-----Original Message-----
From: KOJF@yahoogroups.com [mailto:KOJF@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dwight Holley
Sent: 05 December 2005 21:05
To: KOJF@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [KOJF] Titles and age?

To answer DaCosta sensei's question I would say from experience and
personally having met and trained under several "Hanshi" They are
all ranked from Japan directly either by the Dai Nippon Butokukai or
from the direct family decendants of the Ryuha they taught, i.e.
John Sells Hanshi who was promoted to 8th dan and given the title of
Hanshi by K. Mabuni of Seito Shito Ryu Karate-do who is the late son
of the founder of Shito Ryu.  These men as I have learned or come to
understand are all above the age of 50 with well over 40 yrs of
practice(practice) and study.  They study and practice a legitimate
Ryuha and teach it in that manner.  They also understand that it is
only a "teaching grade" or "honorific title" and do not look at it
as a "Master's master" as our population might typically tend to
do.  I would say that in 99.999% of the time anyone under the age of
50 claiming such a title and or claiming the founding of their own
style does not truly understand the art of Karate-do and shouldn't
claim to. After training and meeting men like Ritsuke Otake of Japan
(classified as a National Cultural Treasure of Japan by the Imperial
Family)I find it hard to support such people.  In my own city there
is a man who claims 10th Dan in 5 systems of martial arts and having
created his own version of Tai Chi Chaun.  Laughable. But then as my
friend in Japan says to me..Kazuya Mitani sensei..."it is only my
view."