote his entire life to the study and teaching of jujutsu and related disciplines. He later adopted the Western first name Henry. In 1924, he traveled back to Japan to undertake extended study of multiple jujutsu schools, including Yōshin-ryū, Namba-Shoshin Ryū, Iwaga Ryū, Kosogabe Ryū, Kōdōkan Jūdō, and several others. Upon his return to Hawaii, he continued training under various Japanese masters who had emigrated to the islands, and began weaving together the most effective elements of all these traditions into a single, unified system.

A Syncretic System and a Name Honoring a Teacher

The Danzan-ryū syllabus is deliberately syncretic, drawing not only from traditional Japanese jujutsu but also from Lua, Shōrin-ryū Karate, Eskrima, Boxing, Chin Na, and Folk Wrestling. Okazaki synthesized what he considered the most effective techniques from each of these diverse disciplines into a single, cohesive curriculum that transcended any single national tradition. The name itself carries a deeply personal tribute: it honors his Chinese martial arts teacher, Wo Chong. The Chinese name for Hawai'i is T'an Shan, which when rendered in Japanese kanji becomes Dan Zan, literally meaning "sandalwood mountain." Despite its primarily Japanese martial roots, Danzan-ryū became most widely practiced on the West Coast of the United States rather than in Japan or even in Hawaii itself. The system's eclectic, multi-source nature set it apart from more purist martial arts lineages, making it a uniquely Pacific-born hybrid that blended Japanese, Chinese, Polynesian, Filipino, and Western combat traditions into one practical whole.

KOKUA, Inclusion, and the Discipline of the Dojo

Okazaki established his school, Kodenkan—translatable as 'The School of the Ancient Tradition'—in Honolulu. His instructional method required senior students to teach their juniors in a spirit of mutual aid, a principle he declared to be the founding philosophy of the discipline. This approach embodied the Hawaiian concept of KOKUA, meaning to help one another. Okazaki also made the controversial decision to open his classes to students of non-Asian origin and to women, a practice that was frowned upon by the Asian community in Hawaii at the time. Training was reportedly grueling: students trained six to seven days per week, and it took approximately four years to earn a Shodan rank. Okazaki tailored different courses to different individuals based on their needs. He also emphasized healing techniques alongside combat skills, and some of his students carried on his massage traditions. In 1984, third- and fourth-generation practitioners standardized his style of massage from notes left by Okazaki's students into the AJJF certification program known as Okazaki Restorative Massage.

Wartime Trials, Military Service, and Enduring Legacy

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Okazaki was allegedly interned for six months, though this claim has not been substantiated through FOIA requests to the U.S. Government. It is possible he was merely held under arrest rather than placed in a camp. His release came relatively quickly, aided by Curley Freedman, a well-known Honolulu tile contractor who used his FBI contacts to intervene. The FBI subsequently asked Okazaki to help identify Japanese fishing boats that might have been relaying intelligence about U.S. Navy movements. His dojo was protected from looters by his students, and he used the preserved assets to aid the Asian community that had previously shunned him, earning their acceptance. During the war, he continued teaching and assisted the U.S. military in developing a hand-to-hand combat curriculum based largely on the 120 Commando Technique list. Okazaki suffered a stroke in July 1948, partially recovered the following year, and died on July 12, 1951, at age sixty-two. Today the art persists through organizations including the American Jujitsu Institute, which Okazaki founded in 1939 and which stands as the oldest martial arts organization in the United States.