Reply to Letter on Bogus Rankings
I read with curious amusement the letter posted in your last magazine by Mr. Williams. I found your response restrained and factual as usual. I would like to interject an experience I had concerning the gentleman in question.
A couple of years ago a student of mine approached me with a flyer promoting a seminar in New York. Being a relative beginner, he asked me if I thought he should attend this seminar. He had overheard me praise aikijujutsu as one of our senior instructors in Shindo Yoshin Kai Jujutsu is also a student of Yanagi Ryu and Don Angier.
I must say, bells and whistles went off in my head when I read the promotional flyer. Grandiose statements such as "Highest level aiki ever taught outside of Japan by a non- Japanese!" and "Founder of the Year 95" are in my mind immediate cause for suspicion but not necessarily dismissal. I decided to call the gentleman in question and ask him what qualifications he had to make such claims.
The gentleman who answered the telephone introduced himself as Soke (Headmaster). I explained that I was a Shindo Yoshin Ryu instructor under Yukiyoshi Takamura and that one of my students had received a flyer about a seminar at this location. The claims on the flyer seemed pretty grandiose so I was checking out these claims as I felt obligated to make sure that this seminar was on the level before I gave any student the okay to attend. The gentleman seized on that opening and explained that not only was he associated with the Daito-ryu Roppokai and Seigo Okamoto, but that Okamoto Sensei had personally authorized him to improve the Roppokai curriculum. Well, this was fascinating news! A hitherto unknown instructor in New York authorized to improve Roppokai techniques by its founder... (Who was this guy kidding!)
I casually mentioned that it was my understanding that Brently Keen, in Santa Cruz, California was the only Roppokai instructor presently teaching in the U.S. Boy, the backpeddaling started quickly. Well, it seems, that the letter from Okamoto Sensei hadn't actually arrived yet, but it was expected anyday! "Oh," I exclaimed, "so officially you are not presently associated with the Roppokai at all." "Well, no," he exclaimed, "But I will be any day now!" I continued to press him about why he tried to mislead me. He finally told me that it was "just marketing." I told him "that in Connecticut we called it lying." With that, the phone call mysteriously ended.
I forwarded information on this incident to Seigo Okamoto Sensei as I thought he should investigate this incident himself. Were I in his shoes I would certainly want to know about this serious misrepresentation involving his name and reputation. I believe a response was soon crafted in Japan by senior instructor Jose Lopez at Okamoto's request adn that this person no longer misleads people, well, at least as it pertains to hsi association with the Roppokai.
Now, I believe Mr. Williams in defending this gentleman, intended to accuse editor Stanley Pranin of misrepresenting the facts for the purpose of "marketing". Pardon me, Mr. Williams, but given my personal experience with this "Soke", I find that ironic and laughable to say the least!
David Maynard, Chief Instructor
Takamura ha Shindo Yoshin Kai