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DAN ZAN RYU JUJITSU
(YU GEN or Mystery): discovering community
This is a painting about a form of Jujitsu that was created about a hundred years ago by Oshiro Okasaki. He came to the Hawaiian Islands as a teenager. Soon after, he caught TB, a death sentence in that time, and checked into a Buddhist Monastery that taught Judo, expecting to die. Six months later he was not only alive but also very strong, with an "iron body" as he put it, and so dedicated his life to the spirit of the arts that returned his life to him. He sits in this painting on a hill under a large tree. He named his system after the Sandal Wood Mountain (Dan Zan Ryu) Cyprus trees of Hawaii. In front of him is a samurai in traditional garb and a young woman. They represent the students of the past with the students of the future meeting this system. The large stone rising from the water has carved into its surface the Japanese characters for the techniques I study. In the center of the stone is a lotus. It represents the enlightenment that comes from studying these "katas" or techniques, always keeping one's focus in the moment. A sword rises from the water carried by two humming birds. The sword is our fears of danger, imagined or real, and the birds represent our ancestors bringing these fears to our attention out of love. From the study of Dan Zan Ryu Jujitsu one can attain peace and focus under the threat of danger. The lotus that float in the pond represent the students who gain awakening from their studies. Awakening from what? From fears that haunt them in their dreams.
