SMAA Newsletter - January 2009
New SMAA Members
Through the dedicated efforts of some of our top leaders, we
were able to recruit almost 40 new SMAA Life Members during the month of
December, 2008. Welcome to all our new people – and thanks to those leaders who
registered their students!
Let’s keep the momentum going by continuing to register our
students, their ranks, etc. I know, I know…times are tough and people just don’t
have much money. But the mission of our great association and our place (and
voice) in the martial arts world is so important that I urge each and every
school owner, instructor, and club leader to redouble your efforts to register
your members.
Despite the difficulties, in the past I was able to register
over 1100 Life Members through sheer determination and hard work. How? By
accepting very small payments at a time ($2 here, $5 there) and keeping accurate
records of that person’s tally. Once they reached the LM fee, I sent it in.
Additionally, I paid (out of my own pocket, over the course of ten years) the LM
fee for over 1000 of my people, and then they paid me back…again, a little at a
time…$1 here, $3 there…until they reached the LM total.
Was this a pain for me? YOU BET! It was a record keeping
nightmare!
Did I get anything from my efforts? No, unless you count the
invaluable experience that I gained in martial arts administration.
Was it all worth it? Without a doubt, the answer is YES! I am
very grateful to have had all of my past experiences in the martial arts and to
be able to put them to good use for the positive direction in which the SMAA is
headed.
I am just one man…what could we accomplish if we ALL set our
sights on expanding our SMAA membership like this?
New SMAA Programs
Lots of progress has been made on many of our programs. I am
pleased to report on the development of the following SMAA Programs:
1. The SMAA Code of Conduct & Ethics has been completed
thanks to the invaluable input of Sensei Charles James of California and Brad
Kerr of South Carolina. The code will be posted on the site by the time you
read this newsletter, so please read it carefully. This sort of written
standard for the martial arts is long overdue, and I am pleased that we
finally have something in writing that will serve as a guideline for all SMAA
members. Fifty years ago, this may not have been necessary – but in the 21st
century it seems that personal freedoms have often overshadowed traditional
values and civility in the martial arts (and in society, but don’t get me
started on that!!!) so a Code such as this is an important step toward
restoring that sense of courtesy, tradition, civility, and integrity to the
arts.
2. The SMAA Pre-Paid Legal Program has been up and running
for a couple of months now. This program offers affordable legal counsel and
other similar services for a very reasonable (less than $1/day) monthly fee.
Talk to Sensei Chuck Coffin, Project Advisor cfcoffin@mindspring.com or SMAA
Administrator, Kim Schucker ks@smaa-martialarts.com about getting a Pre-Paid
Legal Membership and Identity Theft Shield.
3. The SMAA Personal Trainer Certification Program (a
distance learning program) is ready now! Full details and the program itself
will be available on our website very soon!
4. Same for the SMAA Acupuncture Certification Program
(also a distance learning program) – it is ready now and full details will be
posted on our website in the very near future!
5. The SMAA Mentorship Program, which is designed to offer
assistance to instructors and club leaders with the business side of running a
martial arts school or club is now ready! Details will be posted on the
website soon!
6. The SMAA Liability Insurance Program for students and
club instructors and leaders is close to being ready for our members.
According to my contact, Ms. Amanda Cihak who works with Dr. Greg Lawton,
Project Leader and SMAA Yudansha Taigu, there are some final details to be
worked out and the program should be available to you in the next month or so.
Many of you have been VERY anxious to see this program put into action, so I
will see that the exact details will be announced in a future newsletter and
posted on the website as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience as we
move forward on this important project.
7. Our SMAA Massage Therapy Certification Program (a
distance learning program) is ready now with just one remaining detail - the
actual name we will use for the certification offered that meets all laws
governing this type of certification. Look for this program to be available to
you (hopefully) by the time you receive our next newsletter!
8. The written test for SMAA Instructor Certification is
nearing completion and should be ready (again, hopefully) by the time you
receive our next newsletter!
