Welcome to Game Educations - Association game
Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783-1872)
Purpose:
The purpose of Game Educations is information, education and that new association leaders do not make the same mistakes as we or other association leaders have made. It is important to recognize how association life is, is going and has come from. It can be challenging for zealots in modern association life. As a starting point for the story's gameplay, development and battles, publicly available sources are used when it is external Shindenkan, and when it is internal to Shindenkan, a combination.
The mind game
How would the world, YOUR activity or YOU as a human being look like if no knowledge and experience were lost, but were passed on and understood intact to all subsequent generations who could build on it.
The motto game
Eevery idiot can learn from his own mistakes, but a true leader also learns from the mistakes of others.
Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783-1872)
Start the association game - The spread of modern martial arts in the world, Europe and Denmark
Shindenkan is one of Denmark's oldest martial arts organizations - with a learning curve along the way
Shindenkan is one of Denmark's oldest martial arts organizations founded in 1965-67. From 1965-67 it was primarily taught in the single-track Gensei-ryu Karate-do and from 1988 primarily in the multi-track Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do and secondarily in the legacy from 1965-67 the single-track Gensei-ryu Karate-do. On April 1, 2009, Shindenkan was honored as the first martial arts organization in Denmark with official recognition as a special association and partner with DGI National Organization and Martial Arts by DGI's national chairman.
In Shindenkan there are members who have been members since 1974, i.e. more than 50 years and only 7-9 years after the foundation in 1965-67. A great many of the brown and black belts have been members for more than 15 years, with a larger middle group of between 10–30+ years. The age range is from 5–70+ years.
This means that there are many members of Shindenkan who have experienced each other's student, bachelor and university parties, weddings, children's births and schooling, but also each other's joys and sorrows; new dream job, redundancies, marriages as divorces, children's joys as sorrows, birth as death, healthy health as illness, injuries and accidents.
But common to it all is a foundation for support, understanding, an ear or a shoulder, care, joy and pride, security, compassion, understanding and respect, getting back on the horse to "Get together!", help for self-help.
This happens primarily through the local association's community and togetherness, but also on a national level, where children, young people and adults gain new friends, comrades and valuable contacts across the various local associations.
In the old local associations there are culture bearers who can tell the story from "the old days" and in the newer ones there is often an entrepreneurial spirit, innovative and "out of the box" thinking that benefits others.
You can train and be graduated in Shindenkan from 10th kyu to 10th dan, regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin, religion, height, weight, injuries and various handicaps, - we have taken almost everything into account and therefore have concepts after all - there really are no excuses not to train in Shindenkan 😊
Not many national or international organizations can offer that. But you don't get anything as a gift - you have to meet all the minimum requirements in the curriculum handbook, which are the same for everyone. But we support you all the way on YOUR journey and in fulfilling your potential according to your choices and different life cycles.
We have learned this the hard and good way through almost 60 years of history in Denmark, Scandinavia and Europe. Each resource-demanding crisis and clean-up has been followed by a flourishing and peaceful time. It has followed our more than 1,000-year history - and a reflection of people in Danish associational life. The first crisis and clean-up process was in the period 1982-1986 with the transition from more private institutes to the basic ideas of Danish associational life. The next crisis was from 2000-2004, when we went from a less super-elitist competence organization to opening up the breadth with explosive growth as a result. The third and so far last crisis and clean-up period is just over in the wake of the Corona crisis, and has not been so different from other skill-dependent sports. It lasted from 2017-2022, but already started in 2015. We take it as an example in an extremely short version, since this is the purpose of Game Educations – to learn from our and others' mistakes and experiences. To make the world better and more enlightened!
Shindenkan Case 3
Until 2015, the Democratic Federation Shindenkan was built around the preservation and propagation of the 1,000-year-old Japanese world cultural heritage and the multi-track holistic martial arts system; Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do. The joint curriculum handbook from 2009 distributed the tasks optimally. Holding national standardized competence courses according to the curriculum manual, and subsequent local responsibility for maintaining the competence investment.
It was a highly successful concept. In 2015, vin a giga success after a growth of 3,000 % from 2000-2015 to 1,400 members, which in the strategic plan would soon more than double. A full background check during a black belt training camp revealed the truth, on the basis of growing alarms on the water pipes.
The managements of many local member schools had deliberately told untruths or concealed the truth during general meetings, confederation and Honbu board meetings. It dealt with the local maintenance of the competence investment, which was based on a general meeting-decided, local "Declaration of Faith & Love".
The lie had led to a significant lowering of the multi-track competence level of 60 % of all the members, against a significant increase in the number of members. The explosive growth had brought about local kingdoms with open and hidden special interests.
1) 1998, Japan Honbu Dojo, Iwaki, Cha no yu, The ceremony. 2) 1998, Japan, Iwaki, Yamana-Itotani Sensei – the first Sodenke Sensei, Jokokan International. 3) Takeshi Nishiwaki Renshi, training stay, Denmark, 2003, 4) Shintaro Matsuda Sensei, training stay, Denmark, 2003
There is room for everyone in Shindenkan – The elite as the exerciser.
In Shindenkan, we meet you where you are and take you
take you on a journey.
In Shindenkan, we have a very strong community across schools, ethnicity, age and gender - which we cherish very much.
In Shindenkan, we protect the 1,000-year-old Japanese world cultural heritage and the multi-track holistic martial arts system - Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do.
And at the same time, unfortunately, special types of people had entered democratically elected positions of trust and management, which no voluntary and unpaid sports association wants, seen in the unbearable clarity of hindsight. Trust is good, but control is better, and unlike the business world, there is no right to hire or fire in association life.
The democratic general assemblies locally and nationally confirmed that everyone was equal before the law according to updated statutes and guidelines, and the democratic majority decisions. And of utmost importance, everyone had to meet, at a standardized minimum level, the common curriculum handbook on which the entire purpose clause was based. Since the level of competence had reached the bottom in 2015, the level of competence had to rise to the common minimum level again from 2009. It ended up taking 7 years, when one 2-year Corona crisis came over.
In terms of competence and action – what does all this mean?
40 % of all the members under a local chief instructor and board, had fulfilled all local as national standardized minimum requirements according to purpose clause, the common curriculum handbook and general assembly resolutions. They met the 2009 minimum competence criteria.
But 60 % didn't do that under a local chief instructor and board - it was the local kingdoms and it was bad. The Shindenkan organization's explosive growth and democratic, trust-based association management had inadvertently led to a division into "Elite- and 4 division" local schools.
