Christian
Jujitsu
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Christian Jujitsu Association
Maintaining the True and Ancient Tradition of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu
Furthermore Okazaki liked to entertain. So he would often have large garden parties at the `Makiki' house, inviting many famous guests: General George Mac Arthur, Postmaster General James A. Farley, George Burns & Gracie Allen, Shirley Temple, Duke Kahanamoku, and many others. The house was a large "gingerbread" two story wood place with a tea house, lanai, fishpond, and hot/cold tubs. They would have 10 to 20 guests at a time, and would often serve sukiyaki and sake.
A case of miraculous healing occurred with Mrs. John A. Burns. Before her husband became Governor of Hawaii, while he was still a police commissioner, Mrs. Burns developed polio. She was just a few months pregnant with her third child. The Western M.D.'s (allopaths) could do nothing for her and suggested euthanasia to her husband. John went to Okazaki, who insisted that she be brought home from the hospital (mostly to get her away from those M.D.s who would kill her). According to Mrs. Burns, Okazaki knelt for an hour in prayer (on a concrete patio), before he came in to treat her. She experienced much more than just healing, but also a spiritual uplifting. She said he saved her life, healed her, and saved the life of her son, James Seishiro Burns (later to become a Hawaiian State Appellate Court Judge). She said Okazaki was a very devout and religious man. He told her that he would never use his skill just for money, but that it must be used to help others, regardless of their means. In addition to her own healing she recounted a woman healed of undulant fever by Okazaki, and several who had their eyesight restored. She said Okazaki was a miracle worker. He refused to the end to take any money for treating Mrs. Burns.
The "concrete mats" were famous within Okazaki lore. Every so often in the early 1930's Okazaki would start a new group of white belts out learning their rolls and falls on a concrete slab he had behind the dojo. Each group thought that they were unique. Prof. Estes recalled his group, and how Okazaki used them to show the other Japanese JuJitsu instructors in Honolulu that Haoles (Caucasians) were tough. Hachiro, Seishiro's oldest son, recalled his time on the slab:
"I was watering the Japanese garden one day in my shorts. I was a skinny, puny kid. He was watching me and he says, "Take a fall." And I looked at the grass I was standing on and said, "Gee, there's not enough room." And he said, "No, on the concrete." I looked at him and said "There's no tatami!" He blew his top and said, "Out on the street are you gonna tell a guy, `Wait till I get a tatami?'" So I took a sutemi because I was an obedient son and I wanted to impress him. I could feel all my bones go crunch, crunch, on the concrete."
The same phenomenon occurred with the "special" Black Belt classes at the `Makiki' home. Small groups of Black Belts as few as 5 or 6, but never more than 10 would be invited to a "special" Black Belt class on the weekend. Prof. Estes said they would come in the morning at 6am. After the workout, they would eat. Then everyone would lie down for a nap. They were always awakened by the "Professor" nudging them with his foot. "Get up, get up. You go home now!" Each group would think that they were the only ones getting this special instruction, when in fact Okazaki rotated many groups through on different weekends.
Historical Perspectives