IBDA SHIDOSHI COUNCIL IS FORMALLY BORN
At IBDA we are growing worldwide in students, dojos and instructors due to the web presence, home study programs and word of mouth about what we are doing different. This is very delightful to me as I love to see the teachings getting out and people enjoying the arts and all the life changes it brings them.
This is why I have worked so hard over the years to offer these teachings to everyone – no matter where they live. I wanted people to have what I didn’t in study material. And for them to have a least some kind of training if they didn’t have an instructor near them. Hoping that they would hook up with a teacher someday or become one themselves. I also created a Teachers training course so they could learn to become one.
People think that I did this for the money, it is simply Not true. Frankly speaking, the business side of this barely pays for itself but it does bring the teachings to the world which has been my mission all along. Many, many times I have paid out of my own pocket to get Soke Hatsumi’s teachings to the public. My personal income comes mostly from my consulting and private coaching, which I truly love.
It has been over 25 years now and the growth has gone from teaching at the park and at the beach to a University Dojo to creating a regular in town dojo that grew to over 100 students in a short time to having high ranking instructors all over the world. Many of these students have become 15th Dans. Some have left to go on their own and others have stayed. It has been quite a journey. Lately due to IBDA’s solid study curriculum, rank that has meaning and worldwide growth many instructors are coming back and the growth is expanding past the ability for me to serve IBDA properly by myself.
IBDA OFFICIAL COUNCIL
So behind the scenes I have been working with a great group of leaders in IBDA by forming an official Shidoshi / Shidoshi-ho council that will be overseeing the students and the growth of IBDA worldwide. At the next meeting I will be selecting 3 leaders to take administration roles. I will remain as the IBDA Chairman and Founder and help guide them in this process.
So expect a lot of great improvements and exciting opportunities to learn. I will list just a few here and leave the rest to surprises.
Those in the IBDA Teachers Council will take the lead in helping all new Home Study Course students grow in the arts with overseeing their studies with lessons, ranking and answering questions. Some will offer private lessons and rank tests through Skype for a small fee. This can revolutionize the training as you can get instructor feedback on your growth and studies or ask them important questions.
These certified IBDA instructors will be posting FREE training clips on the YouTube Ninjutsu.coms channel and in the Facebook Channel plus additional private training clips in the Ninjutsu forum (which will also be upgraded soon).
Plus many IBDA themed seminars will be offered on a regular basis so you can catch up on your skills or enhance them. The first IBDA 9th kyu – 5th kyu Seminar even will be in Michigan Sept. 24th and 25th, 2011 and taught by Shihans Dan Ordoins and John Owsiak. Attend this if you can. Our goal is to have a monthly IBDA event calendar with seminars all over for you to choose from.
We already have over 25 years of experience in serving you and we want to build on this with you in mind. We have a mission to bring you the very best teachings you can experience and an organization that grows with technologies and time. IBDA has been now structured to outlast me, or anyone that is currently involved. I hope that you want to be a part of building a great Bujinkan.
You can trust the teachings from anyone in this IBDA Council as they will have studied the Shidoshi Teachers Training Course so you know that they are well trained by me. Plus they have been through all of the IBDA material so you can ask them any question on the material up to their rank grade.
A future goal is to have a Martial Arts Center Complex where you can come train any time you want for as long as you want. We have the plans and are just waiting for the funding to occur.
Want to join us as a student? Go here http://www.ninjutsu.com/ or http://www.budotaijutsu.com/index.html
Want to join us as an Instructor? Go here http://www.ninjutsu.com/IBDA_instructor.shtml
I will post more on this as it develops. We have some very great ideas to help you become the best martial artist you can become.
See you on the Mat!
Richard Van Donk, Shidoshi