Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?!?

[DWx]

tennis ball drill sounds like loads of fun might have to get myself some

[sensei8]

Having put in about 6 weeks and thousands of miles, my touring many of the Shindokan dojo's has finally come to a conclusion until after the winter.

Many of you have been wondering where one can locate a Shindokan dojo. They're mainly in California, south/central/north regions. You'll not find them in any phone book, or on the internet, or on a billboard. You want to find one, go look for one. They're not hiding. They're in free standing buildings, in small strip malls, in store front locations. I loved to have mine in a strip mall either at one of the corner stores or right in/near the very center. My very first dojo was right near the LAPD's Van Nuys Division, right next to Cupid Hot Dogs, a major fast food chain the was visited daily by LEO's, attorneys and the like; foot traffic was massively abound. The Hombu's current new location isn't adorned with any sign, not even our name is on the front door, just our numbered address.

I was pleased to see that each and every chief instructor has taken up the business methodology of our Soke & Dai-Soke, and I told them so. No advertising, only word of mouth. Students will seek out quality instructions over flash-and-bang type of advertising; possible its true that one gets what they pay for, and just because a MA school has all of the bells and whistles, it doesn't insure anything after the attraction wears off.

I informed the student body, with no ambiguity, that their Hombu was there for them, no matter the reason(s). Words can only go so far, that I know, that's why I went personally to them in the hopes to alleviate any of their doubts and/or frustration.

Here are/were some student body concerns: [My answers are in italic type]

The student body wants to know that the Hombu is real.

The Hombu is as real as they are...you see me here don't you? The Hombu's not for just the few, no, it's for everybody, anytime, and every time.

The student body wants to know that the Hombu isn't going to pick up stakes at any whim and close/move tomorrow, leaving them to fend for themselves without no governing body to support/authorize.

The Hombu is here to stay. Our legal team incorporated many new safety-nets into our By-Laws to insure that the Hombu isn't going to close. For example, should the Hombu not have the financial means to maintain its current location, a church, in which many of the Hombu's hierarchy regularly attend, will offer their gym and a few offices to continue the daily business of the Hombu.

The student body wants to know WHY the San Dai-Soke did what he did.

Nobody is very sure as to why the San Dai-Soke closed the Hombu and relocated to Okinawa. All we're sure of is that it happened, and it happened very quickly. We're also sure that the San Dai-Soke had a private conversation with his father, Dai-Soke, and then he fulfilled out his fathers dying wishes. That's all I have to say about that because our future is what's important, not to dwell on the actions/inactions of the San Dai-Soke.

The student body wants to know what the role of the San Dai-Soke is and what authority does he still have.

The San Dai-Soke has absolutely no administrative powers and/or authority. When the new By-Laws were written, in a close working relationship with our legal team, we strip the San Dai-Soke of every bit of powers that he had through the Hombu AND what he had through his natural authoritative/administrative powers given to him because he WAS of Sokeship. NO LONGER! If he was to come back and the Hombu was to allow him to come back, he'd be no more than a figure-head, a puppet Soke. The Hombu feels that it needs someone of Sokeship to give it some credibility in the MA world; I don't, so I'll fight that unless it's only as a figure-head.

The student body wants to know WHO'S in charge.

Me, as its Kaicho. Greg as its Kancho. The 12 men/women of the Counsel of Regents. Backed up by our legal team. Backed up by our Shindokan Densho, Hand Scrolls, and By-Laws.

The student body wants to know just how important the individual dojo's are to the Hombu.

Very much so. Without you and your dojo, the Hombu, in my honest opinion, has no meaning of existence. The Hombu and the individual dojo's are one, if I see a Shindokan dojo, I see the Hombu, and vice versa. The Hombu isn't there to be the "boss" of your dojo and/or anybody. The Hombu is just the Shindokan's governing body. In that, your governing body authorizes each and every certificate of rank awarded by your dojo's Chief Instructor through a very painstaking operation to validate and record in such a way that you're guaranteed to be without any void. Only 3 people at the Hombu are allowed access to our hanko stamps, the San Dai-Soke is prohibited from entering where the hanko stamps are stored. If the individual dojo's weren't that important to the Hombu, the Hombu wouldn't take such security measures as well as the many, many other type of measures we take to solidify both the dojo's and the Hombu. I also, and in detail, described the our new Mentorship program.

The student body wants to know the Hombu's definition of character.

That's easy. Say what you mean, and mean what you say...ALWAYS!

These questions were just some of the hot-spot issues. However, I received not one student and not one Chief Instructor complain of the directions that the Hombu was striving towards for them.

At each dojo, I was invited by their Chief Instructor to teach all ranks, and it was my honor and my privilege to have done so. And yes, I also had my tennis balls...Heheehehee.

One of my greatest pleasures I had happened while I was on tour; it came at my last dojo visit. Greg, our Kancho, flew in for this one. Chief Instructor Toby Tolstokozhev was presented with his Kyoshi teaching title. A very well deserved, and much over due, Shugo award. Congrats Toby!!

Well, that's it in a nutshell.