Well the kodo butuku renmei must have at least one Japanese member to write the certificates! Take a look, quite pretty... http://www.ishinryu.com/images/8dan10a.jpg Although after all this fall-out one might find this kind of thing less impressive if you bother to read the first katekana signature (bottom left, third line in from left): 'Stephen Grayston'
Hi, Well done CannibalBob, hope you enjoyed your first lesson in IOGKF Goju. Regarding the core issue of this thread, I think contributors and observers should read the original ' source ' on E - Budo. The people involved really seem to know in depth, ' what's going on ', they include Gayston's ex - colleagues, associates, instructors and students. It really is murky. Some of the allegations by these people are quite disturbing. A couple of examples are that Hanshi's tenth Dan certificate, originally a document praising his work for anglo - Japanese relations, was then signed by Vernon Bell and several of Hanshi's senior Dan grades and ratified as a Tenth Dan. One of his own ex - instructors, who sat on a grading panel with Hanshi, remarks how they were uneasy when six year green belts went to second Dan within 18 months and there are countless other examples. Far from being just a couple of dojos in Essex, Shindo has branches worldwide and for such a ' newish ' group, established with the last 15 odd years, they have an unbelievably and disproportionately high number of 8, 9 and 10 th Dans. There are even more serious allegations, but I feel it inappropriate to repeat them here, as there are two sides to every story. It makes interesting reading and only serves to re - enforce my own personal views.................. Good Training, Best wishes Jaae.
