Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 05:43:14 -0700 From: the_dojang-request@martialartsresource.net Subject: The_Dojang digest, Vol 12 #198 - 5 msgs X-Mailer: Mailman v2.0.13.cisto1 MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Errors-To: the_dojang-admin@martialartsresource.net X-BeenThere: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.13.cisto1 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net X-Subscribed-Address: kma@martialartsresource.com List-Id: The Internet's premier discussion forum on Korean Martial Arts. 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Copyright 1994-2005: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource The Internet's premier discussion forum devoted to Korean Martial Arts. 2000 members. See the Korean Martial Arts (KMA) FAQ and the online search engine for back issues of The_Dojang at http://MartialArtsResource.com Pil Seung! Today's Topics: 1. Where we are in martial arts! Apologies to those that are ethical! (Tkdsid@aol.com) 2. RE: Re: [The_Dojang digest] What is a black belt? (Christy Cory) 3. RE: Black Belt (Brian Locke) 4. Task force likely to run MTA (Ray) --__--__-- Message: 1 Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 07:25:21 -0400 From: Tkdsid@aol.com To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: [The_Dojang] Where we are in martial arts! Apologies to those that are ethical! Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Martial Arts Research Center Interview conducted by Hao Wong Mr. Don Cunningham is a man that likes to set the records straight in terms of martial arts. Many times, his frankness has gotten him many insults or even threats, but that never stopped him saying what he thought. He specializes himself in Judo and Jujutsu which he wrote a the book called Secret Weapons of Jujutsu. He also holds an organization called Budo Kai dedicated to the study of Japanese martial arts. What exactly is a "self-proclaimed" martial arts master? In my opinion, a self-proclaimed master is one who establishes their own independent criteria to declare their respective status within the martial arts community, usually at some sort of highly ranked level or teaching position. In some cases, they may have created a completely fictional background about themselves or even a fictitious martial art style. Often they claim some difficult if not impossible to authenticate training background. More often, they simply obtain at least some credentials from others through various means. Often they will enter into mutual recognition arrangements with other like-minded persons. This usually works something like, "I will recognize and rank you at a high level in my style if you reciprocate and rank me in your style." It provides them with a sense of external recognition and results in lots of new high dan rankings for both participants. Others quite frankly purchase martial arts rank certificates from unscrupulous individuals or organizations. Why do people self proclaim themselves as masters? I am not an expert on mental health, but I think it has a lot to do with fear and insecurity. I've noticed that many of the self-proclaimed masters I've met haven't enjoyed much success in the other aspects of their lives. They often are employed at fairly simple occupations and frequently have a limited educational background. Their feelings of powerlessness and inadequacy are often the reason they were drawn to the martial arts in the beginning. For example, you hear them talking a lot about the dangers of today's streets in nearly paranoid terms, as if we are likely to be assaulted at any moment or face attackers lurking around every corner. The martial arts master presents a very powerful image, one who is capable of defeating all enemies and has incredible wisdom. This master is not intimidated by such opponents or modern technology. Since it is unlikely they could actually earn rank within the more traditional styles, they are left to create their own martial arts teaching credentials. To appear even more powerful, they often adopt titles associated with martial arts masters, such as soke and shihan, often to the point of absurdity. For the same reason, you find self-proclaimed martial arts masters have purchased diploma mill degrees or simply awarded themselves with educational credentials. Like martial arts ranks, the academic doctorate title represents a powerful icon to someone who feels inadequate. There is one very well-known martial arts organization run by a self-proclaimed martial arts master who takes full advantage of these fears. For a fee, he will "register" individual applicants as sokes or founders of their own martial arts style, thus providing a sense of legitimacy and group recognition they often are seeking. In addition, he also offers various academic sounding degrees in "oriental philosophy" to members willing to pay for such nonsensical credentials. By doing so, he has not only addressed his own inner fears, but has obviously found a way to exploit the insecurities of others such as himself. What would you say is the main difference between a "non-traditional" master and a traditional master? Although I know that many traditional practitioners disagree, there is nothing really that much different about being a self-proclaimed master. With a few exceptions, it is not illegal in most countries. And while many traditionalists may feel it raises some sticky ethical questions, there is actually a lot of historical precedence for obtaining recognition and standing in such manner. We may not like to admit it, but just about every organized group has offered recognition to those willing to pay or trade for it at one time or another. It was not that unusual for Edo Period merchants, for example, to use their wealth to obtain samurai privileges, even upgrade their social class status, for themselves or their families. Can we consider the art of a self proclaimed master as an martial art? I don't think that some 23-year-old who studied karate for a year or two, then declared himself the founder of a new martial art style has much credibility, but that's really my own subjective opinion. It's based on my own personal value system and may not be valid for others. The martial arts are really not well regulated, so there is nothing that prohibits anyone from doing something like that. Outside