Seishiro Okazaki was born on January 28th, 1890 in the Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. At sixteen years of age he moved to Hilo on the big island of Hawaii.

Three years later Okazaki was diagnosed with active Tuberculosis. In an attempt to strengthen his body he began to train in jujitsu. His first teacher was Yoshimatsu Tanaka. After vigorous training he developed a strong healthy iron-like body. He attributed his recovery from active Tuberculosis to the practice of jujitsu.

While living in Hilo, Okazaki studied various jujitsu techniques taught in the Yoshin Ryu, Iwaga Ryu and Kosogabe Ryu.

In September of 1924 Okazaki made a return trip to Japan where he studied Judo and jujitsu techniques from more than fifty dojos. He visited the Judo headquarters (Kodokan) and received a sandan (3rd degree black belt) in Judo from Dr. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo.

Okazaki returned to Hawaii in February of 1925 and started teaching jujitsu on the island of Maui. In 1929 he moved to Honolulu where he opened the Okazaki Seifukujitsu In (Okazaki Adjustment and Restoration Clinic) which was later called the Nikko Restoration Sanatorium. It was also at this time that Okazaki founded the Danzan Ryu. In 1929 Okazaki wrote "The Science of Self-Defense for Girls and Women."

One of Okazaki's most influential teachers was Wo Chung, who taught him Mushi-Jitsu, the art of "boxing with the intent to kill". He also studied the Hawaiian secret art of Lua, from David Kainhee, who was a native Hawaiian. It said that Okazaki also learned knife throwing (dirk) from a Spaniard. In addition, Okazaki studied Western boxing and wrestling techniques.

Okazaki taught kappo (resuscitation arts) and Seifukujutsu (art of restoration). He also taught his students the "Okazaki Long-Life Massage" which is derived from Japanese restorative massage, Swedish massage, and the Hawaiian lomi-lomi massage.

In the late 1930's, Raw Law became a student of Okazaki. After receiving his black belt, Law was the first to open a Kodenkan school on the mainland. This school was in Oakland, California where he became Duke Moore's first jujitsu teacher. Another one of Okazaki's top students was Sig Kufferath, who worked with Okazaki in the Nikko Restoration Clinic.

On December 7th, 1941 the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Okazaki was detained for a period of time in a prison camp. He was later released and eventually helped to develop the U.S. Army's Field Manual 21-150 on hand to hand combat.

Professor Okazaki suffered a stroke that left him partially paralyzed in 1948. He suffered a second stroke in 1950 and he died as a result of his third stroke on July 12, 1951.

 

 

 

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