hans fricke

[jezah81]

xoxoxoxoxox

[R A Sosnowski]

Guy Power, Nanadan and head of Nakamura Ryu in the US, explicitly stated that Fricke was not the real-deal, and that he had communicated to (the now late) Nakamura-s. about this. Nakamura-s. confirmed that Fricke had no authority to instruct.

I know Guy and I study Nakamura Ryu. I take him at his word.

My advice is simply to look elsewhere.

[peter l finch]

Guy Power’s assertions ‘... that Fricke was not the real-deal ... and ...Nakamura-s confirmed that Fricke had no authority to instruct...’, are statements made out of context and are untrue, misleading and defamatory.


Concise History of Nakamura Ryu Battodo in Australia

• In April 2001 master Nakamura presented Mr. Fricke with a Kyoshi teachers licence and Dan certificate in Toyama Ryu Battodo, and with it, gave Mr. Fricke permission to represent him (Nakamura sensei) at the Sei Do Kan Dojo in Dundas NSW Australia. This promotion, outside the International Battodo Federation’s parameter, caused much displeasure, especially with a Guy Power in the USA, who persistently attacked Hans Fricke on e-budo.

• Mr. Fricke passionately felt that Guy Power’s handling of this affair on ‘e-budo’ was very damaging to Nakamura sensei’s long standing reputation and therefore, in an unprecedented action, RETURNED both his certificates to Nakamura sensei, explaining in his accompanying letter that, under such disconcerting circumstances, he could not accept those high honours bestowed on him.

• Nakamura sensei accepted Mr. Fricke’s explanation but immediately asked him to come to Japan ‘without delay’ so that he could receive further personal tuition and training in Nakamura Ryu Battodo Happogiri Toho.

• In November 2002 Mr. Fricke received, in front of witnesses, his teachers licence and dan certificate (Nakamura Ryu Battodo) from Nakamura sensei’s own hands*, and with it, permission to teach and represent Nakamura Ryu Battodo in Australia.

* By publicly criticising Hans Fricke, Guy Power indirectly censures his past master and his past master’s authority to choose his own representatives and instructors.

Mr. Hans Fricke now holds the only Nakamura Ryu Battodo teachers licence in Australia and with it represents the late Nakamura sensei in ‘direct linage.’

• In May 2003 Mr. Fricke received an official invitation to attend Nakamura sensei’s funeral in Tsurumi Japan; representing Nakamura Ryu Battodo Australia.

Any queries in regards to Hans Fricke’s certifications and position as the NAKAMURA RYU BATTODO AUSTRALIA’s representative should be addressed directly to:

Mr. Roberto Siqueira / Tomoko-San
Shimo- Tsueyoshi 3-10-3
Tsurumi-ku
Yokohama-shi
Japan


Regards,
Peter Finch

[R A Sosnowski]

For those interested in reviewing the "history" of this story, please go to http://www.e-budo.com/, and search on "hans fricke" under the Sword Arts Forum. There is a bit o' stuff to wade through; it's not for those short on patience.

I conferred with Power-s. on the previous post by Mr. Peter Finch: he sent me the following reply which I post in its entirety:


Thanks Ray. Old business never dies on the internet.

If you feel a need to respond you might say, "Guy Power is pleased to report that Mr. Fricke has been conducting extensive training directly with the IBF at their invitation. Guy supports the decisions and directives of the governing body of the IBF and will assist in any way that he may."

Thanks,
Guy


That is the recent post-E-Budo history.

As for "Concise History of Nakamura Ryu Battodo in Australia," what I find missing from the post and from the Sydney School of Japanese Swordsmanship (http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/) website is a budo bio. of Hans Fricke. For comparison, here is Guy Power's Curriculim Vitae (http://www.webdiva4hire.com/kenshinkan/powervit.html).

Perhaps the young Mr. Finch can enlighten the rest of us as to the Japanese Swordsmanship training history of Hans Fricke: who he studied with, for how long, and what grades where conferred when and through whose authority. We all have a training history, and I am very suspicious of people, especially those who are or who put themselves in teaching positions, who do not make their history part of the public record.

BTW, what happened to the original post by jezah81 that started this thread?

HTH.

[peter l finch]

Nakamura sensei appointed Hans Fricke as his representative and instructor in Australia. No suggestion here of self-promotion and self-appointment on Hans Fricke’s part.

Nakamura sensei never asked for Hans Fricke’s budo-bio. Instead he watched his performance and progress. That’s how Hans Fricke got to be the Australian Nakamura Ryu Battodo representative.

