After a long wait we have finally managed to hold the Awards on the Gold Coast of Queensland, and what a worthwhile wait it has been. This year we appointed AMAHOF Director's Mal Lomax and Peter Kitak to form a sub-committee to organise the 2005 Awards event weekend and they have put their heart and soul into it. Their planning and implementation of this event has been a tremendous assistance to me and they have done an excellent job and I sincerely congratulate them on their efforts.
Selecting outstanding martial arts practitioners for induction into the Australasian Martial Arts Hall of Fame is a demanding task, requiring help from the AMAHOF membership and members of the martial arts industry throughout Asia. The task of identifying the right people becomes extremely difficult when considering the vast diversification of arts and countries involved. Making worthy contacts within these countries is also difficult without having personally met with them at some stage. The awareness of AMAHOF has spread widely across Asia and inland to Nepal, high in the Himalayan Mountains. Over the next few years we would like to identify some of the leading members of arts within these countries and establish better industry support and recognition so that they are given due recognition of the hard work they have put into their countries martial arts development.
Support in getting the completed Nomination Forms into the Executive Committee by the closing date of 31st December has once again been improved on previous years. As President I have enforced the observance of the closing date and with fourteen successful Nominees being accepted after all considerations were taken. Several late comers have been deferred until the 2006 Awards in Hobart.
As the Awards are moved around the country there is a tendency to receive many local nominations due to the local awareness being highlighted. We must continue to look at arts outside of our own immediate art and give recognition where it is due. Nominations should be raised as they occur and not wait until just prior to the closing date. The Executive Committee immediately start to investigate the Nomination as they are received as they take time and effort to get to a final outcome.
This year we have two representatives from the WKUHOF who are also being inducted into AMAHOF and the Australasian Sokeship Council. We thank them for their participation and their fellowship across the Pacific and trust they will favourably pass on our enthusiasm and appreciation to our fellow members of the WKUHOF on their return to the USA. On 2nd July this year I will attend the WKUHOF Awards in Pennsylvania and look forward to renewing friendships first made when I attended the 1999 awards.
The AMAHOF website has been updated and expanded by the voluntary support of Russell Lawrence and the sponsorship of Budokan Academy. He has done a great job and you can find all the information and Nomination Packs for 2006 on this website: www.amahof.asn.au The site is in progress of being revamped by a new Editor and the Executive Committee has taken some action in improving the regularity of the sites maintenance in the future.
The Ramon's at Willow Pond has established a museum at last and AMAHOF has a small section dedicated to it and the display will be rotated regularly to spread the information on our members and to give extra recognition to their achievements. I have collected some AMAHOF memorabilia over the years and as I gain time to produce displays this will be incorporated into the cabinets for local tourism to view. In the six months the museum has been open it has attracted many favourable comments by patrons visiting the restaurant.
Communication has been re-established with some of our past New Zealand Inductees and we hope that our repoir with them will increase in time. Several have indicated they will be attending this years event and I very much look towards welcoming them in Australia.
Communications with Kathi & Frank Tasetano in regard to the WKUHOF is firm and supportive as always. The WKUHOF has their own website where our inductees are listed each year: https://members.tripod.com/worldkarateunion.org/
The 2006 Awards will be held at the Wrest Point Casino, Hobart, Tasmania. Director Les Elliott has been appointed the local organiser and most items have already been put into place. This event will be the 10th Anniversary Awards of AMAHOF and is drawing much interest. I would like it to be a re-union of past members and make it a very special event including the production of a 10th Anniversary Book identifying all past members in order of induction. This will take a large amount of work to produce and may need assistance in tracking past members and obtaining any missing photographs from the early years. It is also hoped to have Frank and Kathi Tasetano from the WKUHOF attend these awards to help us celebrate the special occasion.
As AMAHOF grows so does our networking opportunities. There have been occasions where some members have clashed with others due to past differences of opinions or in opposition within the industry. I must emphasise that this is part of life and we expect Inductees to raise themselves above their difference of opinions and have a positive outlook and acceptance that the other Inductees have passed the screening checks and have met the intensive scrutiny placed on the induction process. Nothing is infallible, but I ask you to tolerate all members that have been inducted and may have different opinions to yourself. They have earned the right as much as the person alongside them. All members are treated equally within AMAHOF and rank is a courtesy if known. Some members do not have a ranking system or equivalent structure or grading regimes as others so ranks cannot be superimposed above another. Respect of another inductee should be without question once they have become a member and I request that this point be kept in mind by all members in the future as we should all have enough humility to put ourselves above these aspects that we may employ differently within our own special art.
I would also encourage any members travelling through the USA to make contact with Kathi and Frank Tasetano or to attend the WKUHOF held in Pennsylvania in late June/early July each year. We are part of their organisation also and I think a closer supportive role would be nice to see in the near future.
As we approach our 10th Anniversary (2006) it is hoped we can become more ethical and supportive in relation to our members and the industry in general. All State Governments are looking for a leader within our industry to discuss important interests in the evolution of martial arts and coaching and we need to be available to show leadership and guidance as we expand our membership at the highest levels throughout Australasia.
I would like the aging members of our Association to enjoy a fruitful and happy life during the forthcoming year and look forward to renewing our friendship in Hobart.
Please continue to develop and enjoy the Espier de Corp of AMAHOF and the WKUHOF.
Kyoshi Ramon Lawrence
18th April, 2005
