Grandmaster Jack Wheat

     Grandmaster Jack Wheat was born in Seattle Washington. Grandmaster Wheat moved to Hawaii in 1942. He started his training in Jujitsu in 1942 under Grandmaster Henry Okazaki for 16 years until it closed in 1958. He was awarded his Black Belt and the coveted scroll by Grandmaster Okazaki in 1945. Grandmaster Wheat attended special classes at Grandmaster Okazaki home where he instructed Black Belts the higher arts of Se Kapo and Shiny No Maki. After training under Grandmaster Okazaki for 3 years, he graduated from Okazaki's massage training until 1950. He was also a hand-to-hand combat instructor at Ewa Marine Judy Club in Barbers Point, Hawaii in 1948. He was also a member of the Hawaii Shobukan Judo Club in 1950. In 1953 Grandmaster Jack Wheat and Tony Gonzales became the first Caucasian in Hawaii to be awarded Judo Black Belt from the Kodokan in Japan.
     Grandmaster Jack Wheat founded the Menehune Jujitsu Club and also became head instructor of Okazaki's Kodenkan Dojo in Hawaii until the dojo closed in 1958. He was joined with Grandmaster Joseph Holck in 1955 and continued until he was assigned overseas duty in 1959. During this period, he had advanced to 7th dan. Upon return from overseas, he re-opened the Menehune dojo in Waipahu, Hawaii until 1972, when he was again assigned overseas duty in Vietnam. While in Bangkok, Thailand, he studied acupuncture and in 1973 was granted a certificate to practice acupuncture in Thailand. In 1975, the Governor of Hawaii, George Ariyoshi, appointed him to serve on the first Hawaii Board of Acupuncture. He is licensed to practice acupuncture and massage therapy in Hawaii.
     Grandmaster Jack Wheat is a charter and lifetime member of the American Jujitsu Institute. He was elected, as it's first secretary and subsequently served two terms as President. He has been active at every convention associated with AJI and have held classes in the advanced jujitsu arts as well as Okazaki massage therapy. He has been inducted into the Danzan Ryu Jujitsu, Jujitsu America, and the Hawaii Kenpo Jujitsu Society Hall of Fame, besides receiving numerous of awards. Grandmaster Jack Wheat is one of the senior advisors for the Hawaii Kenpo Jujitsu Society.
      Used with permission of George Arrington and The Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu Homepage (www.danzan.com)

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