SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TAKE A STEP
BACKWARD
IN ORDER TO TAKE A STEP
FORWARD

 

  When I owned my fitness company I have often counseled my managers on this very thing. It was hard for them to see that leaving a comfortable secure location, to take over a far less secure situation, was a step forward. Titles, rank and all the superficial adornments are what most of us have been conditioned to think of as definitions of success. Often, getting what you want is a death sentence to further progress. I have found that in the martial arts mentality, more than any other place. Who spread the rumor that rank brought respect and personal gratification forever? I guess it can if that is your destination. I have always found it confusing and for some, calls for less participation the higher they go. I just think it is wrong to acquire a rank and clog up, or bog down, younger, and more capable people than yourself. If you have actually had your day stop being selfish and move over. No one owes you a life time appointment if you have stopped working and even caring very much. Being judgmental about a person’s physical activity for me is somewhat sanctimonious, as I have been blessed with good health and excellent genetics. In all fairness, I am a training nut and have never really been out of shape a day in my life.  I also don’t have the injuries, joint replacements, ect, that some have. I have great respect for those still limping or even being rolled in to an event, still making as much of a contribution as they are able. That is real love of the game and guts. But the prancing peacocks with no conditions except lead in their asses, I have no use for.
 

  Some time back I started to associate and train with other people of like minded interest and commitment.  So along with these like minded people, we formed the Isshin-ryu Cross Training Alliance. It was initially formed to hold seminars and financially support the Harold Long Foundation. We were successful enough in the fund raising endeavor to enable the Foundation to be solely run by the Long family and meet its financial need with donations. We also discovered that we had put an activity together that others like ourselves were very interested in. So after the foundation needs were met we continued on as a separate entity. Because we had assembled such a marquee group of Masters on our training board, we also decided to  promote some very deserving people who had otherwise dropped out of the mainstream, or were not the traditionalist necessary for promotion from other Associations.
 

  Along the way, there was a movement to promote me to Ju-dan in both Isshin-ryu and my own created system, Dragon Sen-I Jutsu. I felt wrong about it from the jump, but was so flattered by the fact that the ICA people wanted to do it, I went along. I talked with people whose opinion I respect and they urged me to do it. But they never knew what was in the back of my mind. Down deep I knew I was moving more and more toward Sen-I Jutsu and the mixed martial arts type of training. Some of what I was sure of was that I didn’t want it to reflect on the ICA, or let our detractors use this to distract from what we were doing. It has never been any secret that I (we) are resented for not being Isshin-ryu pure traditionalist and for making the coffee, golf and kata dans squirm. Why? Because it was shinning a bright light on their inactivity. At the Hall of Fame, I received both certificates. I felt that some life long associates had signed my Sen-I certificate as a consolation prize for now signing my Isshin-ryu certificate. It created great resentment on my part. It ended a life long friendship and in all reality ended some others. If I hadn’t known why and where it all came from I would have just have accepted their decision, as I accepted their decision to not help, contribute or support, the Harold Long foundation in any way. So this was the last political straw for me.    Days later, I decided to return my Isshin-ryu certificate, but was again talked out of it. I sure as hell wasn’t playing hard to get because the whole promotion thing was started by the very people I would most want to believe in me. So I kept it and every day when I see it hanging in my dojo it reminds me of what a phony I feel like claiming it.
 

 As of tomorrow, I will be officially placing my Ju-Dan certificate on hold, until such time, if ever, I can justify it in my own heart. I will also be returning my Ku-dan and Hachi-Dan promotional certificates I received from the IIKA.  I find holding rank from them under the circumstances inappropriate and not within keeping with the spirit of why they gave it to me in the first place. I feel I owe them the type of loyalty I am unable to give for the honor of promotions of that magnitude. I did the same with my ku-dan certificate from Phil Little five years ago. No disrespect intended just a responsible thing to do for the giver. No one ever gave them with any strings or expectations, but I felt it is the right thing to do. I will however except a Ku-dan certificate from the ICA.

  As to the Ju-Dan, I have some additional feelings. For the greatest part of my martial arts life I was told and read that only someone who creates a style or system of their own can be a Ju-dan. I still ascribe to that. That is my thinking and has nothing to do with who or what is a Ju-dan. If there must be an heir to the rank Soke Shimabuku wore, then in a perfect world the ranking Isshin-ryu person, if still active, should be the only Ju-dan. That would be Harold Mitchum. In the Isshin-ryu world of “my Ju-dan is more legit than your Ju-dan” it will never happen. Plus, I think some have been forced to become a Ju-dan to protect their people from being on the mercy of someone else for promotion. Others would have an ego implosion without it. They are the ones that mostly suck, and wouldn’t make a soft pimple on a Go-dans butt. I have been very upfront before by saying, that given my years of experience, knowledge and accomplishments, make me as eligible as any of my counterparts wearing any rank given to me. I will continue to wear my founders black belt and designate it 10^th dan for my Sen-I Jutsu.  On May the first, I will promote Jason Anzur to a Roku-dan in Isshin-ryu. He has earned it. It will in all probability be my last Isshin-ryu master promotion in my dojo. That is, unless one of my black belts continues their Isshin-ryu training (which they may do).
 

  I actually have only a responsibility to myself and my students. I just want them to be true to themselves and never sell out. Bruce Lee told me in 1967 that, “a rank certificate was only good for cleaning up a mess”. He should have added, “or creating one”.
 

  I hope I have brought some clarity to my actions and have closed my role in the soap opera. “As Isshin-ryu turns”. 
 

  Hope to see you at the ICA Dragon Jam May 1^st.

 

      TRAIN FOR REALITY