Written by Jens Iversen, Federation Chairman Shindenkan Denmark.
Shindenkan Summer Meeting 2025 was a very special meeting for Shindenkan Denmark – because in 2025 Shindenkan Denmark will celebrate its 60th anniversary and the traditional summer meeting was therefore also Summer Meeting no. 60. 😊
The beginning of a journey – Shindenkan's roots in Denmark
It all began in the early summer of 1965, when Soke Sensei Tonegawa – traveled to France to visit his cousin, Noro Sensei. At that time, Noro Sensei was already a highly successful Aikido master and leader of over 200 Aikido dojos in France. The two shared not only family blood, but also a burning passion for continuing the classic Japanese martial arts in a modern context.
During the visit, they discussed the task of bringing Gensei-ryu Karate-do to Europe – but not just anywhere. Both masters agreed that the right place to start was Scandinavia. They saw a special strength and spirit in the Nordic countries, and in Denmark they found something unique: a culture and mentality where discipline, freedom and community could meet. Here was fertile ground for what they called “Samurai Vikings” – a new generation of martial artists who could unite the best of East and West.
In the summer of 1965, Soke Sensei Tonegawa visited Denmark for the first time. On this first visit to Denmark, he held the very first summer meeting – with just five participants. It may seem modest in number, but it was a meeting that set something big in motion. At that time, Sensei Tonegawa was 28 years old and full of energy, insight and an unwavering belief that he was on to something significant.
Two years later, in 1967, Soke Sensei Tonegawa chose to settle permanently in Denmark. He settled here and became a central figure in the development of the martial arts community. In the years from 1967 to 1974, his work was a great success. In just seven years, 11 schools were established under his leadership, and the number of members reached almost 800 – an impressive number at a time when martial arts were still new and foreign to many Danes.
It was not just techniques and training that were handed down. Soke Sensei Tonegawa brought with him a deep cultural heritage, values and a philosophy of life that reached far beyond the walls of the dojo. He laid the foundation for what would later grow into Shindenkan – a system and a cultural heritage that today is still built on the same spirit of respect, strength, wisdom and community, and which since 1988 also consists of the 1000-year-old Japanese cultural heritage; Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu and Karate-do, both as a martial art and a fighting sport. It is unique in the world today.
Openness, democracy and community – a strong Shindenkan tradition
At Shindenkan, we have always had an open and inclusive communication culture. We believe in the value of transparency, genuine dialogue and active co-ownership – and that is why we celebrate democracy in all our member associations. It is a cornerstone of our community that all voices are heard, respected and brought into play, both locally and nationally.
That is why it has become an important tradition that at the summer convention – in the company of members, families and supporters – we provide a comprehensive briefing on what has been decided and discussed at the year's national general meetings. It is not just about formalities and results, but about celebrating our common journey, our commitment and the effort that is put into the voluntary association work all year round. And it is democratic and involving.
As we stand here together, it is with both joy and fighting spirit, as another fantastic Shindenkan season has been completed with strong results, shared direction and a vibrant spirit at every level. We celebrate what we have created – together.
Shindenkan – a competence organization created with room for everyone
Shindenkan is an international competence organization, where our purpose statement clearly states that the 1,000-year-old martial arts and martial arts system we manage must be preserved through an intact and vibrant level of competence. It is our responsibility to ensure that both tradition and quality go hand in hand – and that we constantly develop as an organization and as people.
Shindenkan contains two pillars:
Shindenkan is our martial arts organization, where the curriculum and competencies range from 10th kyu all the way up to the densho grade Okuden Hiden. This is where the vast majority – 99.99998 % – of our members are located.
Kaidenkan is our martial arts organization, where the curriculum and competencies range from the Menkyo degree up to the most advanced Mukyoku degree. This level represents a very small but significant proportion – approximately 0.00002 % of our members.
In a healthy, democratic organization, open dialogue is more important than confrontation. This also applies to Shindenkan. We are all on a journey of development, and therefore disagreements and different desires will naturally arise along the way – especially when the requirements for competence increase as members advance in the ranks. Some will feel challenged, others disappointed, if things do not go as they wish. It is human. But it is also here that values are really put into play.
Through many years of experience, we have learned that one negative energy – from one member, one instructor, one team – can affect an entire association. A bad leader can weaken an entire team of experts. An uncommitted or destructive member can undermine an entire dojo. Therefore, it is crucial that we as a community look after each other – and the environment in which we train and develop.
Shindenkan is not a grocery store. We are a competence organization with a clear purpose: To maintain and further develop a high professional level – and this requires that more and more people achieve real, proven competencies. This is not just stated in our purpose statement and articles of association – it is the very basis of our existence.
Therefore, the joy of training and the community must come before personal interests. That is precisely the essence of Shindenkan's set of values. Because only by lifting together and keeping the focus on development, skill development and joy in training can we ensure a strong future - for both the individual, all members and the organization.
POMW 2024 – Tradition, innovation and strong results
Shindenkan is a constantly evolving competence organization. We work hard to renew our communication and tools to keep up with the times – an effort that requires both investment, innovation and enthusiasts. One of our most visionary initiatives is Project Old Modern Warrior (POMW), an international project launched in 2011.
