Everything Comes To An End!!

[sensei8]

I've not spoke about the SKKA/Hombu, the governing body that I've been with ever since 1964, in many different capacities, here for some time for reasons that are both professional as well as personal, and a promise I made as well here.

The SKKA and/or the Hombu and/or whatever else that has been birthed from them, are just a thing, a want, but not a need. Not a need that sustains life, but more of a want, and not sure that that want was overly that important.

As it's written in the SKKA/Hombu By-Laws, my time there as its Kaicho has passed some time ago, and a new Kaicho was elected some time ago, as well. The transition was as smooth as one might expect and hope, and things continued seamlessly, as it should.

Time has passed, and my contacts with them slowly faded away. That was until this years Annual Testing Cycle, which is held the last week of June and the first week of July, and has been that way for as long as I can remember. Many tested, and many failed, which is to be expected when our standards are quite unforgiving.

I've not been apprised of the comings and goings of the SKKA/Hombu since my stepping down, as it should be. However, I was surprised when I was invited to this years Testing Cycle; I wasn't expecting it, nor was I wanting it. But the announcement that came at the end of the Awards Ceremony, shocked me to my core, but not as much, I suppose, as when everyone kept the announcement away from me. Not one person said to me..."Have you heard the news??" No one, and this very large group isn't a tight lipped group whatsoever, especially among ourselves.

For reasons that they've not even bestowed upon me, nor does it seem that they ever will, the SKKA/Hombu is being dissolved/closed in 3 months, at its very latest!! This is a permanent decision and it will not be reversed.

What will become of the Student Body??

I've no idea, but I've been reminded that it's no longer of any of my concern!! I'm to worry about myself and nobody else!! It's a done matter!!

Am I suppose to take that?? I suppose that I'm going to have to!! My hands are tied!!

Why invite me?? To tell me to my face?? To see the look on my face?? Whatever their reasons might be, it seems that they'll have the last laugh at my expense!!

To be true, I don't care what happens to the SKKA/Hombu, except for the Student Body...that I can't seem to ever shake!! Memories can't be dissolved!! History can't be dissolved!! My love for the Student Body can't be dissolved!! Forgive me for breaking my promise here, but I needed to speak to someone before I bust.

Perhaps it's everyone for themselves or perhaps good will come from this or perhaps it was meant to be or perhaps nothing for nothing will come from this. The only thing I'm very quite sure of is this...

Everything comes to an end...even the SKKA/Hombu!!

[JazzKicker]

Yes, everything has an end. It sounds like you reached your end with them, and had you not, it would have ended anyway.

I've not read it myself, but if you've heard of "The Four Agreements", a couple of them speak to your concerns- Don't Make Assumptions, and, Don't Take Anything Personally.

Things change. I've been through clubs folding, sometimes a lingering death, sometimes a sudden one. Organizations are made of people, and they retire, die, or just quit. I've lost interest or changed directions and tried to come back, only to find, "you can't swim in the same river twice".

It's hard to know what to do, when what you've always done isn't an option anymore. The nice thing about the martial arts is, it becomes part of you. Your skills and knowledge are not dependent on an organization.

[sensei8]

Yes, everything has an end. It sounds like you reached your end with them, and had you not, it would have ended anyway.

I've not read it myself, but if you've heard of "The Four Agreements", a couple of them speak to your concerns- Don't Make Assumptions, and, Don't Take Anything Personally.

Things change. I've been through clubs folding, sometimes a lingering death, sometimes a sudden one. Organizations are made of people, and they retire, die, or just quit. I've lost interest or changed directions and tried to come back, only to find, "you can't swim in the same river twice".

It's hard to know what to do, when what you've always done isn't an option anymore. The nice thing about the martial arts is, it becomes part of you. Your skills and knowledge are not dependent on an organization.

Solid post!!

You just might be right when you say that even if I hadn't stepped down, it would've ended anyway, even though our By-Laws require a unanimous vote over certain crucial and sensitive issues, and I am more than certain that I would've voted against it. I'm uncertain what role our Legal Team might've played in this decision, other than being the legal compass across the board.