The competence level for 60 % was a minimum of three-four belt degrees lower for degrees below Densho level, and six belt degrees lower for Densho degrees. So a 1st dan, black belt, Yakami Shinsei-ryu Karate-do, corresponded to 3-4.kyu, brown belt in the curriculum manual. It was untrustworthy and therefore quite serious.
The choice was therefore between demoting 60 % of all the members 3-4 belt grades, or over 3-5 years raising the level of competence to the common minimum standard applicable to all.
As expected with 60+ % majority during 2015 local as national general assemblies, the last solution was adopted. It was well aware that this would result in a greater loss of members when the competence level for 60 % must be raised to a common minimum competence standard set in 2009, which was then and still applies equally to all. These member schools had to have intensive and resource-demanding national help to get up to the 2009 minimum competence level. This was through a joint national and local support and control structure; NKT, OBC and stop test process control introduced in the period 2015-2017.
A few years later, three-quarters of the 60 % schools and members, who would not meet the same rules applicable to all, were announced by the Shindenkan with great fanfare. They could have simply taken their good clothes and said goodbye and thank you, as most expected anyway. But they chose to launch and market their own new local karate or Ninjutsu system.
It was a shame and didn't have to be that way. But on a positive note, the clean-up process became far more efficient, as even what was in the shadows came out into full daylight.
2020-2022 there was a global Corona crisis. In 2022, the general meeting resolutions from 2015 were fulfilled and honoured. All graduations from summer 2022 are therefore made in the multi-track system name; Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do. The competence level is again according to the common curriculum manual from 2009, and the 0 % in dump percentage for Densho black and brown belt graduations 2022 and 2023 testifies to this. This was not the case in the period 2009-2015/17.
Unfortunately, these are facts. That was the short version of this cleanup period.
We've learned it the hard way and that's why we take care of you and your children from the very beginning, and meet you and yours where you are, and take you on a journey. But at some point you have to be able to walk yourself – at Shindenkan we celebrate the principle of Empowerment.
There are so many options in Shindenkan and it can be difficult to opt in and out optimally as needed when you are brand new and on the bare bottom. Therefore, in this column, we have collected all the most common questions that all instructor teams get locally and nationally, so that you can form an overview yourself and search for the information you need. And if you are in doubt, you can always ask your local or national instructor team!
We have not come to this story asleep. We are the fifth generation, but the generation which, since 1988, has contributed the most to Shindenkan's nearly 60-year history in Denmark and Europe. But after all, everything is on loan and right now we have the guard that we have taken over from previous generations. They also have a history. The foundation we have built on.
The history of this foundation is important to us as others with an interest in it. That is why we wanted to share this so that others can learn from it.
In Shindenkan we take you on a journey - in the world of multi-track martial arts - that has always been our goal 😊.
Community and unity make us strong - "The Shindenkan way".
In Shindenkan, it is community and togetherness that create lifelong friendships.
There is truly room for everyone in Shindenkan – the Elite as the exerciser, then come and join.
The modern European martial arts history, including the Danish one
There are quite a few stories about travelers from the Far East for more than 500 years, and the last few hundred years of diplomatic delegations, where there are demonstrations or shorter courses are offered in Chinese or Japanese martial arts. In step with the massive expansion of the British Empire after the Napoleonic Wars (1797-1815), with France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and Portugal right on their heels, a much wider contact with Chinese as Japanese martial arts was opened up. But it was sporadic, unorganized and ad hoc in demonstrations and crash courses around Europe's capitals and big cities.
The entrepreneur and Englishman Edward William Barton-Wright (1860-1951) was one of the first Europeans to train Japanese martial arts in Japan in the period 1895-1898. These were Tenjin Fudo-ryu Jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. When he returned to London, he established his own system Bartitsu, in which Jujutsu, Judo, and European Savate, boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling were trained. The Bartitsu club at Piccadelli only existed from 1898-1903, but quickly became a gateway for the English Rogue upper middle class and upper class, who always sought the interest of novelty and the latest fashion phenomenon. Barton-Wright had persuaded Judo's founder, Jigiro Kano, to send some Judo instructors to London, who taught Judo and Jujutsu from 1900-1901, after which they returned to Japan.
Edward William Barton-Wright (1860-1951)
Two stayed; Tani and Uyenishi who supplemented their directorial income as professional fighters in arcades, markets and other show events. Professional Jujutsu and Judo fighters were very popular in Europe from approx. 1890-1920 and in the USA from 1920-1940. Miyake and Maeda are two other Japanese professional Jujutsu fighters who traveled around Europe. The French and British in particular really got their eyes on Japanese jujutsu and judo fighters, who in more than 9 out of 10 cases beat all their own European fighters, even though these were often more than twice or three times their size and weight. Miyaka and Maeda are often credited with the establishment and popularity of the later MMA - Mixed Martial Arts money sport. Maeda was the most successful prizefighter with more than 2,000 bouts won in Spain, Portugal, UK, France, and Brazil, where he lived with his family. One of his students was Carlos Gracie, who was the father and uncle of two handfuls of later MMA world champions.
Japanese prizefighters who traveled around Europe, the USA and South America gave great respect to Japanese martial arts, as a very effective and recognized self-defense system. However, due to the circumstances of the spread of the martial arts in very few established schools with regular training in Europe, Japanese martial arts gained a mixed exotic reputation along the way. In Europe there was great fascination and admiration, but there were few schools where you could train regularly. Until the beginning of the 1900s and until before World War 1, there was prestige, respect around the effectiveness of Japanese Jujutsu and Judo at various institutes and later police and military courses.
Arthur Conan Doyle recorded it in one of his Sherlock Holmes stories that the reason Sherlock Holmes defeated Professor Moriaty was because of his superior Bartitsu. Presidents Ulysses Grant and Roosevelt have trained Jujutsu and Judo with great interest and actively supported the spread of Judo in the United States.
Mitsuyo Maeda (1878–1941)
Bartitsu: The Martial Art of Gentlemen | The Art of Manliness
The Japanese Jujutsu, Kendo and Judo instructor Gunji Koizumi (1885-1965) founded several schools in London under the name The Budokwai (The Way of Knighthood Society), which today is one of Europe's oldest Japanese Budo schools, but the oldest Judo school in Europe . Black belts were marketed as "Kodokan Judo knights". Already in 1906 he was teaching in London with the help of the other Japanese instructors as previously mentioned. Koizumi is considered the founder of English Jujutsu and Judo.
