Shindenkan - The Wings of History
In Denmark, it all started in 1965
Soke Sensei Tonegawa
Image: Soke Sensei Tonogawa (SST) lived in Denmark in the period 1965–1974 and founded Gensei-Ryu in Denmark. In the same period (1962–1970) Jørgen establishes Bura –Shotokan in Denmark and Jørgen Albrechtsen – Kyokushinkai in Denmark, and together with Gensei-Ryu, these form the 3 largest systems in Denmark.
In 1965, Soke Sensei Tonegawa (Noro Yukio) comes to Europe and Denmark for the first time. The purpose was, in terms of work, to represent a Japanese clothing company and explore the possibilities, and in terms of budo, to find the right country and place for the spread of Gensei-Ryu Karate-do.
In 1967, SST settles in Copenhagen and comes into contact with Bent Jakobsen, who is one of the pioneers within Judo in Denmark and has Budokan on Strøget in Copenhagen. Bent Jakobsen wants to create a Budo Academy in Denmark and enters into an agreement with SST to teach Gensei-Ryu Karate-do in the Budokan. SST meets Peter Hedegaard, who is a soldier in the special corps that becomes the Jægerkorpset, and becomes Peter Hedegaard's sensei and friend (Peter Hedegaard establishes the Danish martial arts system; Kita Matsu Ryu in 1978).
In 1970, SST scales down the collaboration with Bent Jakobsen in Budokan and establishes the Gensei-Ryu Honbu Dojo on Hornevej in Tårnby. Bent Jakobsen is at this time the 4th Kyu in Gensei-Ryu Karate-do and SST then establishes a toned down version of Gensei-Ryu Karate-do which he names Gensei Shinen-Ryu Karate-do. As part of the deal with Bent Jakobsen, SST awards Bent Jacobsen 1st Dan in Gensei Shinen-Ryu Karate-do.
In the period 1967–1974, SST travels between Denmark and Japan where he is trained in Gensei-Ryu Karate-do by Shukumine, who founded Gensei-ryu and later Taido. In 1974, SST gets married, has a daughter and chooses to move back to Japan at the same time. SST entrusts the management to the highest graduated student at the time, Klaus Sivertsen 3rd Dan Gensei-Ryu Karate-do.
The organization is growing
Before SST leaves Denmark and leaves the management to Klaus Sivertsen, there is an acceleration in the establishment of Gensei-Ryu Karate-do schools, which peaks with 11 schools in 1975. This is well documented in the publication of the Budo-Yearbook 1975.
In the period 1974-1986, the organization crumbles
Despite SST coming to Denmark every 2 years in the period 1974-1986 to teach, politics split Gensei-Ryu Denmark apart. Since the 1970s, Gensei-ryu worldwide has already been divided in power struggles. None of the leaders of the established Gensei-Ryu Karate-do schools can accept Klaus Sivertsen as overall leader of Gensei-Ryu Karate-do in Denmark, and this entails drastic things in the period 1974-1986 such as;
- Kim Jørgensen leaves Denmark and all of Taishu Kan closes!
- Gensei Kan Slagelse arises, but later merges with a Jiu Jitsu club and trains Kobudo
- Gensei Kan Brønshøj closes
- Genshi Kan by Jess and Steen Petersen goes the sports route and establishes the successful international tournament Genshi Kan Cup
- Gensei Kan Sorø goes on his own and trains Taido
- Klaus Sivertsen gives up, closes Østerbro and disappears!
The organization is reduced
Everything is fragmented and uncooperative. 11 schools are reduced to 1 school with traditional Gensei-Ryu Karate-Do (See Ryu Kan; under Tommy A. Hansen, who is however thrown out of the school the following year due to increasing personal problems). 6 schools have gone their own way, and Genshi Kan with Jess & Steen Petersen is most successful in the period up to approx. 1996.
The schools went their own way
Genshi Kan is very successful with their international event GenshiKan Cup, they themselves participate in many international events and have several of their members on the Danish national team. Jess and Steen Petersen are prominent members of the Danish Karate Association, and Jess Petersen chairman for a year. Genshi Kan retains a formal reference to SST until 2018.