I mean, they owed me no warnings and/or explanation whatsoever because I'm no longer part of its Hierarchy in any shape, way, and/or form. I didn't receive any formal notification at all, like students/members receive; after all, I'm both still a student and a member in good standings...or I use to be. I will look it up "The Four Agreements" as you've suggested when I go to the library tomorrow. Is it along the lines of a book titled, "Who Moved My Cheese", a book about change?? Thanks, JazzKicker!!

[DWx]

This is baffling to me... why would they just close it? What now happens to the students? Surely unless every SKKA instructor has chosen to close their doors the individual dojos are still running and have need of a hombu? And if they are to close why bother with the latest round of testing?

Maybe it is not what you want to do, but have you thought about creating your own governing body?

[Bulltahr]

Maybe it is not what you want to do, but have you thought about creating your own governing body?

Agreed Bob, after all you have all the experience and are the most senior of your style. If anyone could carry it on it's you.

[sensei8]

This is baffling to me... why would they just close it? What now happens to the students? Surely unless every SKKA instructor has chosen to close their doors the individual dojos are still running and have need of a hombu? And if they are to close why bother with the latest round of testing?

Maybe it is not what you want to do, but have you thought about creating your own governing body?

Baffles you?? Shoot, imagine how I feel; blindsided me to the Nth degree!! Their reasons are theirs to deal with; I've not been privy to anything and everything ever since I stepped down. The instructors have no saying in Administrative/Executive decisions; that's in the hands of those elected to the hierarchy. I'm sure the individual dojo's will have to fend for themselves, if another governing body isn't available. I asked the very same question....Why bother with a Testing Cycle when the SKKA is closing down??!! "We owed that to them , at least" was the consensus of the hierarchy. They owed the Student Body far much more than that

No, I've not entertained, and more than likely won't, start a governing body!! My students asked what was I going to do now?? I told them....train and teach; I don't need a stinking governing body!!

The SKKA, imho, was doomed when Soke and Dai-Soke passed away; it was a matter of time. Dysfunction slowly took residence at the SKKA among various factions, and I did all that I could but the By-Laws are quite crystal clear, and majority or unanimous are the ruling standards.

There's no telling exactly what took place once I stepped down; did anarchy take control through the various factions?? I've honestly have no idea; just heresy and conjecture and a whole lot of guessing.

[sensei8]

Maybe it is not what you want to do, but have you thought about creating your own governing body?

Agreed Bob, after all you have all the experience and are the most senior of your style. If anyone could carry it on it's you.

I've no desire, to be honest, and I don't need a governing body; politics just get in the way, and mess up everything. I mean, not one person approached me in this regard whatsoever, even after the Awards Ceremony when I was made aware of this all....not one person or student or whomever else!! And yes, I'm the most Senior of our style across the board, but starting and running a governing body of this magnitude is far from starting a bingo club...and again, I hate, no, I loathe...despise all of the politics that accompany a governing body. Sure, I've the Executive and Administrative experience, however, that too is far from starting a governing body or starting a dojo.

Again, JazzKicker's post does make a lot of sense!!

[bushido_man96]

This is quite the development. I've been following you and this subject for years now, Bob, and although I guess this should have been seen as the inevitable course of action, it does seem odd, and rather sudden. I would have thought that the CIs would have been brought together or contacted to be notified about this development.

It appears to me that this opens the doors for splintering amongst the schools, which is kind of sad on one hand, but also offers CIs the ability to bring more of their own flavor into their schools, which is a positive thing on the other hand. But this kind of thing is another instance of how we end up with so many new organizations, be it right, wrong, or indifferent.

I don't know, Bob, crazy deal. Keep us posted as to how you plan to move forward.

[sensei8]

This is quite the development. I've been following you and this subject for years now, Bob, and although I guess this should have been seen as the inevitable course of action, it does seem odd, and rather sudden. I would have thought that the CIs would have been brought together or contacted to be notified about this development.

It appears to me that this opens the doors for splintering amongst the schools, which is kind of sad on one hand, but also offers CIs the ability to bring more of their own flavor into their schools, which is a positive thing on the other hand. But this kind of thing is another instance of how we end up with so many new organizations, be it right, wrong, or indifferent.

