In any given martial art today, you will find more than one organization dedicated to perpetuating their version of that art. The reasons for the existence of multiple organizations are differences that fall into three general categories: (1) technical; (2) philosophical; and (3) personality. Within each of these areas, the points of most importance to the individual martial artist are the commonalities between himself and an organization.
Therefore, what follows is an attempt to convey some of the ideas that are fundamental cornerstones of the Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System. By doing this I hope that individuals who practice any martial art will develop a spirit of critical inquiry in regards to their membership in any organization. In addition, I want to illustrate some of the major differences between the Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System and other martial arts organizations in general and other Kodenkan Dan Zan Ryu organizations in particular.

The Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System is a true confederation, that is, a loose grouping of independent individuals who are serious, dedicated martial artists. The main goal of the organization is to perpetuate the art of ju-jitsu, specifically the Kodenkan Dan Zan ryu ju-jitsu system founded by Prof. Henry Seishiro Okazaki, by providing a teaching/sharing network of senior martial artists. In this brief description, many ideas exist that make the Hawaiian Ju-jitsu System fundamentally and philosophically different from other martial arts organizations.
The first question any thinking martial artist should ask himself in reference to an organization is: What's in it for me? This is not a selfish question; this implies a certain perspective. Specifically you understand that organizations exist (or should exist) to serve their members; not to serve the organization itself or an elite leadership.
This means that you should choose your organizational membership based upon your personal compatibility in terms of goals, philosophy, values, and personalities with those of the organization and its leadership. What follows are some thoughts on what I deem of importance in these areas related to martial arts.

We are living in the most exciting time yet in man's history. The new millenium has drawn everyone's attention to one concept; change. It has forced everyone to stop, examine their surroundings, reevaluate their life and their philosophy of life and renew their commitments to their chosen path. This is a good thing.
The mat is a microcosm of the world around us; the lessons you learn on the mat are the lessons of life. The Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System is a reflection of the change around us. With a new Director comes a pause, everyone focuses on the change, there is a reexamination of goals and philosophy, and we charge forward.

Before I charge forward, I want to bring up the past; for in the past lie my reasons for affilliating with the Hawaiian Ju-jitsu System. There are two:
The first contact I had with the Hawaiian Ju-jitsu System was Professor Alex Limbaugh; it doesn't take me long to form an opinion. I had met a dedicated, competent, hard training, serious martial artist; equally important were the facts that he was polite, not arrogant, and willing to teach and share his knowledge with anyone seriously interested while keeping an open mind and trying to learn from others.
My second reason for affiliating with the Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System was Professor Bill Beach, a pioneer in mainland American martial arts. By this statement I mean to point out how truly unique men like Ray Law and Bill Beach were to their historical time frame and their important role in bringing this art to us.
What I found of greatest value in Bill Beach were the implications of these few words found in his kata manual; Bill Beach's Hawaiian Jiu-Jitsu System, preserving the Okazaki legacy.