In 1920 Jigiro Kano taught for the first time in Budokwai. After Koizumi's death, he was awarded 8th dan Kodokan Judo. Koizumi Sensei was also the head teacher of Danish Judo and Jujutsu. Danish Judo and Jujutsu also received training aid from France. Where one of Koizumi's later students, Mikinosuke Kawaishi (1899-1969, 7th dan Kodokan Judo and 10th dan French Judo Federation) together with his successor Shozo Awazu (1923-2016, 9th dan Kodokan Judo) helped to develop Danish Jujutsu and Judo to a higher level of competence.
Gunji Koizumi (1885-1965)
It must be said that in Denmark Jujutsu is referred to as something from West Jutland, and Jiujitsu and Judo as the original Japanese names. But it is therefore a Danish designation in its origin from the beginning.
Even now there will be many in modern society who ask the question:
Why is it only Jujutsu and Judo that are mentioned, and not also karate-do, Kendo, Iaido, and Korean Taekwondo, Chinese Wushu, which are also part of the Western and European martial arts history before World War II?.
The simplified version is that Korea was largely a protectorate of China until the 1870s, when they unofficially became a Japanese protectorate. In 1910, Korea was officially incorporated as part of Japan, with the Joseon Yi Korean royal family given official Japanese princely and noble titles, as part of the Japanese imperial retinue. Blood and family alliance were mixed through marriage with the Korean king and a Japanese imperial princess from a pile family side house.
From 1912-1949, China was a chaotic civil war-torn republic, and before that an official imperial colossus on feet of clay, which was constantly pushed into place by both Western powers such as Japan.
In 1949, China became communist under Mao and only after Mao's death did a gradual opening take place. Including official cultural, Chinese and Japanese martial arts grandmaster exchange in the 1980s. The Chinese national treasure, Shakuasei – Sun Wind Shine was one of them and another was Tonegawa Sensei, and therefore Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do also has an original Chinese system package, which we call Shakuasei Hsingi, Bagua and Taichi.
Kodokan Jujutsu, as Judo was first called, was promoted by the first Japanese IOC – International Olympic Committee member from 1909; Jigiro Kano, who was the founder of Japanese Judo in 1882.
Coubertin's Olympiad idea from 1896 had become the new variety of the time. In 1912, Japan participated for the first time in the Olympiad held in Stockholm. For a sport to become an official Olympic sport, all athletes must be able to compete on an equal footing in the "Olympic spirit". So it's about participating and not winning and nobody gets hurt, as it damages the reputation. Therefore, Judo was gradually adapted to the scale of the Olympic qualifying sport.
Shakuasei – Sun Wind Shine (1904-1992)
Jigiro Kano (1860–1938), who was the founder of Japanese Judo in 1882.
Eg. were the Judo rules during Shiai – freestyle very simple in the beginning; Everyone is equal and the winner is the one who stands up. There was no weight, gender or grade distinction. You won when there was no doubt. This meant an optimal, perfectly executed technique, where the opponent was left defenseless with 100 % security either through throwing or immobilization through floor combat. It was objective.
The problem was that people understood Greco-Roman wrestling, but not Judo, which was too true to life and thus realistic, and therefore was put in the exotic box, instead of the sports box. For Kodokan Judo, this meant an Olympic competition targeting, where floor combat was taken out and subjective judges' judgments came into play with assessments. It changed the judo fight from absolutes (Life/Death) to harmless gentleman sport with a dangerous origin (Jujutsu), as it was also marketed as. All the dangerous techniques were taken out like a tame paper tiger.
However, floor fighting (Ne-waza) was quickly reintroduced at the Greco-Roman wrestler level, as all the Kodokan's best practitioners lost to the old Judo kaes, who were not restricted by so many Olympic rules. This happened when the Japanese European Judo/Jujutsu Prizefighters came back to Japan. It was pretty bad marketing for Judo, which aspired to be an Olympic sport. Judo, which was designated as Kano sports, should have been a demonstration sport during the Olympics in Tokyo, 1940. It did not materialize as there was a world war going on.
Only in the Tokyo 1964 Olympics did Judo appear on the official program with three weight classes, which quickly became seven before the year 2000.
Judo comes on the Olympic program in Tokyo 1964 Olympiad
Karate will be on the Olympic program in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Until 1992, Olympic Judo was ONLY for men. Only in 1992 was women's Judo included as an official part of the Judo sport. It took just over 100 years!
Until the First World War, Jujutsu and Judo were ONLY marketed as a real men's sport, which had to defend the weak women behind the meat pots in the home. It actually continued that way until after World War II. Women were offered self-defense courses by male instructors, and the advertisements were often extremely sexist or erotic in nature - created by men. After all, judo was close combat with throws, locks and floor combat, just like in Greco-Roman wrestling, where training between men and women was often completely forbidden or divided according to gender. But the self-defense ads were always scantily clad, often scantily clad women being molested by animalistically hungry men.
The Tokyo Olympics 2020 was the day when karate-do officially became an Olympic sport with kumite (freestyle) and kata (figure exercises). There were 4×3 medals to fight for for both men and women, which are equally competitive.
The WKF - World Karate-do Federation, which is one of the world's main karate organizations, was selected as the official Olympic body responsible for Japanese Karate-do. This means that Karate-do, like Judo, will be unified and put into the same box all over the world, so that there are as many as possible who can meet the conditions to participate in an Olympics. It is pure sport and has very little to do with the origins in Okinawa and Japan.
After World War II (1939-1945), Japan was occupied by between 3-500,000 Allied soldiers, typically with three-year deployments. With Japan at peace and a new anti-pacifist constitution written by the US and the Allies adopted in 1947, the Japanese authorities, with the permission of the Allies, began to slowly reopen Japanese martial arts, which had been banned since 1945.
Illustrations of Brigitte Bardot using Jujutsu as self-defense
Fight in civilian clothes against "bully". From Denmark's first Jiu Jitsu book from 1906 (Source Faber).
After the Second World War, many deployed European soldiers therefore returned home from Japan after typically three-year contracts. Many had trained in Japanese martial arts in Japan and some now introduced this in their European homelands.
The level of competence set natural limits and the successful ones now reached out to their Japanese network. The problem was simply that the Japanese skills had to move to Europe, as the transport time only improved in the 60s. This, in turn, meant an explosion in the 60s of Japanese martial arts in Europe and the Western world.
In the early 50s it was Karate-do's turn. Many Japanese karate black belts taught at the Allied bases around Japan. Both Shukumine Sensei from Gensei-ryu and Yukio Noro Sensei also did it just outside Tokyo. That's how they met. Thousands of Allied soldiers with 3 years of Japanese martial arts training behind them were repatriated to their respective home countries, where many established various Japanese martial arts schools.
