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PROFESSOR SIEGFRIED (PIPPET) KUFFERATH
Dai Shihan
From
the Kilohana Martial Arts Association
Born
in Hawaii
Prof. Sig
Kufferath was born February 16,1911 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He was
the second youngest of 11 children born to C. Th. Kufferath and
Shin Hori Kufferath. Prof. Kufferath's father was attached to
the German Consulate in Tokyo, Japan for 26 years, seven of his
brothers and sisters were born in Kobe. One brother was born
in Tasmania and another sister was born in Berlin. Prof. Kufferath
and his younger brother Arnold were born in Honolulu.
Prof. Kufferath
was a former quarter miler track star at McKinley High School
in Honolulu, and the University of Hawaii, he was three time
Hawaiian A.A.U 440-yard track champion in the late 1920's and
early 30's. He also worked many years as an auditor for the City
and County of Honolulu.
Jujitsu
Master
Prof. Sig
Kufferath was a Master of the art of Jujitsu. He began his study
of Jujitsu under Prof. H.S. Okazaki in 1937. He earned his black
belt in 1941 and became an instructor in 1942, where upon he
organized his own Jujitsu club Nikko at the Kaheka Lane Judo
School in Honolulu.
Under Okazaki
he studied Chinese stick arts, Kiai, (Internal strength) Karate
Jitsu, Nerve arts, Shingen No Maki and Shinyo No Maki (special
lists of self-defense arts) and further studied Naihan No Shodan
and Kumite (Kenpo Jujitsu Arts). This was in addition to all
the kata (standard) arts of Danzan Ryu (Hawaiian School). He
graduated from Okazaki's Nikko Restoration - Sanatorium Seifuku
Jitsu (Japanese Physical Therapy) course in 1943. It was customary
for a Jujitsu instructor to be well trained in the healing arts
too. Prof. Kufferath used to accompany Prof. Okazaki on his house
calls to help him treat patients.
In April of
1944, Prof. Kufferath was inducted into the U.S. Amy. After completing
basic training he was assigned to Special Services and taught
hand-to-hand combat in Hawaii. This came about after he had defeated
the current hand-to-hand combat instructor when confronted by
him during training. Prof. Kufferath was honorably discharged
in 1946; he resumed his Jujitsu Classes at Kaheka Lane School.
Prof. Okazaki
appointed Prof. Kufferath chief instructor of his main dojo (school)
the Kodenkan in 1949. In February of 1948 Okazaki had given the
title of Shihan (Master) to him, via a certificate called "Kaidensho",
or Full Transmission and Mastery", others also received
this certificate. After Okazaki's death in 1951 Prof. Kufferath
was formerly elected by the board of directors of the AJI, (American
Jujitsu Institute), founded by Okazaki in 1939, to succeed Okazaki
as head and Professor of Danzan Ryu Jujitsu. This became official
October 6,1953. In addition to Jujitsu he began practicing Judo
and Aikido in the early 1950's. He earned his black belt in Kodokan
Judo (1956) ad Aikido (1965).
Moved
to California
In 1957 Prof.
Kufferath left Hawaii and the American Jujitsu Institute for
California. He settled in The Willow Glen area of San Jose. Prof.
Kufferath took a position in the accounting department of Dole
Company, working there until retirement in 1976. He continued
his teaching of Jujitsu at Pacific Judo Academy in San Jose.
In 1960 he began teaching classes at the Los Altos Parks and
Recreation Department and founded the Los Altos Akijitsu Dojo
(School). He moved his residence to Santa Clara a year later.
In 1964 Prof.
Kufferath and a student at Los Altos Recreation opened Nikko
Jujitsu School in Mountain View, California where Prof. Kufferath
became Chief Instructor. Many people young and old over the next
30 years studied under Prof. Kufferath or received restorative
physical therapy treatments from him at Nikko in Downtown Mountain
View. Prof. Kufferath taught Jujitsu at Nikko until 1995. During
this period at Nikko Prof. Kufferath also began teaching self-defense
classes for the Santa Clara Parks & Recreation Department
in 1970. These classes are still taught today.
In 1973 Prof.
Kufferath and a former student from Nikko opened yet another
school called the Kodenkan Jujitsu School located in Santa Clara,
where Prof. Kufferath taught to this day. At the Kodenkan Prof.
Kufferath taught many courses, including 18 years of certification
Courses in Restoration Therapy, special black belt instructor
classes (Okugi) and seminars on Jujitsu and Restoration Therapy
around the country.
In 1988 Prof.
Kufferath began teaching at the Pacific Coast Association of
Kenpo Jujitsu in Campbell, CA. where he also continued his Courses
in Restoration Therapy and special black belt instructor classes.
In 1996 Prof. Kufferath helped organized and became founder of
the Pacific Coast Kilohana, a Jujitsu organization. Prof. Kufferath
has also taught there to this day.
Some of the
honors bestowed upon Prof. Kufferath over the years include:
-
Living
Arts Treasure for Total Life Commitment to Martial Arts January
15, 1995
-
World
Head of Family - Sokeship - March 2,1995
-
Hall of
Fame Danzan Ryu Jujitsu by Ms. Imi Okazaki Mullins (Daughter
of Prof. Okazaki)
-
Kodenkan
Yodanshakai Tucson, Arizona - 10th Degree Black
Belt Sept. 4,1988
-
Jujitsu
America 10th Degree Black Belt September 12,1987
-
Goshin-Jitsu
Chow Hoon 60 years of Excellence 1995
-
International
Chinese Kenpo 10th Degree Black Belt - awarded
as a testimonial that Prof. Kufferath has set an excellent
example to students during courses given. October 8, 1994.
In
The Spirit of Aloha
Prof. Sig
(Pippet) Kufferath lived his first 46 years in Hawaii and his
last 42 years in California. Pippet would go home at least
once a year to his native land. He was truly a remarkable man
always seeing the good, patient and always training to better
himself both physically and spiritually. Pippet once said "The
best thing about my Jujitsu career is all of the friends I have
made over the years" and these friends will truly miss him.
Prof.
Siegfried (Pippet) Kufferath
Born: February
16,1911, Honolulu, Hawaii
Died: May 7,1999, Santa Clara, California
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