Category: Rank

Did You Know? Pt. 1 - Gracie Jiu Jitsu vs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

6/20/2022

Author: Steven Hatfield

Would you believe that there is a difference between Gracie Jiu Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? There is! Some may not agree. They may have the same roots, but they have 2 different purposes! BJJ is known for its sport life, while GJJ is known for its self defense focus.

Dont believe me? Do some research, look at the history of the art! Look at the beginning when Grandmaster Carlos Sr. was trained by the Japanese. Look at what Grandmaster Carlos taught and shared with his brother Grandmaster Helio. To quote Grandmaster Reylson Gracie, son of Carlos Sr., "Although it is true that ninety percent of fights will eventually end up on the ground, ground techniques are just a portion of Gracie Jiu Jitsu. What makes Gracie Jiu Jitsu such a wonderful art is that it contains the strikes and kicks of Karate, the ground fighting techniques of Judo, and the joint locks and throws of Aikido."

There was no such thing as Berimbolos or Imanari rolls. If it didn't work in a real fight with someone also trying to punch or kick you, it wasn't Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

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Should Certifications Be Displayed Publicly?

1/6/2022

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Author: Bret Gordon

In an old article of mine, "The Purpose Of Certification," I discussed the various types of certifications (rank, titles, and licenses) used in the martial arts. I broke down what each one meant and how they were generally earned. Essentially, certifications recognize progress while licenses grant authority. The question that comes up, however, is if these credentials we work so hard for should be displayed publicly. Some like to equate them to professional diplomas and licenses like doctors or lawyers display in their offices, and to a certain measure that's true. A martial arts school, like a doctor's office, will often display their various credentials on the wall. That's really the only place they belong, or maybe in a folder tucked away (where most of mine are).

Unlike professional licenses though, martial arts certificates are a private matter. They are for the recipient alone. They have no meaning outside the style or organization they were awarded in, and so there is no purpose in publicizing them for the world to see. If anything should be displayed at all, it is the Menkyo (teaching license) as that is really all that matters because that lets the reader know exactly what the instructor is authorized to teach. Even then, however, it should only be shared with students of the art because they are the only ones it matters to.

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Do ANY Certifications Matter?

12/21/2021

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Author: Bret Gordon

Steven Hatfield - Jidokwan Branch President

As a follow-up to my previous article about the weight of international certifications (click here to read), I want to address the very idea of certifications... Hopefully in a much shorter article. First thing is we need to understand terminology. Certificates are recognitions of one's progress, learning or achievements. Licenses grant authority to teach or perform the task independently of where they were first learned.

The simple truth is yes, certifications and licenses matter. This isn't a concept unique to martial arts. A barber can't cut your hair without being licensed. You can't sell your home, paint your nails, vent about your problems or learn the alphabet without someone being licensed (at least not professionally). Not only does someone need to have the ability to perform these tasks, but they also need the training and credentials because they help reassure the quality and validity of the work being done.

In the context of martial arts, certifications help protect a line of transmission from the source. When it comes to techniques and training methods designed to increase your survivability in combat, ensuring you're learning the right material becomes quite important. On the flip side, styles and systems are often the culmination of an individual's life's work and ensuring they are being carried on properly is of equal importance. While the average student is probably not charging into battle relying on the techniques they learned in class to make it home, regular training is a physically demanding endeavor that itself can lead to injury or worse. Being able to ensure the safety of our students, along with everything else we deal with as instructors, is essential.

Of course, in that statement I'm talking about instructor licenses specifically. But what about those who have no interest in teaching? Can someone just train without worrying about certificates? Absolutely. But if they are being issued certificates, they need to be valid...

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Do International Certifications Matter?

12/20/2021

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Author: Bret Gordon

All Japan Budo Association - 6th Dan Aiki Budo

Well, that's a loaded question if I've ever seen one. The short answer is yes, but not for the reasons you might think. One of the primary marketing strategies of various organizations, both stateside and abroad, is "international recognition." This is basically saying that no matter where you travel in the world, their certifications are recognized and you will be able to wear the rank you've earned along with all the privileges and honors that come with it. However, this is only true as a rule within member schools of that particular organization. Kukkiwon, for example, touts that they are the "World Taekwondo Headquarters" and Kukkiwon rank is recognized anywhere. Yet if you walk into an ATA school, an ITF school, any one of the Kwan affiliated schools, or any of the countless independent schools teaching Taekwondo let alone any other martial art that exists, there is no guarantee your rank will be accepted at face value... Nor should it!

