Thank You Mr. Reinhardt;

It's interesting how Mr. Bethers paints people utterly despising his actions with "fear". USJJF - in business for 36 years?

Originally a group of Karate men from Ohio and the Northern Midwest, who convinced the JJIF to give them their imprimatur. At that time it was USA- Ju-Jitsu

In the past 20 years they...well, it's improved - sort of... from sham US teams who 'se' results were hideous orthopedic injuries, to a reputation for "running out of the venue to vomit", to the present situation where they simply get trashed shamefully.

The Europeans were quite willing to accept this, along with pitifully weak teams from Japan.

Approximately 10 years or so ago, Mr. Bethers was recruited to give a "Judo Face" to this group of Porter-promoted Karate men who were, essentially, hiding their group from the US community. Bethers background was from the Oklahoma YMCA (a bit controversial there) and actually had done Judo, though his High ranks came from Porter (after he went off the beam). He denounced Porter as he helmed USJJF, and was at the same time partially responsible for the creation of the two sham organizations - USMAF and MAIF -which even closely "ape" Porter's groups! AND by the way - with all that high rank brain trust and skill, in EVERY martial art (!) don't you think they could do even a LITTLE BETTER in international competition? Despite Serbian fellow's blind loyalty to a group he's already joined (Don't worry little Americans! I'll help you!- this from someone who has LEFT JIIF to form his own group) this is madness that approaches what overtook Mr. Porter. At least Porter's previous credentials were high.

The giant USJJF web site was also created. To this day, it is USJJF's major achievement; it makes it seem almost IMPOSSIBLE that there's nothing behind it, besides a few old men and their cronies. At that time, the ONLY Martial Art/Sport they left alone, was Judo. Now, because Judo IS smaller, and the IJF has said "we are sport" they are circling what they feel is soon to become a corpse. Much as the carrion feeders they emulate. I don't think anybody's AFRAID of that, just disgusted.

USJJF may be single handedly responsible for the folding of its OW umbrella group, the North American Jujitsu Union; the Canadian and Mexican groups ceased to exist. Now there's a Pan-American Union to mask this fact. Another subterfuge; what a surprise.

This spectacularly unsuccessful (a matter of record; there are films of it here and abroad) SPORTS organization, is simply trying to make funds and membership an easy way; non-competitive members. Supply them with a reasonable diploma that doesn't claim an UTTERLY IMPOSSIBLE rank, and there you are.

Now they sing the song of wanting to do "non-competitive martial art" when their only true track record is a mixture of puffery, exclusion, servile attitudes towards their European validating group, and pathetic failures. Bethers makes it worse by puffing USJJF to a 36 year history - he make the failures and chicanery last longer. He is looking for one venue where he won't constantly have to do damage control.

The Jujitsu Community has reacted: AJA (George Kirby, Dr. McCurdy) won't deal with them, Jujitsu America (Willy Cahill, Wally Jay and their people) has recoiled in disgust, the USJA (under Bergwerf) wouldn't make formal ties, Ernie Boggs runs a rival group (reforming now after Mr. Boggs' personal reverses) USSJA, which has drawn 10 times the number of US competitors.

Now they're crawling to Judo. And this fellow's claiming we're worried and we're scared?

This IS something to be advertised - but not in the way Mr. Bethers wishes.

ALL THESE CLAIMS CAN BE CHECKED.