After the demo class...

Well the director at the YMCA here wants to schedule a time for me to teach regular classes. There's only one catch though. The director at the YMCA is insisting on seeing a certificate showing that I am eligible to teach Aikido. The reason this is a problem, is because in our organization everyone upon reaching Shodan is expected to start shifting focus on teaching as part of your on-going training. Now granted, most people don't start teaching at Shodan. Nevertheless, I want to so I can have a good amount of practice partners and to ensure that I train regularly. I've told the activities coordinator on at least 4 occasions that there is no certificate but I can provide references from at least two highly ranked instructors, both with many years of experience under their belts. Today, I received an e-mail asking me when I can come by with a teaching certificate. The kung fu instructor there has explained that he had one and as far as the YMCA is concerned one martial art is the same as another. It's more than a little frustrating.