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I didn't think you were criticizing me, I wanted to make sure that Ram checks out Tim in spite of concerns about the school owner. There is this wooden sign that says Dr. Brownridge, then below that, PhD in Martial Arts awarded by some association. It's a simple wooden sign, so upon entering, I don't think anyone would actually think this guy is claiming he has a PhD from UIUC or anything. I'm not trying to justify it, just put it into perspective. When I got here six years ago, this was the only school that actually taught some self-defense, the landscape is going to change again in the next year, so hopefully Ram will be with us during this next period to take advantage of it.

Just to contextualize the illegal aspect: If the claim is that Brownridge was claiming to be a medical doctor and listing himself in a directory to offer medical advice, then it would be illegal; but to claim holding a title and providing the claiming authority is legal. Since the title is on a website (not a directory) and is in the context of martial arts instruction, then it is legal. Not to say that your belief in his using the doctor title is unwarranted, just not illegal. When I first understood it, I found it amusing, but I have a very grey view of life. Also, I would hope that no one would judge an instructor by the perception of how another instructor in the school presents themself; just as I would not want to be judged by how my co-workers present themselves.

Almighty Ram - I can't really answer that since Tim has only been holding the adult classes since November and no one has progressed that far. As for the doctor thing, that's not my gig, but I can forward your complaints on to him if you want.

To jaymac: He broke away from his American instructor, that instructor believed that ranks above 4th degree black required acceptance of certain philosophical/religious ideas and not on ability past that point. That was the point of the style break and USA Shutokan is escentially that same as the style they broke from in regards to the physical aspects, but the philosophies differ. The rest I can ask about when I see him again. For ps1: He uses Dr. instead of Master since he is African American and the use of the term "master" can be offensive, so to address someone in English we use Professor so & so instead of Master so & so. It was also a way of legitimizing the art back in the 70's since American martial artists were not as accepted as Asian ones (even more difficult for dark skinned individuals in the Midwest). So the idea of studying self defense scientifically instead of using terms from foreign languages was adopted and people who wanted more "tradition" also learned the terms in Japanese or Chinese, depending upon the style. Regarding Budo, see Budo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budo) and Gendai Budo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendai_budo). I agree that I am not familiar with the terms from the Japanese language, but it passes since the intent is two fold: 1. To generate interest from people unfamiliar with martial arts and Budo generates more interest than American Martial Arts from my experience marketing the school. 2. To keep the practitioner's mind away from having a style on their mind when they train. People tend to learn to think in terms of particular stylized techniques so we try not to get them to lock onto a particular style. If they want stylized training, they can study a particular style. Tim likes Jiu Jitsu and thats why he teaches it, I'm not certain why his ranks tally up as they do. I can ask if you wish. Sorry I can't answer all the questions with more detail, but I'll ask if it interests you.

According to the local lore - three young master ranked individuals in the Champaign area ran their own schools and trained together - forming the Christian Martial Arts Association. Through this association, they promoted themselves. That is what people have told me, so take it for what it is worth.

I came across the site reviewing the weblogs, so hopefully I can directly answer some of your comments since I manage the place. 1. Brownridge and some others ranked themselves in the 70's since they started their own style - apparently this was common among martial artists who were going into business and probably a root to the demise of traditional systems. He is over 60 and does have some high ranks that are legitimate; according to some websites you can track, he was a freak of nature in his youth and his passion and ability got him ranked quickly, especially in styles where you could challenge higher ranks for their rank through sparring (usually until knockout, submission or injury). 2. I suggested using Budo, not as a style, but as a state of mind to reach when training and changing through your training. It's James Hawn's accumulation of knowledge over the years and he doesn't call his style anything, he'll tell you to train with him and call it what you will (but that is pretty hard to print on fliers). I'm sorry that it isn't an actual fit as a style, but you should try it out, we teach a lot of Jiu Jitsu within the class and you get to throw/kick/punch me. 3. Tim runs a good class and it is popular. There was the comment about the message delivery and reception, I believe he is trying to communicate that regardless of how good an instructor can be, an open mind and dedication is even more important. If you have any more questions or comments, or I totally missed something, I'll do my best to respond here in a timely manner. I hope to see you soon. Bart