of historical authenticity, I am certainly not prepared to judge what a true martial art is and what is not. It's really a value judgment that each person must make for themselves. This is an area where a lot of practitioners like to bash one another, though. You'll often find them accusing each other of "buying" rank or that the other's art is not really as historically legitimate or as street effective as their own particular style. The truth is that this is a never-ending circular argument and really doesn't accomplish anything. Yet, there are some very real dangers in training with certain types of self-proclaimed masters. When these are openly discussed, however, the subject is often clouded by counter accusations that the person is just bashing another's chosen art or instructor. It's an easy way for dubious instructors to hide from too much public scrutiny. What would be the dangers of training under a self proclaimed master? The most obvious danger is potential injury through training accidents. An inexperienced instructor often exposes themselves or their students to dangerous practices, often without realizing the risks they may be facing. I remember a story about a well-intentioned karate instructor who wanted something dramatic for a public demonstration. He decided to use a sword to block arrows shot at him by one of his students. He had seen such performances before and thought it would be relatively simple. Fortunately, they decided to practice a few times before the actual exhibition. At his student's insistence, he allowed blunted arrows for the initial practice shots. He was obviously surprised when each arrow struck him despite his best effort to block them. What he hadn't realized was that from an observer's perspective, it was fairly simple to judge the distance and speed of each arrow. Yet, as the target, it was nearly impossible since the arrows were coming directly at him. While this may seem an extreme example, I have also seen iaido instructors encourage students to do fast draws with actual swords without any precautions against splitting the scabbard and possibly amputating a finger or two. A more experienced instructor is not as likely to allow a novice student to use a live sword, certainly not without ensuring their grip prevents injury in such an event. Although anyone might be reluctant to practice catching bullets in their teeth despite their teacher's best prompting, people do often ignore their own common sense when reassured by a supposed "expert." In my own view, the worst offenders are the predators who are drawn to the martial arts and abuse their victims. As teachers and authority figures, they often can find easy targets for physical, mental, and even sexual abuse within the ranks of students who come to them seeking instruction. Even when exposed, they often find many willing supporters ready to defend their actions. Although I have seen this pattern over and over again, I have never understood why the martial arts community tolerates this and doesn't do a better job of protecting their own against such violations. Experience is not always an assurance of safe training practices, either. There is the story about the accomplished grappling arts instructor who wanted to demonstrate how effective falling techniques can be for a bunch of new students. To do so, he performed a standing forward flip from a table onto the mat. A slight miscalculation resulted in spinal injury and paralysis. In all my years of judo experience, ranging from small local garage dojos to the Kodokan in Tokyo, I've never had a single instructor even suggest such a dangerous thing. Finally, the unregulated martial arts is an open door to con men and mentally disturbed individuals. It draws them like moths to an open flame. Fraud is rampant within the martial arts, and there is little chance of being caught since most victims are unwilling to ever admit they have been cheated. Thus, you find individuals claiming all kinds of martial arts titles and offering "asian-recognized" rank certificates or "hall of fame" appointments to anyone willing to pay the price. For the most part, such credentials are worthless, but who is going to complain to the authorities? Certainly not those who bought them in a pathetic attempt to validate themselves. I don't suppose the threat of training under such masters would be only limited to physical harm, would it? Often an self-proclaimed master may encourage illegal actions, often without realizing it. I've heard so-called self-defense experts explain that it is okay to take the initiative if necessary to prevent an assault. From a legal perspective, though, it might not be viewed like that. Most jurisdictions only allow reasonable force in response to specific situations, and then only if there is no other option available. If a person could run away, for example, beating their attacker senseless might place them in legal jeopardy of civil or even criminal charges. The person who may think they are defending themselves because they did what their instructor taught them could easily wind up on the wrong side in the courtroom. I've also know of two organizations founded by self-proclaimed masters that offer academic sounding degrees and titles to their members. In many states, issuing degrees without proper authorization from the authorities is illegal. Even the use of certain academic titles by individuals, such as doctor or professor, without having earned a degree from an accredited institution is illegal as well in many states. Yet the organizations I mentioned don't provide any disclaimer or instructions when selling these titles to their members. What should we do to avoid being cheated by those people? The best advice is to trust common sense. You should feel comfortable with the amount charged, if any, for instruction or certificates. A commercial dojo often has to cover rent and pay bills, so a much higher fee than charged by the local community center instructor may be reasonable. If they want a lot of money for registering your rank with a headquarters office that you can not verify, though, you are probably dealing with a dubious individual or organization. If they offer rank without training or experience, it's probably not worth the price. If their stories about their past experiences or training include a lot of associations with