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Thread: USJA card no longer valid at JI/JF events

  1. #1
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    Angry USJA card no longer valid at JI/JF events

    The USJI will no longer allow promoters to accept USJA cards at Judo tourneys. The JI says the JA dropped the ball on their insurance but the JA says they did what they were supposed to do. Bellow is an email from the promotor of an event that who is going to have dozens of folks wondering why they suddenly have to fork over $50 plus entry fee to enter the contest. Considering they get a few hundred kids and half of them are JA card holders, I expect a lot of pissed off parents (besides myself).

    I'm sure the USJI will lose what ever extra income from this sudden change fighting off class action suits.

    ---
    Greetings everyone:

    The LSC 2003 is just a few days away! It looks like we're going to have some great competition. We have athletes confirmed from: TX, CO, AR, OK, MI, MS, LA, and Mexico. In fact, CO, MS, and AR are neck and neck in the race for the most hotel rooms reserved at the Ameri-Suites!

    The pre-regs have really picked up in the last several days. We've received pre-regs in just about every division so far. We have also received quite a few kata team entries. I believe there are 9 teams so far.

    Unfortunately, the LSC 2003 is caught in the middle of the insurance conflicts between JI, JF, and JA. We regret to inform you we will not be able to accept JA membership cards at the tournament. We will have JI membership forms available on site for those that need them.

    I have a couple of reminders for you:
    Remember all juniors need to weigh-in on Friday night from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Hurst Recreation Center, 700 Mary Drive, Hurst, TX 76053. The junior draws and match cards will be done on Friday night. The tournament will start promptly at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
    Chief Referee, Martin Bregman will host an open referee and coach discussion to clarify the new rules that went into effect on January 1st. The discussion will be held in Room D from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m.

    OJC is looking forward to being your host this weekend. We appreciate everyone's support.

    Kim Mesa

    Okuri Judo

    www.okurijudo.com
    --dave stokes

  2. #2
    Don Cunningham Guest

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    This is really going to be a nightmare. We have been unable to obtain either USJI or USJF cards here in the Chicago area. After six months of e-mails and letters, we finally got two of the five USJI cards registered at a local tournament. Even those were only good for a few more months. The parents at my club refuse to pay for USJI cards or USJF cards. The USJA, despite all their financial troubles and internal scandals, has been the only association which provides consistent, high-quality customer service. It's a shame that this is the situation now.

    We're fortunate to be part of the community parks district. All the instructors are also part-time city employees so we're covered by the city's insurance. We only need cards for tournaments and seminars. Therefore, we have not been participating in many external events.

    Frankly, I prefer the AAU. They don't issue or certify ranks, but the cost is only about $10/year for juniors and $20/year for seniors. The insurance is much better than any offered by the judo associations. The downside is that there are not many AAU events because it is not too popular.

  3. #3
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    And unfortunately, this is the last thing the American judo community needs. I had six students forced to buy an additional membership they did not want in order to compete this past Sunday. Needless to say, this is precisely the kind of thing that could persuade confused students (and/or their parents) to give up on Judo just to avoid such unprofessional politics. Just can't see how driving students away from competition and ultimately, judo itself, will help matters.
    Cary Takagawa

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    That appears to be the true motivation of things anyway - to force USJA members to join USJI. The heck with that.

    Rob Thornton

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    Angry Don't get carried away (yet)!

    It appears the matter may be resolved in the next couple of days. (see links at bottom of this post)

    For the sake of Judo in the US, I hope so.

    If it can be settled expeditiously, I'm inclined to bite my tongue & not say nasty things about who I think got us into this mess (or why!).
    As much as I'd like to bitch, I still remember the wars between USJA/USJF/AAU way back when. I'd rather not go there again.

    Instead, I'll express myself at the ballot box, the next time I vote for officers/board members of a USJx, SGB or yudanshakai.

    I think it was JFK who said: "Forgive your enemies, but remember their names."

    Letter from USJI President Ron Tripp

    USJA page with timeline & correspondence between the orgs

    Disclosure: I'm a Life Member of USJF & USJA, and I've occasionally had memberships in USJI/CJI and even AAU, when there was a reason to do so.
    Yours in Judo,

    Brian P. Griffin

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    Is Ron Tripp really as pompous as that letter indicates? Jeez.

  7. #7
    Don Cunningham Guest

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    Unfortunately, Mr. Tripp is even more arrogant and pompous in personal communications. This attitude has apparently extended to his executive board as well. Here is my take on judo associations that I posted so I wouldn't have to keep repeating the same story to every new judo parent:

    Judo Associations
    United States Judo, Inc. (USJI)
    The USJI does not live up to even minimum expectations as the governing body for judo. Rank promotion criteria and processes are poorly defined and inconsistently applied. Membership services are the least effective of all three judo organizations.

    Prior experience has resulted in significant delays for processing memberships if at all. The unfriendly, uncaring, and sometimes even surly attitude exhibited by the state representative and the national staff also makes dealing with them an extremely unpleasant and often frustrating experience.

