Thoughts for the next three Years for the

Uechiryu Butokukai

We have a lot of great forward momentum, coming out of the COVID years. Not that we care TOO MUCH about what other organizations and school think of us, it looks like we have smartly positioned ourselves in a place where everything is referring to us as the GOLD standard.

This, utilized correctly, can be leveraged to give tremendous opportunities for our students. As such I have a couple thoughts or proposals for the next several years.

If you wouldn’t mind reading through it and getting back to me on each of these subjects.

  • As we expand everything we are doing, getting some common training for our instructors and possible instructors will be essential to rejuvenating the old, while encouraging the new.

    Toward this end, I suggest we get to a point of where we are having cross training for the instructors twice a year.

    Alternately, we could meet for a big get-together once a year and have “specialty Seminars” at key points (i.e. BB Judges Training, Intramural training, etc).

  • We’re already making great strides here and it is something that we need to keep focused.

    In 2025, we going to redesign the Black Belt and Master’s diploma. This, among other things, will have our association artwork on it.

    One of the areas that haven’t really touched, and it is probably time that we do, is the requirements for below-master ranks. What is currently being used was put in place over thirty years ago. Most of it still VERY GOOD, but it might be time for an update or revision.

  • We have a possible time on May 17th (2025) at the Double-Tree. This will be in the EXPO center where we had the 50th anniversary workout. Big place and something that we can make really POP!

    That being said, we haven’t run one of those since before COVID. Now, Peter and our dojo have had some success with running in-house versions, but I’m not sure how easy it would be to amass something worthy of that room.

    So, here is my thoughts

    Throughout 2025 run three in-house intramurals that are open to everyone in the Association (one in Atkinson, one in Acton and one in Hollis). Then work on an “Open tournament” in 2026, possibly supplemented with one or two in-house intramurals.

  • This is the BIG SPLASH of our events. In 2024, we successfully went from two days to three days.

    In 2025, we’ll be re-working the schedule to make it easier for the facilitators, while making more room for the presenters and putting plenty of focus on the 2025 graduates.

  • We just finished our annual holiday party. We utilize a restaurant, just down the road from us - and they are great.

    However, we are well past all the occupancy codes and we don’t look like we are going to get any smaller.

    A good problem to have!

    Years ago - actually decades ago - we ran association parties at a local hotel. I don’t know if that is something anyone would be interested in.

    It can have a lot of benefits. One of them being an event that parents of martial artists would be a lot more welcome, which is something that is lacking. I am not suggesting that the parents are not given plenty of credit for all their efforts, but we are do not have a UECHICON BANQUET for this group.

    When talking about it with Mr. Stone he threw up the idea of giving out all the diplomas at an event like this.

  • Before he died, Alan Kenney suggested that I build a non-profit as a part of everything we are doing. He stated several benefits, but one of them being that it would be easier and more enticing to get local businesses to sponsor our events (which aren’t getting cheaper!).

    There are plenty of other potential benefits as well, but this is something I’ll be looking into more in 2025.

    I will