I would like to offer Sport Blowgun Instructor training for those
interested in the sport.

My qualifications:
I have successfully completed the requirements for, and am certified
by the International Fukiyado Association (Dr. Hironori Higuchi, IFA
founder and co-chairman was my Sensei) as a Sport Blowgun Instructor.
I am recognized by the IFA as a 6 dan ("Master") of the sport.
I hold an Ed.M. from Rutgers University (it says "Master Teacher").
I have taught in the US secondary schools system, and in the corporate
environment.
I have granted Instructor certifications in the USA to: Michael
Janich; Dr. Amante P. Marinas, Sr.; Joe Fife (Oklahoma); David Paiva
(Maine); Dr. Dan Wiley (Nebraska), and have 6 other students around
the USA in various stages of requirement completion.

The IFA only sanctions one certified instructor per national affiliate
(other than Japan).
It is the responsibility of that IFA certified instructor to set up a
training program for certified instructors in their home nation.
This was done originally through the NSBA website.

Requirements for interested individuals:
1. Must send me an e-mail (craftsman@...) expressing their
interest and desire to participate in this training.
Must not be a legal resident of a state (Massachusetts, or
California) or locality where blowguns are banned.
2. Must be an active member of a national organization affiliated
with the International Fukiyado Association (ASBA in the USA).
3. Must hold the IFA recognized equavalent of a 4 dan (consistently
shoot at or above a score of 162 points in a standard 10-meter
competition).
4. Must be an adult, aged 18 years old or more.
5. Must complete a test on sport blowguns, scoring a minimum of 90%.
Topics on the test will include the history of blowguns, the
history of the sport, blowgun nomenclature, blowgun and dart
maintenance, blowgun
safety, and finally the rules and regulations of the sport.
6. In the tradition of the Martial Arts (honoring the roots of
Fukiyado), hand make a good, working, Fukiya-style, film cone dart and
send it to my Sensei for evaluation. My certified instructors will be
able to train instructors, once one of their students have qualified
at the 5 dan level (IFA recognized, consistently shoot at or above a
score of 176 points) in 10-meter IFA sanctioned competitions (ASBA in
the USA). Those candidates for instructor will send thier final
requirement to me for evaluation, then their students will send their
darts to my students and so on. A "grandfather" scenario.

NOTE: Those who are residents of countries other than the USA ... You
must contact your national IFA affiliated organization to get that
country's certification. For example, contact Tinus Els, in South
Africa; Morikuni Matsumoto in Japan, etc. If there is no National
organization in your country, and you want to start one, (or if you do
not know if there is a national organization in your country) contact
me via e-mail.

Blowguns are banned (therefore, no IFA national organization will be
sanctioned) in the UK, Canada, or Australia.

Questions:
1. What does this cost?
Your time, effort, and devotion. I will charge no fee for this.

2. What personal benefit will being a certified instructor have?
You may, if you wish, charge your students for your services as
an instructor.
Currently, many of the Martial Art training fees range between
$15 - $35 per session. Training sessions may be between 1/2 to 1 hour
in duration.
You may, if you wish, choose to have your students, in a training
situation,
address you as "sensei" (means "teacher"), as the sport
originated in the tradition of the Martial Arts.
You will know that you are instrumental in helping to safely
promote the sport, with the goal of having it sanctioned as an Olympic
event.
In the USA, perception of validity is based in part, on
achievement. Official certification, therefore, is highly desireable.

3. What benefit is there to the sport to have certified instructors?
In the USA (and some other countries), there is a greater
perceived validity to an organization that has a program in place like
this.
The preservation of the history, safety, and competition rules
and regulations of the sport are passed down correctly.

4. How long does it take to become a certified instructor?
How soon can you complete the requirements? There is no minimum
and no maximum time requirement. I have several students who have not
yet
completed their "4 dan" level. I have other students who only
need to complete their Fukiya dart and mail it to Japan (less than
$1.00 postage).

5. How is the knowledge test conducted?
Since I cannot travel around the county (although I would if I
could), and I do not expect you to travel to me, everything is handled
electronically.
This is conducted using the honor system. It is as, or perhaps
more important to know where to find information, as it is to rotely
memorize information.
The test materials will be sent as an e-mail attachement. They
are to be completed and returned in a like fashion. Since you can use
all and any sources
to complete the test, it should be 100% correct (a 10% margin is
allowed for typos and interpretation differences).

6. How is the final requirement conducted?
After the other requirements have been compled, I will send you
all the information needed to make a film cone Fukiya Style dart.
The Japanese traditionally use a 1 gram, 20-23 cm long .51
caliber dart. You can make your dart to fit your caliber of choice.
You must test the dart, ensuring it is capable of scoring a
bulls-eye on a standard IFA style target face (ASBA in the USA), from
the standard
10-meter firing line, and it is reusable. This is a test of the
dart's integrity, and aeodynamics.
Once you have perfected your dart making, you will send me an
e-mail to that effect. At that time, I will provide you with an
address to ship the dart
for personal evaluation. Once I receive notification that the
dart has been received, the requirement is completed.

Once all requirements are satisfied successfully, you will receive,
electronically, a certificate stating that you have "satisfactorily
completed the requirements for certification as an Instructor in the
sport of Competition Target Blowgun Shooting (Fukiyado), as prescribed
by the International Fukiyado Association. Therefore, are entitled to
all the rights and privileges appertaining thereto, and may be
addressed with the title: 'Sensei' (which means: 'Teacher')." It
will be electronically signed and dated. This certificate may be
printed on standard landscape paper (looks best on onionskin or
parchment), and framed. It will be in color.