hey thanks everybody....basically the certificate is proof of my rank in jujutsu(green belt), i recieved the promotion when I tested...but we all know how paperwork is..
the certificates do come from japan originally(Seishinkai in Osaka)...but i believe these came from Houston...my instructor was explaining it to me...but I'm not entirely sure I understood...
I guess it works like this...thye are somewhat collector's items because my instructor's instructor has official certificates that he gets from Japan and fills out when a student is promoted...they carry the name of the former head of the Seishinkai, Shiyogo Kuniba, who has passed away...so these particular certificates are no longer produced...
anyway...the signatures on the certificate are that of my instructor and Darrell Craig (my instructor's instructor)...which I thought was really cool since, although I have never met him...I've heard nothing but great stories from my sensei. I also own one of his books and have read a couple of others...so there it is...one of my small brushes with greatness...