By Jokokan Honbu

Jokokan International and Bujutsu Kodosoku-kai Supreme Japanese Budo and Bujutsu Grandmaster, Yakami-ryu 34´te Soke, Soke Sensei Tonegawa, has honored Jokokan Europe, including Scandinavia and Denmark with their own independent organization and system names, under the Yakami and Jokokan umbrella.

After which Jokokan in Europe, including Scandinavia and Denmark from February 1, 2008, will get status and proxy as an independent organization and system, and continue as a full member of the Yakami and Jokokan umbrella organization. The leader will still be the Yakami-ryu grandmaster Yamana-Itotani Sensei.

In February 1996 Yamana-Itotani Sensei was graduated Menkyo Kaiden (Initiated master of all the martial arts) during a training camp in Japan. In doing so, he automatically also became an independent organizational manager within the Jokokan organization.

In July 2000 Yamana-Itotani Sensei was graduated Gokuden during a training camp in Denmark. In doing so, he automatically also became an independent system and organizational manager within Yakami-ryu and the Jokokan organization. However, both automatically granted procura have never been announced at Yamana-Itotani Sensei's wish, and he has therefore never applied for the formal and official permission.

In May 2007, Yamana-Itotani Sensei was graduated Inka during a training camp in Japan, and still did not want to apply for the formal and official permission, as he still did not feel the need for this official and international recognition. Because as he said "Couldn't he be other than who he already is".

Over the years, however, Soke Sensei Tonegawa has increasingly pushed on and in the new year 2007/2008 came the biggest push, which resulted in a formal application from Yamana-Itotani Sensei. This application was gladly accepted immediately, and with all that goes with it by official prokura within and as a member of the Jokokan and Kodosoku-kai umbrella.

Among other things, this also means that Yakami-ryu Gensei karate-do has been given a new independent name, although 20 % of the curriculum in the system is still the entire original traditional Shukumine Gensei-ryu system, which came here with Soke Sensei in 1967. Yakami- ryu Gensei karate-do is named from February 1, 2008; Yakami Shinsei-ryu Karate-do, colloquially Shinsei-ryu.

We hereby still acknowledge our heritage from traditional Gensei-ryu since 1967 from Soke Sensei Tonegawa, which is now called Gensei-ryu of Kodosoku-kai, but at the same time also that Jokokan neither primarily nor secondary trains or teaches traditional Gensei-ryu of Kodosoku -kai, but Yakami Shinsei-ryu Karate-do, under the Yakami and Jokokan umbrella.

Gensei-ryu of Kodosokukai is primarily handled in Denmark by our sister organization, Genshi-kan, which is a member under the Bujutsu Kodosoku-kai umbrella.

New organizational and system names for Jokokan Europe, including Scandinavia and Denmark

As many of our 25-30,000 monthly readers worldwide know, Yakami-ryu is divided into "1 + 3 = 4 steps", which are naturally built up in extension of each other, so that there is truly room for everyone. More than 9 out of 10 of our 600-650 members (Feb.2008) in the total organization in Scandinavia, train step 1, which is martial arts and the entry system after the year 2000.

This system is the main tool for us to have grown to around 1,500 % in just 7 years. There is room for everyone and we have built a unique concept of how this step should be and be experienced. Less than 1 in 10 of our 600-650 members (Feb.2008) in the total organization in Scandinavia, train steps 2 to 4, which are the Yakami-ryu martial art systems before the year 2000.

The history of these systems goes back over 1,000 years and are total martial art systems tested and refined in over 100 battles over the years. There is room for everyone who wants and can. This difference is still unchanged, but made more clear and transparent by the fact that each of the two main groups has been given its own system and organizational name.

1. Shinsei-ryu is the entry and martial arts system in Shidenkan under the Yakami umbrella, and Shindenkan the overall name for the entire Jokokan organization in Europe.

• The system Shinsei-ryu means "He who carries the true and united will in his heart to the original Budo way".
• Shindenkan means "The genuine and essential Budo teaching with room for everyone"

2. Hassei Yakami-ryu is the subsequent martial art systems for invited Densho degrees under the Yakami umbrella, and Kaidenkan the subordinate name for the Jokokan organization in Europe.

• The system Hassei-ryu means "The union of the eight forces into one - the original and most powerful cancer - Big Bang power - The power of creation"
• Kaidenkan means "The true and full Budo and Bujutsu teaching and path for all who want"