special government or elite military units, then you might question their qualifications. If they tell you about how their instructor trained and ranked them secretly, you might have reason to doubt their background. If they claim to have been in a foreign country for extended periods yet don't have any photographs or even basic native language skills, then you might want to look elsewhere for an instructor. The bottom line is that you should step back and ask yourself if you honestly believe what they tell you about their background. If not, I recommend you find someone that you can trust. If you are being sexually, physically, or mentally abused by an instructor, you should notify the authorities immediately no matter what you think about their martial arts qualifications. If they are abusing you, the chances are good they are also hurting others or will in the future. What's wrong with a military training background? There's nothing wrong with a military training background. I am a Vietnam veteran, having served as a U.S. Navy corpsman with the Marines. For some reason, though, many self-proclaimed martial arts masters often claim they are former members or training instructors with elite military special forces. I think it's because they are fascinated with the powerful image of such groups and use implied associations to increase their own self-importance. What the general public fails to realize is that the military provides very little, if any, unarmed combat training. They are more interested in superior fire power and leave the hand-to-hand stuff for movie actors. In ancient times, the problem of self proclaimed masters could be easily solved by challenging and beating those masters. Because of modern laws and ethic codes, it is impossible to do so in our era. What do you think should be done to deal with those fraudulent masters? Personally, I don't care how effective or authentic other martial arts instructors may be or not. If someone claims 12 dan rank and wears Spiderman pajamas in the dojo, they have every right to do so. As long as they are not hurting anyone, then they are just as legitimate as any other koryu teacher. Denouncing other instructors or practitioners for not practicing true martial arts is simply arrogant and irresponsible. Many self-proclaimed martial arts masters do harm their students, though, either inadvertently because of their inexperience or maliciously through fraud or other abuse. These so-called masters should be identified and held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, the authorities often do not understand the martial arts and do not realize that such fraud or abuse is actually criminal behavior. Victims are rarely willing to complain or testify against their instructor out of a misguided sense of loyalty or respect for their teacher. Someone pays for an Asian-recognized ranking certificate only to discover later the Japanese kanji characters actually translate as "sex house style" and there is no registration with any international group. A parent is charged $3,000 in contract fees to have their child trained and ranked to black belt level, then moves to another city and discovers that this was some independently created style and the rank is basically worthless. Both of these are actual situations, yet the authorities don't prosecute because they don't understand the deceit involved. I recently heard a high-ranked and generally respected martial arts instructor state that those who question other styles are only doing it because of their own insecurity. They should focus more on their own training, according to this leader. Instead of speaking out about such dangers, I should mind my own business is a sentiment often echoed by many others in the martial arts community. I've taken a lot of criticism for my efforts to identify and warn others about harmful individuals. As a result, I've been threatened with everything from legal action to physical injury. I certainly haven't gained anything from it. Yet I feel it is our responsibility as citizens and members of society to both educate the authorities and to warn the public about potential danger. Some may prefer to ignore such offenses and "just train," but true martial arts practitioners realize we should help protect others from harm, even if it means airing dirty laundry in public. To learn more about Mr. Cunningham , check out Budo Kai. You can also read the article called "The dangers of self-proclaimed masters" or order his book, Secret Weapons of Jujutsu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------   For more information, e-mail: sensei@e-budokai.com   Be sure to visit our other web sites! foxvalleyjudo.com Copyright © 2002 Budo Kai, Ltd P. O. Box 5571 Naperville, IL 60567 Last updated: Saturday, March 19, 2005   e-Budokai.com e-Budostore.com --__--__-- Message: 2 From: "Christy Cory" To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Subject: RE: [The_Dojang] Re: [The_Dojang digest] What is a black belt? Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 12:40:05 +0000 Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Being a student of Master Garrett DeWitt and having had the opportunity to work with yourself, Mr. Mertes, I want to assure you that I feel you always "do right" by us and I am so proud to be a part of any organization that has you as a member!  You are a very conscious, gracious and patient teacher and I know many of us enjoy working with you. You will do incredibly well in your testing I am sure and I am excited to see something you have worked so hard to earn come to fruition! >From: "Randy Mertes" >Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net >To: >Subject: [The_Dojang] Re: [The_Dojang digest] What is a black belt? >Date: Thu, 5 May 2005 11:21:15 -0500 > >Good Morning: > >I will be testing for my 2nd dahn in a few weeks. I am nervous >because I know what dahn tests are like under Master Garrett Dewitt. >Our students wouldn't have it any other way but man it hurts! At 50, >I worry more about holding together than anything else. I worry >about presenting a good image as well. There will be lower belt >students watching along with the judges and I want to 'do right' by >them. > >Years ago a professor once told me that 'you don't really know >something well until you can teach it.' I have found that to be so >true. I can make it