Respect for one's teachers is a fundamental tenet in martial arts; when we bow to a picture of Professor Okazaki at the beginning of class, we not only recognize him as the originator of this style but we also recognize him as a symbol. We are acknowledging and showing our respect for all of the many generations of men who have come before us; spending their lives learning and teaching so we could have that knowledge brought to us today. Giving those teachers the credit they deserve is a mark of respect. There are men out there who claim this style for themselves; giving it their own name but using Okazaki's system without giving him credit; doing this, they discredit themselves.
Preserving the Okazaki legacy implies other philisophical ideas. The first is that we are not saying that there are a finite number of techniques in this system, handed down from the mountain by Professor Okazaki, and carved in stone for all posterity with us as the sole keepers and dispensers of knowledge. There are those out there that think this way.
By saying that techniques can be improved upon and by saying that no man has seen everything, we establish an organization and a system that exemplifies the belief that ju-jitsu is a dynamic, living/breathing entity capable of growth and change(i.e. being adaptable, flexible). This was the primary message of Professor Okazaki; this is what set him apart and made him so special.
This is what the name Hawaiian illustrates; a recognition that Professor Okazaki was an unusual man who learned from a variety of martial traditions and took them a step further in their development by creating his eclectic interpretation of them; and this is what he wanted us to do.
Thus, the last part in that brief statement, Bill Beach's interpretation of that system; of the many people who studied Okazaki's system, Bill Beach was one of the few who got the main message. Take the art and make it your own; and that's a basic premise that applies to the rest of us. We shouldn't all look exactly alike in every technique; this is martial art, not martial science or martial xeroxing.
There are many traditions and traditional ways associated with martial arts. The point the contemporary martial artist must understand is that there are two general categories for these traditions; (1) those that bear directly on the attainment of martial skill, and (2) those that exist for a societal purpose.
In the first case, we fnd the passing down of tried and true techniques and training methods; methods and techniques proven effective over time. Professor Okazaki was a traditionalist in this sense and his system is a part of that tradition. The Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System is actively interested in preserving, adding to, and being a part of that tradition. In the second case, we find traditions rooted in a feudal culture that evolved to stratify and solidify a hierarchical social order; some trappings of this past will always remain as they are entwined in the very fabric of the cultures from which many martial arts evolved. We see these trappings in many of Professor Okazaki's class rituals. Most importantly what we don't see, however, is Professor Okazaki's blind adherence to these traditions.
What I mean by that is Professor Okazaki didn't merely study one style of ju-jitsu, say that was the the best and one true way, become a master of that style and call it quits. Many people still do that today (inside & outside of this style). He realized that no system is perfect and complete within itself; that's why he studied several styles of ju-jitsu; and then he went a step further. He broke out of the narrow confines of one culture's martial traditions and studied in several other traditions. In this way he was a non-traditionalist; he was pointing the way to the future, not providing all the answers.
This approach and one's understanding and interpretation of it has an impact today in many ways. For example, there is an on going controversy over who is the "true inheritor" of the Okazaki system. My answer to that question is everyone who ever studied with him and their students.
It was common knowledge that Professor Okazaki had many "special" classes; he taught different people different things for a variety of reasons: age, dedication, ability, race, physical handicaps, etc. Also, his program of instruction obviously changed from the mid-1920's to 1950.
All of this points to one conclusion; the true value of his system lies in its open minded philosophy, not in the specifics of the techniques. That's just another version of "the form is the art, but the art is not the form."

The inheritor question also ties in with my point that Professor Okazaki wasn't a blind traditionalist. Profesor Okazaki did not die suddenly; after his stroke, he could have named an inheritor in the traditional manner. My thought is that he specifically chose not to do this, because it conflicted with his main messages. So when you hear people make inheritor claims simply ask yourself our bottom line question: Do you want to grow up to be like them?

So, the Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System I see is a grouping of individuals who accept their individual responsibility within the group as we all work toward our comon goal: perpetuation of the art. This approach also has implications that differentiate us from other groups. For example, the senior practitioners have the responsibility of teaching their students how to learn and how to lead. We are not interested in producing and controlling a group of automatons, we are interested in producing top quality martial artists capable of facing and defeating trained, professional fighters.
This means at some point, like a parent, the leadership has to relinquish control, let go and have faith in the people they have helped along the way. In practical terms, that means this organization is not interested in telling individual instructors how to run their schools, and this point includes one of the biggest control issues in martial arts: ranking. I can rant at length about this topic, but I'll be brief.
Ranking is merely an acknowledgement by your teacher of your accomplishments. How ridiculous then, does it seem to have a triumvirate of stooges issuing a rank that don't even know the person they are ranking. Some organizations do this. The reason; they have no faith in the people they have promoted in the past.
In the Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System, if it's good enough for one school head, it's good enough for the others; if that was not true, you would not be a school head in the Hawaiian Jiu-jitsu System.
All that I have written has been meant as merely a beginning, or starting point, for your own personal discussions. Take these ideas and apply them to different organizations and individuals and find your own answers and your own home.


Gary Lescak
Executive Director
Hawaiian Jiu Jitsu System
January, 2001