In 1966, O’Sensei Richard D. Lazarus became the 12th person to attain their black belt under Shinan Pereira. They would go on to bestow the black belt rank to hundreds of other diligent students. Later, in O’Sensei Lazarus’ martial arts training he began to study other arts to increase his skills and knowledge. O’Sensei Lazarus would study Aikido, Shotokan Karate, Kendo, as well as Iaido; he would begin his studies for the latter two with Sensei Kahn at the Ken Zen Institute. Judo rounded out his training and earned his rank with the USJA. All the skills, forms, blood, sweat, tears, and hard work would be incorporated into his own system yet to come.

Dai Nan Wan Ryu Jujitsu was founded in the year 1968; while studying various martial arts, O’Sensei Richard D. Lazarus established the school for this form of jujitsu. Following in his Sensei’s (Shinan Antonio Pereira) footsteps.

Before teaching any technique that he had created, making sure it was effective and practical was his number one priority. During his time with law enforcement, he had the opportunity to test these new techniques and perfect them. O’Sensei Lazarus would also work with many different departments including Narcotics, Arson, and the Explosives division. Throughout his experiences in law enforcement, O’Sensei Lazarus would have many opportunities to refine his martial art and gain insight into many situations where martial arts were almost a necessity.

O’Sensei Lazarus’s system of Jujitsu was unique in the sense that it was constantly evolving. Learning that certain techniques did not work when he needed them to in the field, he would return to his students and modify the techniques to have them better suit real-world situations. He would go on to gain many accolades and help many martial artists reach their goals; he was a martial artist ahead of his time.