Martial arts hall of fame

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[sorokod]

Following a less then impressive Aikido weapons demo on youtube, I stumbled upon the institution of "Martial Arts hall of fame" (which seems to be US specific, see for example http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=martial+hall+of+fame ).
What purpose do these organization serve and how are they related to more traditional ways of acquiring rank and visibility in a specific discipline?

[Keith Larman]

Following a less then impressive Aikido weapons demo on youtube, I stumbled upon the institution of "Martial Arts hall of fame" (which seems to be US specific, see for example http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=martial+hall+of+fame ).
What purpose do these organization serve and how are they related to more traditional ways of acquiring rank and visibility in a specific discipline?

Kinda like getting your Ph.D. by sending in $10 and 5 box-tops to an address on a match book cover...

Or to reword a particularly offensive joke I heard recently...

Q: What's better than being elected to a martial arts hall of fame?

A: *Not* being in a martial arts hall of fame...

:D