Last Updated on Saturday, 02 January 2010 21:08 Thursday, 02 December 2004 08:05

The Tomadachi Cross has quite a history to it. It represents family (or friend), find out more about this cross here.

During the mid 1970's Zen Do Kai had grown to in excess of a thousand students. Many of Soke's first generation students had risen to the third degree black belt level with Sensei titles. Soke furnished them with the right to present the crosses to the second generation students on his behalf. They did this and the Zen Do Kai family continued to grow.

During the late seventies, an analysis of the corporation's business affairs determined that one of the prime reasons for the corporation's struggle with commitments was the sponsoring of new family members crosses all around Australia and the continuous replacement of 'lost' crosses. To counter this, Soke designed a new, rectangular cross called the 'Tomadachi' (friend) Cross. The idea was to sell this cross to all Zen Do Kai students as a lead in to them earning the elusive Bushido or Ishoa crosses. Profits from sales of these would cover the cost of the elite crosses which would continue to be awarded at no cost to recipients.

Soke presented prototype Tomadachi crosses, and his idea, at a meeting of black belts. The black belts didn't like the idea of the words 'money' and 'cross' being used in the same breath but did like the idea of the 'long' cross. They thought it would be a great idea to give them away to lower grades whilst they train and anticipate that illustrious moment when they would be presented with a square or round cross. A further less than successful meeting with the corporation's accountants led to an almost two year lull without any crosses at all.

This was all brought into check though, when at a further meeting of black belts in late 1980, it was agreed that rather than lose the concept of crosses altogether, students could support the reintroduction of the crosses. This turn around was brought about by the financial pressures being felt by Soke's advanced black belts in their own dojos and an acknowledgement by them of the pressures that Soke had previously experienced. Today, not much is seen of the Tomadachi Cross, though the Bushido and Ishoa crosses are held in the greatest esteem and are still awarded in the strongest of traditions.

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