Less than two weeks left for our SMAA membership incentives

Remember the following discounted services…

All throughout the month of December, SMAA Life Membership will be reduced to just $29!!! Being an LM was a great deal at only $59, but now, at just $29…well…how could ANYONE rationalize NOT being a member??? This offer is only good from December1, 2008 until December 31, 2008 so let’s get those memberships going!

Also through the end of December, the fee for rank registration has been cut in HALF! That means that if you have a student who would like to register their black belt rank, they may do so (once approved by a SMAA Certified Instructor and Rank Examiner) for just $12.50!!! Under black belt ranks may be registered for just $5.00!!!

Please don’t ask us to extend this offer…for obvious reasons, these great deals can only be made available for a limited time, so take advantage of it before the end of the year!

Down but not out!

Joe Phillips, Headmaster of the Goshinkan Institute in Columbus, Ohio has informed me that his son, Will Phillips has been hospitalized for appendicitis. This was very serious, as he did not seek medical attention right away and became very sick. Will was a college linebacker and coached at a high school for 6 years. He also was the all sports strength coach for those 6 years. He works now in commercial maintenance, does remodeling contract jobs, does international executive security jobs, trains in Ninjutsu, Judo, Jujitsu, and the Goshinkan Survival Skills System. If you would like to send a “get well soon” message, you may do so by sending an email to HM Phillips at jphill32@columbus.rr.com  . My wife and I are wishing Will a full and speedy recovery.

Sensei Angela Sutton will again have surgery on December 31. Obviously this is not the way we want her to ring in the new year so If you would like to send her a “get well soon” message, you may do so by sending an email to doublevngsus@hotmail.com  . As above, Kim and I are wishing her a full and speedy recovery.

Both Clay Worley and Dean Sutzer (who both suffered injuries as reported in last month’s newsletter) are doing well and getting better every day. While it will still be several months before either are fully recovered, their indomitable spirit and determination will no doubt be a great asset to them during their convalescence.

Please keep all of these individuals in your prayers.

New SMAA certifications

As we are all aware, when our association was formed I relinquished all ranks as a symbolic gesture to protest the corrupt ranking and lack of integrity that seems to have overtaken the martial arts in recent years. I’m honored to have been evaluated recently by the SMAA Yudansha Taigu and confirmed at the following ranks that I previously held:

Judo, shichidan
Showa Ryu Jujitsu, hachidan
Kagami Ryu Aikibugei, shichidan

Two of the three ranks above are actually a step below what I had been awarded in the past, but I (and apparently my seniors) felt that these ranks were corrupt and therefore by all rights should not be claimed. I am honored to have been evaluated and confirmed at these ranks in the three main arts I have practiced. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to our leaders and my seniors for their efforts on my behalf. I am forever in their debt.

Sensei Steve Zalazowski, SMAA Life Member #1 has been invited to test for his 4th dan in Jujitsu in the spring of next year. We wish Sensei Zalazowski the best of luck!

Milt Guinette, SMAA Kyoju Dairi for the Northwestern USA, will be evaluated for the rank of kenpo in the spring or summer (at our training camp) of next year. Newly appointed Yudansha Taigu, Dr. Greg Lawton who is our ranking kenpo practitioner, will head up the preparation and evaluation efforts. Best of luck to Sensei Guinette!

Training

I’m pleased to have the opportunity to work with our SMAA Chaplain, Sensei john Sutton and another student from Lebanon, MO, Jonathan Stokes recently. Both have visited my dojo and are fine martial artists that have enormous potential. While I do not allow spectators and only accept new students once a year, with prior approval guests are always welcome.

Sensei Terrence Bowlin of Texas is scheduled to visit the dojo in the spring, so I am looking forward to working with him – especially after hearing the good words about him from our SMAA Kyoju Dairi in Texas, Kyoshi Clay Worley. Please contact me if you would like to visit us!

Holidays problems

As we enter the holiday season, people are at greater risk for Identity Theft. The thieves are out, and they are looking for victims. Additionally, many folks are suffering from the economic situation, and it's a sad fact that when times are toughest, people get taken advantage of. Don't let yourself or your family go unprotected. Talk to Kim Schucker ks@smaa-martialarts.com  or Chuck Coffin cfcoffin@mindspring.com  about getting a Pre-Paid Legal Membership and Identity Theft Shield. Let them show you how a membership can help and protect you and your family, for less than the price of an energy drink per day.

Let us help!

Please don’t fail to let me know if you need anything at all in the martial arts. The mission of our association is to provide the fair and timely services that all genuine and legitimate martial artists require, and to unite the martial arts on an international level – not technically, but in spirit. Let us know how we can help to accomplish this!

Do you have news, etc. ?

Let us know! We want to hear about what is going on with our members and their students! If you have competitions, seminars, tests, pictures, etc. or other information that you would like to post results for, just let us know and we will include them in our next newsletter.

Wrapping up the year

2008 has been a difficult year for many of us. For Kim and I, it has been especially tough because we made the very difficult decision to follow our conscience and do what was right by breaking away to form a new martial arts association. We have succeeded in ridding ourselves of the corruption, unethical policies, blatant lack of integrity, and possibly illegal activity…but we now face the challenge of starting over and building the martial arts from the ground up. This would normally be a daunting task, but in the current economic climate the task is twice as hard!

We’d like to thank all of you for your support and loyalty through this difficult formative period. You have my word that we will always be here and will always do whatever we can to further the cause of administering the fair and timely services, training, and support and brotherhood that the martial arts so desperately need. I further pledge to you that we will do this with the highest level of integrity and will not be swayed by the promise of large sums of money, rank, or other less than honorable incentives or motives.

It is my most heartfelt desire that through our combined efforts, we are able to restore dignity and integrity to the martial arts and to elevate their status to the level they truly deserve. With your help and support I KNOW we can do this…but as you have heard me say so many times before, it will only happen through the hard work that each and every one of us puts into achieving this goal – “nec sorte, nec fato!”

It’s an honor to be of service to you!

Happy holidays!

All the best,

Donn Schucker
Executive Director
(314) 606-7306
www.smaa-martialarts.com