Questionable instructor ranks

[JR 137]

Luther-

People get pretty stupid about standards, especially when it comes to people with various disabilities. I'd like to say it's due to them genuinely not knowing better, but I'm not sure.

Seido has a lot of programs for people with disabilities. Tadashi Nakamura (Seido's founder) is very big on karate being for everyone. He practices what he preaches - his program for the blind is very big. Every year at the organization's tournament, there's a demonstration by the people with disabilities. The part that sticks out most to me is that they are responsible for the same syllabus content as everyone else (when appropriate; people in wheelchairs don't have to demonstrate kicks, for obvious reasons). Obviously there's a difference between a blind person doing a kata and a person who isn't blind, but all the movements and techniques are done, and aren't prompted; the only prompts are space/boundary prompts. Before I was a student there, my dojo had a student with Down's Syndrome. It took him 8 years to reach brown belt (average is around 4 years). He wasn't held to the same standard as everyone else, but he had to display every technique from the syllabus without any prompts in order to promote. He didn't have the same power and fluidity in movement as everyone else, but he demonstrated everything he was asked.

Rank is such as personal thing. It's all about spirit, attitude, and growth. Anyone else's abilities or disabilities don't elevate or degrade my rank. I know if I put in the work. I know if I'm truly worthy of holding my rank or not. Makes no difference what rank the next guy is holding and if he/she's worthy of not.

A school in my former organization offered to let me keep my old shodan rank (without me asking anything about rank) when I was looking into getting back in to karate. All I could think was I have no business wearing a black belt that I haven't worn in 15 years. My current sensei said I wasn't allowed to wear it (without me asking him), to which I responded "I don't want to wear it. All it would be at this point is a glorified Halloween costume." He laughed and said "that's an interesting way to look at it."

[JR 137]

To further my previous post...

Seido's program for the blind.

[sensei8]

To further my previous post...

Seido's program for the blind.

Nice...very nice. It helps that Kancho Nakamura supports it; this is evident by seeing him in that video.

[JR 137]

To further my previous post...

Seido's program for the blind.

Nice...very nice. It helps that Kancho Nakamura supports it; this is evident by seeing him in that video.

From what I know, Kaicho Nakamura is very much involved with it. I think he's got more of unofficially an assistant role in; pretty sure he feels the gentleman that was giving the interview of sorts is far more of an expert in the needs of that population. More of a 'here's the syllabus and how I teach normal sighted people, what adaptations must be made and how can I help?' I've only met him once, but by all accounts and everything I've seen, he's the central figure in everything, no matter how big or small. In a good way, not a control freak way. He has also been grooming his son to take the helm at the appropriate time, and his son is doing a very good job of taking it into the current generation. Kaicho strikes me as a guy who takes full command of what he does well, and has no problem delegating to people who would do better than he can when appropriate. Unfortunately, that's not common enough with some of the egos involved in MA IMO.

[sensei8]

To further my previous post...

Seido's program for the blind.

Nice...very nice. It helps that Kancho Nakamura supports it; this is evident by seeing him in that video.

From what I know, Kaicho Nakamura is very much involved with it. I think he's got more of unofficially an assistant role in; pretty sure he feels the gentleman that was giving the interview of sorts is far more of an expert in the needs of that population. More of a 'here's the syllabus and how I teach normal sighted people, what adaptations must be made and how can I help?' I've only met him once, but by all accounts and everything I've seen, he's the central figure in everything, no matter how big or small. In a good way, not a control freak way. He has also been grooming his son to take the helm at the appropriate time, and his son is doing a very good job of taking it into the current generation. Kaicho strikes me as a guy who takes full command of what he does well, and has no problem delegating to people who would do better than he can when appropriate. Unfortunately, that's not common enough with some of the egos involved in MA IMO.

Solid post!!

Oh...btw...Yeah, I'm a big stupid moronic disrespectful ignorant pig idiot for calling Kaicho Nakamura a KANCHO!!

[JR 137]

It would only be disrespectful if it was intended as such. Way too many titles out there to keep track of IMO. I'm not a native Japanese speaker; my only Japanese is dojo Japanese, but I believe both are used for heads of orgs. I think technically speaking, kaicho is head of the kai, or organization, whereas kancho is head of the house (aka school) when translated. A lot of organizations use one or the other interchangeably, or different titles altogether. Nakamura translates kaicho as chairman in a lot of places. I'm pretty sure Mas Oyama went by kancho before he took on the sosai title (if he was called sosai before he died?). Nakamura refers to Oyama as kancho in his autobiography.

