Nonetheless recently there have appeared several groups which purport to teach some aspect of traditional Kashima-Shinryû martial arts even though they lack proper certification from the shihanke. To prevent this confusion and to insure that Kashima-Shinryû is taught correctly as a traditional form of Japanese culture, the Japan Patent Office has officially recognized Kashima-Shinryû® as a Trademark owned by the current shihanke. Accordingly our federation is the sole body legally authorized to provide training, examinations, and licenses or diplomas in Kashima-Shinryû® in conjunction with martial art activities of any form.