By Prof. Ron Jennings
Prof Jennings is a 7 dan who is active across the Danzan Ryu spectrum. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did ~Sensei~
After some recent serious health issues, I began reflecting on my many years as a martial artist and my early
years in DanzanRyu. I thought some of those memories were worth sharing with our members.
It was in the spring of 1962 when I went to a DanzanRyu dojo to sign up for lessons. I had just bought my own
car and could now drive to an adjoining city where the dojo was located. The first class I watched included a
promotional ceremony which included two really old guys who were getting their first promotion. One was in midfifties
and one was mid-sixties. To a teenager, they were beyond old; they were ancient. I was so impressed by these
“old guys” getting their first rank I resolved to join and catch up with them. It was a challenge I never met.
Classes at the dojo were very structured and focused on learning a few techniques very well before being
introduced to others. You weren’t shown much above your rank level until Sensei felt you were ready. As a green belt
I remember going with my Sensei and others on a visit to a town about 30 miles away where someone had a workout
room in his house. When asked what he would like to cover, he said “Oku”. Sensei said “No” because they had a
green belt with them (me). At our dojo you didn’t get to work Oku until you were brown belt. I was so disappointed. As
it turned out, Sensei finally relented and we actually got to work the first three techniques. It was six months after I
got to third brown before I saw Oku again. As it turned out there were not enough people at my rank and a Police
Class the dojo was presenting to city police interfered with continuing the colored belt only classes. There were a
couple of new green belts and Sensei said I needed to help them get to brown so we could practice together. What
I thought as a real delay in my training turned out for the best as my Shime became pretty good as well as my Nage
really improved. It seemed however that I was not learning as much as I wanted and I had yet to catch up with those
old guys. I was getting anxious about moving up. But, there was a lesson I still needed to learn about rank consciousness.
One night there was a visitor to the dojo who was very interested and as a new brown belt I felt I had a lot to say.
He attended a couple of classes then disappeared. Shortly after receiving my second brown this young man showed
up again, this time wearing a Black Belt. I was stunned. How could he possibly have made it to Black Belt in that
short of a time period? I had gone from Sankyu to Nikyu in the same time period it took him to go from white belt to
Shodan. He then told me about another dojo in a nearby city. That was enough for me. I am not sure what I told
Sensei but I quit my lessons at his dojo and went to that other dojo. It wasn’t long however before I realized the depth
of knowledge, or should I say lack of it at this dojo. They had some outstanding instructors but I didn’t get to work with
them and instead got to work closely with one of their Nidans. In a few weeks’ time it was obvious I knew more about
training, technique, and execution than one of their second degree Black Belts. Sure he knew a few more moves but
that was it. I felt he only mimicked the arts without understanding the real intent. I knew I had made a big mistake.
I returned to my original dojo with a sincere apology. Sensei accepted me back and told me that my desire for
rank had been one of the things that had been keeping me back.
I finally realized what I had been told many times. Your belt holds your gi
together. It is the knowledge gained from hard work and dedication to learning that
is important, not the color of the belt. It was a lesson I never forgot.
By the time I got to Shodan those two old men made Sandan, but rank was no longer an issue.
In 1968 I left the dojo and moved to another city and opened my own dojo. I have been a school head and
continually active in DanzanRyu ever since. As a school head and still seeking that knowledge, I expanded my cross
training efforts. By keeping an open mind as well as open eyes, I found there was more to DanzanRyu than one
single organization. I now belong to several national DanzanRyu organizations. I’ve trained with a great number of
exceptional instructors and based on my lesson from Sensei, never asked for rank or recognition. However, over the
years I have received both rank and recognition from hard work and dedication to the art.
When I first received recognition as a Professor of DanzanRyu, Professor Imi Okazaki Mullins, youngest daughter
of Professor Henry Okazaki, bowed to me as she handed me a red and white belt and said, “My father would be
proud.” I would have not been so honored without the foundation training and early lessons I received from my
Sensei.
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