Glen Morris

[nbcdecon]

Has anyone read "Marrtial arts Madness" by Glen Morris? I read this book awhile back. This book had some good insight by drawing a correlation between Chinese , Japanese,Indian (yogic) breathing. I am not a big Ninjitsu fan but this book is good reading. Great mind candy Glenn Morris is a GM for Texas, Bujinkan

[arnisador]

Originally posted by nbcdecon

Glenn Morris is a GM for Texas, Bujinkan

Do you mean to say that he is a grandmaster? There are more than one? Or do you mean general manager or something?

[Bob Hubbard]

It was my understanding that the only Grandmaster for Bujinkan is Masaaki Hatsumi.

:confused:

[Jay Bell]

Glen Morris is *not* the GM for anything pertaining to the Bujinkan. He has developed his own style of budo based on his experiances...hence the "Soke" title.

On a side note, there are no GM's per area at all in the Buj...there is one Soke - Hatsumi sensei.

[eternalwhitebelt]

I have read Martial Arts Madness, I too enjoyed it. He has two other books out that are much better in my opinion. He writes about some crazy stuff. It makes for a great read.

[gozanryu]

Jay, correct me if I'm wrong. Is'nt Dr. Morris now a 12th Dan under Hatsumi?

[Jay Bell]

Last I'd heard he was a 12th...not sure nowdays though

[Randy Strausbaugh]

You might want to check out his first book, Pathnotes of an American Ninja Master. I was put off by the title and gave it a pass-by until a friend recommended it to me. For my money, it's the best of Dr. Morris' three books.

Trying to avoid life's potholes,
Randy Strausbaugh

[Jill666]

Good to know, I'll have to check him out.

If I had seen that title, I would have given that and anything else by him an automatic pass.

12th Dan? Really? Not to be skeptical or contentious, by what for? Why would someone even want to be a 12th dan, even if there is such a thing? :erg:

You don't have to answer that, in fact, it is probably better you don't. But jeez- it boggles the mind.

[gozanryu]

Jill666, how else you gonna get to 13TH Dan:cool: IMO Dr. Morriss' books are GREAT for the initiate at meditation, hocus pocus, etc. I really liked "Path Notes" He is also a very cool guy.

[Jill666]

Originally posted by gozanryu
Jill666, how else you gonna get to 13TH Dan:cool:

Oh, yeah. I didn't think of that. :D

BTW, you have a rather interesting job :boing2:

[Randy Strausbaugh]

I've got a seminar certificate in which Professor Chow signed his rank as Jugodan- 15th Degree! That's the cool things about numbers, no matter how high you go, there's always room for more (kinda like Jello).

Newly-appointed Jellodan,
Randy Strausbaugh:asian:

[Jill666]

The exalted rank of Jellodan is not to be attained so easily. For shame!

:soapbox:

(Does whipped cream come with that?) :kiss:

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Originally posted by Jill666
The exalted rank of Jellodan is not to be attained so easily. For shame!

:soapbox:

(Does whipped cream come with that?) :kiss:
Kinky, Jill. Interesting, but kinky.
I'm still trying to figure out where to fit in the shredded carrots.:D

Senior Soke Jellodan,
Randy Strausbaugh:asian:

[Cryozombie]

Why is the rank system in our art a joke to everybody?

Oh yeah... it must be the LACK of pretty colored belts. How unrealistic.

after all, How can we judge our ability if we dont have Pretty orange and Pink and Purple with Polkadot stripe belt ranks.

Sheesh.

[Jill666]

and I never heard of such a thing. I have e-mailed my instructor to enlighten me.

And since I'm working on the green belt, I can see why you comment on the lack of colored belts in Taijutsu. :rolleyes: I'm actually not 100% sold on the need for multiple colored belts and emphasis on rank, but that is the system I have become accustomed to, with 10th dan being reserved for grandmaster- and yes, I tend to think there should be only one (wow- Highlander flashback)

Can you tell me what the ranking system is in your school? I'm really curious now! Please. Pretty please. With carrots on top.

(see Randy- that's where they go)

[Bob Hubbard]

An organization can set its ranks however it sees fit. While at some point the numbers may seem a bit odd to those outside the system, it may make perfect sence in it.

Kenpo for example has half-ranks and quarter ranks. TKD has quarter ranks. Many do 'stripes'.

I worry less about titles, ranks and levels, and more on how they move myself.

[gozanryu]

Jill, in my style the belt ranking is thus: No belt (initiation course for about 90 days, If you want more on that e-mail me), Green Belt, Green Belt w/Black stripe, Blue Belt, Blue Belt w/ Black stripe, 5 kyu Brown, 4th Kyu Brown, 3rd Kyu Brown, 2nd Kyu Brown, 1st Kyu Brown, Black Belt. (only one Black Belt) The ranks are based in material that is covered within the rank, it works out to average times in grade etc. Works for us. That info and $2 will get you a vente house coffee at Starbucks.

