Originally Posted by
ichibyoshi
Wish e-budo forum had the "Reputation" function... This is such an interesting assertion that it deserves it's own thread. Specifically, in light of the fact that the All Japan Kendo Federation has implemented a policy of allowing foreign affiliated renmei to issue their own shogo titles. Everyone's invited to join me for beer* over in Sword Arts.
b
*BYO
Hmmm.... an aborted version of this may end up on the forum, I hit the wrong button.
Far be it from me to start a fight. As I said, I approached this topic w/ great, but maybe not enough trepidation I don't want any kendo buds swinging split bamboo at me....
Not sure which assertion Mr Sheppard refers to, but maybe I get it. Let me expand a sentence. How's this?
"While I'm not Japanese, from what I gather, to most the notion that some organization outside Japan .... without link to or permission from a competent Japanese organization .....is granting traditional, honorary, Imperial era, anachronistic Japanese titles is beyond laughable. Ranks up there with ninja fantasies, I reckon."
How's that?
The Kendo Renmei is granting the right to overseas? That surprises me, but not because they're granting the right to provide honorary titles, but because I'd expect they would be granted at a high level, high enough for the Renmei to want to centralize control. At what level do they require dan testing in Japan? When's a typical title kick in? But I will take my beer to the Sword Arts lounge and lurk.
Meanwhile, do you have a reference?
But, as I said, I understood the titles themselves to be a development (fabrication?) of the late Meiji / early Taisho era, in Imperial Japan, but not imperial titles, merely honorifics. I think Meik Skoss looked into the subject in more detail, and he's an impressive researcher; his notes would be a lot more detailed.
I understand that postwar, only a few of organizations were 'granted the right' to grant titles. If the Kendo Renmei decides to pass that on, I'm sure they've researched it up and down. But honestly, AFAIK, they can do anything, there's no law against any of it.
But when some outfit overseas, without discernable link to the original tradition, and often not even to Japan, starts slinging such around, am I the only one that thinks that sorta weird? I must have missed something.
Maybe the Kendo Renmei acted out of self-defense.
Cheers......
Lance Gatling ガトリング
Tokyo 東京
Long as we're making up titles, call me 'The Duke of Earl'