ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY


REORGANIZATION OF THE ICA
ISSHIN-RYU CROSS-TRAINING ALLIANCE

   I would like to express my appreciation for all of you who gave time, money, and physical effort, to make a long shot very successful. We put together an organization that not only financed our Sensei Harold Longs, guaranteed memory, but started a regional movement of organized cross training. Although we were opposed by the more established organizations and vilified for our supposed," departure from Isshin-ryu," you all stood strong and steadfast, for your own personal belief's. Yes we had some board members bail on us because of the heat from their Isshin-ryu "leaders" and "leaderettes". However, the senior ICA group( Joe Laney, Butch Hill, James Ogle, Ron Honeycutt, Cas Cox, Pete Mills, Jason Anzur and myself) never wavered and just grew stronger and more determined.. I especially appreciate the work of the Young Development board( Wade Honeycutt, Theresa Barnett Smith, Nancy Anderson, Leon Scott, Uriah Woods and Jason Vance), who gave us support, ideas, and hands on training at the Jams. A big thank you to Debbie Honeycutt, for her ability to organize us. She gave us the administrative strength for any direction we chose to go. She also had most of the best idea's..



  Due to the proliferation of other cross training groups, and the information on so many levels, we are no longer unique in our ability to train others in what was originally known very little about. In an effort not to become as redundant as some Isshin-ryu organizations have become, we have adjusted our activity base to, Open mat with an occasional teaching day. At the present, it is more practice, less teach, with time for work on different techniques and starting help for new people on grappling. The format has the ability to change from Jam to Jam, due to the strength of our teaching group and the strength of those qualified people who attend.



  We have dropped the Isshin-ryu portion of the name, so as to be more generic in our appeal. People in the area believed it to be, an all Isshin-ryu group. After four years of trying, we found that many Isshin-ryu people were not comfortable stepping outside the box, have formed small cross training alliances of their own or is already training with us. There is also a lot of school to school visitation and teachings, that was not being done before. So if we did not directly assist people in cross-training, we did indirectly, by creating an interest. There was also an obvious preference here to stay in the traditional karate mode. All in all, we believe that the philosophical training lines have been clearly drawn.



  For the present we will be know as THE CROSS TRAINERS ALLIANCE. A new name may be selected but for now, simplicity is the key. No fancy and frills, just down and dirty. We have also adjusted the board of teachers as the curriculum is no longer as vast and diverse as its original structure called for. We have reorganized with just a core of instructors (Joe Laney, Butch Hill, James Ogle, Ron Honeycutt and myself). and no active development board. However, any and all, will be urged to participate on any level they so chose. It also gives us less planning time for meeting, with fewer participants. As I also indicated, it will take less planning and necessity for multiple instructors. So we went with experience and seniority.



  Thanks so much to our out of town guys,, Clyde Stanley, Bob Maxwell, and Daryn Clark, who attended jams, and brought their own expert instruction and information with them. Just their names along with Steve Young gave us credibility. Thanks to Willie Wilson, Chuck Reynolds and Devan Plaisance, for their support and unlimited training knowledge. I hope it continues as we have grown to depend on it.



  This is not a goodbye, just a pause to reflect. We hope to continue as long as there is an interest in the Jams. We realize that there is so much going on and little time and money to support it all, that we will resolve to be realistic. Even if there are just a few who want to have an open Mat Jam, we will go on with it. We don't want to step on the toes of any tournament directors. So get your dates out to us.



  I imagine you noticed that no titles were use for anyone I referred to. Our group is very informal and does not require titles, although well earned, or belts, any sign of rank, or standard uniform. It is not an anti statement, just not necessary for Jam day training.



  Many roads, one destination. Just make sure that road takes you to a safe destination. Train for reality, not just for trophies...