[Jill666]

In re: the 12th dan thing.

Um, ok I'm gonna paraphrase since I don't want to misquote my instrustor. (Not wise)

For the kyu blets there are colors- a fairly recent addition probably as a result of the gaijin invading the arts. ;)

For dan belts there are ten black, with a task or attribute to be conquered at each level. BUT beyond Judan, which can be awarded with (I think) three judan recommendations to Hatsumi, are levels again due to certain attributes embodied by the master. Numbers have been given by some, up to 15 as far as my instructor is aware.

There was more info, but that was the meat of the answer I was looking for.

:asian:

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Originally posted by Technopunk
Why is the rank system in our art a joke to everybody?

Oh yeah... it must be the LACK of pretty colored belts. How unrealistic.

after all, How can we judge our ability if we dont have Pretty orange and Pink and Purple with Polkadot stripe belt ranks.

Sheesh.
If you read my post, I wasn't dissing the Bujinkan, just commenting on the subject of stratospheric belt ranks in any/all arts. Touch a nerve? Hey, does that make me...

Senior Soke Professor Kyusho Jellodan With Carrots On Top (Thanks, Jill)
Randy Strausbaugh

[Cryozombie]

Where we are The Belt ranking system goes:

White Belt/Green Belt/Black Belt

The White belt is only worn for 10th Kuy rank. (as my instructor is quick to point out in japan there were never any white belt ninjas just alive and dead ones )

9th - 1st is Green

All Dan Ranks are black.

I know there are schools who do this differently, and again, I am no expert, just an 8th Kyu, but both of my bujinkan instructors told me this is the traditional ranking system in the bujinkan.

Hatsumi Sensei was asked WHY he created the 11-12-13 ranks, and he claimed that he didnt create them, there was simply no one at that level yet.

I also read (and I wish I had the source to quote this more accuratley, Maybe Jay can clarify this for me) that he claimed that the 11+ dan ranks were really "special" rank titles that always existed and that he began calling them 11th dan etc... to simplify things for westerners.

As far as I am concerned HE'S the grandmaster, if he wants to invent a rank called Ultimate Ninja Guru Level 77, thats his choice. I dont see that as any different than some guy named Ed or some guy named Bruce going "I have changed the rules of the art I study or teach and to obtain this rank you now need to do <insert whatever here> and Im adding/changing/removing these belt colors... Or having a "Black Belt with 1,2,3 white stripes" on it????

Also, the grandmaster isn't 10th dan, he's been asked, he claims he has come all the way around and he has no rank any longer. What is the Highest rank Takamatsu Sensei awarded Soke Hatsumi? I have no idea... It could be 10th dan. But by saying 10th is as high as you can go is like saying "Youve obtained a doctorate in Chemistry, theres nothing else you can ever learn about chemistry!"

And Randy, no, YOU didnt hit a nerve per se, but we (Students of Budo Taijutsu) are CONSTANTLY bombarded by "Your so Fake Your so Fake Your So Fake" attitudes because people have NO idea what we really are that it grows tiring somtimes. I just got done listening to a local Krav Maga instructor for one of the local police forces tell us how uneffective our "Sport Martial Art" is, and a Kempo guy laugh at me and tell me to come study a "real martial art"

So I guess I was just raw when I read the post to begin with. No hard feelings to you are Jill or anyone... I'm just stating my opinion (mabe a bit grumpliy) that our rank system is no more of a joke or fake than some guy who puts colored tape on his belts to "make up" intermediate levels that didnt exsit. If he did make them up, Hatsumi sensei is just adding those ranks to the END of training to reward innovation instead of in the middle to charge more for rank testing, or gratify the ego of a student who might leave and take his money elsewhere if he didnt feel he was progressing fast enough.

Rant Over. :asian:

[stumanfu]

Hey!

Thought I might throw in a little clarity for any one who might still care about this topic. Glenn Morris is not and never claimed to be GM (Grand Master) of anything. I think if you re-read his books more carefully you'll discover that he worked for a time with General Motors. A forgivable loss of memory retention considering the quantity, depth and value of more useful information in his books.

I had the privilege of meeting Glenn at one of his seminars in Melbourne (2003) and must admit, the few hours I spent with him are having effect on me even to this day. For those who have shared my or similar experience with Glenn, I don't need to describe the details of profundity, the ever increasing impact of that short time.

Glenn passed away on April 1st, 2006.

A little advice for fellow would-be adventurers......When conflict arises in any form, be it mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, etc.......whether originating/manifesting with self or other......take a big whopping step back and observe, take it all in....
Here's your chance to learn something!

OH! I almost forgot. If you think you've figured it out, shake it all up, start again. Conclusion is the death of creative thinking. Study on this!

[Doc_Jude]

NE-CRO!!!!

[Haiookami]

Dr Glen Morris started Hoshin you can go to
http://www.hoshin.com/

He has passed away his wife painted a picture reflecting Soke Morris this picture now hangs in the Bujinkan Honbu