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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: There are already so many martial arts organizations out there, do we really need
yet ANOTHER one?
A: The short answer is no, we wouldn't need another martial
arts organization if the others would do what is right for all the martial
arts, but this is often not the case. The SMAA is different than most in
that we are not interested in how much money we can generate by
whatever means possible. What we are interested in is serving the
practitioners of ALL martial arts with fairness and equality by
establishing and following the highest ethical standards. The SMAA
exists to address the needs of dedicated martial artists from around the
world with the highest level of integrity and ethics.
No doubt this may sound like nothing more than flowery
rhetoric to the many martial artists who have fallen victim to the
negative effects of martial arts corruption in the past. To them we ask only that you
thoroughly explore this website to see what we have to offer and
contact us if you have questions. We are here to serve, so let us know
what we can do for you.
Q: Why was the
association named after Donn Schucker instead using a name more like other
martial arts organizations?
A: We have the deepest
respect for all martial artists and do not wish to offend or risk alienating any
of these individuals by using a name that might be considered “similar” to
theirs. Additionally, some individuals may attempt to claim exclusive rights to
specific words such as "Martial Arts", "National", "Association",
"Organization," etc. even though a trademark was never filed. We wish to avoid
this sort of unproductive conflict at all costs so we have consulted with our
corporate lawyer seeking the best possible solution for minimizing potential
problems.
After reviewing over 1600
pages of corporate, copyrighted and/or trademarked names, we reluctantly decided
to call ourselves the Schucker Martial Arts Association (SMAA).
Needless to say, this
decision was not an easy one for us. Sensei Schucker was not at all pleased at
the idea of using this name because he does not seek the limelight and felt that
this would appear to be nothing more than an egotistical, self-serving gesture.
He also felt that using his name would create the illusion that our association
was simply a small local group rather than the ever growing international
martial arts association it has become. Sensei can be very stubborn, and it took
many hours of talking with the association leadership and our corporate lawyer
to convince Sensei of its need.
Q: How do I know that ranks and certification awarded by the SMAA are real
and that you are not just another diploma mill? Who are you to certify me?
A: That is a very good question, and it deserves a no
nonsense answer! The SMAA has a solid administrative and command structure that is responsible for various
tasks such as evaluation and rank testing, as well as the certification of
our members. Our Yudansha Taigu, who are
international senior leaders of the martial arts and our
Kyoju Dairi, who are regional leaders of the
martial arts often work in cooperation with Sensei Dave Lewis, Chairman of our
SMAA promotion Board to ensure that
all ranks and certifications made are genuine and legitimate and will
stand up to the most intense level of scrutiny. These leaders represent a
great many different and diverse martial arts and styles, so regardless of
the art or the individual being scrutinized, we have leaders that are
open minded and come from a background that
has made them well versed in their art(s) and its derivatives. This
outstanding level of expertise leads to an honest and unbiased evaluation
of an individual's ability.
No SMAA member will be
ranked or certified without evaluation and confirmation of that member's
ability by the Yudansha Taigu, the Kyoju dairi, or the SMAA Promotion
Board. Additionally, individual club leaders and instructors who have been
evaluated and certified as
instructors and rank
examiners by the SMAA are authorized to make promotions to their own
students, but the SMAA cannot accept rank registrations, promotion, or
instructor and rank examiner certifications from those club leaders and
instructors who have not been evaluated and certified.
To summarize, EVERY rank or certification the
SMAA is asked to make is only approved after the individual's level of ability is
confirmed by either personal or video evaluation/test. We do not
award certification to anyone who has not been evaluated and their
abilities documented at the appropriate level.
We know that the procedure of evaluation and
confirmation of an individual's ability is a bit cumbersome and time
consuming, but we hope that all martial artists understand the reason for
this. The SMAA wishes to administer the services, training, etc. that the
martial arts require at the very highest level - we do not wish to offend
or question a martial artist's ability, we wish only to document that
ability so as to maintain the highest level of integrity for the martial
arts and it's dedicated practitioners.
Q: How do I become a member of the SMAA?
A: Please complete the
SMAA
membership form and send with payment.
In order to keep the fees our members pay as low as possible,
checks, money orders, and cash are the only acceptable method of payment.
Q: How do I register the rank or
certification that I already hold? Will the SMAA recognize that rank even
if the promotion was made by a different governing body or instructor?
A: An individual wishing to register
any rank with the SMAA must first have his level of ability confirmed.
This confirmation may be in the form of personal or video demonstration
or in some cases by submitting previous certifications that were made
through a major governing body that is widely accepted. The rank registration fee is to be paid after confirming the individual’s level of
ability. Please feel free to contact us if
you have further questions or need more information.
Q: Why do I need certification as an Instructor and rank examiner?
A: The SMAA wishes to ensure that the integrity of the
certifications that we award are not questioned. To accomplish this, we
feel it is necessary to evaluate each and every martial artist before any
rank certification,
instructor certification,
rank examiner certification,
or other certifications can be made.
Once a club leader or club instructor has been certified at the appropriate level with regard to
rank, instructor, and rank examiner credentials, they in effect are
operating as a representative of the SMAA, making it unnecessary for the
SMAA to directly evaluate each of the instructor's students for
certification. If the instructor's rank, instructor, and rank examiner
certifications are not a matter of record with the SMAA, the SMAA
will need to perform the evaluation, rather than simply accepting the club
instructor's (whose abilities are unknown to us) promotions and certifications that he makes without question.
A side benefit to this is that when a club leader or instructor is so certified by the SMAA and promotes his
own students, the student pays only the nominal registration fee rather
than the more costly promotion fee that must be paid if the SMAA had performed the
evaluation and approved the promotion.
It can be a bit confusing, so if in doubt, please
contact us. We would be more than happy to
work with you toward establishing the professional credentials that
dedicated martial artists need.
Q: What does the Latin motto on the SMAA logo mean?
A: This is another great question and the answer explains
the very philosophy on which the SMAA was founded! The words "Nec Sorte,
Nec Fato" translate to "not by chance, nor by destiny."
So if not by sheer dumb luck or by some divine
intervention, how do things get done? The answer is so obvious that it
escapes many people...by HARD WORK!!! Hard work is the cornerstone of
all worthwhile human endeavors, and is he very essence of what enables
the dedicated martial artist to excel.
Those who wish to avoid hard work and prefer to wait
for luck or fate to give them what they seek ARE NOT SMAA MATERIAL!
There are many other martial arts associations that will sell
individuals whatever ranks, certifications, titles, etc. they want...but
not the SMAA! For those who want to earn what they get through hard
work, with dedication and integrity...rather than with checkbook and
controversy...the SMAA welcomes the opportunity to help you.
Donn Schucker, Executive Director
P.O. Box 2171
Florissant, MO 63032-2171
Phone: (314) 606-7306
Email: ds@smaa-martialarts.com
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