POMW was created to investigate whether the 1,000-year-old martial arts system Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu and Karate-do continues to be relevant in a modern world dominated by firearms. Inspired by Grandmaster Minouchi Sensei's philosophy – that it is always the person behind the weapon that makes the difference – theory was put into practice.
The foundation of POMW is the strong qualities of martial arts: inner clarity, focus, endurance, and the ability to perform under pressure – qualities that Shindenkan practitioners master at a high level.
The project has involved 12 countries in Europe, the US and Asia, and collaborated with some of the world’s most renowned shooting experts in pistol, rifle and long-range shooting. It is Shindenkan’s most comprehensive and ambitious project to date – internationally recognised and with documented results based on official proficiency standards.
After a normal four-year break, a new and optimized POMW I-II-III course was completed in 2024 under the leadership of Kimu Sensei. This was the sixth team to complete the entire course, bringing the total number of trained POMW shooters to 165.
This year's course fully met its goals – just like previous years – and confirms once again that POMW delivers stable and strong results through targeted and customized learning courses.
While the first teams focused primarily on the hard targets – the international shooting standard – team 6 had a more balanced approach. Here, both technical results and human values were at stake, thanks in part to a homogeneous and focused group of participants.
At the 2024 Xmas event, participants were honored with their official POMW badges as proof of completion and passing the course – a strong end to a unique year in POMW's history.
Shindenkan Denmark today – Outstanding skills and world-class community
At Shindenkan we are proud to have unique access to one of the world's most experienced Great Grand Masters in multi-track martial arts and combat sports – Yamana-Itotani Sensei. Since 1988 he has taught intensively in Denmark, where both his roots and family are rooted. This means that masters and grandmasters from both Japan and China have had to travel to Denmark to receive instruction – a clear testament to the professional multi-track level of competence we have at our disposal here.
Although Yamana-Itotani Sensei also teaches internationally, he has chosen to limit this to 3–6 times per year in order to maintain focus on the development in Denmark one strategy period at a time. This prioritization has strengthened Shindenkan as an international beacon and created a unique learning environment for our members.
Over time, Kimu Sensei – with his impressive commitment and strong vision for human potential – has helped shape and develop many of the most significant instructors in Shindenkan's history. In retrospect, he is perhaps the one who has helped create the most Socks in the history of the organization. But it has always been driven by a deep desire: to see people around them grow and reach their full potential. But people are not always motivated more by community than by self-interest. Acquired competencies also represent a value.
Yamana-Itotani Sensei is today in demand in both China and Japan, where he teaches 4–6 times a year. His international experience dates back to 1996, when he passed his Menkyo Kaiden (Martial Arts Grandmaster) in Japan. It is not unusual for grandmasters and masters from Japan and China to travel to Denmark to receive his teachings – another sign of the respect and recognition he and Shindenkan enjoy internationally.
But at the same time, we are particularly proud of the strong community and the high level we experience here and now at the core of Shindenkan. This was most recently confirmed at this year's summer convention, where we conducted a great program with new Iaijutsu 1.5 competency graduations, OBC certifications, Kyu and brown belt graduations and not least a black belt graduation – all at an impressively high level.
This shows that we are strong – both in our tradition and in our development – and that Shindenkan continues to be a place where skills, values and community go hand in hand 😊
So it is my call to everyone to embrace the opportunity we now have in Denmark and make the most of it.
State of the Nation
Since 2022, we have sought to return to our roots – multi-track competencies and purpose clause – through a carefully planned strategy – Strat26. The status in 2025 is that Shindenkan Denmark has both stabilized the number of members and increased the level of competence in Strat26 and we are ready for a further increase in membership of up to 10-20 % – no more than that.
Thank you for your support – we are stronger than ever
The board of Shindenkan Denmark is deeply grateful for the great support and backing we have received from members throughout the country. Your commitment and efforts in our local Jokokan and Taijutsu schools have been crucial to our being able to once again complete a strong and meaningful season.
As we look forward to 2025, we have a very solid and committed core – a community built on quality, collaboration and the will to constant development.
This year's Summer Convention confirmed what we already sensed: The level of competence in Shindenkan has never been higher than it is right now. This makes us both proud and grateful – because it is the result of many years of focused work and a shared will to lift each other up.
I am proud of what we have created together. Of our initiatives. Of the fighting spirit that permeates the organization. Of the warm reception and strong support we experience every time we take the next step. And most importantly: We are ready to do it again – and again.
Together we will lift Shindenkan in a way that makes the future look bright.
Democracy, cooperation and future-proofing in Shindenkan
We are proud that both local and national general meetings were held on time again this year – a victory for democracy and a mark of the stable normality of Shindenkan. This has only been possible thanks to the great effort of the members of the Board of Representatives, who have actively collected proxies in their respective associations. This has ensured that all formal requirements were met, budgets approved and plans for 2025/2026 set in motion.
Shindenkan organizationally consists of Jokokan Honbu-dojo Lejre (Shindenkan's Competence and Development Center – SKUC) and Shindenkan Denmark. The daily operational management is handled by SOPORG – the bridge builder between system and politics – and with democracy as the cornerstone, we maintain a harmonious and well-functioning structure with STRAT26 as a common strategic framework.
Shindenkan Denmark's board of directors is working hard to strengthen cooperation, create greater financial capacity and ensure local support. The board has been expanded so that all member schools are now represented by local members, and initiatives have been taken to build a more robust financial foundation for the coming years.
