Judoman wrote:I recently read an article in the USJA’s e-magazine. The author stated:
“The problem is that unless a certificate is from a national organization, it’s worthless. That’s not to imply that a student earning one has done anything wrong or lacks skills. But in the end, the instructor has misguided or shortchanged the judoka. It’s a slap in the student’s face, for he must test and pay again; and the previous instructor has wasted everyone’s time with something unacceptable.”
I couldn’t disagree more. I think saying dojo ranks or ranks from other, smaller associations are “worthless” is pretty arrogant. I know many talented judoka from smaller associations. I support AAU Judo and many AAU clubs use a dojo ranking system under the guidance of more experienced instructors in AAU Judo. In AAU Judo, your rank is your business, and someone claiming a rank they don't deserve will be found out pretty quickly on the mat. There are plenty of valid reasons judoka choose not to be part of the USJA, USJF, or USA Judo. But, I obviously do not feel any of my students are being "shortchanged" by supporting AAU Judo or any other small Judo association.
Judo organizations say a lot of things, sometimes true, sometimes nonsense. But in reality the issue is more complicated than that, since even if a judo organization tells nonsense, it is likely that it believes or acts according to this nonsense, and in that case it may not matter what is true or not. Therefore, I think that a nuanced answer is appropriate.
The first thing to consider is if it is factually true that "a certificate is from a national organization, it’s worthless." (...)
What is the USJA talking about ? The USA or the rest of the world ? As far as the rest of the world is concerned, it certainly is not true in absolute terms. Why is it not true ? At least for two reasons: 1. rank certificates do not even exist in many countries, and before the computer era existed even less, and 2. no specification of the level of ranks is made, but in any case in most countries kyû ranks were not even transmitted or registered with the federation in the pre-computer era hence the federation would not even have knowledge about them, so how could they issue rank certificates for these ranks ? That is the truth. I have never seen or known any person my age here who has a "rank certificate". "Rank certificates" are a very Anglo-Saxon and American and Japanese thing. Only one of my non-Japanese sensei had rank certificates, and that was M. Clause, and there is a reason for that. The reason is that he was a direct student of Abe Ichirô from the early 1950s and had all his ranks certified by the Kôdôkan and brought it to one of only three non-Japanese Kôdôkan 8th dan holders; That is, however, excessively unusual here. People here, unless over the age of 60 and who obtained shodan a long, long time ago still under an exam board directly presided over by Abe Ichirô, do not hold Kôdôkan ranks.
Federations here (not the US) did not traditionally occupy themselves with kyû ranks, so it would not even be possible to have "rank certificate" for a kyû. The first "rank certificate" I received was for 1st kyû. It was created and issued by the club, and was given to illustrate the importance of this rank which was the highest rank a club or sensei could give out. Since the federations did not hand out kyû-ranks, club ranks were the only possible option. In fact, terms such as "club rank" vs. "national rank" are terms I had never even heard of before I joined this forum, and they are not terms that exist over here. The first time the federation in those days would learn of your rank would be when you met your eligibility for shodan and sent in your paperwork. Because of that it is de facto impossible to have a federation rank certificate for kyû ranks in many, perhaps most countries. In conclusion, it would be nonsensical to conclude the opposite. However, if the federation want to act as a complete moron, nothing that prevent them from making exactly that nonsensical conclusion.
Only many years later, the federation implemented a new rule that clubs had to inform the federation of issuing 1st kyu ranks. I think this was somewhere around 1983 or so. From that point onwards, one could theoretically have a federation certificate for 1st kyû, but yet not in practice for the simple reason that it was never created, because no one cares or is interested in that here.
I have no "rank certificate" for shodan, none for nidan, and so does nobody else here unless you obtained black belt, I think, starting in 1985 or something. That's when the federation started making them. However, they are still considered merely as 'illustratory', as 'redundant', something to frame if you really want to do that, but virtually no one does. To put it differently, "rank certificates" have never been the primary mean to verify or attest to the accuracy of a dan-rank here. It apparently is like that in the US, but not in many other countries. Of course, we have "rank documentation", but not "rank certificates". I do actually have them for several ranks, but mainly for one reason, namely that I expected having to travel a lot and possibly having to deal with idiots in future. "Rank documentation" in many countries contrary to a "rank certificate" (which either does not exist or is just illustrative) commonly is a judo passport or a federation license. Judo federations in the US do not have "licenses", but only membership card. A license is not identical to a membership card. Licenses are usually at the same time the official proof of valid membership, of insurance, and of dan rank; they became official proof of kyû rank when the kyû rank was signed off on it or in it by the club sensei. So in that context, it shows again that the conlusion made by the organization you mention is not correct for many federations outside of the US.
So far the factual side of things.
Now there are other factors. You write "I think saying dojo ranks or ranks from other, smaller associations are “worthless” is pretty arrogant. I know many talented judoka from smaller associations." The question is, obviously, what did the federation mean to say ? As you will realize, there is sometimes a difference between what we say and what we really want to say. Perhaps you should give the federation a chance to clarify itself, but from the other hand, perhaps the federation should have thought about it twice about the correct nuances and universality of the statement before printing int. If we consider historic ranks, then you are correct, well maybe, because it is possible that the federation is not 'arrogant', but 'ignorant'. The two words have different meaning. I use the term 'ignorant' here to refer to all those people who were awarded ranks before the federation even existed. Virtually all ranks then were awarded by individuals or clubs. Just consider all the ranks issued in London by the Budokwai and Koizumi to many of the first black belts in Europe, or those by Kawaishi. There were no federations then initially. You would have to ask Tsurumaki how those ranks were issued or communicated. I am not sure, but I am not convinced that they were accompanied by rank certificates. I think that Kawaishi started relatively early issuing rank certificates, but most countries did not.
So really, what the federation i talking about is:
- dan ranks
- in the US
- today or in a recent past
It would have been good if those factors would have been added.
Another thing to consider is that sometimes one may sound arrogant even if one does not mean to. It may very well be possible that the federation's main purpose was to protect people from disappointments or problems. That's a honorable objective, I think. It is unfortunate, that indeed one may read in between the lines what you and perhaps many others understand too, namely that other organizations (probably also located in the US or at least active in the US) my deliver ranks that either were bestowed on people with low technical level, low understanding of judo, low competitive achievements, or insufficient time-in-grade, or that the ranks are fake. That is the classical tension that goes on between federations in all the martial art, the constant urge for legitimacy of the self and the patronization of other organzations. I did not write the original text so I cannot comment on what played in the mind(s) of the author(s). I'd like to use a less strong term than 'arrogant' and probably say that it is 'unfortunate' that perhaps the statement could have benefited from a more careful wording that shows respect for our friends and colleagues in judo irrespective of their gender, creed, religiion, ethnicity, affiliation or rank and that encourages them to continue their commitment and personal way in the form, with the guidance and under the umbrella they see most fit for their purpose.
Last edited by Cichorei Kano on Sun Aug 18, 2013 10:04 am; edited 1 time in total
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