This Might Be The Beginning Of The End!!

[sensei8]

This is definitely an interesting set of circumstances. I would have guessed that not all of the major players would have been able to move to Okinawa.

If part of it does go, that shouldn't make to big of a difference to the schools that remain. They should hopefully be allowed to carry on, and still continue. If the Hombu moves, it shouldn't make things to much different, should it?

Brian,

In a normal world, no, it shouldn't make things to much different. However, I believe that a USA Branch Office would solidify the continuity here in the USA.

[ps1]

Two basic questions, which my not be easily answered due to your by laws.

1. With the speed of communication our civilization now enjoys, why is it necessary for everyone to relocate? It seems to me that votes, testing, and other matters can easily be dealt with via conference calls and skype style meetings.

2. Since the Hombu has been in the US for a long time, why on Earth would the head of your system NOT want to have a branch remain here? It seems like he'd be losing tons of money by doing that. Afterall, you can take the school away, but you can't unteach all that information. Instructors will continue to teach with or without the permission of your Hombu. I can assure you that much.

[sensei8]

Two basic questions, which my not be easily answered due to your by laws.

1. With the speed of communication our civilization now enjoys, why is it necessary for everyone to relocate? It seems to me that votes, testing, and other matters can easily be dealt with via conference calls and skype style meetings.

It's not necessary of everyone, nor was it required of everyone; it was offered for those who wanted to relocate, and in this, the Hombu would have all it's key positions already in place for a more smoother transition for the establishing of the Hombu in Okinawa. Now, key positions have to be selected and then voted upon...this won't be an easy task, and you've already said why...our By-Laws and such.

Also, our Hombu, no, our Soke was a antiquated individual when it came to things of modern conveniences. Our Dai-Soke wasn't any better. To date, we've no website, one was in the makings before our Dai-Soke passed away, and it was like pulling teeth from an angry T-Rex before our Dai-Soke finally approved the project. I've flown back and forth from Texas and Oklahoma more than I care to mention for every critical meeting/vote, testing cycles, and the like. I've mailed more letters than to the Hombu than it would take to fill in the Grand Canyon. I've phoned the Hombu more than a dizzy love struck teenager. No, I'm hoping and praying that our San Dai-Soke will FINALLY, one day very soon and way overdue, bring our Hombu into the 21st century. Our By-Laws/Scrolls don't mention anything about bringing us out of the stone age.

Two basic questions, which my not be easily answered due to your by laws.

2. Since the Hombu has been in the US for a long time, why on Earth would the head of your system NOT want to have a branch remain here? It seems like he'd be losing tons of money by doing that. Afterall, you can take the school away, but you can't unteach all that information. Instructors will continue to teach with or without the permission of your Hombu. I can assure you that much.

Our By-Laws, at its present state, prohibits any type of a "branch" because "...the Hombu is the sole authority and governing power." The By-Law is worded in such a way that any and every certificate of rank/title can only be controlled in and by the Hombu. The Hombu is the only authority concerning each and every inkan, and this includes protecting and securing them, and in that, only a very few within the Hombu are even allowed to have in their possessions for any and all official duties.

Now, just because there's no USA Branch Office in existence at the moment, that doesn't mean that there won't be one in the near and/or far future. I'm in the ear of our San Dai-Soke and the entire Executive Team to have this happen...I hit them the ball into their court, and they return serve, and it goes on and on. Hopefully, I can return a slam that they can't return serve other than a vote in favor of a USA Branch Office.

Some amendments to the By-Laws and the Scrolls need to be revisited as to our current situation across the board.

[isshinryu5toforever]

What I would assume would happen is when someone needs to fly in people from the Hombu, the expense will belong to the dojo hosting the testing. That means test fees will likely go up. They would likely have to come up with accommodations for the people coming in as well. Quite a few organizations seem to have this setup. It looks like you guys have a lot of writing ahead of you. There will definitely have to be revisions. I think a US branch is necessary, AND they will have to give the US branch a lot of power, or raise the belt level test at which it is necessary to fly to the Hombu.

