Nick Lowery, 8th dan in Judo?

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:06am

Originally Posted by hungryjoe

Mark,

Welcome back. Long time no hear from.

A long while back, I sent you a PM about Karl Geis, asking what you thought.

If you would be so kind, would you give your thoughts in this thread. I know he competed in the (50/60s?) and you had no bad words then. Anything changed your mind?

I know Nick to be a good person, totally without a bs bone in his body. His aikido and judo blended like no other person I've felt, but then again, I'm mediocre at best.

from

http://judoforum.com/index.php?/topi.../page__st__108

Why the thread?

Because while Nick may be a good person, he knows he does not have the ability to pass the test for the Rank he claims. His Judo skills are NOT where an 8th dan should be, and he knows he NEVER took the test for that rank. No one should be allowed to claim a rank they are NOT qualified to hold, "Zen Judo" is bull crap and always has been. It makes for nice kata, but you can NOT throw people that way.

If someone wishes to dispute that, where are the Shiai wins showing us how effective this is? Just how did Nick earn the points for his 8th dan?

The purpose of this place is to call out Bullshido when we find it, THIS is a glaring example.

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:11am

Originally Posted by hungryjoe

Why the thread?

This is a valid question.

Why the thread, now?

Lowry has been around for ages claiming high rank, what's sparked not only a return to bullshido, but also the decision to out Lowry?

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:16am

Originally Posted by judoka_uk

This is a valid question.

Why the thread, now?

Lowry has been around for ages claiming high rank, what's sparked not only a return to bullshido, but also the decision to out Lowry?

Came to Mr. Tripp's attention, I guess...

This all came out because I am helping Mark Hunter raise the Eagle Camp from the dead. This guy was recommended to us, and when I called Bullshido things hit the fan. Lets just begin with this, 1992 Shodan, NOTHING on the record before. 11 years later, 8th dan, NOTHING in between, BUT, USJA did issue the ranks....

Has anyone emailed Mr. Lowery to invite him here and ask him about this yet? If not, I can do that...

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:19am

Let me be clear, this is really very simple and I have explained it here before.

To just "show up" as a Shodan in Judo is possible, but is due to a small number of reasons.

"Showing Up" means we have no record as a kyu rank. No shiai wins, no testings, just "here you are." The three ways this happens is:

1. Batsugun: You went to a major event, entered the black belt division, defeated enough black belts to earn the points to be a black belt. Rare, but it does happen with people like highly skilled wrestlers. Not so much now with new rules.

2. Dojo Call: Usually this was done for returning servicemen. Shodan is really a small rank and not the end all people believe. This was done when someone who did Judo overseas came home, went to a club, clearly had skills but no rank, so they made the guy a black belt. Again, lots of these in the old days, not so much now.

3. Validation: Person has rank, but rank is not from an IJF group. You test them, (you TEST them,) then file the paperwork.

4. Porter Baby: Do I need to go over this one? Do I need to remind people that Porter was removed from office over it, although at the time I pointed out LOTS of people there had to agree with it or it couldn't go on.

The thing with Porter is sad, because he had real skills and did a lot for US Judo. Then he gave into the dark side and here we are.

Now, lets keep this in mind, once you are "in the system" all the rules now apply to you. In 1992 Nick "popped up" as a Shodan. Ok, now he is in the system. From now on, all the rules for rank and promotion must apply. But they do not. There is NOTHING in the system about him for 11 years, and now he "pops up" again, but as an 8th dan. Later I will explain how many of USJA's rules were violated by this, but I will state there is now way this rank can be official or legitimate by USJA's own rules.

I had no idea who put him in for the rank; If it was Karl then like Porter, a once great man has sullied his reputation by selling a rank to an unqualified person.

But lets be clear, this rank means Nick out ranks, Pat Burris, Mike Swain, Ron Tripp, and on and on. Someone want to tell me what he has done to be ranked higher than those guys?

I expect it to be very quiet after that question.

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:24am

Wow, so you are questioning why Bullshido is investigating someone who is making a claim that clearly is bogus? Isn't that what this site is all about?

Why now? Well its the first I heard about it. If all of you knew and did nothing, then this place is a sad shadow of what it once was....

...or does its stated purpose only apply to those we do not like? "Nice guys" can claim as they wish?

I welcome Nick to be here; it will change nothing, but that is up to you guys and him. But there is no way the rank is legit.

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:28am

Why "come back?" Because this is not about Nick. Nick is the glaring evidence of a MUCH bigger problem, USJA. If they have returned to the Porter days of selling ranks to unqualified people, then USA Judo need to remove their "Class A" status and let them become no different from Juko-kai. THAT is bigger than me, and I thought this was the place where people would "get" that.

Am I wrong?

**judoka_uk** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 4:34am

Originally Posted by Mtripp

Wow, so you are questioning why Bullshido is investigating someone who is making a claim that clearly is bogus? Isn't that what this site is all about?

Why now? Well its the first I heard about it. If all of you knew and did nothing, then this place is a sad shadow of what it once was....

...or does its stated purpose only apply to those we do not like? "Nice guys" can claim as they wish?

Calm down. I live on the other side of the atlantic from you, I don't really give a toss about American Judo politics. Check out the threads on JF I said this guy was full of it back in 2010, but the whole of American Judo basically piled in on me and told me to back off him. And as its not my backyard or mess I let it go.

I just wondered seeing as how long you'd been involved in US Judo and the USJA you'd never come across this guy before.

Btw where is he claiming 8th dan in Judo?

I can find a 8th dan in Aikido claim on his website along with a claim of 7th dan in Judo. I've also found claims of 5th and 6th dans in Judo.
http://www.windsongdojo.com/school/school_inst_2.html

As if people are going to investigate him they're going to need to be able to reference the place where he is claiming USJA 8th dan in Judo. Otherwise he will be able to wriggle out of it or claim it was an 8th dan from his own org or some other nonsense org.

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 5:00am

Originally Posted by Mtripp

I welcome Nick to be here; it will change nothing, but that is up to you guys and him. But there is no way the rank is legit.

I've emailed him a link to this thread. You make some very serious allegations and I know that you know your Judo and the US Judo scene - but let's see what he has to say before we start building the metaphorical gallows...

btw, we've been spelling his surname wrong on here - it's *Lowry*.

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 7/12/2011 5:24am

Ah yes, the interesting internet gambit of finding a spelling error to refute someones points. Its early, and I am tired, I will adjust.

He not only claims the rank of 8th dan in Judo, its in the USJA database! This begs a question because here is USJA's own rank test:

http://www.usja-judo.org/forms/Docs/srpromo.pdf

Simple question, did Nick EVER take this test? As an 8th degree black belt in Judo, could he take and pass this test for 8th dan? I know I can for 6th, and I know I did take it, and take all of it, at the Spirit of the Eagle Camp years ago. It took several hours a day for the entire week, but I did it.

I expect people in USJA of high rank to have done the same. It really is a "stolen valor" thing.