Information on obscure styles

[P.A.L]

I think that it is silly to judge a style based on the name of the system. Like I said, I know Soke Nelson PERSONALLY and yes, he named his system after his family name. Would it be any more ligitimate if it has some fancy Japenese name that no one could pronounce? I think that any good martial arts student should investigate the style and school first hand before saying that it is fake, a fraud or any other negative comment.

And like I said, I know this gentleman personally and he is a great martial artist and met all criteria to be granted the title of Soke and start his own art. That criteria includes being dan ranked in 5 (I think) styles and holding at least a 5th dan in one of them, a 3rd dan in another, etc. I could ask my instructor since he went through the same process and actually assisted Soke Nelson in receiving his Soke'ship.

http://www.trueselfdefense.com/images/bonk-evans-nelson.jpg

http://www.ishh.net/join.html

http://www.ishh.net/founders.html

http://www.mararts.org/active/BB2.shtml

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/4856/

http://www.niagara.com/~zain/

http://www.ishh.net/Shodai1.html

Orange Recreation Assoc. Karate Club

Dojo Head: Sensei Scott Nelson

Address: 10 Myrtle Street

Orange, MA 01364

Telephone Number: (978) 544-2337

call him and ask him his highest rank in his main traditional art.

anyway, i allways wanted to be a shodai soke of some kind of martial art , primarily "Hoochi-mama ryu karate do" now i am a bit afraid somebody register it before me.i am really worry.

[White Warlock]

Wow, okay, that's some hokey stuff. Essentially from what i read on those sites, all i need to do is jump through a few hoops and they'll toss me an 8th dan, give me crest and a family lineage.

Glad i never got into that whole belt thing. It's clearly gotten out of control.

[Highkckr1]

I was just reviewing the comments made in regards to obscure MA systems. Several comments were made as to the name given to the system my father created IE: Nel-Son-Ryu. First off this system had a different name to begin with but, with the death of my father and the use of the previous name by several other systems I felt it was most appropriate to change the name and in doing so also wanted to honor my father. This how the name came about. Secondly this is not an uncommon practise within the Japanese naming of systems. Shotokan was named after Funikoshi Sensei's pen name of Shoto and the kan basically translates to school therefore it is Shoto's school. Matsubayashi-Ryu was named after the founder of it, and so on and so forth. I could have come up with some Japanese name but, instead chose to do what is considered tradition and honorable and placed the family name of the first Soke of the system on it. I hope this answers some of the discussion and if anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to ask them.

Respectfully,

Shodai Soke Nel-Son-Ryu Saigo Ha Karate-Do

Dr. Scott Nelson

Edited October 19, 2005 by Highkckr1

[Willannem]

Why the hyphen in the middle of your name?

[Highkckr1]

To show that I am the son of the 1st Soke of the system.

[scottnshelly]

I was just reviewing the comments made in regards to obscure MA systems. Several comments were made as to the name given to the system my father created IE: Nel-Son-Ryu. First off this system had a different name to begin with but, with the death of my father and the use of the previous name by several other systems I felt it was most appropriate to change the name and in doing so also wanted to honor my father. This how the name came about. Secondly this is not an uncommon practise within the Japanese naming of systems. Shotokan was named after Funikoshi Sensei's pen name of Shoto and the kan basically translates to school therefore it is Shoto's school. Matsubayashi-Ryu was named after the founder of it, and so on and so forth. I could have come up with some Japanese name but, instead chose to do what is considered tradition and honorable and placed the family name of the first Soke of the system on it. I hope this answers some of the discussion and if anyone has any questions please do not hesitate to ask them.

Respectfully,

Shodai Soke Nel-Son-Ryu Saigo Ha Karate-Do

Dr. Scott Nelson

Welcome to KarateForums. This is a very friendly community, kick your shoes off and stay a while.

I don’t think that anyone is doubting the validity of your style, and no disrespect was intended. We are just not used to styles being a modern invention. I certainly appreciate you taking the initiative to come on here and give your side of the story.

