Christian
Jujitsu
Association
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Christian Jujitsu Association
Maintaining the True and Ancient Tradition of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu
We know that Okazaki was cognizant of the dishonorable brawling by former Samurai warriors in the streets of Japan following the Meiji Restoration. We don't believe he wanted to contribute to that image.
For four years prior to moving to Honolulu in 1930, he and his brother Genkichi had a martial art and Oriental therapy complex on the beach at Paukukalo. It was here that he used Okazaki Restorative Therapy on the Japanese workers who had spent the day in the fields, and taught JuJitsu to folks of all races, even Haoles (Caucasians). It was here he first established his Dan Zan Ryu (Cedar Mountain Style) of JuJitsu, named in honor of his Chinese Kung Fu teacher. The Chinese at that time referred to Hawaii as the islands with the cedar mountains, thus the name "Cedar Mountain Style".
According to an old scroll entitled Goshin No Kata Mokuroku (Self Defense Forms Catalogue) from 1927, Okazaki was listed as a "Danzan Ryu JuJitsu Shihan", where "shihan" refers to a master in the physical and esoteric sense. In English an equivalent would be "professor". On this scroll are techniques that would ultimately appear on Okazaki's "boards" of Yawara, Nage, Shime, Oku, Shinen, and Shinyo. Arts that would appear on all of these "boards" were taken from the many styles and systems that Okazaki studied.
The first of many ads placed in the Polk Directory of Hawaii in 1926 listed Henry S. Okazaki as a "Professor" of restorative therapy and JuJitsu. This one listed his residence as Paukukalo, Maui. In the latter part of 1929, Okazaki established his business in Honolulu. His first ad in the Polk Directory listing his Oahu location appeared in 1931. He rented a house at the Chester Doyle Estate on Hotel Street. Doyle was an aficionado of the Japanese. The estate at Hotel Street had a Japanese motif, and Doyle himself spoke fluent Japanese. He called the estate the Nikko (sunshine or the rays of the sun). This then was an ideal location for Okazaki's business on Oahu. Later Okazaki was able to purchase the estate.
Okazaki was famous world wide for his Okazaki Restorative Therapy. In 1934 he treated his most famous patient: Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Pres. Roosevelt suffered from polio, and was unable to stand for any appreciable time. He spent most of his time in a wheel chair. The press was very kind, and covered up his condition so well, that most of the public never knew. Yet when the President came to Hawaii in 1934, he asked that Okazaki treat him. The first visit was aboard the U.S.S. Houston, while later treatments were done at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. The President also stayed at the Chris Homes estate in Waikiki. There were about six treatments in total. The results were astounding. The President was so impressed with his progress that he invited Okazaki to Washington, D.C. to be his personal physician. It was claimed that the President told Okazaki that he was the only one who had helped him. Okazaki politely turned down the request. President Roosevelt in appreciation gave him a large signed photo of himself, which still resides in the Nikko front office today! Only one other copy of this photo was given out in Hawaii, and it was located at the headquarters of the Democratic Party. Other famous patients of Okazaki included other government officials, and hollywood greats: Johnny Weismeuller, Charlie Chaplin, etc.
Historical Perspectives