Hail to the Chief(s)

  It appears that the power's that be, have began the restructuring of the RyuTe Association. All of the details haven't been finalized, nor have all of the leadership positions been filled, but it has been decided that the RyuTe leadership will consist of a “committee”. That committee will be made up of 7 member's (4 permanent, and 3 rotating).

    

  Though having heard who the permanent member's will be, I don't feel that I'm at liberty to say (at this time). There are numerous rumors about numerous subjects, most of them (that I have heard) have been very positive (IMO).

     

  From reports that I heard, the summer conference went very well (though some glitches in event scheduling was reported, I understand that they were resolved).

    

  The changes that I am at liberty to mention are confirmations of the information that was released earlier in the year. ALL students at a school/dojo will be required to be registered members (and required to pay annual dues), this amounts to less than $2.50/month per student. This allows that student to attend any RyuTe function/seminar.

    

  Any school (owner) who hasn't payed their annual Dojo dues (again, depending upon how many student's a school has, less than $1.00/student on average) is first removed from the RyuTe Website listing (which is the authentication method for perspective students seeking instruction in RyuTe). This will provide an opportunity for the owner to make amends, if the owner chooses not to, then these can be followed by legal sanctions as well (which, unlike in the past, will now be pursued).

    

  The Dojo Handbooks (which contain all of the relevant information for the school owners) are being rewritten, and will become available when they are completed (I'm presuming they will be available on-line at the RyuTe website, when they are completed). That should be in the next month or so. 

   

  It's my understanding (from the attendees that were there) that the new leadership made it quite clear to those present, that there will be no tolerance of any questionable actions that are contrary to the distributed association rules. The new leadership (it would appear) is planning on weeding out those schools who do not wish to comply with the rules that are being assembled. The intention is to remove any schools that do not wish to grow as a part of, and for, the association.

     

  My assumption, is that the membership won't (drastically) change until next January (that's when the yearly Dojo/Student dues are charged). My guess, is that most that are going to, will leave then.

    

  When that weeding is completed, then the intention is to enlarge and expand the association. Unlike what we've seen occur in other alliances and coalitions, this will not be done through a reckless recruitment of displaced ex-members from other groups (with a guaranteed advancement of Rank from joining).

    

  One of the (few) justified complaints (from the present membership), has been the price of the summer conference. Many members have a difficult time paying for the price of (both) testing and attending the conference (which required doing both). That is being changed, as well as the price to attend those gatherings (summer and fall). With the financial situation that people (in general) are often in nowadays, it only seems prudent to modify that pricing.

    

 There will also be changes to the manner that Yudansha testing will be done as well (those that are familiar with what I'm writing about will understand). Testing individual's will perform all kata (basic form), meaning that "previously" performed manners (different from the RyuTe Association approved motions/method. ie. "another" systems arrangements of the kata) will not be considered acceptable (for a "passing" grade).

   

 One notation of import, the prior "Gag Order" that Taika had put in place, has been lifted. We are (now) free to talk about any of the  individual's that were Kicked-Out of the association (and all of which, have since been promoting the fact that they were associated with Taika).  If one reads the B.S. written on their websites, you'd think they were still with him, and have always been on great terms (one even lists that he lives several minutes from Taika's home?,...B.F.D!).

 There have been numerous individual's who have contacted the association who have believed, that these individual's are still affiliated with Taika, and his association, they are not. 

   

 These individual's were Kicked-Out of Taika's association because they did things that Taika found to be reprehensible. Many of them still display pictures that imply that they are still in Taika's association (wearing RyuTe uniforms, pictures of Taika, listing all the events that they were at when Taika was there, etc.). 

THEY ARE NOT AFFILIATED, 

OR IN GOOD STANDING AT ALL! IF THEY ARE NOT LISTED AT THE RYUTE WEBSITE, THEY ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH TAIKA, OR THE RYUTE RENMEI (ASSOCIATION). 

   

  If one is familiar with the schools that “were” listed on the RyuTe Website, they'll see that there's fewer dojo being listed nowadays. Those removed, are schools that didn't pay their dues (yet have maintained their student count, Hmmmm...?). Some of those owners attended the summer conference, yet have chosen not to pay their schools/students dues (choosing to keep those funds for themselves?). 

     

  Not exactly fair to their student's (IMO). With the new leadership that's in place, I believe that will be changing in the (very) near future as well. We'll see.