They quickly found out that with 1-2.dan, black belt degrees, you don't have much to offer after a few years to talented students, and therefore they invited their old Japanese martial arts masters to visit. And this is how the spread of Kendo, Aikido, Karate, Kyodo, Iaido and other martial arts systems really began to spread throughout the world from Japan.
Most European Jujutsu and Judo federations were officially established right after the Second World War after 1945. In the 1950s it was the turn of Karate-do, Aikido and Kendo. First in the major allied countries such as the USA, UK and France, and as dominoes in all other countries.
The historical development of martial arts in Denmark.
The development followed the European one with a delay of a few years, and most likely originated from the boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling institutes, which offered self-defense courses to the military, police and citizens.
Gunji Koizumi together with Esther Louise "Lise" Thomsen in Billedbladet December 1946.
Esther Louise "Lise" Thomsen (1914-2003), who was one of the hottest Danish actors of the time.
The first writings and books in Denmark were published in the early 19th century in limited editions. Viktor Faber and PL Jakobsen were some of the first from 1906. Just as in Europe, the new fashionable wave from the exotic Far East was called Jiu-jitsu or the Kano system. The term Jiu-jitsu and Jiu-jujutsu has stuck in Denmark, instead of the more normal Japanese term which is Ju-Jutsu.
Like the rest of Europe, Kano Jujutsu was mainly aimed at men, which all the published books also showed with male demonstrations. Arthur Smith's book from 1930 and the jurist Ole Kringelbach's books from 1943 and 1945 showed this clearly. In addition, Kringelbach's view on Jiu-jitsu, alias Jiu-do or Kano Jiu-jitsu, that it was a real men's sport, which contained effective techniques that women could benefit from in assault situations, but that regular training in these would be and work unattractive for women.
The German occupation of Denmark during the Second World War changed this picture – for a short while. Denmark was occupied in April 1940 without major fighting and the Danish government chose the cooperation policy until 1943. The resistance struggle with female and male resistance fighters then grew explosively. Several Judo clubs were established by resistance fighters as a cover for the actual activities.
After the World War, both sexes were taught Jiu-jitsu or Judo by Faber, who was an army self-defense instructor. But after a few years, this was tried to be stopped or reduced, since the weaker sex was not supposed to become the stronger! In the newly established DIF federations for Judo and Jiu-jitsu, this was even written into the rules.
Even when Koizumi Sensei from Budokwai in England taught in Denmark in the late 40s, only men could be invited. That only changed in the late 50s and early 60s, when Japanese instructors from France came to Denmark to teach. In addition, competition had also come from another side; Karate-do and other martial arts systems.
Bengt Flagstad and Ole Kringelbach: Danish Jiu Jitsu textbook
The historical development of karate in Denmark
The establishment of Japanese karate-do in Denmark from the 1960s to the end of the 80s was very colorful to say the least. Goju-ryu Karate-do in the early 60s, JKA Shotokan with Jørgen Bura Larsen in 1963, Gensei-ryu in 1965-67 and the same with Kyokushinkai with Jørgen Albrechtsen in 1967.
The start was quiet, - until the Bruce Lee films from 1970-1973 started a new bad boy - mafia martial arts film era.
In Denmark, Jørgen Albrechtsen and Kyokushinkai were very successful in exploiting the new demand.
The Kyokushinkai in Japan were known for their very close association with the Japanese mafia and this image was cultivated and promoted in a very literal sense. Fights with the police, other mafia groups and ordinary people became commonplace in Japan, as elsewhere in the world.
But the facts are that it attracted a very large group of people who liked this culture and show of power. At the same time, Kyokushinkai was a business that had to make money and the Korean-Japanese founder of the system did not hide the fact that he would like to see the whole world conquered, whatever the cost!
Therefore, Kyokushinkai's marketing tactics, both in writing and physically, were intimidating. Danish Jørgen Albrechsen was one of the best at this and it is said that the main school on Ørnevej was the world's largest karate school with several thousand members, 15-20 schools and 5-6,000 members in Denmark.
Kyokushinkai had basically challenged all other martial arts systems by saying "No one above and no one beside - and all others are inferior to Kyokushinkai". But when they were taken at their word, it never came to fruition.
Kyokushinkai soon suffocated in their own success and in the early 80s, Jørgen Albrechsen pulled the plug on the Danish Karate Union, which was synonymous with Kyokushin Karate in Denmark.
There are at least 5 different Kyokushinkai organizations in Denmark today, but also as many Shotokan organizations, which after the split of Kyokushinkai in the 80s and the absorption of the Danish Karate Association into DIF, became the largest karate-do system in Denmark in the mid-80s and 90s 'ers.
At one point, Denmark was the fourth best karate nation in the world, so the national team with Jørgen Bura from JKA did very well.
Right up until the success meant that more people wanted to do it and that era was ended.
The Green Hornet and Kato (Bruce Lee, 1966-67)
Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris fight in the Colosseum in the movie the way of the dragon.
The karate war in the 1970s was unique in Danish history as it reached the headlines over the years. Another karate war in the early 00s, on the other hand, did not. It was called the "Gensei-ryu war", which dealt with one too many "Yakuza-inspired" and intimidating attempts by a Japanese Gensei-ryu faction, which used a new Danish benevolent and ambitious department. as the spearhead of an all-out frontal attack.
The purpose was to rewrite and erase the entire history of Gensei-ryu from the 50s and around 50 years forward throughout the world, including Europe, Scandinavia and Denmark. And to that, recognize the Japanese faction and Danish branch as the only legitimate Gensei-ryu heirs.
At first everyone thought it was a huge joke, and tried plain formed dialogue. But soon the heavily manipulated dialogues, threats and strange behavior led to very strong reactions around Europe, Denmark and Japan for a few years.
After which people quickly moved on with their lives after a few years, when most felt that common sense, logic, common behavior and behavior, documentation and factual dialogues were impossible.
The newspaper articles and the various reports are still accessible online (2023)
In 1975, a book was published about all the then established Budo systems in Denmark - including Gensei-ryu Karate-do
The late historical development in Japan and globally; From business to association life
This colorful process was undoubtedly a product of both the zeitgeist, the pioneers and the background from post-World War II Japan. With 3-500,000 allied soldiers stationed on typically three year contracts and a proud country like Japan which was undergoing reconstruction with the help of the Marshall plan.
The period from the 1950s to the end of the 80s was also the peak for the Japanese Yakuza - Mafia - which, however, culturally since the 17th century had found a symbiosis in balance with the established society. However, that balance was broken at the end of the 80s, when the Japanese politicians cracked down hard with new laws, with the result that the number of Yakuza members was more than halved in a few years. Today they are reduced to around 20 % of the peak in the 60s.
