The association game
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's 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!
