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 Letter from Mahmoud Tabassi sensei

September 30, 2013

To Whom It May Concern,

For the past couple of years, I have been ignoring efforts made by the ITKF Chairman to use me as a scapegoat for his problems with ITKF. In another comical attempt to divert attention from his own failures, the ITKF Chairman has suspended my credentials and membership from ITKF. This is due to his misconception that he has any power to interfere or impose himself on an individual’s karate life. As far as we all know, ITKF is a suspended entity in the state of California with no rights to give or take away anyone’s credentials. My credentials, including my 7th Dan rank were given to me by Sensei Nishiyama; no one has the right or capability to take them or my knowledge and skills away. Therefore, this suspension is akin to another joke in the comic book authored by the ITKF Chairman.

The Chairman has tried to hide behind Sensei Nishiyama’s name and legacy due to his own lack of ability, both in terms of technique and leadership. His mantra of saving Sensei’s legacy and family is well known and can be found in every one of his letters. There is a saying that if you keep repeating the same lie, people may start believing it. Although the Chairman tries to blame others for ruining Sensei Nishiyama’s name and legacy, he himself is solely responsible for destroying Sensei Nishiyama’s way, organization, name, and legacy.

The Chairman of the ITKF can continue his rhetoric but the truth is evident to those not under his spell of manipulation and deceits and/or following him blindly. Under the current ITKF Chairmanship, ITKF has split, digressed technically, suffers from reduced membership, and continues with unresolved legal and tax issues. Recently, the majority of the Chairman’s Canadian organization chose to leave due to his inept managerial style. The Chairman can continue suspending national federations or higher ranking members of Sensei Nishiyama’s inner circle until he becomes the Chairman of an organization with only one member, himself.

I and other likeminded students of Sensei Nishiyama are trying hard to protect and conserve Sensei’s name and legacy and hopefully achieve the goals that Sensei had in mind all his life.

The ITKF Chairman can be a great comedian, but not a successful Chairman of the ITKF or similar organization. The best he can do to save Sensei’s legacy is for him to suspend himself from ITKF.

Sincerely,

Mahmoud Tabassi

7^th Dan, Examiner A, Kata and Kumite, Judge A, International Coach

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