It was not only the Japanese mafia that flourished, it also did so in the USA, Europe and South America, but the Japanese legal regulation, like the European one, was about 10 years behind the American one. The events that have an impact on us ordinary people naturally follow the trends and zeitgeist waves that sweep over the world, which science says typically have a shift and duration of 7-10 years on the significant ones that we can feel, but have already begun two or three decades before, as an underlying current.
Japan had to be rebuilt after World War II and it went fast. But an economic boom also creates many economic opportunities - both on the right and wrong side of the law.
On the right side of the law, Japan experienced a historically large economic boom, which meant that 1 m2 in Tokyo's Ginza district was worth 1 million. USD worth at its peak in the 90s and one small cup of gourmet flask coffee cost DKK 200 converted to 2023 value. Japan financed virtually all of the United States' national debt as well as that of other countries. Japan was called the world's greatest economic miracle.
On the wrong side of the law, this meant an explosive development in the Yakuza – the Japanese mafia with various organizations around Japan. To enforce their power, this was often like elsewhere around the world, with the means of power – physical violence and psychological intimidation.
With a rapidly increasing growth and scope of Yakuza business, there was also a need for security against rival groups, and this led to both security and guard corps for highly trained bodyguards and special forces units.
In short, there was a need for Yakuza members who were trained for effective physical violence and psychological intimidation - reinforced in the starting point as affiliated or members of the Yakuza.
The largest resource pool for these jobs had arisen in the wake of the great demand for Japanese martial arts from the allied soldiers, which was, however, greatly reduced in the 1950s, when the number of soldiers was almost halved, when Japan complied with all concluded peace agreements. The 1950s were therefore a boom period for the Yakuza, who were able to absorb and meet this demand in Japan.
Empire of Japan from 1870 to 1945
1942 – 8,510,000 km2 – equivalent to just over 80 % of the whole of Europe or 88 % of the USA
American marines raised the Stars and Stripes on the island of Iwo-jima on 23-02-1945 after one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War.
Japan's reconstruction after World War II went very fast.
Meeting on Okinawa in 1936: Chomo Hanashiro, Kyan Chotoku, Choki Motobu, Chojun Miyagi, Juhatsu Kyoda, Choshin Chibana, Shimpan Gusukuma, Chotei Oroku.
At the same time, many different shin-budo (new) Japanese martial arts systems were registered in this period with the Japanese national and regional authorities, including many new karate-do systems.
The yakuza mafia especially demanded willing young karate-kas for well-paid jobs, who were internally sent to the "Yakuza behavior management course" and further trained as security guards, bodyguards and thugs. Most karate-do systems distanced themselves, but there were also some who saw advantages here, others flirted ad hoc and others had to stay on good terms if their dojo - training place was located in a Yakuza mafia area. Until 1945, Korea was part of Japan, but after the war, many Korean Japanese were caught in a kind of limbo, where they now had to fit in.
This meant that the Japanese economic boom first benefited and absorbed unemployed Japanese and continued with full ethnic multi-generational Japanese. It made room for the Yakuza mafia, which traditionally has always picked up people on the fringes of society, who could thus find a sense of belonging, home and unconditional loyalty.
Historically, Karate is from Okinawa, which in Japanese eyes was considered fringe Japan and very poor. Okinawa is almost the same size as Lolland or twice the size of Bornholm. It was not until about 1936 that Okinawa Tode-jutsu was given its Japanese marketing name; Japanese Karate-do during a Japanese karate-do system meeting, and then the first karate-do systems such as Wado-ryu, Shotokan-ryu etc. were registered trademarks in 1940.
The 3 towns of Naha-te, Shuri-te and Tomari-te are within a radius of 5 km.
Tameshigeri is used in many karate systems as an expression of the strength of their system.
It also meant that the exotic Okinawan Tode-ryu was significantly adapted to Japanese Karate-do, which was also necessary historically, since during the conquest of Okinawa in 1609 by a Japanese sheriff Shimazu, Okinawan martial art was no match for the Japanese samurai martial art. After all, no one wants to train a historical "Taber system" in war. Therefore, Karate-do was re-branded.
It also meant a marketing history and division into different style silos such as Naha-te, Shuri-te and Tomari-te. But logically we still have to think that Okinawa is the size of Lolland and many have probably already had the thoughts about the old wise masters on Okinawa and in Japan have really limited themselves and all their students, with sterotype style silos, which are the opposite of the purpose of martial arts, which is unlimited. But this territorial silo division has also attracted people who are very comfortable with this division and all that it entails.
Historically, this has proven to have unintended negative consequences, which always follow in the wake of highly restrictive one-sided groups, which unfortunately often follow the motto "My way or the highway - either you're with me or you're against me!" and subordinates must take the consequences”.
Kyokushinkai's founder, Oyama Sensei, who was ethnically Korean Japanese, made no secret of his Yakuza affiliation, and all Kyokushinkai black belts were automatically in the gross pool, as ad hoc security personnel for gambling halls, pleasure houses, or permanent Yakuza affiliates. Oyama Sensei was very colorful and thus also very mainstream un-Japanese in his expression, which was more the Yakuza code of conduct.
He called himself "The Godhand" in the mid-60s, when he overcame everything. Specially prepared bricks, bricks, blocks of ice, bottlenecks and also used what we today call match-fixing and cheating magic in a very aggressive form of marketing. His own senior instructors have openly told this in books. They also told, like Danish black belts, that the main school in the 70's and 80's looked like, and probably was, a Yakuza headquarters with guards outside and inside, and Oyama Sensei was known as “Mr. 10 percent”.
Masutatsu Oyama Sensei (1923-1994)
Sensei Seiken Shukumine (1925-2001)
Masatoshi Nakayama (1913-1987)
The colorful Kyokushinkai Oyama Sensei also did not hide that his greatest ambition and dream was that Kyokushinkai should be the world's only and largest karate-do system, where all competitors had to be eliminated or were subordinated. But he was not alone in that! and Muhammed Ali, also said in the best American trash talk marketing wise “Iám the greatest! and most beautyful boxer ever” – in the same time period. So it was part of the zeitgeist back then. But definitely not in Japan, where they were shocked and quickly cornered Oyama Sensei and Kyokushinkai in the Yakuza Mafia.
Shotokan JKA chief instructor Nakayama is also said to have had ties to the Yakuza, after Funakoshi's death. The same can also be said about other shin-budo systems, including side branches from Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu, Gensei-ryu, etc., but never the main trunk. Kyokushinkai was the only one. There is a large amount of pictures, films, newspapers, magazines, documentaries and life stories about these conditions, also from Danish kyokushin black belts on training stays in Japan. But it must also be said that none of the founders or top figures have been convicted. On the other hand, many of the Yakuza members also have a shin-budo connection to these karate-do organizations.
