The USJA Promotion Board is NOT DOING their Job!!!!!

**markjudo** · Posted On: 7/15/2011 4:27pm

What has happened to the ART, the SPORT, the WAY OF Life, I once knew?
I dont care what PEOPLE think but, RANK is VERY important. I have lived my life through Judo.

I dont take short cuts, I didnt buy my rank, and it does hit my nerves and my HEART when I see PROMOTIONS handed out to those who did not FOLLOW the Guidelines/Requirements! Period. This is KILLING Judo!!!!!

I am not pointing out certian folks that did this, they know in their heart and mind that they CHEATED the system. Where is the HONOR & RESPECT?

How can anyone be proud of their rank and have it hanging on the wall. The Certificate states " hereby certified at the rank by the USJA National Promotion Board. you are now considered to be highly skilled Sensei, or expert teacher of Judo. As a National leader of Judo, we know you will continue to improve your knowledge, character and Judo skills. We also expert you to eager to teach Judo at all times. Your leadership of Judo affairs at the State and National level is great importtance. All members pf the USJA expects you to exemplify the ideals, philosophy, and true spirit of Judo in evert aspect of your life".

I have looked through the USJA Database and it is VERY alarming to how many Judokas does not have theT-I-G for thier rank.

I not going to the post the name of this person but, this isnt Sensei Lowry, someone else that skip ranks. They want this subject to drop beacuse it shouldnt be on this site because they are in the SAME boat.

Rank HistoryDateArtRank4/27/2004JudoRokudan4/16/2003JudoGodan4/22/1999JudoYodan7/7/1993JudoShodan
Shodan in 1993 and then jumps to Yodan in 1999 and then 4 years later a Godan and only 1 year later a Rokudan

JUST CLOSE YOUR EYES!!!!! WALK AWAY!!!!!!!! WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIS IS THE WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM TOO GOOD TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS!!!!!
THE USJA CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear Ya :)

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/15/2011 4:44pm

Originally Posted by markjudo

I not going to the post the name of this person but, this isnt Sensei Lowry, someone else that skip ranks. They want this subject to drop beacuse it shouldnt be on this site because they are in the SAME boat.

Rank HistoryDateArtRank4/27/2004JudoRokudan4/16/2003JudoGodan4/22/1999JudoYodan7/7/1993JudoShodan
Shodan in 1993 and then jumps to Yodan in 1999 and then 4 years later a Godan and only 1 year later a Rokudan

If you've discovered something that would suggest that someone on here is full of **** and/or has been doing something unethical, why not start a new MABS thread to get this looked into?

To quote someone on here (probably Tripp), 'sunlight is the best disinfectant of all'.

**BKR** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 5:56pm

Originally Posted by markjudo

This all started with Sensei Lowry when I was putting together a Camp for all Martial Artists in Ohio. We had Judo - Ju Jitsu - Tae Kwon Do - BJJ down. Somoene said why not add Aikido. So, I said YES, Give a name of someone that could teach it at Camp. Sensei Lowry name came up. In the process of getting him to come to teach Aikido his Judo High Dan came to light. Mark Tripp asked what rank he was and from what organization. He said 8th dan and that put up RED FLAGS.

I never met him. He seems like a great guy. I have no issues of him coming to teach Aikido. I do have a issue of 8th dan in Judo with only 11 years since Shodan. He might have the skill to hold a high dan, dont know him. I just know there is NO WAY he could be a 8th dan if all the REQURIEMENTS/GUIDELINES were met. But... he isnt the only one that doesnt have the TIG for the rank they hold. This is a "HIGH RANK PROMOTION" issue not a Sensei Lowry issue.

But......................... If someone has the PASSION, RESPECT, HONOR for the Art of Judo, they would NEVER accepted the rank. NO MATTER WHAT! He did acceoted it because he still has the Certificate. I would of send it back to the USJA.

Now, Take someone that been in the Art of Judo. They meet all the GUIDELINES/REQUIREMENTS and gets the SAME Promotion. Is that fair? Someone that supported their Organization, Took all Tests, Attend all of the Clinics, Attained all required points.

Now, people say rank doesnt mean anything? So, if it doesnt mean anything why is everyone eager and accepts the ranks? It must mean something!

I feel sorry for those you got suck in to this Promotion BullCrap. It must stop! I think it is to late for Judo. Judo is dying Art over here in the USA. It very SAD for me. I have put over 42 years into Judo for what. I am not a 8th Dan and I will never accept that High Rank. I am happy to be a 6th Dan. I feel that is the highest someone should go unless they a set apart of the rest.

I havent seen someone like that for a long time.

I went to the USJA Data Base and got the information on his rank history. Only 2 records. SHODAN and his 8th Dan - nothing else.

So, Mark, when will you be presenting your findings to the USJA and requesting an ethics (or whatever is appropriate under USJA byelaws).

You do know that there are most likely a LOT of people that got their promotions in the same way Nick Lowery did via the same sensei, right? When will you be asking for names associated with the Mr. Geis's organization and pulling USJA promotion records?

Wait, didn't you distance yourself from USJA already due to all the crap that went on in the last election and it's aftermath?