[ps1]

Thanks for answering my questions. I hope everything works out in the favor of all the students and instructors they have left behind.

What's the overall mood of the current student base, in the wake of all the events. Do they know the whole situation? Is there any animosity? Is anyone threatening to leave the organization? When i say "student base," I'm primarily referring to any yudansha left behind.

[sensei8]

What I would assume would happen is when someone needs to fly in people from the Hombu, the expense will belong to the dojo hosting the testing. That means test fees will likely go up. They would likely have to come up with accommodations for the people coming in as well. Quite a few organizations seem to have this setup. It looks like you guys have a lot of writing ahead of you. There will definitely have to be revisions. I think a US branch is necessary, AND they will have to give the US branch a lot of power, or raise the belt level test at which it is necessary to fly to the Hombu.

No, testing fees won't ever increase, and that's mainly because when I was Kaicho, I abolished any and all testing fees, and I had the legal team write the amendment to our By-Laws that a unanimous vote of the hierarchy plus 1 must be attained to re-establish any and all testing fees. I did this on the heels of the economic downturn, and I had done this previously with my own dojo before I joined the Hombu as Kaicho; that decision of mine made all of the difference in the world as far as the student body was concerned. I even lowered the monthly tuition with the help of the Accounting Department of the Hombu so that my vision for the student body wouldn't greatly effect the bottom line of the Hombu.

I agree that some minor and/or major revisions to our By-Laws must be visited and agreed upon for the betterment of the student body as well as the Hombu. I figuratively have seen the Hombu's knees starting to buckle with my advise as well as me being constantly in their ears.

We've 6 months before our annual testing cycle in 2011, and in that time remaining, I'm very optimistic that a USA Branch Office will have been established in such a way that those testing candidates that must test before the Hombu, will be allowed to test at the USA Branch Office instead, unless they desire to go to Okinawa, and in that, the USA Branch Office will have all of its ducks in a tidy line for Hombu support across the board.

Onward! No time to sleep for the weary.

EDIT: Sometimes I can spell and sometimes I haven't even a clue how to spell!!

Edited December 14, 2010 by sensei8

[sensei8]

Thanks for answering my questions. I hope everything works out in the favor of all the students and instructors they have left behind.

What's the overall mood of the current student base, in the wake of all the events. Do they know the whole situation? Is there any animosity? Is anyone threatening to leave the organization? When i say "student base," I'm primarily referring to any yudansha left behind.

As far as the Yudansha student base...

The overall mood is starting to turn from total and utterly bewilderment to one of a feeling of great optimistic about their future.

Yes, they are complete aware of the whole situation. That was decided by our San Dai-Soke right off the bat.

It's to be understood that the student base would have any animosity towards the Hombu's totality. I was full of animosity when the news/information was first brought to my attention. But, what is one to do? Fight or flight? I decided to fight right from the onslaught. The student base has quelled its animosity towards the Hombu because someone is standing up for them across the board.

Nobody to my knowledge has threatened to leave the Hombu. I hurt a faint murmur from some of the student base, but that faint murmur has subsided completely for the reason(s) I've mentioned in the last paragraph. However, not one of the hierarchy Yudansha's have ever whispered that they wanted to abandon ship.

[ps1]

Thanks for answering my questions. I hope everything works out in the favor of all the students and instructors they have left behind.

What's the overall mood of the current student base, in the wake of all the events. Do they know the whole situation? Is there any animosity? Is anyone threatening to leave the organization? When i say "student base," I'm primarily referring to any yudansha left behind.

As far as the Yudansha student base...

The overall mood is starting to turn from total and utterly bewilderment to one of a feeling of great optimistic about their future.

Yes, they are complete aware of the whole situation. That was decided by our San Dai-Soke right off the bat.

It's to be understood that the student base would have any animosity towards the Hombu's totality. I was full of animosity when the news/information was first brought to my attention. But, what is one to do? Fight or flight? I decided to fight right from the onslaught. The student base has quelled its animosity towards the Hombu because someone is standing up for them across the board.

