David Maidment

There's an awful lot of that here in the UK. I believe there are only three organisations here that issue rank from hombu. The organisation to which I belong issues its own rank. Our 'authority' comes from a Belgium parent organisation which, as far as I'm aware, has no Aikikai affiliation other than a short-lived Shihan heading it up many moons ago.

But, the Aikido is good, sound stuff. As is that from other self-certifying organisations that I've seen. I think that, here, hombu-recognised rank is the rare exception.