Nick Lowery, 8th dan in Judo?

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 10:25pm

Originally Posted by hungryjoe

Hey Matt,

Why not have M Tripp pose these thoughts/questions himself vs you being his mouth piece?

USJA did not go by the rules. Is there not the possibility that Nick never had to sign anything or was that a rule in force but to hell with the others?

Why would you say I am being Mark's mouthpiece? I am plenty familar with the USJA promotion process, and I don't need Mark to tell me what's what. Sure I ask him to field questions all the time, as I have with this case, but the argument I posted is my own.

It certainly IS possible he never signed anything, as I went over in my long post, and if that is the case then his rank is invalid just as Matt Morton' was, despite his being in the system, and despite the fac that he has clean JA paper hanging on his wall. I certainly would rather this be the case than the alternative.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 10:28pm

Originally Posted by nick lowry

nope --i never signed any paperwork about section 5 or anything else-- didnt even know there was a background check or fingerprints -- cant speak to how it was processed or not on the usja end -- never spoke with them -- and i have no direct knowledge of who my teacher was working with there-- all i can say is
it went down as i have reported it -- on my end, i was informed of the promotion over the phone and the certificate pictured above came in the mail

If you never signed the forms then you need to do so ASAP, or your rank will never be valid.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 10:34pm

Originally Posted by Larus marinus

(edit to note that I was composing this while the previous two posts were coming in)

I was just about to go to bed when I saw this thread had replies...

Anyhoo - Matt, you're obviously more clued-up than I on the practices of the USJA. In your post, you presented an either/or scenario - "either he signed off on taking an exam he never took, and is holding his rank illegitimately, or he never was a USJA Hachidan at all".

Is there not a third possibility here - that someone spoke to someone and got all the rules waived for Mr. Lowry (and perhaps others)? Which is perhaps the worst scenario of all.

You mention the 47 years time in grade - I don't think that Mr. Lowry is even 47 years old now, is he (or even if he's slightly older - it would probably work out that he'd have to have been awarded his shodan as a small child)? If he'd signed something affirming that, *surely* sanity would prevail and someone would have pointed out the impossibility?

If he never signed the forms certifying that his exam was done properly, then he does not have the rank USJA thinks he does. Certainly if the background check was not done, he can not hold rank there. As far as "sanity prevailing", remember these are the same people who accepted a Japanese language rank cert from Matt Morton without ever even looking to see what was written on it. I think if somone submitted such a form, someone would probably look to see if the sigs were there, and pass it through. They have a lot of rules, but they clearly are not reading everything that crosses their path closely.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 11:13pm

Gotcha.

Anyway, there is a post in here with his feelings on the USJA. That alone, IMO, says it all.

**Outis** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 11:14pm

Originally Posted by nick lowry

in 2004 Geis publicly named me as his successor in Fugakukai -- I left his organization in 2008

Mr. Lowry, thank you for addressing my question. So within a couple of years after being named successor in Fugakukai you were awarded the hachidan.

In another thread, the awarding of a rokudan by Karl Geis to Paul Thomas was similarly scrutinized. Thomas himself had this to say about the matter:

...Sensei Geiss had some problems with his health. I believed that he wanted make sure that I would get the rank I needed in the event that something would happen to him. So I accepted. Of course Karl is back, and healthy as a horse, but he allowed me to retain that rank.

It would appear that in casting about for a successor, Geis might have pulled some strings to get advanced rank for his designees.

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 11:20pm

Originally Posted by Outis

Mr. Lowry, thank you for addressing my question. So within a couple of years after being named successor in Fugakukai you were awarded the hachidan.

In another thread, the awarding of a rokudan by Karl Geis to Paul Thomas was similarly scrutinized. Thomas himself had this to say about the matter:

...Sensei Geiss had some problems with his health. I believed that he wanted make sure that I would get the rank I needed in the event that something would happen to him. So I accepted. Of course Karl is back, and healthy as a horse, but he allowed me to retain that rank.

It would appear that in casting about for a successor, Geis might have pulled some strings to get advanced rank for his designees.

That is certainly a preferable scenario to one where Lowry was being untruthful, but I'll say it again: if your uncle Larry pulls strings with the Bar Association to get you licenced to practice Law in your state without ever having passed the bar exam, or having sworn the relevant oaths or passed the relevant background checks, then it is your responsibility to contact the Bar and ask them to take you off the books, and certainly to abstain from practicing Law or giving the impression you have demonstrated the ability to do so. Especially if you knew that something improper happened to get you to that point in the first place.

**Outis** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 11:20pm

It appears from this webpage that Fugakukai bills itself as teaching "Kodokan Judo":

http://www.karlgeis.com/

**Matt Phillips** · Posted On: 7/14/2011 11:32pm

Originally Posted by Outis

It appears from this webpage that Fugakukai bills itself as teaching "Kodokan Judo":

http://www.karlgeis.com/

USJA Judo rank is only relevant to the Non-Kodokan Olympic variety. I can't see why Geis would care about it at all, especially when you can (or could) get "Kodokan Judo" rank from the Kodokan.

**Warchief** · Posted On: 7/15/2011 7:33am

Originally Posted by Mtripp

Phil Porter was forced out of USJA for selling Judo ranks to people unskilled and unqualified to hold them. Understand, by USJA’s own published standards they did NOT qualify.

Faced with this, Phil Porter was removed, and new tests and testing procedures were put into place.

Now, we see that USJA has returned to the Phil Porter method of fund raising. Simply sell high ranks to anyone who wants them. This clearly was the reason that both Jimmy Pedro Sr. and Anna Marie resigned as president, the selling of rank to those unqualified to hold them. Perhaps they could interest Phil Porter in coming back? However, let me be clear, ANYONE in USJA who approved of this, is guilty of the same crime as Phil, and should resign, or be forced to, this day

There are a couple of factual errors in Mr. Tripp's statement. First, Phil Porter was not forced out of the USJA due to selling inflated rank. Mr. Porter was removed from office for failing to meet his fiduciary obligations as President of the USJA BOD.

Secondly, Mr. Pedro and Ms DeMarrs resignations from office had absolutely nothing to do USJA rank policy or procedures. This is a totally false state based on an erroneous supposition. James Webb was President of the USJA at the time Mr. Lowery's certificate was issued. Mr. Webb is now a Board member for USA Judo. Virgil Bowles was Chair of the USJA Promotion committee and is now deceased. The promotion is dated 12/7/06 occuring after Ms Demarrs and Mr. Pedro elections to office. They both resigned their USJA positions in April 2010.

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/15/2011 7:58am

Originally Posted by Warchief

There are a couple of factual errors in Mr. Tripp's statement. First, Phil Porter was not forced out of the USJA due to selling inflated rank. Mr. Porter was removed from office for failing to meet his fiduciary obligations as President of the USJA BOD.

Secondly, Mr. Pedro and Ms DeMarrs resignations from office had absolutely nothing to do USJA rank policy or procedures. This is a totally false state based on an erroneous supposition. James Webb was President of the USJA at the time Mr. Lowery's certificate was issued. Mr. Webb is now a Board member for USA Judo. Virgil Bowles was Chair of the USJA Promotion committee and is now deceased. The promotion is dated 12/7/06 occuring after Ms Demarrs and Mr. Pedro elections to office. They both resigned their USJA positions in April 2010.

Hello Warchief.

The content of your post would suggest to me that you are affiliated with the USJA in some official capacity or other. Would this be correct?