9. The same is true of the written test for our SMAA Rank
Examiner Certification – it should be ready very soon.
10. Sensei Angela Sutton reports that the SMAA Cardio
Kickboxing Certification Manual is more than half complete and should be ready
for our members by late February 2009.
11. Final details (weight divisions) have been formalized
for our SMAA Tournament Rules (for striking arts – karate, tae kwon do, kenpo/kempo,
kickboxing, etc.) Rules and full information should be available on the
website very soon.
2009 SMAA Training Camp
Our 2009 training Camp will be held from 12 noon on
Wednesday, July 22 through 12 noon on Saturday, July 25, 2009. Make your plans
now to attend! We would like to have all of our loyal SMAA members in
attendance, so don’t delay – tell your students and put together a road trip to
Missouri! We are counting on our leaders for their support, and I ask each one
of you to get behind this event with your attendance!
Fees for the Camp are:
Training Camp (all days)
-
SMAA Members…$150 (includes free Awards Dinner, July 25, 2009)
-
Non SMAA Members $200 (includes free Awards Dinner, July 25, 2009)
Training Camp (one day)
-
SMAA Members…$50 (each day, does not include Awards Dinner)
-
Non SMAA members (first day -$100, additional days - $50, does not include Awards Dinner)
There is no reduction in Camp fee (all days) if participants
choose not to attend the Awards Dinner.
Training will be offered in a variety of martial arts, with a
new art (and instructor) every hour. While an exact schedule of what
classes/instructors is not yet available, based on our many past events we can
tell you that training usually follows the outline below:
Wednesday
-
Training will be held from 12 noon until 5pm
-
Dinner break will be from 5pm to 7pm
-
Training will be held from 7pm to 9pm
Thursday
-
Training will be held from 8am until 12 noon
-
Lunch break will be from 12 noon to 1pm
-
Training will be held from 1pm until 5pm
-
Dinner break will be from 5pm until 7pm
-
Training will be held from 7pm until 9pm
Friday
-
Training will be held from 8am until 12 noon
-
Lunch break will be from 12 noon to 1pm
-
Training will be held from 1pm until 5pm
-
Dinner break will be from 5pm until 7pm
-
Training will be held from 7pm until 9pm
-
Saturday
-
Training will be held from 8am until 1pm at which point the SMAA Training Camp comes to a close
-
Afternoon break will be from 1pm to 5:30pm
-
Reception (cocktail hour) will be held from 5:30pm until 7pm
-
SMAA Awards Dinner will be held from 7pm until approximately 10pm(?)
Some of the arts offered for training in the past include:
Judo
Karate
Jujitsu
Mixed Martial Arts
Kickboxing
Aikido
Kenpo
Okinawan Kobudo (weapons)
Kenjutsu (Japanese sword)
Tae Kwon Do
Aikijujutsu
If you are planning to attend the Camp and want to formally
test while there, please contact Sensei Dave Lewis, Chairman of the SMAA
Promotion Board. Sensei Lewis will help you to have what you need for your test
and will assemble an appropriate group of high ranking martial artists to
evaluate your performance. He can be reached at:
Sensei Dave Lewis
PO Box 2171
Florissant, MO
63032-2171
adventureaddict@sbcglobal.net
The location for both events is:
Holiday Inn Select
4341 Veteran’s Memorial Parkway
St. Peters, MO 63376
Please call (636) 928-1500 to make your reservations.
2009 SMAA Awards Dinner
Our 2009 SMAA Awards Dinner will be on Saturday evening, July
25, 2009. The Dinner will begin with a reception (cocktail hour) at 5:30, and
then dinner at 7pm with the awards program commencing immediately thereafter.
SMAA Training Camp instructors and award recipients DO NOT
PAY to attend the SMAA Awards Dinner…quite the opposite! This is the day that we
give back to them for all they have done for the martial arts. Fee for guests
and others in attendance at the Award Dinner are:
Dinner only…$40
The SMAA Awards Dinner is a casual dinner. Appropriate dress
includes casual pants, shirt, dress, skirt, etc. No shorts or t-shirts will be
permitted. Suit and tie or tuxedo, evening dress, etc. is not necessary…if you
wear these, you will be VERY overdressed!!!
