Yudanshakai Rank Authority Review Committee

The purpose of the USJF Yudanshakai Rank Authority Review Committee ("Committee") as a subcommittee of U.S.J.F. Board of Examiners is to review promotions in U.S.J.F. rank granted within the YDK. Promotion authority in order to determine if a pattern of abuse of such delegated authority has occurred. The Committee is not reviewing YDK promotions for the purpose of second guessing or to exercise veto authority over a particular promotion for possible action by U.S.J.F. Board of Examiners with respect to such promotion.

By way of illustration and not limitation some of possible "abuse of promotion authority" for purposes of rank authority review follow:

1. A consistent pattern of approving promotions where major information is omitted from the application for promotion so that the YDK. Would have to base its decision on personal knowledge of candidate;
2. A pattern of approving promotions where the time-in-grade is consistently below the Guideline;
3. A pattern of accepting applications containing material misrepresentations and misstatements made by the candidate and/or individual recommending the promotion;
4. A pattern of approving applications where the YDK. is requiring some subsequent further examination of the candidate after the paperwork has been submitted to the National Office for the issuance of a certificate;
5. A pattern of YDK. failure or refusal to promote persons motivated in large part by the desire to punish candidates;
6. [Add additional examples]

The term "pattern" as used herein means that the application for promotion in question is not an isolated example but rather is evidence of a recurring pattern seen over a period of 2 –3 years. The National Office shall set aside specific applications.

If the Committee determines that a pattern of abuse of YDK. promotion authority has occurred it may then recommend to the Board of Examiners that appropriate action be taken against the YDK. found abusing its promotion authority. By way of illustration and not limitation the Board of Examiners may do one of the following:

1. Place the YDK. on probation with respect to all or some of its promotion authority;
2. Suspend for a period of time some or all of the YDK. promotion authority; or
3. Permanently reduce or withdraw all promotion authority.

The U.S.J.F. National Office is to process applications for rank approval by YDK. then prepare and return rank certificates to the proper YDK. official for appropriates distribution to the member’s dojo Sensei. Applications which are incomplete so as to make it impossible to determine objectively whether a candidate’s record falls within the Guidelines shall be returned to the YDK. for further action. The Chairman, U.S.J.F. Board of Examiners, shall not process such applications for issuance of rank certificate without a written waiver. All other applications shall be timely processed by the National Office staff despite possible variance below the Guidelines; provided however, applications shall be set aside (after issuance of the certificate) for possible referral to the Committee when the National Office staff observes a trend or pattern of possible abuse as described herein above. It is the objective of this review process to hold the YDK. accountable for quality promotions within its delegated authority for U.S.J.F. rank and not to punish the candidate by voiding a promotion once it has been awarded by YDK. The U.S.J.F.’s reputation for quality rank will only be preserved when the examination process occurs without major deviation from the Guideline absent unusual circumstances adequately disclosed in the application.

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