USJA Coach - Judo Information Site

^:;#r^FlsUSJACOACHa a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a aA TRIBUTE TO JESSE JONESA letterfrom Robert D. Donaldson, Yodan(presently sening overseas) nrcntber TarHeel Kodokan Judo Dojo, Jacksonville, NCWhen I read the letter from the USJA's newPresident, Mr. James Bregman, I took sometime to reflect on many of the events thathave taken place. I have been a member ofboth the USJA and the USJF ever since myintroduction to Judo (it was my Sensei'sattempt to avoid the destructive politics ofJudo in America).As I reached adulthood in the early 80's,I left the USJA for two reasons; no one wasconcerned that I was a Judo "orphan", andI felt that the organization, once the formerArmed Forces Judo Association, did littleor nothing to support members of theUnited States military. Leadership becamedictatorship, seemingly dividing rather thana a a a a a a a o a a a a a a a a a a aEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR @ontinued frcm pase 2)OUR COMPUTER RECORDS: Pleasehelp us to better serve you, and at the sametime save postage. In the past severalmonths we have seen a great deal ofcorrespondence, publications and evensome merchandise, returned because ofbadaddresses. Ifthere has been a change in youraddress and/or zip code, (and for thatmatter, telephone and/or area codenumbers), please call or email us with thecorrect information.OUR COMPUTER WOES: Please bearwith us if our retum service has seemedslow, for which we apologize. We havesuffered serious computer crashes and arein the process of updating and revampingour system. We hope soon to haveeverything in shipshape order.furthering friendship and the fellowship ofthe Judo community.After some prodding from Ed Szrejter,Executive Director, I retumed to the USJAin 1995, simply out of loyalty to Jesse Jonesand in support ofhis tenure as President. Icontinue to make a small token donationevery month, with the understanding thatin some small way, American Judo (not justthe USJA) benefits.I have known Jesse Jones since 1976. andalthough I was not a member of his UnidosJudo Club, he has always demonstrated agenuine concern for my development, bothas a person and as a judoka. I will alwaysowe him a debt of gratitude for not onlythat but also for being a mentor to so manyof the young. His courage to admit thingswere wrong, his leadership in the actionsFUND RAISING: We are grateful to thosemembers who have so generouslyresponded to our appeal for funds to helppay our legal fees, and again convey ourthanks. Although we are liquidating thesedebts slowly but surely, we hope theLitigation Fund appeal will realizecontinuing results.LIFE MEMBERSHIP FEES: The USJABoard of Directors, at its January meeting,authorized a reduced LM fee of $100.00valid through June 30, 2001. On June 30,the fee willclimb to $300.00. USJA Bylawsset the Life Membership Fee at $400.00,rnd going to $300.00 will move us more inline. Now is the opportunity to encourageyour students to take advantage of this$100.00 LM opportunity!Sincerely,Ed Szrejternecessary to remove Mr. Porter, and hiscontinued dedication to Judo, must neverbe understated. I was sorry that he gaveup his position with the USJI because of aperceived conflict ofinterest (the USJF hasnot divested), but this is a personalopinion. As a man of great character, JesseJones would have served all ofJudo.Jesse Jones was "the right man for the rightjob" at perhaps the most trying time inUSJA history. I thank him for a job welldone. While he is taking a new position inUSJA leadership, his role is no lessimportant. The USJA is strongernow thanin 1995; I have a newly found sense ofbelonging, due in part to the efforts ofJesse Jones and Ed Szrejteq a feeling thatwas missing for a while.I believe the USJA to be far more than aplace from which to receive promotionsor certifications. It is a source of Judoexcellence and a place of great resource,a place dedicated to the continued growthand development of Judo. Any person,from any walk of life is welcome to comeand share in that continued development,not only the "Elite Athlete" or Stateofficial.Many of we youngerjudoka have dynamicand innovative ideas about how thingsshould be changed, and the seasoned guardwill be ready to pass the torch in years tocome. I urge everyone in the USJAto standready to accept the torchjust as our leadersdid in the past.Again, I convey my thanks to Jesse Jonesfor the difference he has made in me andcountless others, and my congratulationsto our new President James Bregman onhis second term as the head of the largestJudo organization in the United States ofAmerica.-Bobbv Donaldson