Congratulations to Troy Swenson Sensei! Swenson Sensei, assistant editor of the SMAA Journal, just received nidan in the SMAA Jujutsu Division. Swenson Sensei devotes quite a bit of his time to editing and formatting the raw text he receives into what members eventually see in the SMAA Journal. He does this for free, and this is true of all SMAA officials as our group is a federally tax-exempt nonprofit corporation.
SMAA officials donate their time to the organization (although they may receive honorariums for teaching at SMAA events and be reimbursed for expenses). None of the leaders of the SMAA profit financially from their involvement in the group--a distinction that sets the SMAA apart from other martial arts associations.
As the result, the public and members can be assured that SMAA rank cannot be "bought" as is sometimes the case with other groups. They can be certain that the Directors and Advisors are working for the SMAA out of a genuine love of budo and koryu bujutsu.
SMAA officials donate their time to the organization (although they may receive honorariums for teaching at SMAA events and be reimbursed for expenses). None of the leaders of the SMAA profit financially from their involvement in the group--a distinction that sets the SMAA apart from other martial arts associations.
As the result, the public and members can be assured that SMAA rank cannot be "bought" as is sometimes the case with other groups. They can be certain that the Directors and Advisors are working for the SMAA out of a genuine love of budo and koryu bujutsu.
