[carlsberg21]

I just heard there is a new federation to join the AUSKF. Is anyone part of, or knows what dojos will make up this new federation?

[johnsonjunior]

I just heard there is a new federation to join the AUSKF. Is anyone part of, or knows what dojos will make up this new federation?

And from whom/where did you get this information?

[nerkvcbtre]

Maybe he's talking about the KKA joining? There's been talk of that, but I don't know if that's happened yet or not.

Kaoru

[Qwjyrgij]

http://www.kkausa.org/news.html

I just found this. It's in Korean. Basically, the KKA in America will be joining AUSKF. Western Kumdo Fed. (the Eng. term for the Kumdo federation, I guess) is now AUSKF and they will be paying all dues and join AUSKF tournaments and such.

[Wdlglivi]

On behalf of Atsushi Hori, AUSKF President, we would like to announce the
>recent receipt of the #15- New AUSKF Member Federation: Western Kendo
>Federation application as a New Member Association.
>
>The application was accepted by Atsushi Hori, AUSKF President as complying
>with the AUSKF Policy and Procedure Guidelines 4.00.00 through 4.06.00.
>
>PLease join Hori sensei and the 2006-2008 AUSKF officers and board of
>directors in extending a warm Welcome to the #15. New AUSKF Member
>Federation: Western Kendo Federation. Mr. Peter Kim is the President of
>the Western Kendo Federation.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Norman K. Otani, AUSKF Executive VP for:
>/s/ Atsushi Hori, AUSKF President

[celddiskend]

Mr. Peter Kim is the President of
>the Western Kendo Federation.

too many peter kim around this country..

pete

[Opperioav]

Yeah, I just got that email this morning, too...
was about to try and find it ... but not before my morning dose of KW forums..

[Grainiary]

too many peter kim around this country..

pete

hahaha so true. I know many also

[Dilangfh]

Hmmm...interesting...

[Donlupedron]

Hmmm...interesting...

Disturbing, more like.

[SkapySisy]

Disturbing, more like.

why is it disturbing?

[Coellacag]

Maybe not disturbing but should be cause for concern by the AUSKF membership because this new group will be a regionless regional federation. All KKA dojang will make up this new AUSKF member federation.

So it strengthens the AUSKF's move toward non-geographic based regions for member federations. Any group with dojo(s) located in any state can form a federation and join the AUSKF. A string of affliated dojo are now possible.

No longer are regions forced to be based upon US geography. You simply put together enough people from anywhere in the US and that is a federation.

In my opinion, this move further fractionates (is that a real word?) the AUSKF instead forcing people to work together. We now have multiple federations in California, in Colorada, on the East Coast that overlap geographically which does not help strengthen the US kendo skill pool.

It seems to me that if the AUSKF forced people to join a single federation and insist that they work out their political differences and cooperate that would strengthen kendo in the US more than adding federations on top of federations.

What motivation is there for this new group to simply join in and become a part of the existing kendo federations in each of their respective states? If you want to strengthen US kendo the federation should be building larger regional groups that are expanding and supporting kendo in their geographic region, this will give member kenshi more opportunity to practice. How do you practice when others in your same town are in a different federations and holding different events, etc?

[AlexBolduin]

Joon,
Disturbing perhaps because.... well, we had a thread on the topic a little while back with a lot of (good) questions of how it would actually work... so, now there's an announcement of the new federation, but no apparent explanations as to how/why.

There are still questions, I suppose (I haven't had a chance to research it today in any case)...

Is the new federation made up only of kumdo clubs?
Are the clubs which make up the new federation located geographically in the "west"? "west coast"?
If so, why would they need a new federation?
If so, why would they not join one of the already-existing federations on the left coast?

I won't get into the issue of menjos, gradings, etc.

[illilmicy]

Maybe not disturbing but should be cause for concern by the AUSKF membership because this new group will be a regionless regional federation. All KKA dojang will make up this new AUSKF member federation.

So it strengthens the AUSKF's move toward non-geographic based regions for member federations. Any group with dojo(s) located in any state can form a federation and join the AUSKF. A string of affliated dojo are now possible.

No longer are regions forced to be based upon US geography. You simply put together enough people from anywhere in the US and that is a federation.

In my opinion, this move further fractionates (is that a real word?) the AUSKF instead forcing people to work together. We now have multiple federations in California, in Colorada, on the East Coast that overlap geographically which does not help strengthen the US kendo skill pool.

It seems to me that if the AUSKF forced people to join a single federation and insist that they work out their political differences and cooperate that would strengthen kendo in the US more than adding federations on top of federations.

What motivation is there for this new group to simply join in and become a part of the existing kendo federations in each of their respective states? If you want to strengthen US kendo the federation should be building larger regional groups that are expanding and supporting kendo in their geographic region, this will give member kenshi more opportunity to practice. How do you practice when others in your same town are in a different federations and holding different events, etc?

Yes... these are precisely the questions that I believe were raised when the topic was first broached a few months ago....

On a side note.... Sensei, do you have any idea why the new federation is called "Western" if it's "regionless" ??

(BTW, I completely agree with your post... )
(I "must spread some rep" before giving you more)

[janeloveslifenow]

Couldn't agree more with Stroud Sensei's words.

The whole point of having regional federations is to strengthen Kendo in every part of the US. Having dojos in the same geographic proximity grow together under a common leadership and ideal is what is needed.

I am proud to be a member of the Midwest Kendo Federation in the US since we still adhere to this principle. We have 7 states in our federation who, get this for a concept, border each other.

What a mess.

Yeah, why not just join existing local federations? I don't get it.

[BigMovies]

. . .It seems to me that if the AUSKF forced people to join a single federation and insist that they work out their political differences and cooperate that would strengthen kendo in the US more than adding federations on top of federations.. . .

Now there is a concept.

But aren't the fractionalizated folks on the board?

[Q0KmoR8K]

why is it disturbing?

Stroud sensei and Tango beat me to it. Let's be clear: I don't have a problem with kumdo or anything like that, I do have a problem with the regionless federation concept. I think it perpetuates an "us and them" feeling, and increases the potential for political nonsense.

[icyfreshy]

Now there is a concept.

But aren't the fractionalizated folks on the board?

Yes, and aparrently the objections were ignored.

[daguy]

Yes, and aparrently the objections were ignored.

What apparently has been ignored is the proper procedure required by the AUSKF bylaws. The bylaws require a vote of the board of directors.

What the annoucement does not say is if the application was accepted pending a vote.

[jamemeveRhype]

Following the line of reasoning? out further, does this mean that the FIK International Kendo Federation may soon allow rogue nation states to join as member nations? In light of the new regionless/non-geographic US kendo federations ( http://www.auskf.info/newsletter/vol10no2.pdf , Page 4 ) does this mean that given enough kenshi a group of say 20-30 dojo could form as "the Nation of Sillyness", and then apply to the FIK for member status.

I bet that if several dojo from many countries banded together and applied to the FIK for member status they would be politely told to join their respective national kendo organization. Why is the US going down this path?

Maybe a better solution would have been to offer the KKA a grace period while they merge with the existing kendo federations. Something like 2-3 years as independents and then deadline to fold their dojo/dojang into the existing regional federations. Similarly the existing overlapping California and Colorado, etc federations should have been created (during the BKR/KFUSA merge) with a timeline to become single federations instead of allowed to continue "as is" with no end in sight.