The organization 1986
But in 1986-1988 something decisive happens
Kimu Sensei starts in Budokan where he meets Bent Jakobsen, Achene Bendjazia, Jackie Moos and Jimmy Jørgensen. He meets Jens Hanshi-dai who starts in Budokan in 1987 and they become friends. They train together with Achene Bendjazia, Jackie Moos, Jimmy Jørgensen, Jan Christoffersen and Fereidon Daragon. Kimu Sensei is graduated 1st Dan Gensei Shinen-Ryu Karate-do in Budokan after 20 months of training in 1987.
Kimu Sensei is invited to Summer Camp with SST at the former Se Ryu Kan in Tårnby and is graduated 1st Dan Gensei-Ryu Karate-do by SST in 1988. At the same time, Kimu Sensei receives, completely unheard of, a master's license in meditation. After this Summer Camp, Kimu Sensei is introduced to Tommy A. Hansen and Peter Hedegaard, and is asked by SST to start training with Tommy A. Hansen. Kimu Sensei invited Jens Hanshi-dai and Jackie Moos along.
Kimu Sensei, Jens Hanshi-dai and Jackie Moos started training in Tommy A. Hansen's backyard on Saturdays together with a selection of Tommy's old students. Jackie Moos stopped after the first training and after a few months of training and disagreements on values and a healthy lifestyle, Kimu Sensei and Jens Hanshi-dai find premises in the community center "Gimle" on Islands Brygge and get training times on Friday at 21.00-23.00. It will be a new beginning that they are very happy about.
Training in Gimle
During this period, Kimu Sensei and Jens Hanshi-dai built a school, formally under Tommy A. Hansen, who was never present in the dojo. However, it fit very well with Kimu Sensei now training directly under SST, so Tommy A. Hansen was already no match for Kimu Sensei the following year, who in 1989 started training camps in Japan with SST.
In 1992, Tommy A. Hansen is kicked out again, but is given a second chance by Kimu Sensei, who persuaded the SST to award Tommy A. Hansen the honorary degree, 5th Dan in Gensei-Ryu Karate-do, as a significant encouragement to manage his personal problems. In 1992 Kimu Sensei passes his OKUDEN in Japan and is thus higher graduated than Tommy A. Hansen.
Tommy A. Hansen had not understood that his own degree (5th Dan Gensei-Ryu Karate-do) was an honorary degree and a unique opportunity for him to get back on the horse. This despite the fact that he had only sporadically trained or improved his skills since 1986.
After a significant event in 1992, Kimu Sensei and Jens Hanshi-dai completely freed themselves from Tommy A. Hansen, and established Jokokan Copenhagen.
“Houston – we have lift off”
The organization 1988
In 1992-1996, Kimu Sensei Densho obtains the Menkyo Kaiden degree, is appointed Kaicho (boss) for Europe and Sodenke Shihan.
Jens Iversen becomes Deputy Chief Instructor and together they make up Soke Sensei's team in Denmark.
In 1992-1999, Jokokan schools were established in Copenhagen, Slagelse, Greve Strand, Randers and Skælskør.
Jokokan is also established in Europe in Cyprus (Larnaca), Greece (Athens), Ireland (Cork) and England (London).
The organization 1992 - 1999
At a Jokokan Cyprus Easter training camp at the Royal Akrotiri Airforcebase with, among others, the Royal British Commandos and the SAS, the true conditions and different views on values and common competence standards come to the table under the spotlight. The difficulties with a European organization are recognized, and the sensible decision is made in the period 1996-1997 to close all schools other than those in Denmark.
47 training camps in Japan
In the period 1974-2003, Soke Sensei Tonegawa is in Denmark every 2 years and holds training camps lasting one week.
In the period 1988-2018, Kimu Sensei is at 47 training camps in Japan and 6 in Denmark with Soke Sensei Tonegawa, and other Japanese and Chinese grandmasters. The number is actually higher because during the 3 weeks Kimu Sensei was in Japan, he trained first with SST, then with Chinese and Japanese Grandmasters from other systems, and then again with SST. This training method and insight into other systems was also a method SST had used.
In 1998 eight Danish Jokokan Instructors visit Japan and are trained in Yakami Shinsei-Ryu in the Japanese Honbu-dojo under the leadership of Soke Sensei Tonegawa together with the Japanese organization and in 2018 was Shindenkan Operation and Organization (SOPORG) in Japan.
Image: Kimu Sensei and Soke Sensei Tonegawa – Tokyo, Shinjuku in Japan.
