Grandmaster Sig Kufferath

     Grandmaster Sig Kufferath was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He began his study of Kodenkan Jujitsu under Grandmaster Henry Okazaki in 1937, founder of the American Jujitsu Guild. Grandmaster Kufferath earned his black belt in 1941. Under Okazaki, he studied Chinese stick arts, Kiai, Karate Jitsu, nerve arts, Shingen No Maki, and Shinyo No Maki and further studied Naihan No Shodan and Kumite. This was in addition to all the kata arts of Danzan Ryu. He graduated from Okazaki's Nikko Restoration Saniturium Seifuku Jitsu course in 1943.
     Grandmaster Okazaki made Kufferath Chief Instructor of his main dojo, the Kodenkan, in the late 1940's. His associate was Grandmaster Bing Fai Lau. After the death of Okazaki in 1951, Grandmaster Kufferath was formerly elected by the board of directors of the American Jujitsu Guild to succeed Okazaki as head and Professor of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. He also holds black belt ranks in Aikido, Judo and Chinese Kenpo, and was the headd of the the pacific Coast Kilohana Association, Now known as the Kilohana Martial Arts Association.
      Grandmaster Sig Kufferath has received numerous awards and has been inducted into numerous Hall of Fames. In 1999, he was inducted into the Hawaii Martial Arts Society Hall of Fame. He was also one of the first four Senior Advisors to help organized the Hawaii Martial Arts Society since its founding in 1994.

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