Through the many organizations I’ve belonged to, one lesson I’ve learned is that the heart of an organization is in the people who are committed to its mission. With the right intentions, the structure of an organization doesn’t impede people doing from what they know needs to be done. At the same time, I’ve also learned that organizations that do not adjust their structure in response to change can make things harder for people to connect and to do what’s important. The environment is never static, and organizations must evolve to survive.

Many of you have heard that there has been talk of organization change, or even dissolution, for the ABA. For those of you who may not have time to read this entire message, I’d like to make sure you are aware that Dr. Gyi does not want to see the Bando community disbanded or the knowledge that has been shared lost. He does want, however, for us to have a viable structure that reflects the current environment and which encourages our senior leadership to be responsible for growing, sharing, and evolving Hanthawaddy Bando. The fellowship that has grown among our Bando community does not depend on any single organizational structure, and everyone I know wants to honor Dr. Gyi’s legacy by continuing to embody what he’s taught and to pass on the knowledge that he’s shared to the next generation.

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“Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present
are certain to miss the future” – John F. Kennedy
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Within the American Bando Association, I, and many others, are recognizing that we are at a point where it’s important to revisit our mission and organizational structure:

• The ABA was founded as a veterans memorial martial arts organization, and specifically has the mission to honor those who served in military roles in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theatre of World War II. Now, there are very few Veterans who are still alive that were part of the CBI theatre, and with membership dwindling, most, if not all, of the groups commemorating this special group of Veterans have been laid down.
• Dr. Gyi has also laid out a vision for a “New Chapter” of ABA, recognizing the leadership and on-going contributions of people who exemplify individual Bando skills and continued personal growth while also continuing to actively train and promote students. Those people are: Chet Buffington, Kenny Corl, Michael Decker, Karl Duff, Jerry George, Dave Keeney, Gary Layton, Mary Mester, Rick Suskind, and Duvon Winborne. As our Bando community reluctantly begins to consider how we will operate when Dr. Gyi is no longer actively teaching, we will need to rely on a new model that builds on the diversity of skills and knowledge that exists within the Bando community.

There have been several ideas considered related to ABA’s future, although none have resulted in any official decisions:

• Earlier this Fall, Dr. Gyi had sent to ABA 9th level Grand Masters a note declaring his intention to dissolve the ABA, and to encourage leadership to establish their own organizations to match their interest areas.
• At the last ABA event, we held a “campfire” meeting to elicit feedback from the Bando community on their thoughts regarding the ABA future. It was clear that those present highly valued the role of ABA in connecting the Bando community and making opportunities for training together.
• And more recently, Dr. Gyi has expressed the opinion that ABA could be renamed as the National Bando Association of America (NBAA). This name honors the organization that his father set up, and retiring the name “ABA” (but not dissolving the organization) reflects that the current mission of honoring CBI veterans is complete. (Rights to the ABA name and logo would still reside with this organization in that case.)

No change to ABA’s structure, mission, or name can be implemented arbitrarily. Our ABA by-laws define the steps needed for change, including the need to include members in any decision that considers dissolution of the organization. There are also legal considerations that have to be understood and complied with to make sure that we implement changes with open eyes. And because we are a Bando community, we also don’t intend to implement change without fully seeking input from you, our Membership. Right now, we don’t have enough facts on the table to let you know what the implications are for alternative paths that ABA may take. I can commit to you, though, that we will share this information as we find out.

When I speak to our ABA senior leadership, nearly everyone has expressed their desire to honor Dr. Gyi’s wishes in recognition of the essential role he has had in establishing ABA and in sharing his knowledge with so many. I have also sent a letter to the ABA Board of Directors recommending 1, that ABA should not be dissolved and 2, that we formally evaluate options and understand the implications of evolving the ABA into the NBAA. These recommendations will be addressed in the January ABA Board meeting.

There are a lot of questions that need answering, and for many of you, you may want to share your thoughts and to explore how you feel about changes to the ABA. Feel free to share your thoughts with friends, but I ask you to be careful to acknowledge that there are still unknowns about the future. ABA will be actively seeking out your input as well, as we have information to help clarify what different paths mean. If you are attending Dr. Gyi’s seminar on the Healing Arts in Virginia, ABA will be hosting a membership meeting on March 3rd at the Best Western Fairfax (4-6pm) to give you a chance to share your thoughts and concerns. We’ll also be reaching out via email and other means as we explore what different paths may mean. You are also welcome to reach out to the members of our ABA Board of Directors with your thoughts and questions. Our current Board members are: Dave Decker, Michael Decker, Jerry George, Steve Jaszek, Eugene Johnson, Dave Keeney, John Kelley, Anthony Milburn, and Mark Semingson.