Jokokan Denmark Turnaround 2000
In the year 2000, Jokokan initiates an ambitious turnaround from an organization for the elite to a new structure with room for everyone. With 45 elite students, where 3rd kyu beat two people from the Top 3 at the WC in Japan, it is necessary for further survival that Yakami Shinsei-Ryu Karate-do seriously makes the system available to everyone – the breadth as well as the elite. Everyone works voluntarily and unpaid for the benefit of society, the organization and the members. The leaders want to make a difference.
It's going really well!
- The strategic plan for 2000-2005 is fulfilled with the establishment of 7 new schools and an increase in membership of 1,300 % = 700 members.
- The strategic plan for 2005-2010 is fulfilled, as Shindenkan now has active students at all levels.
- The strategic plan for 2010-2015 is launched with a clear expectation of a membership increase of over 1,000 members. In 2015 there are 1,318 members, which is a membership increase of almost 3,000 % since the year 2000.
In the year 2000, Kimu Sensei is graduated Gokui Menkyo Kaiden and begins to teach continuously in Japan and China. Kimu Sensei is subsequently graduated and officially recognized in Japan and China at the highest level.
In 2008, Shindenkan is founded
In 2008 Jokokan Europe and Denmark becomes an independent organization in Bujutsu Kodosokukai with the name; Shindenkan. And the national and international recognition continues, as in 2009 we write Denmark's history as oofficially recognized specialist association and partner of the DGI national and competitive sports organization per April 2, 2009 signed by us and DGI's chairman.
Out of the box
Shindenkan's success has given both freedom and obligations, and we have prided ourselves on being trendsetters and leading the way. It has also meant that we have been a source of inspiration for other organizations nationally and internationally, with up to 30,000 monthly readers during our knowledge sharing.
The Nordics are the hearth of the Jantelov law and in line with our increasing success, we were also met with increasing Jantelov's challenges. But instead of bowing our necks, we took up the challenges in typical healthy and fresh Shindenkan spirit!
Jantelov's followers asked the significant question: "Can Yakami Shinsei-Ryu even be used in the modern world?" To this our answer was: "Yakami Shinsei-Ryu is the essence and the decisive thing is the man behind everything, and this has always been so for millennia".
Instead of a philosophical discussion at no risk to either party, we said this we would prove!
POMW - Project Old Modern Warrior
In 2011-2015, we started the absolute most expensive project in Shindenkan's history: POMW – Project Old Modern Warrior. The General Assembly voted in favor, but without several personal sponsorships, the funding was not in place.
We set ourselves the goal of proving that it was the person behind the firearm who was the essence and not the weapon, and this under all conditions. POMW exposed Shindenkan to maximum risk, as very few of the project participants had experience with firearms. In addition, we chose mastery in all main shooting forms – pistol, rifle and long range – which meant from 6-1,800 m, and thus maximum challenge and proof.
The project was an international giga success, but it was also an international project which involved the best shooting legends, both military and civilian. Everything was on merit and the results speak for themselves. Already after 10 months of shooting, Kimu Sensei was shooting with the world elite in the USA and it only progressed after that and always according to Kimu Sensei's way of being; Humility to the task and you can do nothing but your best. And it was by international standards – pretty good – in both range shooting, practical shooting, as well as rifle and long-range shooting.
The three POMW teams, which have gone through the POMW training manual, have shot at a spectacular level of competence after just 2-3 months, which for everyone is at Danish 1st division level in at least one shooting discipline.
The POMW project has resulted in Shindenkan's own shooting associations since 2012, which are members of Shinenkan connected on an equal footing with all other local member associations. It has been important for the members, so that they can shoot POMW under safe conditions with mutual respect and acceptance of each other. SDKSkyt is a member of DGI and the Danish Shooting Union under the Danish Sports Confederation.
POMW's international success gave the entire Shindenkan "blood on the teeth" and as Shindenkan had grown explosively in 2014-2015 to more than 1,300 members, the general meeting decided that we should embark on an even bigger project; SHIELD KISS. As with POMW, the project was handled by Shindenkan's Competence & Development Center (SKUC) with the inter-organizational coordination committee SOPORG as steering group. All members of SOPORG are democratically elected at the official general meetings.
SHIELD KISS -Strength Health International Empowerment Listen Doctors Keep It Simple and Safe
The SHIELD KISS project is a 5-year health and health project, where the essence of western and eastern medical knowledge is gathered through the Shindenkan POMW project's (2011-2015) well-developed toolbox. SHIELD KISS is based on the I-world's Top 10 health challenges, diseases and causes of death today and in the future. The main health doctrine of the SHIELD KISS project is to be as strong and healthy for as many years as possible both physically, mentally, mentally and spiritually.