Very few Budo and Bujutsu founders, grandmasters or organizations have been recognized and honored by official Japan since 1878. This is no easy task. But after Judo in 1964 and karate in 2020, were admitted and recognized as official Olympic sports, this happens a little more often. It is normal practice to recognize presidents/women of martial arts organizations who have been particularly successful in propagating their Japanese martial arts system or organization with a Knight's Cross. In rarer cases, the founder or a Sodenke line is recognized for their cultural historical Japanese contribution in their martial arts.
This is typically done in true Japanese fashion through at least a decade of surveillance and scrutiny by the Japanese security police using all available means.
The Danish national coach for JKA Shotokan, Tanaka Sensei from 1975-1978, had a house in Kastrup made available to his family
This is therefore also a typical knight's cross of the first degree or commander's cross. Despite their successful status as the world's largest and most successful karate systems of their age and generation, they never received the official Japanese society's highest recognition and distinction, despite their respective organizations repeatedly requesting it.
At the same time, there was also the spirit of the times, and the release of free sparring kumite in Japan in the late 50s by the Americans, and improved transport options by plane in the 60s. This provided great opportunities for expansion into the world. In addition, martial arts institutes were usually private businesses. It was well established with judo and jujutsu from the establishment of - and for some right into the 1990s. And so it was with karate-do.
There was no online banking or PBS agreements – it was cash settlement. The Danish national coach for JKA Shotokan, Tanaka Sensei from 1975-1978, had a house in Kastrup made available to his family, all expenses paid and DKK 10,000 in monthly salary (corresponding to approx. DKK 85-90,000 in 2022).
Jørgen Albrechtsen, the head instructor for Kyokushinkai, reports that he could earn as much in one day teaching Kyokushin as he received in monthly wages for his regular work, and the monthly quota payments, which were made in cash, were thrown into the wastebasket, as the amount of cash was huge.
Article in Berlingske newspaper 31-08-1975.
Tonegawa Yukio Sensei's Danish Gensei-ryu Karate-do organization from 1965/67-1988.
This could be done since the Kyokushin franchise concept was with 50 % franchise payment from all local Kyokushin karate schools, and with 15-20 schools and 5-6000 members you can do the math yourself. Budokan at Amagertorv 25, which was owned by Bent Jakobsen (1929-2016), had a monthly quota of DKK 350 in 1986, which corresponds to approx. DKK 750 in 2022.
It was only with the memberships of DGI and DIF, which promoted the association thinking with municipal grants in the 80s, which forced a transition from private enterprises with full-time professional employees, which enabled the transition to association life and thoughts. Jørgen Albrechtsen from Kyokushin himself says that this was the main reason why he stopped karate in 1982.
In the last decade, however, DGI and DIF have gone back to promoting paid instructors as a visible and clear motivational factor. An initiative which, by the way, is usually the opposite of the banks' view of associations, as it is a legal requirement for democratically recognized municipal associations to have a bank with business Mitid. It is not always easy and logical in the last decade for association life.
We will also have to look at ourselves. There is no reason to believe that it was any different for Tonegawa Yukio Sensei's Danish Gensei-ryu Karate-do organization from 1965/67-1988. But we don't know, as we've never heard it described anywhere, only heard the rumors on the water pipes. From 1975-1988, Tonegawa Sensei had followed the established DIF DKF standard with DKK 10,000 for a training camp.
This increased to DKK 12,000 in 1990 and still all expenses paid. Typically the ratio was up to 1:6 in Denmark and up to 1:9 in Japan. We were not involved in any other additional payments for activities other than the normal week-long training camp.
But it was normal for Tonegawa Sensei to have 2-3 other agreed activities, as was the tradition since 1974. We were just told that.
But one thing we know is that we were young and naive from 1988-1990 and all the quota and monthly savings money for 2 years was gone when we had to use it for the purpose. And we were told that it had always been that way. But it had the consequence that when we became the fifth generation since 1965/67 in 1990, everything became economically and financially transparent. Shindenkan was the first to introduce, in 1990, members' giro deposit cards for the association bank, and later PBS, Mobilepay and various online banking schemes when it became technologically possible. There was thus 100 % transparency in all financial transactions. and statements.
But it was not without opposition from several regional independent member associations in the province and in Amager. It has always been a balancing act between control and independent local associations. But like all other competence organisations, we have also experienced disappointments through gross exploitation over the years.
To put it bluntly, all WKF karate looks similar today, but the unique multi-track 1,000 year cultural history Yakami Shinsei-ryu Taijutsu & Karate-do does not at all!
Tonegawa Sensei gives a demonstration at the Gensei-ryu school, The House of the Blue Dragon, in Amager in the 1970s.
It has been convenient for certain special types of people to obtain multi-track competencies in one place (Shindenkan) and then after 8-22 years later, to sell themselves and the acquired multi-track competencies to the highest bidder or establish their own local private business, with very aggressive marketing.
Ninjutsu is most popular, followed by the home-brewed local Ninjutsu system or karate-do system, and the sale of various Management, health, competence and self-development courses. And in order to reduce the background and increase credibility, deals and agreements are made with other systems or the association board for the awarding of high black belt degrees.
It can be from 5.kyu to 1.dan – a jump of 5 degrees or from 1.dan to 7-15.dan grandmaster against certain countermeasures the other way. It is extremely aggressive marketing without moral boundaries or values in the eyes of many. And some of the very special types of people, unfortunately, also manage to empty local association coffers, commit embezzlement and mandate fraud. What is incomprehensible to us normal people is that these highly intelligent types of people often feel fully entitled to this, when their deception, fraud and intriguing lice in skin claims, are discovered and clarified. Like Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hide or Sir Hiss's puppeteer, they suddenly step out of the shadows and often admit that they have difficulty or cannot understand the needs, wants and feelings of others. In the excruciating clarity of hindsight, those left behind suddenly become infinitely wiser. Unfortunately, this is also the life of associations today - and before. It is very difficult to contain and has happened and is happening in all sports.
They leave the clean-up and all the problems to the local independent associations, which either have to close or pay off the debt. We are not alone with this problem in the Danish association world today in the last decades - it has unfortunately become very rough.
The question then is whether it is a modern phenomenon and zeitgeist, or an old phenomenon and zeitgeist in a new form, which has always been there. Fortunately, it is easy to answer, as we have historical accounts.
In the last decade, however, DGI and DIF have gone back to promoting paid instructors as a visible and clear motivational factor.