through my patterns, sparring, et.al. now but >teaching someone else a new pattern is something else. It seems >sometimes that I stumble around, lose my place and generally forget >where I am. Perhaps passing along what we know is another indicator >of what it means to be a blackbelt. To teach someone, you have to >forgo your own objectives, to some degree, and look out for them. >Apparently some do it for financial gain. Others simply do it for >the sheer joy of watching someone else better themselves. >_______________________________________________ >The_Dojang mailing list,  2000 members >The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net >Copyright 1994-2005: Ray Terry and Martial Arts Resource >Standard disclaimers apply >http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang --__--__-- Message: 3 Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 08:54:24 -0400 From: Brian Locke Subject: RE: [The_Dojang] Black Belt To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net Mr. Sims, I have avoided responding to this string because the question has so many different meanings for so many different people. Again, this is a topic that a true practitioner of the arts will hold very personal to themselves and their own life's ideology. With that said, I must respond to your post as it is the only one I have seen, (and forgive me to those who may have touched on this angle and I missed it) that begins to address the intangibles of what a black belt means. I would take what you posted a step further and equate some one who achieves a black belt as a very disciplined, respectful, honest and honorable individual. One who poses courage and self confidence as portrayed by his/her humility. It is these traits that one must use to harvest the techniques and traditions of the martial arts. Technique and/or knowledge of the arts is nothing with out humility and discipline. I could go on and on about this because, again, it is a topic who's meaning is so diverse depending on who you speak with. I just wanted to touch on what I thought was the foundation one must begin their journey as a black belt. Semper Fi Brian --__--__-- Message: 4 From: Ray To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net (The_Dojang) Date: Mon, 9 May 2005 06:27:15 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [The_Dojang] Task force likely to run MTA Reply-To: the_dojang@martialartsresource.net TAEKWONDO: Task force likely to run MTA by Rizal Hashim Malay Mail May 9 LESS than two months ago, national taekwondo exponent Elaine Teo basked in the limelight for being crowned the 2004 National Sportswoman-of-the-Year. Sharing the stage with the Malacca-born exponent then was Malaysian Taekwondo Association (MTA) chairman, Chin Mee Keong, who was honoured with the Special Award in recognition for his contributions as one of the pioneers of the sports in Malaysia. Today, dark clouds are hovering above them. Following the Sports Commissioner Tan Sri Elyas Omar's decision to de-register MTA, both Elaine and Mee Keong are in limbo. While Elaine, like many other national exponents, are denied competitions at international level only months after tasting what the Olympic Games was all about, Mee Keong's status as chairman of the body has been revoked. One school of thought remains that Elyas had jumped the gun. To others, it was the right time to revamp the structure to include training centres or academies, as producers of exponents, into the decision-making process. Ultimately, the idea is to house all the various disciplines, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) of which MTA are affiliated to, International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) and Malaysian Global Taekwondo Federation (MGTF) under one roof. WTF were formed on May 28, 1973, during the inaugural World Taekwon-do Championships in Seoul. Through the efforts of WTF, taekwondo was accepted as an Olympic sport in Sydney five years ago. At present 158 countries are affiliated to WTF who were officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1980. GTF, popular in Europe and North America, were formed in 1990 by Grandmaster Park Jung Tae who left to establish a new federation to purify the politics out of the sport. ITF were formed on March 22, 1966, with Malaysia as one of the nine founding members alongside Vietnam, Singapore, West Germany, United States, Turkey, Egypt, Italy and South Korea. While GTF call their patterns hyong, ITF name them tul whereas WTF name them poomsae. Each of these patterns symbolises some heroic figures or is related to certain events in the Korean history. Undoubtedly, taekwondo is a money-churning exercise. As the most widely practised martial art in the world, taekwondo also enjoys mass appeal in Malaysia, from VVIPs to the layman. In fact, Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said is an ITF fifth dan black-belt holder while her predecessor Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein is a WTF exponent. For an act which has been described as defiance, MTA, who stand accused of hindering the sport and obstructing the process to accept clubs into the system, will have to pay the price. If, and, when the body lodge an appeal to the Minister, a task force are likely to be installed in the interim to run MTA's activities. A precedent was set three years ago when Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) Tunku Imran Tuanku Ja'afar presided over the attempt to clean up the mess in the Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) who were suspended by Elyas' predecessor, Datuk Mahamad Zabri Min. Tunku Imran and Co came up with proposed amendments to the MAAU constitution, among which was to amend the electoral process. MAAU were suspended in February and by the end of May, the issue was settled. Yet the staggered elections proposed by the task force until today remain a bone of contention within MAAU. What is in store for taekwondo? --__--__-- _______________________________________________ The_Dojang mailing list The_Dojang@martialartsresource.net http://martialartsresource.net/mailman/listinfo/the_dojang http://the-dojang.net Old digest issues @ ftp://ftp.martialartsresource.com/pub/the_dojang Copyright 1994-2005: Ray Terry and http://MartialArtsResource.com Standard disclaimers apply. Remember September 11. End of The_Dojang Digest