The SHIELD KISS project does NOT invent the wheel and the deep plate, which have already been invented, but collects the essence of the work of other specialists and puts it together as a fundamentally comprehensible overall puzzle with overview, essence and bridging. To the extent necessary, this is collaborated or tested in trials or research projects in independent collaboration with national and internationally recognized research institutions.
SHIELD KISS is the overall project name and aims to support and supplement the national and international health programs under the motto "EVERYTHING to win, NOTHING to lose - all creation begins with the first action - Keep It Simple and Safe". The SHIELD KISS project is Shindenkan's contribution to creating a better world.
We knew well and had been thoroughly warned that it is widely recognized that there are a great many political, economic and career special interests in the gigantic public health industry on both an international, continental, national and regional level.
History shows that, and that's how it is today. The various countries' health authorities are politically based and tied together regionally and internationally. Health authorities are usually extremely conservative in their recommendations in relation to the Food and Drug Administration.
Food authorities are also politically based and tied together regionally and internationally. It is therefore understandable with so many special health interests and the communication through the internet and media that we, as part of public health, cannot find head or tail in all the recommendations from various health experts.
The different interpretations of research results by journalists mean that we often give up and do nothing. The SHIELD KISS project will thus also try to remedy this in a safe and secure way.
How did it go :-)? The experiences of the first years with total openness about the project and all the sub-projects put pressure on the resources, so that these were not used optimally and according to the project's purpose. Philosophical and ego-driven dialogues without any end goal are fruitless and time-consuming. Therefore, the project is now like an iceberg, the most important 90 % of the work gives work peace, and the last 10 % gives dialogue after;
"Everything to gain, nothing to lose - Try it if you feel like it", as well as discreet predictive indications in many different medical fields, which fortunately a few years later turn out to be published in scientific journals.
It is optimal in such a project if the overall picture is coordinated so that each individual piece creates maximum value for the overall coherent picture. Especially if this piece is in several layers and uses all knowledge and experience coherently. It creates results with seven-mile steps, but according to the motto "Being more is more important than seeming - for the good of everyone now and in the future – is the greatest honor and achievement”.
But one of the significant and visible results is the creation of KataFIT, which since 2016 is trained in all Shindenkan schools, nationally and locally. KataFIT WWW is specially developed for the benefit of everyone, as the purpose is always to bring balance to body, mind and spirit. this gives surplus and overview for you and yours to take precisely the responsibility, the decisions and live your life as you want it to be, depending on your life cycle. KataFIT WWW can be trained whenever and wherever it suits you and your everyday life.
You don't need any aids, just a floor area of approx. 1 x 2 m. KataFIT WWW helps you with injury minimisation, prevention and training on both a physical and mental level. KataFIT WWW helps you to create balance in your life, according to your purpose, motivation and life process. It is entirely up to you and your life, at any time and place. KataFIT has produced spectacular results that have been noted internationally and it has helped tens of millions of people.
The SHIELD KISS project has significantly proven its worth, but in terms of resources it has been unintentionally demanding. Shindenkan Denmark needed the operation to be covered by voluntary private investment sponsorships of varying size and time horizon, Honbu investments and other smaller priorities. Precisely because our expected funding has not been large enough, we are largely dependent on sponsorships. We are VERY grateful for that, but sponsorships always come with a bond and this means that we cannot plan large projects, because sponsorships are a very uncertain basis due to the time horizon.
Shindenkan's lack of balance in finances compared to the adopted strategic plans also means that other revolutionary international prestige projects such as POMW and SHIELD KISS, which are financially costly, will no longer take place unless the funding IS secured in advance. Shindenkan's national boards and committees aim to create a greater economy. But we have to crawl before we can walk and we continue to work to create a more secure financial foundation for the future.
The projects have put Shindenkan internationally on the map and created a network that only a few can dream of. The SHIELD KISS project is Shindenkan's contribution to creating a better world.
It was with pride that in 2017 we could celebrate the 50th anniversary in Denmark and Europe with 14 Yakami Shinsei-Ryu associations, including two archery associations. 2017 is also the 150th year of the Danish/Japanese trade relationship. We are proud of our 50 years in Denmark, our 1,000 years of world cultural heritage and 2,600 years of history. You can choose to become part of this story.