The interest in Ninjas was created by the film industry in Hollywood in the 1960s - where Ninjas are portrayed as heroes who, in the spirit of the times, fight terrorism!
Eras, zeitgeist, greatness, decline and new beginnings
The zeitgeist is a general term for what characterizes us in a certain time period. It is a combination of the right attitudes and actions and at the same time describes what the social debate is about at the time of the zeitgeist. The 60s was an optimistic time period with economic progress.
From 1967-1972 came the youth rebellion against authorities, the deep pent-up anger and rage and the rebellion against the established society, drugs and alcohol culture, which in 1973 was replaced by the oil crisis, struggle for survival and a huge economic downturn with unemployment, as in the 80s turned into Yuppies, greed and everyone is the smith of his own luck and very much at the expense of others. The 90s were the decade of law, ethics and wholes - there must be room for all of us. We are the fifth generation from 1990.
The spread of karate and martial arts followed the zeitgeist, and the zeitgeist in the late 60s and early 70s was youth rebellion against the established society, drugs and the establishment of the Danish alcohol culture.
It was also the heyday of the underworld and the various film companies around the world understood this, to get linked together. First with Bruce Lee and then all the Ninja movies.
All karate-do schools benefited from the increased demand. In Japan, it was known that Kyokushinkai black belts could get work with the Japanese underworld - Mafia.
Many Danish Kyokushinkai black belts who came to the system's main school in Japan told many stories about the effects of this connection, both in business districts and fights with the police, and the power discipline between the belt classes and according to the founder; No one above and no one beside and a very aggressive and confrontational behavior in competitive relationships.
The same thing happened in Denmark. Often, Kyokushinkai people were sent out to competing systems' activities to "put amber in it" with shouts, provocations, extremely bad behavior and behavior. In Japan, this Yakuza method is called; Sokaiya.
From 1967-1972 came the youth uprising in Denmark.
In the same period, especially Hollywood actors and American martial arts practitioners were worshiped as heroes in, among other things, the magazine "Blackbelt".
Most karate and Taekwondo systems can report on this mainly in the 70's and 80's. Some targeted these "mafia methods", others did not and took them at their word. It was the beginning of the "Karate War in Denmark" which reached all the country's newspapers in the 70s.
But it still occurs ad hoc from people with other cultural traditions than the Danish or from old nostalgic Yakuza-inspired black belts or from special types of people. Unfortunately, most Danish associations have one or more accounts of experiences on this front.
Shindenkan also experienced it at a joint meeting in Ballerup around 2008 and at a local association's Slagel's general meeting in 2019, where a police car chose to extend the break and stay outside - well supplied with good cups of coffee and cakes from the general meeting 🙂.
But let's get started with the exciting report, which is based on both own experiences, the own accounts of those involved, newspapers and other players with in-depth knowledge of the process and the process. It also means that some may remember it differently for one reason or another, and it will always be that way.
In Danish karate history, there is no doubt that the period from the 1960s to the early 80s was characterized by two primary actors, some would also say combatants; The butcher and doorman, Jørgen Buller Bura Larsen (1938-2023) from JKA Shotokan and business graduate Jørgen Albrechtsen (1949) from Oyama Kyokushinkai Karate.
According to official figures, but given up by themselves, Kyokushin was the most successful karate organization from 1967 to approx. The 80s with more than 5-6,000 members spread over 15-20 schools with the world's largest karate school on Ørnevej with 3-4,000 members.
Famous Hollywood stars within Kyokushinkai Karate.
Nakayama – JKA Shotokan.
JKA Shotokan had more than twice as many schools with Vermlandsgade in Amager as the main school, but spread over 4-5,000 members.
In the same time period, Gensei-ryu Karate-do had 11 schools with around 800 members. Goju-ryu and Wado-ryu about the same.
Kyokushin Karate was still only one organization and so was Shotokan karate-do. It only changed in connection with the death of Kyokushin Oyama Sensei in 1994 and in earnest with the JKA Shotokan Nakayama Sensei in 1987. Today there are more than 5-10 different Kyokushinkai and Shotokan organizations worldwide today.
Tonegawa Yukio Sensei's Danish Gensei-ryu Karate-do organization from 1965/67-1988.
From left to right: Klaus Sivertsen, Tommy A. Hansen, Peter Asher, Tonegawa Yukio Sensei, Jess Petersen, Steen Petersen and Takami Miyashita.
The colorful Danish karate history on the foundation of private Judo and Jujutsu businesses
In the early 1960s, Kringelbach's Judo and Jiujitsu institute was located on Vor Frue's place. One of Kringelbach's instructors was Jørgen Buller Larsen, who was a 1st dan in Judo and Jujutsu. A great many karate books had begun to be published which were diligently read and the interest was quite high.
At the beginning of 1961, a Japanese Goju-ryu Karate-do instructor Okamoto was hired at Kringelbach. This meant that almost all of Kringelbach's instructors also started training Goju-ryu Karate-do, including Jørgen Buller Larsen (from 1981 Bura), who quickly became 1st dan, Goju-ryu Karate-do.
In 1963, the Japanese instructor Okamoto was helped to establish Goju-ryu Karate-do with his own association by Jørgen Albrechsen and they broke with Kringelbach. But Okamoto chose shortly after to return to Japan. Jørgen Albrechsen chose to make contact with Kyokushinkai in 1967 and Jørgen Buller Larsen with JKA Shotokan, who sent Kobayashi Sensei to Denmark in 1963 for a longer period.
Kringelbach's Judo and Jiujitsu institute was founded in 1931 and was located in the early 60s on Vor Frues plads in Copenhagen.
It was the starting point for Japanese karate-do's establishment and development in Denmark within just a few years.
In Denmark and Europe, Japanese martial arts had a very good reputation as a gentleman's sport until the 70s. Then came the era and the decade with first the deadly avenger Bruce Lee and then all the Ninja movies in the 80s, which supported the previously mentioned worldwide zeitgeist and Japanese imports of the shadow side relationships (Yakuza methods).
The businessman Jørgen Albrechtsen quickly smelled gold and was an eminent leader for capturing the spirit of the times and what people demanded. Well supported by own perception of; "We don't find ourselves in anything - No one above and no one next to us - WE are the real and only karate!".
Sokaiya - intimidation through name-calling, slander and trash-talk quickly became commonplace. In addition, he had few obstacles and skills in aggressive marketing of the angry zeitgeist, with back-up from Kyokushinkai founder Oyama Sensei, Japanese methods inspired by Yakuza methods.
The Japanese Yakusa method - Sokaiya was used by the karate schools at the time, but still occurs to this day.