I don't know, Bob, crazy deal. Keep us posted as to how you plan to move forward.

I don't know about it being sudden and all of that because things have been brewing ever since Soke and Dai-Soke passed away. I can't begin to tell you how many stupid fires I had to constantly put out as Kaicho. Never a day went by when something would end up on my desk and I'd just facepalm myself is total disbelieve. Like I said, dysfunction was slowly taking full residence within the SKKA, no matter what steps I took to put an end to the stupidity.

Every CI had been contacted by the appropriate departments from the SKKA. What they did with that information, again, I've been out of the loop ever since I stepped down; a new sheriff was in town. When ones not privy to sensitive details and the like, only assumptions, heresy, and conjecture are the norm.

According to the SKKA's Legal Team, and I got a call from Hugh Beckworth, who's the Managing Partner of his law firm, which has had the SKKA as a client for as long as I can remember, after he received an email from me. An email from me wasn't a complete surprise to Hugh considering the magnitude of this situation; we go a long way back together, Hugh and I. Hugh didn't tip the scales of client confidentiality, however, he slightly leaned against it.

Hugh tells me that the SKKA was losing members right and left. Like it was open season to cancel memberships. That's the individual membership!! Then, there's the CI memberships, which are SKKA affiliated dojo's. THAT, right there, is where the rubber meets the road. Once a CI/dojo tenders the appropriate paperwork to the SKKA, it's official. The SKKA has no power on the daily operations of that dojo; in short, the SKKA owns itself, and never any dojo!!

So what does the powers that be at the SKKA do?? They, at the advise of the SKKA CFO, they jump off the slowly sinking ship before they drown with it!! So, it appears that the SKKA was having quite extreme difficulty in maintaining its infrastructure. Majority of its financial makeup is dependent on memberships and the like. Yes, the SKKA revenue stream isn't dependent on JUST memberships, but man oh man, membership is a HUGE part of it.

Appears that when I stepped down, many members lost trust in the SKKA almost immediate because I was no longer In-House running the show. My stepping down is written in the By-Laws, Kaicho and Kancho Tenure and Term Limits, and it was authored by Hugh himself, and approved by the SKKA, so it's quite binding, therefore, even after a Lack of Confidence was submitted by a pool of CI's, but never was approved...which doesn't surprise me. Formality is fine, but the behind the scene drama has to be lived to be understood.

I stayed out of the internal comings and goings of the SKKA, as it was expected, because I had my time, and now the time belongs to someone else, no matter what.

I suppose that the splintering has already been happening, but like an

avalanche that picks up tremendous momentum, in which, if you don't get out of its way, you'll be buried in the aftermath.

Unfortunately, what's done is done. Seems to be that their next move is to close shop!! No idea if the Hombu, as a dojo, will survive because the SKKA owns it, lock stock and barrel. Hugh now has the sad duty to assist in the closing of the SKKA; a duty I'd not want to have, and never ever thought it would. Maybe that's the child like faith I have in matters like this...maybe!!

I try not to blame myself, but that's not an easy thing for me. I was one of the ones that ushered in the many changes of our By-Laws and the like when Iwoa tried to destroyed the SKKA, shortly after his dad, Dai-Soke, passed away many years ago. If we hadn't created the Term Limits for Kaicho and Kancho, we'd still be large and in charge, and perhaps this untimely closing would be possibly something that wouldn't have happened, or at least, not in the SKKA's immediate future.

[sensei8]

Well, in light of the SKKA's decision(s) to permanently close down the SKKA, more sooner than later, and quite many other SKKA CI's are splintering, well, maybe splintering isn't an accurate word because the SKKA has to be in operation first to be splintered away from.

Albeit, they're starting to create their own little governing body, or not even starting one, or being associated with one; they've got to do whatever they want to protect their immediate Student Body. So, for grins and giggles, I've decided to protect my immediate Student Body, I will be starting a new governing body...SKKF [shindokan Karate-do and Kobudo Federation]...it's in its infantile stage right now; just some notes on a legal pad.

I really don't want to or need to or have to, but if need be, I will to protect my immediate Student Body. Life sometime can be a sun-of-a-gun; I would love for the Earth to stop just long enough for me to jump off of it.