Traditional Martial Arts | Tactical Self Defense

Danzan Ryu
​Danzan Ryu, or the “Sandalwood Mountain System”, is a school of jujutsu that was formed in Hawai’i during the 1920’s by “Henry” Seishiro Okazaki. Okazaki created his system of jujutsu by blending elements of classical jujutsu schools (Yōshin-ryū, Namba-Shoshin Ryū, Iwaga Ryū, Kosogabe Ryū) with Kodokan Judo, Hawai’ian Lua, Okinawan Karate, Eskrima, Kung Fu, and Western wrestling. ​

 

Seishiro "Henry" Okazaki​

Seishiro Okazaki was born on January 28, 1890 in Kakeda, Japan. In 1906, at the age of 16, Okazaki immigrated to Hawai’i. Shortly after settling in Hilo, at the age of 19, he discovered he had tuberculosis.  Rather than succumb to the disease, Okazaki decided to commit fully to his jujutsu training under Kichimatsu Tanaka at the Hilo Shinyo Kai dojo. Within a year, he had rid himself of the condition. Okazaki credited the training as well as the Lomi Lomi (massage) that he had received as the reason for his recovery.  In his own words he had developed a “body of iron” and decided to dedicate the rest of his life to the martial arts and healing techniques that saved his life. As time progressed Okazaki continued studying jujutsu and other martial arts (Lua, Karate, Eskrima, Kung Fu, Western Wrestling and Boxing) under various masters that had immigrated to Hawai’i. Okazaki also studied seifukujutsu or restorative massage.