Misawa Base
These pictures and the articles below are from when Soke Miller first went to Japan in 1972. This is the time he first met and started to train under Yoshi Okuyama, Soke and Founder of the Hakkoryu Jyu-Jitsu of Omiya Japan. Soke Miller trained with the Grandmaster from 1972 to 1983. During this time he learned the true system of Hakkoryu.
Soke Miller started training with his first Shihan (now Soke) Michael De Pasquale of the Yoshitsune Jyu-Jitsu system. During those years Soke Mike showed Soke Miller the Yoshitsune System, which parallels the Hakkoryu System. Shihan Siato, a representative for Soke Okuyama, authorized Shihan Sato to develop a form of Jyu-Jitsu from the basic forms of Hakkoryu. This form was called Yoshitsune Jyu-Jitsu. From that point the Hakkoryu System was not shown at all to members of the Yoshitsune Dojo. It was talked about but not shown at all.
In 1968 Soke Miller decided to Join the Air Force, and got his opportunity to go to Japan. Soke DePasquale sent a letter of introduction to Soke Okuyama asking him to take Soke Miller under his wing to test for the rank of Shihan (7th degree master) if he could accomplish it. Soke Miller trained hard every day for 2 years, going every weekend to Omiya Japan (8 hours away from Misawa where he was stationed).
For the first six months all Soke Miller did was clean the Dojo and wash people's uniforms. He was the Dojo Denshi. Thank God for the military, who had showed Soke Miller how to deal with changes and frustrations. The only way that he got through this was due to the training of his parents, Soke Mike DePasquale, and the military. Soke Miller would like to thank them all for the encouragement they gave him to face the hard times he had in Japan to fulfill his dream of earning the title of Shihan (which he did in 1974). Below are some pictures from the time Soke Miller spent at Misawa teaching the System Of Hakkoryu, the Eight Light System of the Powerless Power Art of old, and the offspring system which was developed by Shihan Siato and Soke Mike.
