NEWS & ACTIVITY
W.B.F SOKE COUNCIL IS FOUNDED
The decision to found the World Budo Federation Soke Council was made on July 11, 2010 at a meeting in Istanbul-Kadikoy.
In the meeting, where the disturbance caused by a lack of unison amongst the Turkish Martial Art Systems was mentioned, various suggestions were proposed in order to unite the Turkish Martial Arts founded all over our country under one umbrella.
At the end of the meeting, it was decided to found a serious Turkish Martial Arts Union. Thus, it was decided to found the Soke Council and the union agreement was signed.
This union, being the first serious council founded about this issue, will serve as an association that does the supervision and approval of the Turkish Systems founded in our country. The members of the recently founded council;
Soke Fikret KÜÇÜKAKDERE (W.B.F founder 10.Dan)
Soke Şefik GÜLTEN (Founder of the Wakazamurai art 10.Dan)
Soke Serdar ERGUN (Ser Karate founder 10.Dan)
Soke Züber SAYDAN (Founder of the Aikijutsu art 10.Dan)
ABOUT THE SOKE COUNCIL AND ITS DUTY
As known, the language of the Martial Arts is universal in the world.
Among Martial Arts, Japanese is used as a universal (common) language in the world.
Soke, a word in Japanese, expresses the meaning of founder, ancestor or the elder of a family. This word used by itself does not have a meaning. Much like, when we say teacher, it is asked “the teacher of what?” Teacher, but teacher of what? Here, when we say a teacher of Karate, the issue is understood clearly.
In this manner soke, used by itself, expresses the meaning of ancestor, founder and the elder of a family. However, then we get the question asking which family's ancestor, which family's elder.
A expression is needed behind the word soke. In this manner, for example: When we say Wakazamurai kokusai budo no soke, this means clearly “the soke of the Wakazamurai International Martial Art.”
Hence, it means the founder, ancestor, elder, pioneer of the Wakazamurai International Martial Art.
The concept of soke cannot be obtained later on. The meaning of the words ancestor, founder point to that. Because of this word that contain also the meaning of firstborn, it is not possible for a person rising in the ranks of the system to be a Soke.
Soke is a title that is given to the people that established themselves with their system on the international stage. Once a person founds a system, he or she has to get his or her sokeship in the international associations. Certainly, as a person knows that he or she is the ancestor or elder of a family, he or she does not need others' approval. However, to be able to use the title soke in the international martial arts arena, it is necessary to be approved by the councils found again on the international stage.
Thus, soke title is a degree that the person cannot grant to himself or herself. Otherwise, any system founder can grant himself or herself the title soke and not act in ways the title would require.
Soke concept expresses great meaning. This degree is granted after the examination of a person is done by an international council.
Even if a martial arts master founds his or her own style and rises up to the 10th Dan degree, it may not be possible to reach the Soke title. For being a Soke, it is not enough to be a system founder. For this reason, many martial art masters use the word san denoting the degree of shihan (master), later they use the titles meaning kancho (headmaster of the school, president of the school). A person who sees himself or herself fit to be a master and is at the head of a school as a headmaster, can find himself or herself suitable of these titles and can carry on with their duty.
However, to be a Soke, the necessities are;
1-) A petition for application to be a Soke.
2-) Having fulfilled at least 25 years in martial arts and proving this with related documents.
3-) Displaying martial arts experience and performing at least three martial arts, and disclosing related documents.
4-) Having fulfilled the age of 40.
5-) Not having a disgraceful crime in his or her country (this is investigated by the authorities in the association from the police).
6-) Having significant articles or books in the area of martial arts and having introduced these to the public by legal means.
7-) Expressing the person's contributions in his or her social life to his or her country or to the humanity. (By documents)
8-) Having at least 6th Dan document in martial arts.
9-) Together with the theses of the martial art style, the technical training videos in dojo.
10-) The web site and mail addresses belonging to the martial art.
THE DUTY OF THE SOKE COUNCIL
In the case of a petition by a martial art founded in our country or in the world, International Soke Council examines the system with respect to the rules above and requests all the required documents. Additional time to ameliorate is given to the systems or founders that are deemed to be insufficient.
If the system is decided to be insufficient or if it is found out to be similar to another system, council requires this system to be adjusted. In the second petition, the parts that are required to be fixed are revised and presented to the committee, and the council decision is made.
In the case where the system is clear and suitable but the founder is seen to have a drawback or deficiency, he or she is warned. If the person that claims to have found a system has a disgraceful crime in the society, even if he or she satisfies all the required conditions, his system foundership is not approved and is refused.
To be a soke, the person must have sufficiency with respect to all of the conditions above.
The people who had been convicted of a disgraceful crime or made a bad impression in public are not only disapproved by the council, but also, by being denounced to the international martial arts community with a text, are prevented from being accepted by other organizations as well.
The people who have sufficient information and documents on all related issues are examined in a week by the council, following which, the petitioner meets with the council, and his or her sufficiency document signed by the council and his or her Soke diploma are presented with a ceremony. Soke council not only examines the people petitioning to be a soke, but, as long as they can demonstrate their documents, also approves and verifies people to be at the level of senpai, sensei, shihan and kancho, and presents them their documents.
Soke council sub-committees;
Technical committee
Police department committee
Exam committee