Kukkiwon rank is only automatically recognized in Kukkiwon schools, and the same is true for every organization's credentials. Any recognition or acceptance outside of that is up to an individual's discretion. While no one can take away the hard work and dedication it took to earn the rank you hold, it is cavalier to think you should start at anything but a white belt when joining a new school of a different style or organization. If the new instructor or organization decides to accept you at the rank you hold, then great, but do not expect it. Now that we've established that, let's explore what I mean when I say international certifications matter.

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Titles In Japanese Martial Arts

12/18/2021

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Author: Bret Gordon

After a rather long hiatus, I am happy to announce the return of the USAMA blog as a source of information relating to news, history, traditions and training methods of the martial arts. In this article, I'd like to address the very misunderstood customs surrounding titles, specifically those used in Japanese martial arts.

Otsuka Ryunosuke (right), Soke of Hokushin Itto Ryu

The first title I'd like to address is that of Soke... There is a lot of misinformation about the title of Soke 宗家 in the martial arts. First and foremost, it does not mean the founder of the style so let's just get that out of the way...But more recently there has been the misunderstanding that Soke is not a martial arts title at all, that it's purely a legal position connected to one's koseki (family registry). While this is one use of the title, there is documented usage of it in the martial arts among both Koryu (pre-1868) and Gendai (modern) systems to designate the lineage holder of the art. Just off the top of my head, Japanese arts that specifically use the title of Soke (or Soke Dairi if there is no current headmaster) are:

Mugai Ryu, Hokushin Itto Ryu, Toda-Ha Buko Ryu, Daito Ryu, Hakko Ryu, Koden Enshin Ryu, Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu, Shidare Yanagi Ryu, Tendo Ryu, Kurama Ryu....

I could go on but I believe I've made my point. There is enough precedent in the Japanese martial arts community to warrant the use of Soke to designate the inheriting headmaster of a system. We can further argue as to whether or not is it appropriate for arts outside of Japan to use the title, but still the historical precedent is set. To quote an article on Koryu.com from William Bodiford:

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Beware The Martial Arts Police

10/17/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

The cancel culture we see permeating the country right now, with corporations rushing to tell the world how "woke" they are while demanding the removal of anything deemed offensive, has infiltrated the martial arts. In the midst of COVID-19, we cannot lose sight of the real pandemic that has been plaguing our community since the dawn of the internet: the Martial Arts Police. We are all too familiar with the self-righteous individuals who spend their days behind the keyboard telling others what they believe is right and wrong. While the garden variety troll can be found commenting on various videos with such intellectual analyses as "tHaT wOuLd NeVeR wOrK iN tHe StR33Tz," select individuals appoint themselves to a higher level of authority, imposing their will across the entirety of their echo chamber and violently harassing those who do not submit to their demands. Ironic, since most of their targets are those who promote themselves to a position they feel is unwarranted or unjustified...

The simple truth is that while there are some generally accepted norms, there is not a single universal standard regarding anything in the martial arts. The standards, rules and regulations are established by the founder/headmaster and/or governing body of the individual style that is being taught. Their word is law, and they are the only ones with the authority to impose any sort of regulation on the members of that system/organization. Many popular styles are no longer centralized, with numerous organizations imposing their own rules and regulations upon their members that may or may not align with other branches of the same art. This is why rank, title and license are absolutely meaningless outside of the context they were awarded in... And why it's so confusing to me that there are people who actually spend their time trying to regulate and condemn others that do not fit into the confines of their understanding that they otherwise have no affiliation to.

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What Is A Diploma Mill?

8/20/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

After our recent announcement that the US Association of Martial Arts will no longer be offering certification services to our members (click here), our detractors have tried to spin this as an admission that the USAMA was a diploma mill and now we have seen the error of our ways. This could not be farther from the truth, but it does bring up a rather interesting discussion that I'd like to expand upon.

Unfortunately, like the term "fraud," the concept of a diploma mill gets thrown around the martial arts community so often that it has lost all meaning. It is most often used to describe a school or organization that doesn't live up to the standards of the accuser. What the accuser doesn't take into account is that quality is subjective, and there are absolutely different levels to this. A degree from Harvard is worth more than one from your local community college. Both are still valid.