    Membership in the USJI is NOT RECOMMENDED for judo club participants.

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    Angry Pay $100 or not

    So, tonight do I pay $50 twice for my two boys (Juniors) to play in the Lone Star Classic Saturday or do I ask for my check back? I hate to rob the promotor but being extorted makes me angry on general principals. Weigh-in in is tonight 7-10PM for Juniors and I will have my boys there. Sadly they may get a lession instead of an entry.
    --dave stokes

  9. #9
    Don Cunningham Guest

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    Dave,

    I hate to see your boys or anyone miss a chance for shiai. It's truly a shame how the USJI has become such a scam, though.

    After we registered five juniors at a local tournment and hadn't received any cards, the USJI state representative told us the checks had been lost in the mail. When confronted by canceled checks, the story changed again. After more than six months, we eventually got two cards, both only valid for the six remaining months.

    You should see the nasty letters and e-mails I got while trying to get this issue settled with either the local USJI representative and the national office. What I do now is respond to every single seminar and tournament flyer we receive with a personal note about how we would have liked to attend, but can not meet the USJI sanction requirements because they have not sent us cards as promised. Hopefully, enough tournament and seminar sponsors will get the message and look to other associations for insurance and sanctions.

    The hardest part is explaining this mess to the parents. I refunded the money out of my own pocket to one single working mother who's son is a superb natural athlete. Another really good judoka was pulled by his father after he got mad at the local USJI official. I understand his son is now playing tournament golf.

  10. #10
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    Thumbs up Thanks Don!!

    Thanks Don,

    I will ask the promotor for my check back for the entry. The poor promotor will probably be taking a hit since a) she is caught in the middle, and b) she (or her volunteer staff) get to take the grief in person and not the USJI.

    I used to promote bicycles races until dealing with the legal exposure and the US Cycling Federation got too much. So I really feel for the promotors who will suffer.

    And I'm sorry my boys will have to work out with dad on Saturday instead of a shiai for which they were training.
    --dave stokes

  11. #11
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    Originally posted by Don Cunningham
    Dave,

    I hate to see your boys or anyone miss a chance for shiai. It's truly a shame how the USJI has become such a scam, though.

    After we registered five juniors at a local tournment and hadn't received any cards, the USJI state representative told us the checks had been lost in the mail. When confronted by canceled checks, the story changed again. After more than six months, we eventually got two cards, both only valid for the six remaining months.

    You should see the nasty letters and e-mails I got while trying to get this issue settled with either the local USJI representative and the national office.
    It sounds like your problem is primarily with the Illinois Judo Association, not the USJI. The USJI defers a lot to the state organizations. And I've found the Iowa and Nebraska state orgs to be mostly good folk - the president of the Iowa org offered to promote me (since there is no S.D. state org yet), last I saw her at a tournament.

    One of my students registered with the USJI at a recent tournament; he got his card in short order. Myself, on the other hand, I've had to call the USJA more than once with registration issues.

    My calls to the USJI national office have gone pleasantly as well.

    And you can't lay all the blame on the JI - the dissolution of the joint sanctioning agreement involved both USJI and USJF - they share an insurance carrier so joint sanctioning is less of a legal issue.
    Peter Claussen

  12. #12
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    I thought we would have more people complaining than we did. I only witnessed one guy pull his son and ask for their money back. I explained to the people with USJA cards that "hey you don't have insurance you can't compete, there will be the USJA National Rep. on hand Saturday to answer any questions you might have regarding the USJA Cards". We only had a few people become upset, the others with USJA Cards opted to purchase either JF or JI Memberships. They were there for the kids and to help Texas Judo. I hope those who left mad understood that it was not us, (Okuri Judo) but a miscommunication on the end of USJA.

    Here in Texas if you registar with TX Judo you receive USJI and vice-versa. So $50.00 bucks and you have State and National memberships. I have never had a problem with JI at the State or National level.

    Jabonn Flurry
    Okuri Judo Club
    Uechi-Ryu Kenyukai - Texas Judo

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    Dave I saw your your applications on the table, I was unaware if you decided to pull out or ended up weighing in tonite. I hope you decided to stay and have your boys compete.

    If you decide not to compete please come by and cheer for your club. Dallas Judo & Jiujitsu.

    Jabonn Flurry
    Uechi-Ryu Kenyukai - Texas Judo

  14. #14
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    Originally posted by Joseph Svinth
    Is Ron Tripp really as pompous as that letter indicates? Jeez.
    The tone would seem more reasonable if you'd been following the preceding exchanges among JI, JF and JA. There has been some considerable posturing from all sides.

    Some of the letters are on the JA web site; others were posted to Judo-L.
    Peter Claussen

  15. #15
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    I hadn't been following the politics, and I've been told offline that Tripp in person is a pretty nice guy. Nonetheless, I always get suspicious when folks who do martial arts start signing their letters "Dr.", especially when the context appears to have nothing to do with medicine, education, or psychology.

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