**markjudo** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 7:06pm

I didnt distance myself from the USJA. I just bowed out of the POLITICS and ALL OF their Committees. I didnt want to be invovled in something I didnt believe in. I still have HOPE that one day the USJA will be great again. I have the 7th Largest USJA Club so, if I had distanced myself why would I have a big club with over 100 USJA members in it.

Like I have stated before: I dont know Sensei Lowry, he seems to be a very nice person but............... it also seems that the USJA had some great people in their organization too and look what happened to the RANK Issue with them.

I dont want to HURT or BELITTLE anyone! I just want EVERYONE to follow the same GUIDESLINES. I dont believe in the BUDDY SYSTEM. It scares me that I have promoted all of my students through the USJA. They have meet all requirements and now I feel their rank could be in question due to all of the Sour grapes that CHEATED the system. No one RESPECTS the USJA Ranks for this reason! I want my STUDENTS to be proud of their rank and what they did to EARN it. It wasnt GIVEN to them as a GIFT. Rank shouldnt be a GIFT! It is something you earn through hard work.

If I recall right. Some Ju Jitsu members werent happy with the USJA so, they went out and started their organization and most of them hold HIGH DAN ranks now. Rank is something that should earned and not given!!!!!!!!!!!!! They left the USJA beacuse they thought they should be HIGH RANK and the USJA wanted Contorl. Wow.... Rank must mean something then :)

**markjudo** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 7:14pm

What is so funny, I was asked to send some money in to Phil Porter's Organization and return they would send me my next Promotion! I took the letter and wipe my ass with it, it wasnt good for anything else.

RANK should be EARNED and NOT GIVEN, period!

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 7:15pm

Originally Posted by BKR

So, Mark, when will you be presenting your findings to the USJA and requesting an ethics (or whatever is appropriate under USJA byelaws).

You do know that there are most likely a LOT of people that got their promotions in the same way Nick Lowery did via the same sensei, right? When will you be asking for names associated with the Mr. Geis's organization and pulling USJA promotion records?

Wait, didn't you distance yourself from USJA already due to all the crap that went on in the last election and it's aftermath?

Just for the record, do the two Marks currently have access to the full USJA database? That's the impression I got from their comments on here recently.

I don't know if I'm going to regret asking this (but here goes...) - it's been implied in this thread that there are quite a few (loads?) of people listed in the USJA database, some in senior positions, who are in possession of rank that they could not, under the rules of the org, have legitimately earned - whether it be though lack of time in grade, or inexplicable jumps in their promotion history, or no test papers on file, or whatever else doesn't add up, right? If this is indeed the case and folks are concerned that these guys are fucking up the art they love - then why not a public mass name and shame and demands for answers from every single last one of them?

**Larus marinus** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 7:19pm

Originally Posted by BKR

The guy you whom you were either trying to impress or being a sock puppet, wittingly or otherwise, has gone away.

So just stop or go to USJA with this problem.

BTW, the current President of JA has his signature on Lowery's hachidan certificate.

Oh yeah - I forgot to mention this yesterday. Tripp told me via PM (when I pinged him to tell him that Mr. L's cert had been posted here) that "ALL of the names are stamped in advance and the papers filled in as needed".

He'll probably be happy to confirm that here. So the names and signatures are probably not indicative of anything...

**markjudo** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 7:27pm

I can looked up a current members name and get their RanK History through the following link.

Only can search by name. not search by rank

http://[URL="http://www.usjacoach.org"]www.usjacoach.org[/URL]

I dont have access to anything else.

AMERIKAN JUDO (OH0018)
DetailsMembers Chartered:YesClub Class:Class ARegistered:6/29/1994Primary Style:JudoOther Styles: Annual Members:101Life Members:9Black Belts:8

Contact Information ContactClub AddressMailing Address Phone:419-722-3476Fax:419-422-9922Email:markjudo@aol.comWebsite:www.amerikanjudo.org Findlay YMCA
1400 Manor Hill Rd
Findlay, OH 45840
United States 373 Cherry St
Bluffton,

**markjudo** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 7:49pm

This is what SOMEONE record should look like: No missing Promotions, TIG is correct.

I took the the member name off:

Rank HistoryDateArtRank10/8/2003JudoRokudan7/5/2002JuJitsu8D5/2/1995JudoGodan1/1/1994JuJitsu7D1/1/1987JuJitsu6D1/1/1985JudoYodan1/1/1984JuJitsu5D1/1/1982JuJitsu4D1/1/1980JudoSandan1/1/1978JuJitsu3D1/1/1975JudoNidan1/1/1974JuJitsu2D1/1/1972JuJitsu1D1/1/1972JudoShodan
This is what is shouldnt look like (Took Member Name Off)
Rank HistoryDateArtRank4/27/2004JudoRokudan4/16/2003JudoGodan7/3/2002JuJitsu5D4/22/1999JudoYodan7/7/1993JudoShodan
NO RECORD OF NIDAN or SANDAN, Only 6 years between Shodan & Yodan
ONLY 1 year between GODAN & ROKUDAN

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 7/16/2011 8:13pm

I wouldn't accuse you of that at all.

The more I see, the more I hear, and the more I converse with people in the "know" the stranger this thread looks.