Changing ABA’s structure (or name) does not mean that we lose the knowledge of any aspects of Bando, including the more hard styles. All aspects of Bando will continue to be cherished and honored. Those who want to preserving free-fighting, naban, or any other aspect of Bando that is taught are encouraged to teach and to host related events. The organization can facilitate knowledge sharing, but it’s the active involvement of each of you that is needed to grow and to share our collective skills.

Click here to view the Fall 2018 edition of Crossed Swords

Memorial Day marks a season of passage and transition. For many of us, it marks the beginning of Summer and the shift to outside activities. Pool openings, parades, store sales, and barbecues with family and friends are timed to coincide with this weekend that holds so much meaning. The deeper meaning of this holiday, of course, is tied to honoring those Veterans who have passed away and who are no longer with us.

This is a holiday that grew almost organically to acknowledge the sacrifices of our dead soldiers and to honor our collective loss of these souls. Honoring ancestors occurs in cultures across the world, and in the US, families have gathered at cemeteries to lay flowers at the graves of relatives and to spend time together well before there was a recognized holiday.

Around the time of the Civil War, practices began to specifically honor fallen soldiers. Shortly after the end of the war, the head of a group of Union veterans, Maj. Get John Logan, proclaimed that a Decoration Day be held on May 30th to lay flowers on the graves of all fallen soldiers, both Confederate and Union. And in Charleston, SC, a community of former slaves collected the bodies of Union soldiers that had been laid in a mass grave at a Confederate prison camp. After two weeks of effort, new graves had been laid and a community-wide celebration was held in gratitude for the freedom that their sacrifices helped to enable. A small town in Waterloo, New York, had also started a community wide, annual day of recognition of fallen soldiers. This community was recognized a hundred years later through a Congressional proclamation as the birthplace of our modern Memorial Day.

On Memorial Day, we honor all soldiers who have passed away. Some have fallen in the battlefield, and others have died afterwards as a result of the injuries (whether spiritual or physical) acquired while serving. Many veterans have died of other causes well after their military service has been completed; their willingness to serve and to sacrifice is also honored on this day.

This weekend, find your own way to honor the Veterans in your family and community. I recently discovered that my home town (Warrenton VA) also contributed to the origins of Memorial Day — it was in 1861, in Warrenton, that the first decoration of a Civil War soldier occurred. And this weekend, I’ll be attending the Warrenton Memorial Day parade and graveside ceremony.

There are so many ways to express reverence for those no longer with us who chose to serve and to acknowledge our shared loss. Perhaps you can lay out a small memorial in your home and exchange stories to bring alive the memory of someone who had served. Or maybe there is a community event nearby that you can attend – your efforts and presence will speak volumes about valuing our Veterans.

Respectfully,

Deborah Kirkman
President, American Bando Association

Click here to view the January 2018 edition of Crossed Swords

ABA’s mission, from it’s very beginning, has included honoring members of the U.S. military. Dr. Gyi’s father, U Ba Than Gyi, encouraged his son to “Express your gratitude and honor the servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives in defense against the tyranny of Nazism and Fascism during World War II… Remember, the American troops were in Burma.. “ And in ABA’s very first mission statement, the first of three missions was to “honor both the Allied and Axis veterans of the Burma Campaign of the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of WWII in Asia”. As our servicemen and servicewomen have been challenged to support military needs in many additional theaters since WWII, ABA has expanded its outreach to honor veterans of more recent conflicts as well. I’m proud that our organization is about something larger than the individual benefits that can be achieved through the practice and preservation of Hanthawaddy System of Bando.

One of the most visible ways we honor the sacrifices of our military personnel and veterans is by holding our events on weekends that commemorate important events or themes. This year, we will be holding events on the weekends associated with Armed Services Day (May), Victory over Japan (V-J) Day (August), and Veterans Day (November).   These weekends are an opportunity to remind all who participate in our camps the gratitude we owe to our veterans. And last year (2017), ABA donated $3,300.00 (three thousand, three hundred dollars) to support to a number of national groups serving Veterans, including the USO, the Disabled American Veterans, Fisher House, and the Gurkha Welfare Relief Trust.