Nobody to my knowledge has threatened to leave the Hombu. I hurt a faint murmur from some of the student base, but that faint murmur has subsided completely for the reason(s) I've mentioned in the last paragraph. However, not one of the hierarchy Yudansha's have ever whispered that they wanted to abandon ship.

It is nice to hear that you're standing up for them. However, if you don't mind me saying, it seems there have been problems ever since you stepped down. You're now putting yourself in a position of leadership once again. A few more questions:

1. Do you think your San Dai Soke left because he was tired of you? Afterall, you were the head instructor and not him. That's sometimes a difficult pill to swallow. Moving the school puts it back into his hands.

2. Do you feel the leadership views you as "wishy washy" because you stepped down and now, after things change, you suddenly want a say in how they go again?

3. You have presented yourself as the leader for the system's students in the US. Are you prepared to take up the reigns and come out of retirement if and when a US branch is established? Or will you do all of this only to leave the US affiliate at the mercy of the same people who picked up and left in the first place?

I realize these are deeply personal issues to you. I understand if you don't want/choose not to answer me. I simply find the situation very curious. I have seen several martial arts organizations dissolve under varying circumstances. Inevitably, the most destructive force to all organizations is the death of it's founder. That, coupled with the retirement of the head instructor, seems to be almost insurmountable. I find your actions in the situation very commendable. It's good to see you're fighting for your students. I hope your fight turns out for the best.

[bushido_man96]

It sounds like with the changing situations, that it will be necessary for changes to come to your by-laws. Its easy to understand why there has only ever been one Hombu, with only schools in the US. But in moving to Okinawa, it appears now necessary to ensure streamline business practices to make ammendments to establish some form of control and representation in the US as well as the Hombu being in Okinawa. Hopefully, those on the board see this.

[sensei8]

1. Do you think your San Dai Soke left because he was tired of you? Afterall, you were the head instructor and not him. That's sometimes a difficult pill to swallow. Moving the school puts it back into his hands.

I seriously doubt that!! It hurts to be even suggested. Yes, I was the Hombu Chief Instructor and he, San Dai-Soke wasn't, but we're best of friends in and out of the Hombu. In that, he respected Dai-Soke's petition appointments across the board. I was nominated for the position of Chief Instructor, and then I was voted in unanimously. What puts 'it' back into his hands, as you put it, is NOT the move, no, it's the mere fact that he was nominated and unanimously voted in as the new San Dai-Soke. Btw, I had his name at the top of the list of the ones who I thought would be a great San Dai-Soke when I turned my list of possible nominations into the Hombu. I mean, man, he was the eldest son of our Dai-Soke, and to me, that's about the best of everything. It's cool to have this and/or that label at the Hombu, but to be the son of our Dai-Soke, well, I'd rather have that then anything else in the world.

2. Do you feel the leadership views you as "wishy washy" because you stepped down and now, after things change, you suddenly want a say in how they go again?

I may not, per our By-Laws, have voting privileges as Kaiso, but as Kaiso my advise is expected and demanded of me by the Hombu. I only want what's the best for the student body, first and foremost...and this isn't all of a sudden because I don't roll that way! Therefore, I'm more than sure of one fact and that is this: the leadership doesn't view me as wishy washy in any shape, way, and/or form.

3. You have presented yourself as the leader for the system's students in the US. Are you prepared to take up the reigns and come out of retirement if and when a US branch is established? Or will you do all of this only to leave the US affiliate at the mercy of the same people who picked up and left in the first place?

I'm not the leader of anything. However, I've been part of the Hombu leadership for well over 20 plus years. If necessary, yes, I will come out of retirement to fulfill whatever position the Hombu feels appropriate, and in that, I wouldn't be doing it for me, but for the betterment of the student body.

Unification must be paramount between the Hombu AND the future USA Branch Office and the support must be equal to and for the two. Otherwise, continuity won't exist and that is bad for the student body. I don't have to be at the top, no, I'm quite content being at the bottom. Ego and me don't get along!!