dbell
Blue Belt
Over the last two years that I have been paying attention to the MA world on line, and listening to back chatter when at MA events, I have heard a strong thread of people wanting to know what Martial Arts Associations/Foundations/Federations/etc a person was affiliated with. That this affiliation was important in deciding how the person was ranked, etc.
How do you feel about Associations/Foundations/Federations/etc? Are they required to validate rank?
Here is my take on the associations/etc I have looked at over the past two years:
With the exception of VERY few, they all appear to be organizations that say "if you aren't with us, you are not legit." Then they require you to pay money, and in many cases lots of money, to open a school under their name, get belted, etc. In most cases they appear to be more political than MA related from my outside looking in.
From my looking at it, you either send your students to a annual or twice a year or four times a year event (often a LONG distance from where you may be) and have them pay the Association/etc a fee to test them. If you are not able to send them to the “group test”, some may allow you to pay 5 or more “Senior Black Belts of 5th Dan or higher, depending on the student getting tested, the cost of travel to your area, room and board, and the testing fees. They feel that your Soke (Head of Family (person in charge of your style/art)) is not able to decide who has the knowledge HE (some SHEs too!!) feels is part of the Ryu (School).
I’m 100% sure I do not agree with this stance! After 40 years of martial arts, 38 of which was studying Kendo under Hasumi-sensei, the Soke of the Hasumi Ryu Kendo, the title passed to him by his Father, and on up the line back 184 years, Hasumi-sensei felt I had learned Hasumi Ryu Kendo well enough for him to pass the Ryu on to me as Soke at his death. He gave me the right to assign rank up to 5th Dan (this school has only 6 Black Belt ranks,and 10 Kyu (student) ranks) (I have since changed this to a 10Kyu/10Dan system at the request of many people, inside and outside the School) in this Ryu. He did not give that right to any Association, Federation, or group out there. There are “Secrets” (and I use the term secrets loosely!) to stance and such that each Ryu has that another Ryu may not know or use, etc. How do these 5 or more Black Belts of other Ryus/Systems get off on telling me if a student of mine has the needed skills and knowledge to be a X degree Black Belt?
My Sensei's family started a Kendo school a bit over 184 years ago (not called Kendo back then), based on the need to live. They developed their system of "stick fighting", and joined in competitions with other families and schools for bragging rights etc (my words, not theirs!). Over the years they accepted Kano's belting system (although they still used the Menkyo system as well) and created a 10Kyu/5Dan (since changed to 10Kyu/10Dan) system. They were approved and accepted by Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, which was required by the Emperor or they couldn't have a school.
My Sensei also studied Aikijutsu, and later Aikido, and Judo, achieving Menkyo Kaiden or senior black belts in each, being authorized, by his instructors, not associations, to teach others and to open his own school in each art.
Prior to the 40's or so, I don't see associations being all that paramount. In fact, I can't find any that have a beginning before then.
Those associations I have looked at all appear to be "new" and appear to be mainly money machines for the founders/head people.... (The experience I personally had with two such associations very much was that way.)
I'm not sure an association is a valid indicator of a person's rank or skill...[FONT="]
[/FONT]
How do you feel about Associations/Foundations/Federations/etc? Are they required to validate rank?
Here is my take on the associations/etc I have looked at over the past two years:
With the exception of VERY few, they all appear to be organizations that say "if you aren't with us, you are not legit." Then they require you to pay money, and in many cases lots of money, to open a school under their name, get belted, etc. In most cases they appear to be more political than MA related from my outside looking in.
From my looking at it, you either send your students to a annual or twice a year or four times a year event (often a LONG distance from where you may be) and have them pay the Association/etc a fee to test them. If you are not able to send them to the “group test”, some may allow you to pay 5 or more “Senior Black Belts of 5th Dan or higher, depending on the student getting tested, the cost of travel to your area, room and board, and the testing fees. They feel that your Soke (Head of Family (person in charge of your style/art)) is not able to decide who has the knowledge HE (some SHEs too!!) feels is part of the Ryu (School).
I’m 100% sure I do not agree with this stance! After 40 years of martial arts, 38 of which was studying Kendo under Hasumi-sensei, the Soke of the Hasumi Ryu Kendo, the title passed to him by his Father, and on up the line back 184 years, Hasumi-sensei felt I had learned Hasumi Ryu Kendo well enough for him to pass the Ryu on to me as Soke at his death. He gave me the right to assign rank up to 5th Dan (this school has only 6 Black Belt ranks,and 10 Kyu (student) ranks) (I have since changed this to a 10Kyu/10Dan system at the request of many people, inside and outside the School) in this Ryu. He did not give that right to any Association, Federation, or group out there. There are “Secrets” (and I use the term secrets loosely!) to stance and such that each Ryu has that another Ryu may not know or use, etc. How do these 5 or more Black Belts of other Ryus/Systems get off on telling me if a student of mine has the needed skills and knowledge to be a X degree Black Belt?
My Sensei's family started a Kendo school a bit over 184 years ago (not called Kendo back then), based on the need to live. They developed their system of "stick fighting", and joined in competitions with other families and schools for bragging rights etc (my words, not theirs!). Over the years they accepted Kano's belting system (although they still used the Menkyo system as well) and created a 10Kyu/5Dan (since changed to 10Kyu/10Dan) system. They were approved and accepted by Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, which was required by the Emperor or they couldn't have a school.
My Sensei also studied Aikijutsu, and later Aikido, and Judo, achieving Menkyo Kaiden or senior black belts in each, being authorized, by his instructors, not associations, to teach others and to open his own school in each art.
Prior to the 40's or so, I don't see associations being all that paramount. In fact, I can't find any that have a beginning before then.
Those associations I have looked at all appear to be "new" and appear to be mainly money machines for the founders/head people.... (The experience I personally had with two such associations very much was that way.)
I'm not sure an association is a valid indicator of a person's rank or skill...[FONT="]
[/FONT]
Most of the people who seek me out to train with barely know such things as karate orgs exist.
