>
>>Please don't take offense, but it sounds like the IDS is truly the
>>sham organization (I'm at a loss for a better word) it was originally
>>created to be (as it came into being solely to provide Utena an excuse
>>to carry live steel in public). For all you've described the group
>>members doing, well, they certainly don't need to belong to the IDS or
>>any other organization to do that. They may have created "a venue for
>>weapons artists of all different styles and traditions to test
>>themselves against one another, to face diverse opponents in a
>>freestyle contest", but it seems to me that that's just on paper. It's
>>a shame that the members, as described above or seen in the stories to
>>date, don't seem to be interested in taking advantage of the
>>opportunity they have.
>
>For one thing, who says they aren't?
>
>No, they don't train together in any uniform or organized sense. No,
>they don't compete in tournaments or the like (yet). However, they
>-do- socialize, and they -do- spar, and on rare occasions they duel.

And they don't need the IDS to do any of those things.

>If this seems like a sham to you, consider: Kate was, technically,
>walking around outlaw with her concealed blade. Utena wanted to wear a
>blade openly. The only outlet available to either was controlled by
>someone who despides them both. This is why the Duellists were formed;
>not so that they -would- fight together every meeting, but that they
>-could- fight if they chose to do so. Nobody is taking that choice
>away from them, either by prohibiting or mandating their activity.

Yes, the official reason for the IDS to exist bears no resemblence to the true reason the IDS does exist.

IMO it's a shame that, as described by Gryphon in another message, none of the members seem to be interested in truly taking advantage of the reasons for the IDS to exist that are in the charter (as mentioned by Utena during her discussion with the review committee). Nobody's forcing them to practice or spar or duel, but then none of them, as described by Gryphon, seem to be very interested in doing any of that in the first place.

So why are they in the IDS then? It can't be social, because they were all in the same circle or fringes of that circle to begin with (Sky was a resident of Galaxy House, where members of Kate's band live; people who visit Galaxy House would certainly know who he is) or would have turned up due to other reasons (Mia and the email). A club for beating up Liza? Sure Liza, junior league villianess that she is, deserves all she gets, but you don't need the IDS to get even with Liza.

Like I said, I think these characters have been presented a great opportunity, if only they'd pay attention to what the charter they wrote for their own organization says. But none of them, to date anyway, seem interested in doing so, not in the slightest. But then, we are talking about fictional teenagers here, who, being both fictional and teenagers, all have rather bad cases of the "I'm immortal (almost literally, in this context), I never make mistakes or errors of judgement, I'm always right" syndrome. Being both non-fictional and definitely not a teenager, I think they're wasting a golden opportunity to be exposed to, or even learn, new things that they may find useful in the future.

That's just one person's opinion and C+C of the IDS.

Regards,

Jeanne