Is this guy for real??

[Samurai Shotokan]

The Grand Masters name is Rick Moneymaker(no Joke) he has like 2 9th degree black belts and many other look here

 

http://www.dragonsociety.com/index.php?template=dsi/profile.htm&storeid=1

[P.A.L]

his Nidan in Goju ryu seems real.

[ramymensa]

We know the guy already. I think he's been a subject for a discussion here a while ago, and the name is cute :moneymaker

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Well. let's take a look at it. From his webpage:

Kudan (9th degree black belt), Torite-jutsu (Recognized by A.K.B.B.A. March 25, 2000)

 

Kudan (9th degree black belt), Okinawan Kempo Karate-do

 

Hachidan (8th degree black belt), World and British Kenpo Arts Federation (October 4, 1998)

 

Rokudan (6th degree black belt), Tae Kwon Do by American Black Belt Assocation (March 25, 2000)

 

Godan (5th degree black belt), Isshinryu Karate-do

 

Yondan (4th degree black belt), Aikibudo

 

Nidan (2nd degree black belt), Japanese Goju-ryu Karate-do

 

Co-founder, Dragon Society International

 

Co-founder, Torite-jutsu

 

The first thing I noticed was that he got his 9th Dan in Torite-jutsu (which he co-founded) and his 6th Dan in Tae Kwon Do on the same date. Interesting, and suspicious. *hackles raised here* Just a mere year and a half before that, he got his 8th Dan in World and British Kenpo Arts Federation ..whatever that is.

 

It states a bit further down that he has 25 years of experience in the martial arts. IMHO, that isn't enough time, regardless of how hard you work at it, to get anywhere near 9th Dan in one system, let alone several.

 

As for being inducted into any Hall of Fame (Shame?), that's relly not a big deal in most instances, as there are many Hall's of Fame's for martial arts out there...most of which all you have to do is pay them some money and you're in!

 

The fact that he's written books and made video's has no merit as to his legitimacy in the arts. Heck, I can write a book or make a video, publish and distribute them, and that doesn't make me any better than who I am right now...except that people might recognise my name more.

 

Interesting to note that I can't find any reference to who this guy has trained under.

 

Personally, I'd wear a neck high set of waders if I walked into his dojo....but that's my personal opinion.

 

Update: Upon further browsing of that website I found a link to "Hohan Soken's SECRET Notes"...this is starting to smell like a George Dillman clone, or student of his perhaps? The biggest thing I see about these "Secret" notes...are that OSensei Soken spoke NO English at all, yet the notes are in English and Japanese. Oh yeah...OSensei Soken knew, but seldom spoke Japanese also, as he hated the language and wasn't to fond of the people either. So why would he write his Secret notes in those languages???

Edited February 22, 2005 by Shorinryu Sensei

[ovine king]

i might've said this before but a long time ago i read that generally, 1st dan to 2nd dan is about a year's training, 2nd to 3rd is two extra years, 3rd to 4th is about 3 years.... etc etc

 

is this right?

 

if so, shouldn't 9th dan be about 36 years of training?

 

that would be consistent training of course.

 

hmm, reminds me of a story i know of someone who once turned up at our club.

 

he said he had about 7 years experience.

 

what he meant to say was he had a few lessons 7 years ago.....

 

of course, that's just one story of someone i know.

[smr]

i might've said this before but a long time ago i read that generally, 1st dan to 2nd dan is about a year's training, 2nd to 3rd is two extra years, 3rd to 4th is about 3 years.... etc etc

 

is this right?

 

No.

 

How long it requires to acheive rank, especially ranks beyond shodan, are subjective and depend entirely on the practitioner and the standard to which they are held.

[AngelaG]

Hi there. Rick Moneymaker is with the DSI (Dragon Society International). The Open Circle Institute (which I belong to) used to be under the DSI - but broke away a year or two ago. I never had the chance to train with Mr. Moneymaker before we split away.

 

As far as I know Rick was respected for his skills by senior MA in the OCI.

 

I don't think the DSI is particularly bothered by "time in grade", they just decide whether you meet the skills required for each grade - as the founder of an Organisation he would also have the "right" to call himself 10th dan anyway. He is also 9th Dan Okinawan Kempo.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

Is...or was Rick Moneymaker under George Dillman?

[AngelaG]

I believe he was a student of George Dillman. I haven't trained with the DSI so cannot comment on their teaching style, but I think they are quite different now from the way Mr. Dillman chooses to train and teach. I may be wrong though, I can only judge from the OCI methods -- and I know we don't do no-touch KOs and projecting ki. However there is no guarantee that the OCI methods are anything like the DSI, but I do knwo some ex-DSI instructors that are formidable martial artists.

[Shorinryu Sensei]

I believe he was a student of George Dillman. I haven't trained with the DSI so cannot comment on their teaching style, but I think they are quite different now from the way Mr. Dillman chooses to train and teach. I may be wrong though, I can only judge from the OCI methods -- and I know we don't do no-touch KOs and projecting ki. However there is no guarantee that the OCI methods are anything like the DSI, but I do knwo some ex-DSI instructors that are formidable martial artists.

 

It isn't Dillman's teaching style that bothers me, and just about every other Shorinryu follower of OSensei Sokens teachings, but rather Dillman's claims about how he learned all these "secrets" from a weekend workout with OSensei. If Mr. Moneymaker broke away from Dillman, that is a point in his favor IMHO.