It is said that Oyama Sensei demonstrated total obedience and loyalty by asking black belts to jump out of the second floor window of the Honbu-dojo, Ikebukuro, Tokyo when he asked them to - and they did so with severe injuries.
It was definitely not Danish or Scandinavian culture, so in the first years, the aggressive marketing methods were not really met with as much opposition.
It wasn't because JKA Shotokan didn't also have the perception that they were also the real karate-do, but their behavior was more inspired by the harsh Samurai warrior culture – There can be only one. Both karate-do organizations were strictly hierarchical, and today one would probably think dictatorially structured with a very strict discipline.
At some point, the competitors had had enough. It is said that the JKA Shotokan and Gensei-ryu called the Kyokushinkai several times for a decisive battle about who was the best, but it was initially internal and never came to fruition. But that was about to change!
On Amager were the main schools for JKA Shotokan and Gensei-ryu Karate-do's, and they became increasingly tired of the aggressive Sokaiya marketing from Kyokushinkai Karate-do.
Until 1974, JKA Shotokan had not really been able to match Kyokushinkai in aggressive and successful marketing following the zeitgeist. But that changed because of the friendship and collaboration between Jørgen Buller Larsen and Sven Ole Thorsen with Sporting Health Club. Sven Ole Thorsen was a world-class powerlifter, bodybuilder and lifelong friend of Arnold Schwarznegger, who later got him many Hollywood film roles.
When Sven Ole Thorsen became friends with Jørgen Bura Larsen, a lot happened on the marketing front, not least because of his friendship with solo ballerina Kirsten Simone, who at the time was dating the Danish Minister of Culture, Niels Matthiasen.
From left to right: Arnold SSchwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood and Sven Ole Thorsen.
At the same time, the world champion Masahiko Tanaka from JKA Shotokan was employed as Danish national coach from 1975-1978, and with the marketing from Sven Ole Thorsen, JKA Shotokan flourished in Denmark, as soon as one of the best karate nations in the world, and attracted many Japanese instructors from the JKA main school in Yotsuya, Tokyo.
Jørgen Albrechtsen tried to match this with a Kyokushin world champion, Sato, who, however, was sent home very quickly due to bad behavior and behavior, and with close Yakuza connections, some journalists had dusted off. However, the explanation from the official Kyokushinkai side was unhealthy womanizing and high phone bills. But in the 70s, Denmark was particularly known for the release of porn and make love not war, which attracted a completely different tourism than Nordic Cuisine in the last decade. It was widely known during that time period that both the Japanese, Korean, Chinese and European top instructors were highly sought after as trophy change by the opposite sex, and it was not only in Denmark.
In 1976, Sven Ole Thorsen was graduated 1st dan, JKA Shotokan by Tanaka Sensei, and later also became Danish champion. It is also said that he had a side job, as a debt collector together with his strength training and bodybuilding friends, and that large amounts of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs were used during the period.
The Japanese world champion in Kyokushinkai karate Sato was brought in to help Kyokushinkai in Denmark, but caused immediate problems and bad publicity.
By the way, it was quite common in all sports - it was before the doping control.
Sven Ole Thorsen and JKA's management were eventually very tired of trash talk from Kyokushinkai's side and their failure to accept the final decision about who is the best, so Sven Ole Thorsen took matters into his own hands and used Kyokushinkai's own methods against them self. Sven Ole Thorsen at 143 kg, 1.93 m and 7-15 JKA members trooped up during a training session at Ørnevej, which was Kyokushinkai's main school and the world's largest karate school, and performed Sokaiya.
It is said that the team consisted of more than 100 Kyokushinkai members, but no one dared to do anything. Nor did Jørgen Albrechtsen, who ran into his office and locked the door. He tried several times to call the police, who didn't show much will to come forward, as they apparently also had a problem with the aggressive marketing over the years of Kyokushinkai and the many problems it had caused.
The police took their time, and when they finally arrived, Sven Ole Thorsen greeted his father's old colleague who was the police leader of the team, after which nothing more happened in the case.
The karate war rages in Denmark and the police must step in to help.
Jørgen Bura Larsen, Sven Ole Thorsen and the JKA mocked the Kyokushinkai for not defending their own headquarters, which was occupied by just a handful of JKA Shotokan people. Jørgen Albrechtsen from Kyokushinkai defended himself by saying that he was a gentleman and it was nonsense to have to fight some illegally invading competitors. It was word against word, but the fact is that it actually happened when it made the headlines in all the country's newspapers.
So did the official challenge from Gensei-ryu Karate-do's chief instructor, Klaus Sivertsen, to Jørgen Albrechtsen and other Kyokushinkai top people to fight the final battle, as Klaus Sivertsen, like many others, had reached the limit of Kyokushinkai's Sokaiya and trash talk. Jørgen Bura Larsen from JKA Shotokan did the same many times.
It didn't really come to fruition either, but it is said that the respect and management foundation under Oyama Sensei's Danish chief instructor, Jørgen Albrechtsen, 5th dan Kyokushinkai began to be challenged.
It wasn't because he was the only colorful Kyokushinkai personality because there were several, but he was challenged and there were various rebellions and breaks. The most successful Kyokushinkai fighter of the time period also made national headlines when he robbed a bank and shot at the police while fleeing. He went to prison and is now fully rehabilitated. There were several others who also reached the newspapers.
JKA Shotokan was also colourful, and there were big eyes when one of the leading JKA fighters was escorted by policemen, as he had an exit permit from prison, so he could fight for the Danish Championship.
The mid-80s to the beginning of the 90s were very successful on a world level for Danish karate, as one of the best nations in the world led by a very competent DIF karate association - the Danish Karate Association which was now recognized as an independent special association, instead of to be subject to the Danish Judo and Jujutsu Association.
The other karate schools became increasingly tired of the aggressive Sokaiya marketing from Kyokushinkai Karate-do.
Source: Ekstra Bladet 13-03-1975, page 13.
This is largely due to Jørgen Bura's uncompromising work, with back-up from Jess Petersen from Gensei-ryu who, together with his brother Steen, had established the international karate event Genshikan Cup, Henrik Larsen from Goju-ryu, but also other Shotokan leaders, who after Nakayama Sensei's death in 1987, was split into 5-10 different Shotokan federations.
Therefore there was also a JKA break and rebellion in Denmark, both politically, but also against Bura Sensei, where there were several who thought they could do it better and more modern. The later Danish karate history tells the facts.
The international event Genshikan Cup was held by Jess and Steen Petersen from Genshikan in Grevehallen every year in the period 1982-2002.
