OP
jeffbeish
Blue Belt
- Thread Starter
- #41
Dont let them get to you. After moving there I found that the only Judo player who had ever trained in Japan/Okinawa or had ever been in international competition was me! Most of them must have gotten their promotions from a Cracker Jack box because they certainly were unknown to the rest of us. :supcool:
I am not sure it was some much the official USJA Vs USJF organizations that caused the problems there. I had been in the JBBF for some years before my old buddies broke off from them to take our AFJA to form the USJA. Cant remember exactly when it happened but Mertens or someone else wrote me that it was happening and I could be a life member if I would pay $100. I sent it off right away but still ended up as #139. Most of my students in the 1970s were of Cuban heritage and spoke flawless English. By the time I left many had reverted to their versions of Spanish. The different groups hate each other. The Mexicans hate Cubans so much they sneer at us Gringos attempting to speak their lingo the accent or wording is different and they can tell.
I had been a shodan for 9 years when the JA was out doing a clinic and forced me to test. I made nidan and sandan in record time, but fell back to my old way and it took 20 years more until they promoted me to yodan. I still have my godan and rokudan papers that I never paid for. My shodan membership in the JBBF was 1-1988 and I always thought that meant I would be nidan in 1988 :ultracool :jedi1:
The only jujitsu guy I know there is Frank Payne. He ran a Judo club in a middle school close to where I lived down in Cutler Ridge. I always thought he would kill himself driving in Miami because he was a blind as a bat! Havent spoken with him since 1980 maybe. Another guy I knew well was a nidan in Aikido and he worked with me at the Sylvania Club. I barely knew Jack whats-his-name who ran the USJF there. He always treated me nicely but other JA guys hated him.
Someday when all the players in the big drama are gone then Judo will have a chance. You have to remember that we were fighting an up hill battle with the Japanese-Americans during those early days. Many of my friends were nisei (2nd. Generation) and some friendships were lost because of the older Japanese Judo sensei just would never accept that a round-eye could excel in Judo. One of my best nisei buddies could never get over the fact that I went to the Kodokan and beat the hell out of 6 ikkyu to earn shodan. Six of their finest! Hey, nobody told I wasnt supposed to do that. :ultracool
Remember, just practice and forget the idiot politics. Rank don't mean diddly squat anyway, so don't worry about it. Remember this -- The Master said: Do not worry about lack of fame; worry about lack of ability. :asian:
I am not sure it was some much the official USJA Vs USJF organizations that caused the problems there. I had been in the JBBF for some years before my old buddies broke off from them to take our AFJA to form the USJA. Cant remember exactly when it happened but Mertens or someone else wrote me that it was happening and I could be a life member if I would pay $100. I sent it off right away but still ended up as #139. Most of my students in the 1970s were of Cuban heritage and spoke flawless English. By the time I left many had reverted to their versions of Spanish. The different groups hate each other. The Mexicans hate Cubans so much they sneer at us Gringos attempting to speak their lingo the accent or wording is different and they can tell.
I had been a shodan for 9 years when the JA was out doing a clinic and forced me to test. I made nidan and sandan in record time, but fell back to my old way and it took 20 years more until they promoted me to yodan. I still have my godan and rokudan papers that I never paid for. My shodan membership in the JBBF was 1-1988 and I always thought that meant I would be nidan in 1988 :ultracool :jedi1:
The only jujitsu guy I know there is Frank Payne. He ran a Judo club in a middle school close to where I lived down in Cutler Ridge. I always thought he would kill himself driving in Miami because he was a blind as a bat! Havent spoken with him since 1980 maybe. Another guy I knew well was a nidan in Aikido and he worked with me at the Sylvania Club. I barely knew Jack whats-his-name who ran the USJF there. He always treated me nicely but other JA guys hated him.
Someday when all the players in the big drama are gone then Judo will have a chance. You have to remember that we were fighting an up hill battle with the Japanese-Americans during those early days. Many of my friends were nisei (2nd. Generation) and some friendships were lost because of the older Japanese Judo sensei just would never accept that a round-eye could excel in Judo. One of my best nisei buddies could never get over the fact that I went to the Kodokan and beat the hell out of 6 ikkyu to earn shodan. Six of their finest! Hey, nobody told I wasnt supposed to do that. :ultracool
Remember, just practice and forget the idiot politics. Rank don't mean diddly squat anyway, so don't worry about it. Remember this -- The Master said: Do not worry about lack of fame; worry about lack of ability. :asian:
