IIKA Newsletter Chairman: JC Burris President: Tommy True Board Members: Phil McElroy, Jim McDonald, David Gabbard, Kelly Markham, Carol Burris, Jerry Smith, Mike Lewis, Don Bordinger, Sandra Strong Honorary Board Members: Maurice Msarsa, Bruce Guillaume Subject: Hall of Fame Board Meeting Summary Report Release Date: Friday April 24, 2009 The Isshin-ryu Hall of Fame (IHOF) meeting at the host hotel, the Hilton in Knoxville, was very successful. The banquet, the seminars, and meetings will take place at the Hilton. The hotel is smaller, but very nice, and the food is good. The tournament will take place across the street at the convention center. It is 50,000 square feet, will have 14 ft high bleachers, has a concrete floor, and free parking will be available for the weekend. Wayne Wayland, our newest IHOF board member, will become the tournament director. He has some different ideas--some of which sound really good. It'll be a new look for the tournament. He is planning to keep all spectators off the competition area, and he will project a schedule of events (ring assignments, times, etc.) on one wall so that all competitors can easily see where they need to be. We discussed a "staging area" to organize the rings, so that when a division is called for competition, there will be no delays. A "Ladies of Isshin-ryu" event will be scheduled in the seminar area at the Hilton. Also, the inductees' seminars this year will be ones you won't want to miss. I will wait on the IHOF web site make those announcements, but these seminars may create the most interest ever. Also, there have been some rule changes: The soft rubber sole kumite shoes will be allowed this year. The time limits for kumite have been discarded, i.e., under black belt divisions will have 3 point matches--unlimited time. Black belt divisions will have 5 point matches--unlimited time. Last year the "no see" rule was eliminated for the IHOF tournament, and will not be in effect this year either. The only calls will be "point," "no point," "penalty point," and "disqualification." Several special things are planned to celebrate this 30th year of the Isshin-ryu Hall of Fame, and Knoxville will be more convenient to most of our dojos than Gatlinburg has been. Let's all get ready for a great event; I hope to see all of you there. Respectfully, JC Burris