And, I hope you don’t suggest that the late Nakamura sensei had no understanding in what he was doing when he graded & promoted Hans Fricke?


Peter Finch

[R A Sosnowski]

Nakamura sensei appointed Hans Fricke as his representative and instructor in Australia. No suggestion here of self-promotion and self-appointment on Hans Fricke’s part.

Nakamura sensei never asked for Hans Fricke’s budo-bio. Instead he watched his performance and progress. That’s how Hans Fricke got to be the Australian Nakamura Ryu Battodo representative.

And, I hope you don’t suggest that the late Nakamura sensei had no understanding in what he was doing when he graded & promoted Hans Fricke?

Peter Finch

No one goes from mudansha to Nandan, Kyoshi, in any Japanese sword style without training. The late Nakamura-s. had the benefit of seeing Hans Fricke; that's fine. But Sensei has passed away, and I am simply asking for Hans Fricke's personal training history in full.

I am not singling out Mr. Fricke; I would ask this of any instructor, especially one making extraordinary claims. He was not born with the knowledge of Nakamura Ryu; he had to get it from someone, somewhere, somehow. Apparently he knew them in some form when he went to Japan. There is a track record buried somewhere.

If Hans Fricke and his Dojo are members in the NSWKA, then he is tied in with the ZNKR and holds grades through them. Right?

On http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/Page_44.htm, "ZNKR Iaido" is listed on the Dojo's training schedule along with annual NSWKA membership & sports insurance fees. If Hans Fricke is the chief instructor, then he must be teaching the ZNKR Iaido classes, as I do not see any other instructors listed.

In about the middle of http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/Page_47.htm, Hans Fricke is identified twice as "Ni dan ZNKR Iaido" and once as one of the "Officials of the AKR (NSWKA-Iaido Division) Grading Panel 2003" for a 12 October 2003 grading last month.

The clock did not start in 2001; it started at least in 1996 with the founding of the Dojo in Sydney (a lovely city I might add). And I would guess it started earlier than that.

What is the real story? Receiving certificates for Nanadan and Kyoshi from the late Nakamura-s. would be the culmination of some period of study. I am asking what the details of that study were: who? when? where? duration? grades? styles?

In Budo,

[peter l finch]

No one goes from mudansha to Nandan, Kyoshi, in any Japanese sword style without training. The late Nakamura-s. had the benefit of seeing Hans Fricke; that's fine. But Sensei has passed away, and I am simply asking for Hans Fricke's personal training history in full.

I am not singling out Mr. Fricke; I would ask this of any instructor, especially one making extraordinary claims. He was not born with the knowledge of Nakamura Ryu; he had to get it from someone, somewhere, somehow. Apparently he knew them in some form when he went to Japan. There is a track record buried somewhere.

If Hans Fricke and his Dojo are members in the NSWKA, then he is tied in with the ZNKR and holds grades through them. Right?

On http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/Page_44.htm, "ZNKR Iaido" is listed on the Dojo's training schedule along with annual NSWKA membership & sports insurance fees. If Hans Fricke is the chief instructor, then he must be teaching the ZNKR Iaido classes, as I do not see any other instructors listed.

In about the middle of http://www.japaneseswordsmanship.com.au/Page_47.htm, Hans Fricke is identified twice as "Ni dan ZNKR Iaido" and once as one of the "Officials of the AKR (NSWKA-Iaido Division) Grading Panel 2003" for a 12 October 2003 grading last month.

The clock did not start in 2001; it started at least in 1996 with the founding of the Dojo in Sydney (a lovely city I might add). And I would guess it started earlier than that.

What is the real story? Receiving certificates for Nanadan and Kyoshi from the late Nakamura-s. would be the culmination of some period of study. I am asking what the details of that study were: who? when? where? duration? grades? styles?

In Budo,

Hi Ray,

Thanks for having kept the discussion on a professional level.

The information you ask for has been available on the Sydney School of Japanese Swordsmanship’s old web -site since 2000. However, on the late Nakamura sensei’s request it had to be removed in 2002.

I nearly forgot. The clock didn’t start in 2001 or 1996, it started in 1978!

As the founder of Nakamura Ryu Battodo and chief instructor of Toyama Ryu Battodo, the late Nakamura sensei had the absolute power and authority to grade, rank or appoint anyone who fitted the criteria to fill such a position.

I can only hope that both parties (Power and Fricke) will come to their senses, and by using their combined talents, will create a strong affiliation between the USA and Australia.

Regards
Peter Finch

[R A Sosnowski]

Peter,

Hi Ray,

Thanks for having kept the discussion on a professional level.