Regarding awards, we will present a maximum of six awards per
year at the SMAA Awards Dinner. Those nominated for one of the awards must be
present or send a representative in their place or no award consideration will
be possible. We will not ship awards, the recipient or their representative must
be present to accept the award! There are NO FEES for awards, they will truly be
a gift to those who have given something to the martial arts…you cannot under
any circumstances BUY your way into receiving an ward. This is a dramatic break
from the status quo in the martial arts award community, and for those of us in
the SMAA it is a very big step in the right direction.
If you would like to nominate someone for an award, please be
sure to read the following award categories and the criteria for each award. If
the individual that you have in mind meets these criteria, please prepare a
letter with their name, address, contact info, etc. as well as a full and
detailed description of their martial arts background, rank(s), accomplishments,
awards, etc. and why you feel they should receive this award. Nominations that
do not include the above will not be considered.
Please send your nominations (with supporting documentation)
to Sensei Tom Belt, Director of the SMAA Awards Dinner, and Chairman of the SMAA
Award Selection Committee:
Sensei Tom Belt
PO Box 2171
Florissant, MO
63032-2171
tbelt@streamlinecorporation.net
The Award categories (and appropriate criteria) are:
Lifetime Achievement Award…Awarded to an individual with 50
years or more in the martial arts, holds the rank of at least 8th dan (or the
equivalent), and has made noteworthy contributions in all three of the following
areas at the national or international level:
1. Competition (years of excellence as a competitor,
promoter, director, official, etc.)
2. administration (years of excellence as a leader,
motivator, organizer, contributor, active in association operations, events,
etc.)
3. technical (advanced senior master level technical skills,
advanced senior master level ability as a teacher or coach)
The individual must (of course) be of unquestioned character
and ethics and must exemplify the highest possible standards in the martial arts
and everyday life.
Distinguished Service Award…Awarded to an individual who has
40 years or more in the martial arts, holds the rank of at least 7th dan (or the
equivalent), and has made noteworthy contributions in at least two of the three
following areas at the national or international level:
1. competition (years of excellence as a competitor,
promoter, director, official, etc.)
2. administration (years of excellence as a leader,
motivator, organizer, contributor, active in association operations, events,
etc.)
3. technical (advanced master level technical skills,
advanced master level ability as a teacher or coach)
The individual must (of course) be of unquestioned character
and ethics and must exemplify the highest possible standards in the martial arts
and everyday life.
Outstanding Merit Award…Awarded to an individual who has 30
years or more in the martial arts, hold the rank of at least 6th dan (or the
equivalent), and has made noteworthy contributions in at least one of the three
following areas at the national or international level:
1. competition (years of excellence as a competitor,
promoter, director, official, etc.)
2. administration (years of excellence as a leader,
motivator, organizer, contributor, active in association operations, events,
etc.)
3. technical (advanced senior level technical skills,
advanced senior level ability as a teacher or coach)
The individual must (of course) be of unquestioned character
and ethics and must exemplify the highest possible standards in the martial arts
and everyday life.
Instructor Excellence Award…Awarded to a martial arts
instructor who has 20 years or more in the martial arts, holds the rank of at
least 4th dan (or the equivalent), and has made noteworthy contributions in at
least two of the three following areas at the local, regional or state level:
1. competition (years of excellence as a competitor,
promoter, director, official, etc.)
2. administration (years of excellence as a leader,
motivator, organizer, contributor, active in association operations, events,
etc.)
3. technical (advanced level technical skills, advanced level
ability as a teacher or coach)
The individual must (of course) be of unquestioned character
and ethics and must exemplify the highest possible standards in the martial arts
and everyday life.
Martial Arts Excellence Award… Awarded to an individual who
has 10 years or more in the martial arts, holds the rank of at least 2nd dan (or
the equivalent), and has made noteworthy contributions in at least one of the
three following areas at the local, regional or state level:
1. competition (years of excellence as a competitor,
promoter, director, official, etc.)
