I see a growing trend by which duly certified high level Grandmasters are creating their own association and certification process. I wonder if this is an increasing practice because of declining interminable funds due largely to the vast amounts of schools in operation. Advancing associations dues for certification outside the school can be costly and not cost-effective if operating a full time school.

Given that they are duly certified, I wonder how much recognition their signature carries when presented to the martial art community. Then again that will depend upon who is the issuer.

Some aging semi-retire grandmasters turn to create these associations to help them generate additional income to supplement their insubstantial if not below poverty income. Many older grandmasters I know are just barely getting by on their retirement funds; others do not have any retirement funds and work full time in their twilight years. That worries me, I may also share their fate unless I put some money aside: try doing that with a full time school.