Karate Organizations

Wastelander · KF Sensei

Haisai, everyone!

I'm curious to hear about your experiences with, and opinions on, karate organizations that you've been involved with, or looked into being involved with in the past.

There are probably thousands of organizations out there, from competition-based organizations like the USKA and WKF, to style-specific organizations like the JKA and JKF, to style-agnostic organizations like the World Combat Association. These organizations almost always cost money to be a part of, like to have varying degrees of control over your curriculum and training methods, and sometimes even dictate your business practices. Essentially, I'm curious to hear the pros and cons from different peoples' points of view.

From my own experiences, off the top of my head, I have this.

Pros:

Cons:

aurik · KF Sempai

Good question, Noah, but I'm wondering if this might be better suited in the Instructors/School Owners forum, since most students at the kyu and lower Dan grades won't really have this kind of perspective. As I'm an apprentice instructor, I can express my perspective on this though.

Our dojo is a member of two organizations, Uechi-Ryu Kokusai Kyokai (headed by James Thompson), and Matayoshi Kobudo Shinbukai (headed by Seisho Itokazu, but that may have changed -- more on that later).

As a member of our Uechi-Ryu organization, I do pay an annual fee that covers membership in the organization. It's like $50 per year for kyu ranks, slightly higher for dan grades, so that isn't a onerous amount. Our organization does dictate the material for examinations, and to another degree it dictates how the material is supposed to be performed. In our style, different lineages have different "signatures", so if you're in one organization with one lineage, you may be asked to perform techniques slightly differently than another lineage.

One thing I feel I gain by training in an established organization is legitimacy. I can go to any other Uechi-Ryu school or seminar, and my rank and experience will immediately be accepted on face value. If I were to leave my current school and go to another school in the same organization, I'd be accepted no questions asked. If I were to go to a different organization within Uechi-Ryu, I may need to re-test for my current rank, learning how others do things and their little subtle differences, but that's about it.

Our CI teaches a core set of material (that is tested on), but then he sprinkles in a lot of additional material for "flavor". For example, there are a number of throws and takedowns in ouir katas, bunkai, and yakusoku kumite, so sometimes he'll focus on those. We also sometimes work on self-defense techniques from our kata. Or we'll work on the yakusoku kumite from other organizations. Or <insert other cool stuff here>. Also as part of an established organization, our CI has the sway to bring outside guest instructors to Colorado to run seminars and the like.

As I mentioned before. We are also part of the Matayoshi Kobudo Shinbukai, or at least we were as of 2 weeks ago. This is where the politicking comes into play. Earlier this year we had a seminar with Itokazu sensei (head of the Matayoshi Kobudo Shinbukai), and one of the takeaways from that seminar was that our CI (who is a 5th degree in that organization) is still not able to promote students beyond shodan. So last week while he was in Okinawa, he was speaking to the heads of other Kobudo organizations (who he already has good relations with),

Now from my perspective, earning ranks up to (and including) 5th degree is pretty much all about time-in-grade, being active, and is your understanding of the material commensurate with the rank you're aspiring to. From what I've seen though, as you work towards 6th degree and above, politics become more and more ingrained in advancement.

Now there are other organizations that are much more codified, for example ATA. For ATA, all rank requirements are codified, and testing requirements for black belt ranks are very stringent. Individual instructors cannot promote students beyond second degree, and there are specific dates when students can test for advanced black belt degrees. (In point of fact, students must pass multiple "midterm examinations" before testing for their actual belt).
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My Journey (So Far)
Shuri-Ryu 1996-1997 - Gokyu
Judo 1996-1997 - Yonkyu
Uechi-Ryu 2018-Present - Nidan
ABS Bladesmith 2021-Present - Apprentice

Wastelander · KF Sensei

aurik · KF Sempai

Wado Heretic · Green Belt

I have only really belonged to one organisation and I am with it for a number of reasons, but the primary one is access to the Head Instructor. I have regular private lessons with him and attend courses at the Hombu regularly. He is my teacher as well as Head Instructor. Plus, very reasonable financially considering it is his self-employment. Although there is a curriculum, it is flexible, so I am studying a selection of kata specifically for me rather than just because it is part of a syllabus. Plus, as long as I incorporate core teachings everyone in the association studies, I am free to otherwise manage my own curriculum.

The major con I have found with my brief time in a few larger organisations was a lack of access to the senior instructors. One could attend courses with them but I very quickly found they were repetitious. It was generally similar stuff every time. And it was generally expensive. They were also very strict on the curriculum, which I can understand from a quality control perspective, in that the larger the group the more you have to rely on tertiary means beyond direct instruction. However, the curriculums did not really address actual competencies in my view. They became about knowing the right set of Kata, combinations, and being able to perform various techniques.

I do think the scale of the organisation makes it more vulnerable to some of the pros and cons presented in the opening post. I have found that smaller organisations tend to be less vulnerable to politicking and often provide more quality control through direct coaching from the top instructor and seniors. However, the lack of scale often means a lack of broader opportunities, and some times heterodox competition formats, meaning it is can be difficult to expand one's horizons without moving organisation or holding multiple memberships. The benefit of large organisation in contrast is that scale of opportunities, but an immediate increase in politicking and disparity in quality between coaches and students.

Costs come down to individual greed in my experience. I have been in larger organisations where I felt there was good value for money, although, in the end I was disappointed with the course quality when senior instructors and the head instructor visited. But I have been in a smaller organisation where I felt the costs did not match the quality of services in the end.