The information you ask for has been available on the Sydney School of Japanese Swordsmanship’s old web -site since 2000. However, on the late Nakamura sensei’s request it had to be removed in 2002.

I nearly forgot. The clock didn’t start in 2001 or 1996, it started in 1978!

As the founder of Nakamura Ryu Battodo and chief instructor of Toyama Ryu Battodo, the late Nakamura sensei had the absolute power and authority to grade, rank or appoint anyone who fitted the criteria to fill such a position.

I can only hope that both parties (Power and Fricke) will come to their senses, and by using their combined talents, will create a strong affiliation between the USA and Australia.

Regards
Peter Finch

Professionals 'r' us. :D

I am still interested in the details; a PM would be fine if you would rather not post to this thread.

No one argues with the late Nakamura-s.'s right to do as he saw fit. However, no instructor I have ever met is blessed with "papal infallibility;" we, as students and instructors, have the right to question any decision made higher up. I cannot argue for blind allegiance to anyone -- that's the hallmark of a cult.

As both Guy Power and Hans Fricke are now connected to IBF, they both have the obligation to abide by the organization's decisions. I believe the Power-s. has indicated as much in an earlier post of mine.

In Budo,

[John Attwood]

__________________________________
Raymond Sosnowski writes:

“Guy Power,..., explicitly stated that Fricke was not the real-deal, and that he had communicated to (the now late) Nakamura-s. about this. Nakamura-s. confirmed that Fricke had no authority to instruct.”

and ...
No one goes from mudansha to Nandan, Kyoshi, in any Japanese sword style without training.
__________________________________

In making such statements, shouldn’t Guy Power and Raymond Sosnowski have conducted some research before blasting away? You guys leave yourselves wide open for legal action here.

Fricke sensei’s dan grades in different sword styles, including a renshi teachers license, indicate that he must have had extensive training in the Japanese sword arts before being graded twice by master Nakamura Taizaburo.

For Guy Power to state”... that Fricke was not the real-deal, and that he had communicated to (the now late) Nakamura-s. about this...” is puzzling me. Where did Power get his facts from “...that Fricke was not the real-deal...”?

And for “...Fricke having no authority to instruct in nakamura ryu...” seems to be at odds with what Peter Finch writes:

• In November 2002 Mr. Fricke received, in front of witnesses, his teachers licence and dan certificate (Nakamura Ryu Battodo) from Nakamura sensei’s own hands*, and with it, permission to teach and represent Nakamura Ryu Battodo in Australia.

Am I missing something here?

J.P. Attwood

[R A Sosnowski]

In making such statements, shouldn’t Guy Power and Raymond Sosnowski have conducted some research before blasting away? You guys leave yourselves wide open for legal action here.

Fricke sensei’s dan grades in different sword styles, including a renshi teachers license, indicate that he must have had extensive training in the Japanese sword arts before being graded twice by master Nakamura Taizaburo.

For Guy Power to state”... that Fricke was not the real-deal, and that he had communicated to (the now late) Nakamura-s. about this...” is puzzling me. Where did Power get his facts from “...that Fricke was not the real-deal...”?

And for “...Fricke having no authority to instruct in nakamura ryu...” seems to be at odds with what Peter Finch writes:

• In November 2002 Mr. Fricke received, in front of witnesses, his teachers licence and dan certificate (Nakamura Ryu Battodo) from Nakamura sensei’s own hands*, and with it, permission to teach and represent Nakamura Ryu Battodo in Australia.

Am I missing something here?

J.P. Attwood

Yes, John, you are missing something here.

First, read the dates of the posts. Read the various posts on e-Budo, and check the dates. Statements were made with the best available information AT THAT TIME.

Also, you are not privy to personal communications among the various people involved; nor do you need to be.

In the interim, Nakamura-s. has died, and the IBF has taken full control of Nakamura Ryu. During this cooling-off period, more information has come to light with respect to this situation. Guy Power has made his current position perfectly clear (see my post of 17-Nov-2003 above), which I reitterate here:


Thanks Ray. Old business never dies on the internet.

If you feel a need to respond you might say, "Guy Power is pleased to report that Mr. Fricke has been conducting extensive training directly with the IBF at their invitation. Guy supports the decisions and directives of the governing body of the IBF and will assist in any way that he may."

Thanks,
Guy


HTH.

[R A Sosnowski]

IMO, there seems to have been a bit of miscommunications among all the parties involved in Australia, Japan and the USA during this affair in the past, a situation that seems to have been rectified of recent by the IBF.