2. administration (years of excellence as a leader,
motivator, organizer, contributor, active in association operations, events,
etc.)
3. technical (advanced level technical skills, advanced level
ability as a teacher or coach)
The individual must (of course) be of unquestioned character
and ethics and must exemplify the highest possible standards in the martial arts
and everyday life.
Youth Excellence Award… This award is dedicated to the memory
of the late Chris Canning, a young martial artist of incredible potential and is
presented to an individual who is between the ages of 12 and 22, has 5 years or
more in the martial arts and has demonstrated a capacity for excellence in all
four of following areas:
1. competition (excellence as a competitor, etc.)
2. technical (excellent technical skills, ability as an
assistant to their teacher)
3. academics (3.0 grade point average or better, good
conduct, etc.)
4. community service (volunteer work in school, civic, church
projects, etc.)
The individual must (of course) be of unquestioned character
and ethics and must exemplify the highest possible standards in the martial arts
and everyday life.
Send those nominations and related support documents as soon
as possible! With a maximum of only six awards presented we must have plenty of
time to carefully scrutinize each nominee’s credentials before reaching a final
decision as to who will receive an award in 2009.
Make your plans to attend now! The location for both events
is:
Holiday Inn Select
4341 Veteran’s Memorial Parkway
St. Peters, MO 63376
Please call (636) 928-1500 to make your reservations.
Getting better!
Will Phillips, son of Joe Phillips, headmaster of the
Goshinkan Institute in Columbus, Ohio is doing well after his surgery and should
be back to 100% soon.
Sensei Angela Sutton had a second surgery on December 31 and
was subsequently given a clean bill of health! She is doing well and should be
back to 100% very soon!
Kyoshi Clay Worley, SMAA Kyoju Dairi for the southwestern
USA, continues to recover from his shoulder surgery and should be in fighting
form soon. In his own words, he describes his condition as:
“Both my physical therapist and my surgeon are very pleased
with my progress. However, I will be unable to do any full blown strength
training with the right shoulder before the third week of March. Truly, since I
lost a bone in the injury process, my surgery should have been much more
intrusive, to include cutting into the muscle and replacing the lost bone with a
chip from my skeleton or a cadaver's. Alas, I declined that option so that I
could recover faster. In the mean time, I'm running many miles with my dogs,
stretching, and doing abdominal workouts as well as lower body work with
weights. So far, that's going well. But, if I ever dislocate it again, then it
will be time to drag out the screws, cadaver bones, and muscle cutting
instruments for sure.”
Shihan Dean Sutzer, SMAA Kyoju Dairi for the Tennessee area
of the USA is also getting better every day. While it will still be several
months before he is fully recovered, he is off to a good start and is expected
to make a full recovery.
Our thanks to everyone for their support and prayers to these
dedicated SMAA members and leaders.
News from our SMAA Members
Sensei Brandon Fisher of Ohio would like to announce an
internet TV series “Best Defense”. The show features several ranking black belts
representing their specific style. These styles include Shorin Ryu, Kung Fu, Tae
Kwon Do, Hapkido, Ninjutsu and many others to air soon. For more information,
visit
www.fisherkarate.com/pdf/Best_Defense_Press_Release12-08.pdf for the
complete press release on the show.
SMAA Member Benefits
Besides all of the programs we have and others that will soon
be available to our members, we can help you make contacts and promote your own
events, etc. in the martial arts.
Do you have a training event, tournament or something else
related to the martial arts that you would like to share with others? This is
one of the greatest benefits of being an SMAA Member – we will gladly help you
network to spread the word (via this newsletter and other contacts that are
several hundred in number) in an effort to make your efforts more successful.
Tell us what you need and we will do our best to help you
reach your goals!
It’s ALWAYS an honor to be of service to you!
All the best,
Donn Schucker
SMAA Executive Director
(314) 606-7306
www.smaa-martialarts.com
