What “Ōkami” means
Ōkami (狼) is the Japanese word for wolf. It sounds the same as Ōkami (大神), “great god” or “great deity” – a deliberately chosen play on words that runs deep in Japanese tradition: in ancient Japan the wolf was venerated as a deity.
Even the Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), Japan’s imperial chronicle completed in 720, tells of it. Before Emperor Kinmei ascended the throne, he had a man named Hata no Ōtsuchi sought out. The man reported that on his way back from Ise he had met two wolves in the mountains, fighting each other bloodily. He dismounted, washed his mouth and hands and spoke to them: “You are noble gods (貴神), and yet you indulge in such rough play. Should a hunter come upon you, you would quickly be caught.” Then he separated the two, washed the blood from their fur and let them go – both alive. The emperor saw this as the reason for his good fortune and took Ōtsuchi into his service.
The story tells of a fight that is ended: strength that does not tear itself apart.
In the same work, a white dog (白狗) leads the hero Yamato Takeru, lost in the mountains of Shinano, safely out. Later shrine traditions, such as that of the Mitsumine Shrine in Chichibu, interpret this guide as a wolf and venerate wolves to this day as messengers of the gods.
Sources: Nihon Shoki, Book 19 (primary text, Wikisource), prehistory of Emperor Kinmei (Hata no Ōtsuchi); Nihon Shoki, Book 7, Emperor Keikō (Yamato Takeru and the white dog); Mitsumine Shrine: deities and origins. The English renderings are free translations.
The wolf symbol came about together with the founding idea of the Dōjō: a place for lone wolves. For people who walk their own path – and discover here that it goes further together.
„When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.“
George R. R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (1996)
From this, Tobias develops the way of the wolf – a philosophy of karate that thinks independence and pack together.
The logo reads “established in Connewitz 2020”. The Dōjō also bears the name Ōkamikan.
Ōkamikan (狼館) means “house of the wolf”: 狼 (ōkami) stands for the wolf, 館 (kan) for house or hall.
Founding
The Dōjō was established on 1 August 2020 in Leipzig-Connewitz. The club was officially founded on 1 January 2021; it is registered at the Local Court Leipzig under VR 7533.
On the instructor’s background and the path to the Meibukan: Instructor.
Lineage
Kanryo Higaonna → Chōjun Miyagi (宮城長順) → Meitoku Yagi (八木明徳) → Meitatsu Yagi (八木明達) → Akihito Yagi → Tobias Zander (Ōkami Dō)
The lineage leads directly from Akihito Yagi, 3rd Sōke of the Meibukan, to Tobias and thus to Ōkami Dō. Details on every station are on the page Lineage of masters.
Connection to the IMGKA
Ōkami Dō Karate e.V. is currently not a member of any federation – neither in Germany nor internationally. The goal is admission to the IMGKA (International Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu Karate-Do Association). If all goes well, official admission to the Meibukan is planned for 2027.
Joining the DKV or SKV is not planned – not even after admission to the IMGKA.
Chronicle
- 2019 – Tobias begins karate.
- 1 August 2020 – The Dōjō is established in Leipzig-Connewitz.
- 1 January 2021 – Official founding of Ōkami Dō Karate e.V. (Local Court Leipzig, VR 7533).
- 2023 – First trip to Okinawa, start in the Meibukan; Tobias becomes the first official international student of Akihito Yagi.
- 2024 and 2025 – Second and third trips to Okinawa.
- 25 July 2026 – Akihito Yagi becomes 3rd Sōke of the Meibukan.
- November 2026 – Fourth trip to Okinawa.
- 2027 (planned) – Official admission to the Meibukan and founding of the German Meibukan Goju Ryu Association.
The referenced history of the style is in the library: History.