ABA thanks our many members and friends who contributed to the “Care Packages for Veterans” collection. Over our three national camps in Strouds Run Park (Athens, Ohio) last year, ABA collected gifts to share with those serving overseas. We received snack items, games, reading material, condiments, coffee supplies, and toiletries that could be sent overseas. Many of you also provided money that was used for additional supplies and to help pay for mailing these packages. Overall, ABA sent eleven care packages in 2017 – a way to directly help those who are far from the comforts of home.

This year, ABA also provided some Christmas cheer to a disabled veteran family in the Washington DC area. Wakeel Abdullah, who has been serving with the local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, shared with us the special request of a family where both heads of the household were dealing with significant disabilities; one had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the other in Operation Enduring Freedom. ABA provided gifts for their three children as well as some items for their father and mother, providing a personal message of support and care.

ABA encourages everyone to support our veterans through club-level or individual efforts (e.g., see our article on Michael Gallagher’s support of the “Paws and Stripes” project). We’d love to hear how you are honoring our Veterans and those currently serving in the military, whether it be something as simple as attending a local ceremony, supporting fund-raisers, or actively helping with Veterans’ needs. Sharing your story can help encourage our other members to find inspiration and explore their own way of honoring our Veterans.

Sayamaji Debby Kirkman

President, American Bando Association

We had a great turnout this year – thanks to all of our competitors and to our Bando family members who came out to support our fighters as well as to honor our veterans.

Highlights of the tournament include the awarding of both “Best Kickboxer” to Michael Dixon of Athens Bando Club and “Best Kickboxing School” to the Fredrick Fight Club of Northern Virginia.

Many thanks to everyone who made this event a success and a special thank you to Sayama Leslie Darr and Saya Bill Darr, who did a great job in hosting the 2013 Bando Kickboxing Nationals in Northern Virginia.

For a complete listing of tournament results, please check out our November issue of the Crossed Swords

The 2014 Weapons Camp will be held on October 17^th – 19^th and we will be celebrating 50+ years of Bando in America.  The camp will be open to all brown-belts and above and will include training in the Hanthawaddy Bando systems of Dhot and Dha, as well as, the Kukri of the 10^th Burma Gurkha Rifles.  You can get more information, including registration and waiver forms, by clicking here.  For ABA members who register before July 30^th, the camp is FREE!

We strongly encourage all ABA members who are planning to attend the Weapons Camp to attend the 2014 ABA Summer Camp.  Our focus at the summer camp will be honing our skills in Dhot and Dha applications and kukri drill sets in preparation for the Weapons Camp.  A detailed agenda for the Summer Camp is forthcoming.

ABA’s mission, from it’s very beginning, has included honoring members of the U.S. military. Dr. Gyi’s father, U Ba Than Gyi, encouraged his son to “Express your gratitude and honor the servicemen and women who sacrificed their lives in defense against the tyranny of Nazism and

Fascism during World War II… Remember, the American troops were in Burma.. “ And in ABA’s very first mission statement, the first of three missions was to “honor both the Allied and Axis veterans of the Burma Campaign of the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater of WWII in Asia”. As our servicemen and servicewomen have been challenged to support military needs in many additional theaters since WWII, ABA has expanded its outreach to honor veterans of more recent conflicts as well. I’m proud that our organization is about something larger than the individual benefits that can be achieved through the practice and preservation of Hanthawaddy System of Bando.

One of the most visible ways we honor the sacrifices of our military personnel and veterans is by holding our events on weekends that commemorate important events or themes. This year, we will be holding events on the weekends associated with Armed Services Day (May), Victory over Japan (V-J) Day (August), and Veterans Day (November).   These weekends are an opportunity to remind all who participate in our camps the gratitude we owe to our veterans. And last year (2017), ABA donated three thousand, three hundred dollars to support to a number of national groups serving Veterans, including the USO, the Disabled American Veterans, Fisher House, and the Gurkha Welfare Trust.

ABA thanks our many members and friends who contributed to the “Care Packages for Veterans” collection. Over our three national camps in Strouds Run Park (Athens, Ohio) last year, ABA collected gifts to share with those serving overseas. We received snack items, games, reading material, condiments, coffee supplies, and toiletries that could be sent overseas. Many of you also provided money that was used for additional supplies and to help pay for mailing these packages. Overall, ABA sent eleven care packages in 2017 – a way to directly help those who are far from the comforts of home.