In contrast, a diploma or rank mill merely sells rank with bare minimum requirements (often simply a successful payment). They offer meaningless pieces of paper in exchange for a fee without any consideration. While I will admit there are plenty of schools who issue ranks merely based on attendance, I still wouldn't call them diploma mills. Just because they do not live up to my standards does not mean they are fake or fraudulent. Everyone's training goals are different, and we need to take that into account when judging others. Where it becomes a problem is when the issuing authority, whether that's the instructor or an organization, is dishonest about what is being offered such as saying you teach self defense but it's really cardio kickboxing, or an organization recognizing a rank/title you already hold but you present it as the source of your credentials. An organization acknowledging and recognizing something that has already been legitimately earned is not the same as an organization selling you a piece of paper no questions asked.

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What Is A Martial Arts Fraud?

8/13/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

The most insulting thing you can say to a martial artist is that they are a fraud. It's right up there with being a pedophile, rapist or other vile criminal. Where martial artists pride themselves on upholding the virtues of honor, integrity and respect, the accusation that one is a liar, a conman or otherwise dishonorable is a blow that many never recover from. Unfortunately, the words "fraud" and "fake" get thrown around way too much in the martial arts community, almost to the point where they don't mean anything other than the accused belongs to a different group than the accuser. When we break it down, the actual definition of a fraud is:

So we can see very clearly what a fraud is and isn't. A fraud is someone trying to deceive others. Therefore, everyone who throws around the word "fraud" simply because the other person does not meet their standards, either in their skillsets or in their affiliations, is simply wrong. There is a difference between being a low-quality martial artist and being a fraud and since quality is subjective to begin with, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But let's explore this world of fraudulent martial artists even further, shall we?

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Licensed In Kodokan Judo

8/11/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

As part of the never-ending charade of BSMA, one of the common lies spread about my teacher, Steven Hatfield, in the recent months is that he "admitted to lying about his Judo rank" and he misrepresented his affiliation to the Kodokan Judo Institute. All of this started when an error was made by someone else entirely when promoting a seminar Hatfield sensei was teaching at their school. In the promotion, this gentleman claimed that Hatfield sensei was a 7th Dan ranked by Kodokan itself. However, this was never something my teacher ever said or claimed. When Hatfield sensei first started teaching Judo at his school, he posted the following:

Clearly he listed himself as 5th Dan, a rank awarded to him by "Papasan" Jack Stern (more on that later). So we can immediately throw out the lie that he fraudulently claimed a 7th Dan. Now we come to the matter of claiming to be ranked by the Kodokan. This is another outright lie, at worst, and a misunderstanding at best. In the screenshot above, we see that Hatfield sensei is listing the art that he is licensed in as "Kodokan Judo" whose hombu dojo is in Tokyo, Japan. He is not saying that his rank comes from the Kodokan. Many judoka who wish to separate themselves from the sport often list their art as "Kodokan Judo" rather than simply judo, indicating they teach the complete art as it is traditionally carried on in Japan rather than as a sport as commonly perpetuated by the national governing bodies (USA Judo, USJA and USJF).

Now, could the way it is listed at the top be misunderstood? Clearly, or we wouldn't have had any issues in the first place. That is why Hatfield sensei agreed to change it to what we see above. But that is not admitting he lied, as his detractors like to tout, but rather clarifying the information to avoid future issues. Unfortunately, it has done anything but that...

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If Our Lineage Is False - A Shout Out To David Falcaro

5/10/2020

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Author: Bret Gordon

I need to give a quick shout out to David Falcaro, founder of Neji Gekken Ryu Sogobujutsu, for this wonderful video response a few years ago to the same trolls that are now plaguing me and my instructor with the same false accusations. To summarize, if the founder of our art never existed and we made all of this up, we must be the most amazing martial arts geniuses in history to have replicated such advanced material with no legitimate training or background. Thanks for the compliment!

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USAMA BLOG

Did You Know? Pt. 1 - Gracie Jiu Jitsu vs Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Should Certifications Be Displayed Publicly?

Do ANY Certifications Matter?

Do International Certifications Matter?

Titles In Japanese Martial Arts

Beware The Martial Arts Police

What Is A Diploma Mill?

What Is A Martial Arts Fraud?

Licensed In Kodokan Judo

If Our Lineage Is False - A Shout Out To David Falcaro

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