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Thread: Keith badyna

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    Default Keith badyna

    I recently saw a site on a kenjutsu/batto jutsu teacher that claimed 8th dan in aikido, a slew of hall of fames, and teaches batto jutsu.
    Is there really an 8th dan in aikido outside of Parks Shihan? The whole hall of fame thing threw up red flags, he used to belong in the shinkendo group.
    Erin O'Neill

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    A quick search on Google yielded the following quote from
    http://www.tokidojo.com/sensei.html

    In addition, Master Martin is currently training in the art of Shinkendo under Master Keith Badyna.
    So it would seem the Battojutsu could be Shinkendo.

    He's also apparently a member of Lou Angel's National College of Martial Arts Int'l as evidenced by his post in the Letters to Hanshi section of the following newsletter

    http://www.louangel.com/newsletters/summer_2002.pdf

    There are pictures of him doing Tameshigiri in that newsletter as well. There is mention of his promotion to 8th dan in this newsletter so perhaps the ranking comes through the National college of Martial Arts.



    The following quotes are from http://www.saboten-ryu.com/about_aikido.htm
    The founder of Saboten Ryu Aikido is Sensei Keith R. Badyna.

    ...

    In June of 2002 Badyna Sensei received his Hachi Dan( 8th Degree) from Hanshi Lou Angel of the National College of Martial Arts.
    There is no mention of Shinkendo or any sword style apart from Tomiki Ryu Aikido in this official biography of Badyna.



    Ok so what does it all mean? Well it's inconclusive for the moment but there is cause for concern. Entries into any martial arts hall of fame is a cause for concern. Founding your own style is a cause for concern. Neither of these two things means he is necessarily a McDojo type, but they are cause for judicious suspicion. His sword background is vague at best. More research is needed.
    Charles Mahan

    Iaido - Breaking down bad habits,
    and building new ones.

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    Uh oh. A little further reading on the www.saboten-ryu.com/about_aikido.htm site revealed the following gem.

    Saboten Ryu Dojo was ranked the the #1 Aikido / Kenjutsu in the United States by the World head of the family Sokeship council in 2002.
    Not a good sign.
    Charles Mahan

    Iaido - Breaking down bad habits,
    and building new ones.

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    One of their students informed me that they are part of the batto do assoc? What is that. He said it is toyama ryu, now that I easily recognize.
    Erin O'Neill

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    Well... I searched google on Badyna and Toyama and encountered the following entry in a Guestbook at http://www.webdiva4hire.com/kenshinkan/

    Dear Sensei, I have spoken with my students and we are interested in bringing you out for a seminar, Please contact me. Dojo 215 997-7900
    Badyna Sensei <SNIP of email addy to irritate spammers>
    Colmar, PA USA -
    Perhaps he was able to schedule a seminar. Requesting a seminar certainly does not speak to a long term connection with Toyama Ryu.



    The same search turned up the connection with Shinkendo. There was at least one seminar at Badyna's dojo on November 15, 1998. It was apparently part of a three-day "Super Samurai Weekend". Perhaps there was a deeper connection at one time, but that's all I could find through google.
    Charles Mahan

    Iaido - Breaking down bad habits,
    and building new ones.

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    I've looked around online a bit more. I found numerous instances of Badyna-sensei being invited to various seminars. In pratically all cases, the art listed is Kenjutsu or Battojutsu. It is very rare to run across any style name and it is almost always his created style. While it is peculiar, he doesn't seem to be misrepresenting himself anywhere per se.
    Charles Mahan

    Iaido - Breaking down bad habits,
    and building new ones.

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    Well, I'd be wary. Nothing wrong at all with independent aikido dojo, but when they start (basically) awarding themselves rank, I'd run pretty quickly. 'Course, he could be excellent technically.

    I don't know of a Parks Shihan, but there is an Amos Parker Shihan, 8th dan, Yoshinkan, who was given his rank by Gozo Shioda, I believe.

    Ron Tisdale

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    You are correct, Parker sensei is who I meant. I am not implying that Mr. Badyna is a bad seed, just looking for solid sword training in the Philly area. Thanks.
    Erin O'Neill

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    It may be a little farther than you would like, but there is excellent instruction available in the DC area. Greg Huff holds the rank of Rokudan Renshi awarded through the Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei and the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Seitokai. He trains under Muruyama-sensei a Judan Hanshi of Saga city.

    I have had the priviledge of training with Huff-sensei personally on 3 different occasions. His Iai is VERY strong. Go check him out and you'll see what I mean.

    MapQuest shows it to be around a two and a half hour drive, but I would personally consider it well worth the time.

    You can learn more about him at his dojo web page.

    http://www.eishinkai.homestead.com/
    Charles Mahan

    Iaido - Breaking down bad habits,
    and building new ones.

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    Mr. Badyna WAS a member of our Shinkendo Federation for a few years, but there has not been any affiliation between he and our group for a few years now. I can go through my letters and nail down a more specific date if needed. I believe he may be affiliated with a batto-do group here in America, but it is not us.

    I don't know much about his Aikido.

    Regards,

    Nathan Scott
    Shinkendo Honbu Kyoshi

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    Originally posted by O'Neill
    You are correct, Parker sensei is who I meant. I am not implying that Mr. Badyna is a bad seed, just looking for solid sword training in the Philly area. Thanks.
    I didn't realize you are in the Philly Pa area...probably just didn't pay enough attention to the previous posts. If I were you, I'd contact Paul Manogue...paulmanogue@aol.com... and check out what he offers.

    Ron Tisdale

  12. #12
    L-Fitzgerald Guest

    Default Vague memories

    of a conversation with this gentleman a few years back [can't remember the exact year since it was only one discussion] brings to mind that he stated something about having created his own MA style, and as I recall it was based on Aikido. And that call resulted from wanting to know the location of his dojo with regard to acquiring training in Shinkendo since I was not living close to Sensei Birdsell, in the Molina area, but had been corresponding with him for a time.

    L Fitzgerald

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    After perusing the urls listed above, I realize these guys are right around the corner from me. I'll probably get to train with them sooner or later. I saw Guy Powers listed on their web site...or was that in the thread...maybe he could give some info.

    The one vid I could see on the site looked more like kendo than anything else...I couldn't tell good kendo from bad if it hit me upside the head. The instructors sure look big and relatively fit though.

    RT

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    hello all,

    I don't want to stir up much trouble here but I have trained with Mr. Badyna before in Shinkendo before he left the organization. It is not appropriate to comment much on the issue and would better be left to Nathan Scott or Obata sensei himself to comment on Mr. Badyna if either feels it important. However, my advise is RUN do not walk to the nearest exit. If you have any sense you should avoid this man. All the big red flags that go up about "World Sokeship", creating his own budo, etc. are correct.
    Christopher Covington

    Daito-ryu aikijujutsu
    Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu heiho

    All views expressed here are my own and don't necessarily represent the views of the arts I practice, the teachers and people I train with or any dojo I train in.

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