This year, ABA also provided some Christmas cheer to a disabled veteran family in the Washington DC area. Wakeel Abdullah, who has been serving with the local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, shared with us the special request of a family where both heads of the household were dealing with significant disabilities; one had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the other in Operation Enduring Freedom. ABA provided gifts for their three children as well as some items for their father and mother, providing a personal message of support and care.

ABA encourages everyone to support our veterans through club-level or individual efforts (eg, see our Crossed Swords article on Michael Gallagher’s support of the “Paws and Stripes” project). We’d love to hear how you are honoring our Veterans and those currently serving in the military, whether it be something as simple as attending a local ceremony, supporting fund-raisers, or actively helping with Veterans’ needs. Sharing your story can help encourage our other members to find inspiration and explore their own way of honoring our Veterans.

On November 11th, the United States will be recognizing Veteran’s Day. In many other countries, this day of reverence is also known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. Recognition of our those who serve or have served in the military, and the gratitude for the cessation of fighting and hostilities from WWI, is commemorated much of Europe, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Poland, and other countries.

The armistice of World War I was the result of frantic negotiations occurring almost a hundred years ago, as it became clear that Germany had no hopes of prevailing in the battles that were occurring in many parts of the world. Although talks of a cease-fire started in October, it wasn’t until early November of 1918 that negotiations between representatives of the German government and Allied forces began to gel. Finally, on November 11th, at 5am in Paris, the Armistice was signed with an effective time of 11am later that day. Even with the signature and news of the truce, fighting in many places continued right up to 11am. The very last soldier killed in action was an American, Henry Gunther, killed one minute before the official start of the cease-fire.

One of the vivid images from WWI was captured in a poem written in 1915 by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, who was a doctor in the Canadian Army. Stricken with the deaths of so many, McCrae found some solace by writing a poem as he looked across to a cemetery. In this place, and many others, McCrae had seen red poppies grow and bloom among the graves. His poem, In Flanders Fields, has inspired many to wear a red poppy as a way to commemorate the sacrifice of so many.

The American Bando Association will be hosting a training opportunity this Veterans Day weekend, and we’ll be continuing to honor our mission of honoring Veterans through our common remembrance of the debt we owe to those who are willing to risk their lives, with our collection of goods for soldiers serving overseas (our Care Packages for Troops collection), and by following a world-wide tradition of having a minute of silence at 11am on November 11th. I hope you can join us for this. If you’ll be somewhere else, you can plan to attend a Veterans Day ceremony or even hold a private minute of silence wherever you are at 11am. And perhaps you’d like to wear a red poppy – it might be a way to start conversations with others on your own respect for our Veterans – those currently serving, those who have served, and those who are no longer with us.

Sayamaji Deborah Kirkman
President, The American Bando Association

The World War II memorial in Washington, DC, includes recognition of the CBI theatre.

Memorial Day – May 29th, 2017

Many of us have time off today to spend time with family and friends. Memorial Day is much more than a holiday marking the beginning of summer, though. Originally called Decoration Day, the holiday arose after the Civil War as a day to visit the graves of soldiers and to mark them with flowers and other signs of remembrance. Originally celebrated on May 30th, in 1968 the US Congress established Memorial Day as the last Monday in May.

The ABA has a unique mission among US martial arts organization in honoring America’s veterans of the Burma Campaign in the China- Burma-India (CBI) Theater of WWII. Many of these veterans have passed away, and it’s estimated that only 3% of the original 16 million members of the US armed forces during WWII are still alive. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that nearly 400 WWII veterans die with each passing day. In more recent conflicts, there have been over 50,000 military deaths associated with conflicts in this century.

It’s a sacred act to remember those who have passed away. With this holiday, I hope you will join me in setting aside time to honor those who have served and who are no longer with us. Perhaps it might be through recalling the service of a family member or by visiting a memorial site. Make a donation to a veterans organization or thank a veteran you meet today, knowing that each person who serves in the armed forces may face perilous risks that we can enjoy so many freedoms. Many of our ABA members have served in the military, and perhaps you can reach out to a fellow member in friendship and gratitude.

On behalf of ABA, thank you to all of our veterans for your work to serve our country and to preserve the freedom and values of our United States that we so treasure.

Deborah Kirkman
President, American Bando Association