Just got this...IIMAA 'buy your rank' spam email.

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 6/02/2009 1:49pm

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Time for a Promotion?

Have you:

1. Been the same rank for years?
2. Said "rank is not important to me" but now to be competitive it is.
3. Thought "I can not afford the high price of a rank test".
4. Lost touch with an organization that can certify you in your style?
5. Thought the next rank would be to hard to achieve at your age?

I am sure there are other excuses for not attempting to be promoted to your next rank; however, IIMAA is taking all of those excuses away.

IIMAA will test you for your next rank based on time in grade (some restrictions apply)

IIMAA is running a special on all promotion tests. For the month of June all promotions are 50% off!

IIMAA can certify you in any style and give you the international rank recognition you need.

Now is the time to take the next step in your martial arts career and get the rank you deserve!

Visit www.iimaa.net for more information!

Do not forget about our huge Martial Arts Seminar and Award Ceremony!

The best martial artist in the world will be there, will you?

Nominate someone for the HOF!

Visit www.maseminar.com for more information! Sign up soon to take advantage of the huge discounts!

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**1point2** · Posted On: 6/02/2009 1:56pm

Is there any way to actually rid the planet of these abominations? Or are we stuck with stamping out the people who buy from them?

Even our enforcement on the buyer's end almost always involves getting into ridiculously tedious and long-winded arguments and challenge matches that never really produce justice vis-a-vis the eradication of Bullshido....

**Lebell** · Posted On: 6/02/2009 1:57pm

Mtripp, you might want to check out a thread up in Ymas titles Siegfried Boedeker, pretty much the same modus operandi.

**Ken Pfrenger** · Posted On: 6/02/2009 2:13pm

I just got that this morning too! I have been getting spam from this group for about six months now...all in the same vein.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 6/02/2009 2:41pm

Originally Posted by 1point2

Is there any way to actually rid the planet of these abominations? Or are we stuck with stamping out the people who buy from them?

It will never end. As long as legit and semi legit instructors accept these shitty certs, they will always exist.

You were in the thread were an opinion led to a guy flipping out because, I said he fluffed his Resume.

The excuse is always but I'm also legit. Then people pop in and say well yes it is okay, but sort of wrong and no one gets the message.

**Dsimon3387** · Posted On: 6/02/2009 5:31pm

Originally Posted by It is Fake

It will never end. As long as legit and semi legit instructors accept these shitty certs, they will always exist.

You were in the thread were an opinion led to a guy flipping out because, I said he fluffed his Resume.

The excuse is always but I'm also legit. Then people pop in and say well yes it is okay, but sort of wrong and no one gets the message.

I want to open this post by saying that I agree with you, no caveats.

There are problems that should be addressed that would mitigate this fluff. For example if there was some standards that were honored and enforced by the community with no exceptions. Something like a secret society might use for initiation. Some of the modern systems are doing this but lets keep one eye open upon them as times change... can they maintain it?

Rank inflation is also a horrible cause of fluffery and puffery. It destroys all credability. 15 Dans? what good does that do anyone and who is so good that they are really better than a legitimate 10th Dan who had been studying an art all his/her life?

I have long been a lobbyist for standards of rank being attributed to two factors and two alone: skill level displayed and time spent training. The second of these is not perfect, some people train harder than others and some people train better, but it has the virtue of being better than simply arbitrarty rank awarded.

It does not help that the Japanese understanding of Rank is complex in a way that is rich, full of corruption itself in some juicy ways, and beyond comprehension to most other cultural particiapnts. The truth is that rank in Japan was traditionally based on service to the art... that concept takes a lot to ellucidate, people really do not understand what that means in a Japanese way. For example, two Ko ryu guys are sitting on a fence one is a great fighter the other steps in front of the great fighter to take a punch, who is the higher rank? My point is that service to an art is such that in many Ryu a gifted teacher who could not fight but knew all the techniques and how to teach them was considered more important: hell he could train five fighters! You lose one son in battle you could lose your system! So there is precedent.

So let me end this post saying what i started... " I agree with your absolute understanding that any fluff is fluff and ultimately detracts... yes.

**chalkieusa** · Posted On: 6/03/2009 6:11am

Well, yesterday in my e-mail, I got one also.

Nice little scheme, huh?

Problem is, alot of people will take advantage of this, and take the easy way toward rank.

Says alot for our culture, doesn't it?

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 6/03/2009 6:58am

I'd like to address the "padding" issue.

I honestly feel if a person has legitimate rank, from a major well respected group, they would NOT hang a false paper next to it.

Yes, I did keep the Juko-lie papers up for some time; but only because they said if I didn't take them down they would send someone to do so. I sent them pictures every week and asked when they were coming.

IMHO, when they are padding with all the BS paper mills, then there entire rank history is suspect.

**Chili Pepper** · Posted On: 6/03/2009 8:58am

I feel left out, that I haven't received such an email.

Although, to my credit, YK Kim's organ sends me actual mail, inviting me to their pay-and-play Hall of Fame dinner in Vegas.

**Mtripp** · Posted On: 6/03/2009 11:27am

Originally Posted by Chili Pepper

I feel left out, that I haven't received such an email.

Although, to my credit, YK Kim's organ sends me actual mail, inviting me to their pay-and-play Hall of Fame dinner in Vegas.

I have been asked twice.... not going.