What are some of the characteristics of Nel-Son Ryu? Does it have its roots in an older style?

[IcemanSK]

When I was in high school in the 80's, I went to a tournament where there were 10 TKD schools & one I've not heard of before or since. But its given my friends & I many laughs over the years. It was a kung fu style (& they made a point to say it was a "modified style") called Muk F*k Kung Fu (w/ a U in there somewhere). They were flashy w/ weapons & swept the weapons competition hands down.

It might be a great art, but I couldn't imagine going home to mom & say, "This is the art for me."

[Highkckr1]

Nel-Son-Ryu has strong influences from the Okinawan/Japanese systems and the Korean arts. We took some of the forms from the O/J systems and the kicking arts from the Koreans. We added to this boxing techniques along with Greco/Roman wrestling techniques for ground work. It is mostly a stand up art but, has enough ground work/grappling that it is still effective in that arena.

Let me make this clear though, this is not the "ultimate" martial art. Every form has it's strengths and weaknesses. Grappling is the weakest part of this system but, I am trying to improve on that. Since this is a new art (about 20 years old) it is still growing and changing. Currently we do very well at tournaments and MMA arenas. I still study new techniques and concepts as often as possible to improve not only myself but, the system as well and share this with my students.

Thank you for the interest and while some of the comments were annoying I have learned over the years that everyone has an opinion and thankfully we are in a country where we can express them openly.

Respectfully,

Soke Scott Nelson

[White Warlock]

My father died as well, and i hold him in high regards for what he accomplished, and for what he did not. He presented to me that man is mortal and flawed, and for that i love him all the more. The discussion, however, is not about your father's memory, nor about his expertise... but about the funky names being presented for these various systems that, in all frankness, just don't feel right. We now understand the motive for you calling the system as it is, but because of the way it is hyphenated, it is given the impression that it is a Japanese-birthed style, and thus it is misleading. Unfortunately because of this, it undermines the legitimacy of the art. I don't believe that was what you intended, but that... as you can see, is the outcome.

My bigger issues, however, are about these associations that sponsor high belt rankings. I have been studying the arts for well over 25 years, and am aged 42. From what is stated on at least one of those boards (and some of them present even more disturbing information, btw), i could petition and obtain an 8th dan in a system/style/concept/whatever that i never officially studied for an extended period of time. Frankly, i would prefer to remain beltless than to put on something 'contrived' such as this. It's a fundamentally gross misrepresentation of the concepts associated with such things. I mean, it's an organization (actually, a series of associations) that attempt to substantiate peoples' claims to having ranks they never officially earned.

My comments above were a legitimate observation. These are not the criterias i consider to be appropriate for obtainment of a belt, especially one of such high rank. However accomplished someone may be, it doesn't substantiate the means by which some of these belts are being given.

Thank you for reading.

[Highkckr1]

I have to agree that there are groups, organizations, and federations that for the right price will give you anything you want. I, at one point, made the mistake of joining just such an organization (which I regret now) and that was due to my lack of knowledge about what was legitimate and what was not. I was thankfully introduced to several people who took the time to view my system and brought me into the organization I am currently with. I had to not only pass a review with members of the executive board, but also pass an intensive background check of myself and my father to verify any claims of rank, association, and instructors we had studied with. I also had to hold rank in a classical art of at least 5th Dan and at least Shodans in 3 others. It was quite exhausting but, well worth it to have my father's art legitimized under an organization that has the ability to recognize new systems. I also want to pass along my "credentials" as I was sent an interesting e-mail asking for them.

I hold a 7th Dan in Shotokan, 2nd Dan in ITF Tae Kwon Do, 1st Dan in WTF Tae Kwon Do, 1st Dan in Washin-Ryu, 1st Dan in Kempo, and an instructors ranking in Kung-Fu. I hope that answers the question on credentials, and I have been involved in the arts for almost 31 years.

Respectfully,

Soke Nelson