I'm surprised no one has used the title honcho. Most people think it's Spanish in origin, but it's actually Japanese. Means squad leader. I think the yakuza used it, thereby ruining it for the rest of them. Maybe not though.

Reminds me... If you haven't read Nakamura's autobiography, it's pretty good. Talks a lot about the old days of Kyokushin, the politics that started to occur after he came to the US, and the behind the scenes politics of the 1st World Open. If you like to read and have time.

[sensei8]

It would only be disrespectful if it was intended as such. Way too many titles out there to keep track of IMO. I'm not a native Japanese speaker; my only Japanese is dojo Japanese, but I believe both are used for heads of orgs. I think technically speaking, kaicho is head of the kai, or organization, whereas kancho is head of the house (aka school) when translated. A lot of organizations use one or the other interchangeably, or different titles altogether. Nakamura translates kaicho as chairman in a lot of places. I'm pretty sure Mas Oyama went by kancho before he took on the sosai title (if he was called sosai before he died?). Nakamura refers to Oyama as kancho in his autobiography.

I'm surprised no one has used the title honcho. Most people think it's Spanish in origin, but it's actually Japanese. Means squad leader. I think the yakuza used it, thereby ruining it for the rest of them. Maybe not though.

Reminds me... If you haven't read Nakamura's autobiography, it's pretty good. Talks a lot about the old days of Kyokushin, the politics that started to occur after he came to the US, and the behind the scenes politics of the 1st World Open. If you like to read and have time.

Very interesting post; solid!!

In our little neck of the woods, Kaicho is President, and Kancho is Vice-President, yet, in our By-Laws, Kaicho and Kancho are addressed as you've stated in your first paragraph, and the President/Vice-President is in brackets beside actual meanings.

No, er, I mean yes, I've not read Nakamura's autobiography, but I'd love to read it. Where could I buy it, and how much?

[JR 137]

http://www.seido.com/store/books/book-human-face-of-karate-english

Bought my copy from Seido honbu. $25. Cheapest I've found it. It's required reading for Seido students, but quite a good read for karateka and MAists in general. It's not about technique, like most other books. Yes, I'm a bit biased. I think most non-Seido people will lose interest in the very last chapter when he talks about Seido and its current policies, but being in your position, you may find his views interesting, even if you don't agree with them as he gives his justification of why he set the policies he set, such as the move from bare knuckle to wearing protective gear, when actual contact sparring starts, etc.

He also briefly talks about being shot by Kyokushin guys after his split.

An interesting thing I didn't know before I read it was that he is the one who devised the belt system in Kyokushin. Before he made his appeal to Oyama, they only had white and black belt (possibly brown too, but I have to check).

[sensei8]

http://www.seido.com/store/books/book-human-face-of-karate-english

Bought my copy from Seido honbu. $25. Cheapest I've found it. It's required reading for Seido students, but quite a good read for karateka and MAists in general. It's not about technique, like most other books. Yes, I'm a bit biased. I think most non-Seido people will lose interest in the very last chapter when he talks about Seido and its current policies, but being in your position, you may find his views interesting, even if you don't agree with them as he gives his justification of why he set the policies he set, such as the move from bare knuckle to wearing protective gear, when actual contact sparring starts, etc.

He also briefly talks about being shot by Kyokushin guys after his split.

An interesting thing I didn't know before I read it was that he is the one who devised the belt system in Kyokushin. Before he made his appeal to Oyama, they only had white and black belt (possibly brown too, but I have to check).

Thank you for the link, JR 137; I just purchased the book and look forward to read it from cover to cover with an open mind as well as an open heart!!

He was SHOT?!?!?!?!?! and by Kyokushin guys

I wonder if Oyama received Nakamura's appeal about the belt system in Kyokushin eagerly or with a sour distain? I suppose that I'll find out when I read the book!

[JR 137]

I started typing a bunch of stuff, then deleted it. You'll see (or read) it in the book. It's a pretty good book. Not a Pulitzer winning work, but quite good nonetheless IMO.

I think he holds back a bit when discussing the ramifications of leaving Kyokushin, as he still had a lot of love for Oyama, and a lot of it wasn't Oyama personally, but those around him.

Had he had a coauthor who sensationalized his story instead of translating and organizing it, it could have been a lot more "exciting," but it would have lost its essence as being his own work IMO.