The biggest pro for me as a Coach and Instructor is that it takes a lot of pressure off me from dealing with the business side of things. As long as I make sure I fill my forms out correctly, and make payments on time, I can just focus on teaching. But I rent the space out I teach from, and I have a 9-5 day job so coaching is purely a hobby. I only teach because I am the only one doing karate as I want to do karate in my immediate vicinity. In that sense, my view is skewed.
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R. Keith Williams

sensei8 · KF Sensei

This subject is quite sensitive to me because of the spiraling downfall that occurred which eventually caused the SKKA, the Governing Body I was once the Kaicho and a member of for a tad over 5 decades, to close for good.

While the founders of the SKKA, our Soke and Dai-Soke, were the Kaicho (President) and Kancho (Vice-President) everything was a fine-tuned and well-oiled machine. When they both knew that their retirements were inevitable, they both made some significant organizational changes that would serve its Student Body as well as the SKKA the best after they both were gone.

Soon after they both had passed away, the SKKA elected me as the Kaicho and Greg Forsythe as its Kancho. The trimming of the fat, so to speak, was continued as Soke and Dai-Soke had meant it to be. For many years, Greg and I ran the SKKA like a Swiss clock.

Then tragedy came to the SKKA. A very mournful and dark cloud settled over the SKKA. One that I had never thought possible.

Emergency Elections had to take place. For now, I was to remain as the Kaicho. Still, EGO was the new driving force behind the SKKA. Whenever several key members of the Regents as well as Directors had eventually forced me out through affirmations, every tool available to oust me was so well played that according to the SKKA's Legal Team, my time had come to vacate not only my position as Kaicho but my membership with the SKKA was also dissolved permanently.

When that happened, the networked dojo's that are under the umbrella of the SKKA, slowly and one-by-one quit the SKKA. So many, that before long, the SKKA no longer had any network at all. Even worse, the Hombu's Student Body were seeking somewhere else to continue their Shindokan training.

The SKKA is no more!!

I wholeheartedly concur with Noah's listed Pro's and Con's above!! I will note the differences the SKKA of old had going for them, and this is not to say that the SKKA of old was better than what Noah has listed. The SKKA of old Pro's were what Noah listed.

The SKKA of old Con's turned into a Pro...

*Political machinations and scheming...Strictly forbidden!! Yes, The SKKA of old had its Higher Aarchy, however, it was ruled with an iron fist of checks and balances with serious repercussions across the board.

*High rank trading between friends...That was never ever allowed. That could get someone expelled for cause.

*Too controlling of curriculum or training methods...The SKKA allowed dojo's under the SKKA umbrella complete free reign. The SKKA never interfered with how a networked dojo was operated. Strictly forbidden!!

*Too expensive to be a member...Students' membership was a part of the tuition, which as long as I can remember, wasn't very high at all. I never paid more than $50 a month and as low as $25 a month.

*High testing/certification fees...Before they were dissolved, Kyu Testing Cycles were $50 and Dan Testing Cycles were $100.

The SKKA of new had no Pro, just one Con...EGO!!

The SKKA of new has soured me against any Governing Body and I've no interest whatsoever in joining and/or forming another one.

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**Proof is on the floor!!!

Sailor Sindbad · Yellow Belt

Fat Cobra · Green Belt

I am currently in an excellent organization -- the United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance. It has great pros and very few cons. My concern, though, is what happens when Kaicho retires (or passes away). There is currently no succession plan, as far as I know and it does not seem like we are prepared for what happens after Kaicho is gone.
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Yondan in Ryukyu Kempo
Head of the Shubu Kan Dojo in Carthage, NY
(United Ryukyu Kempo Alliance)

sensei8 · KF Sensei

Revario · White Belt

I am a weird one, I seem to only see the negative in organisation. Mainly the hierarchy and the unmovable curriculum. The lack of will to evoluate and adapt. The resistance to practicality and being stuck in the 50's with the 3Ks. The lack of acceptance towards functionality and cross training.

Which that is another subject all of it's own as Karate has all that one needs when studied properly. We are in an era where we are finding our techniques and movements being used in practicality in various different arts yet most Karate curriculum don't touch these applications or methodology.

The unwillingness to evoluate and see internet as a positive (one can choose how to use it) source of information and exposition to proper Karate.
The will to hide techniques and claim certain things are only for very initiated members yet those highly initiated members don't display greater or better fighting skills.

The lack of fact checking and dissemination of lies based on hierarchy and respect. One can claim wtv as long as it makes relative sense and they say it to adults who don't know any better or children. (All those samurai vs Karateka legends and Kobudo sources). And this is from a "reputable" organisation. Mainly because it has been long standing and mostly because when challenged they simply turn people away.

One positive is definitely quality control, but that can be done via testing/sparring anyways.

I may be too pragmatic in my approach, that is a thing, yet I fail to see the point in practicing in a way that is far from reality only to keep things the way they are and be afraid to lose face.

I am very alone in my area who wishes to practice Karate in this way, I am seriously thinking of moving out. My area is stale. To a point where one who is looking for what I am is better to look for a different art, like Muay Thai, MMA, Krav Maga or even some Kung Fu schools. BUT, as i said before, all of these things are in Karate. I simply wish to practice it with right minded people.
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Vitae Brevis, Ars Longa

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