Quote:
Originally Posted by Thulghor
[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]
The biggest problem in the martial arts community right now is the lack of any oversight or accreditation. Any asshole can print himself out a nice looking certificate, call himself a black belt in "Swirling Sparkle Unicorn Dragon Kung Fu" and open a school/dojo/dojang, which will more than likely just be a convenient day care center for kids. No one really checks these things.
This is why communities like Bullshido.net exist.
|
I agree that anyone and their cousin can make a martial arts school/club/whatever without any real oversight. It's a problem in my main style (ATA - I'm sure that will instantly prejudice you against me but hear me out). I've trained at two different ATA schools. A friend of mine took over the second school after I moved away and turned it into a club. It's sad that my old instructor decided to move on because she is an excellent teacher and martial artist. My first instructor is still running his school, at least, but we're in different states now. I actually come from the same school as Noah Ringer from the live action Avatar: The Last Airbender movie (which sucked so, so much, but the fights were pretty good).
There was another school in the same city as my second school, called the sister school because the owners are close friends. Most of the students are children. Tons of what we call Tiny Tigers, children between the ages of 3-6 or 7. The owner is a wonderful lady but she really dumbs everything down for the students. It was everything from weak work-outs to teaching only half the form (!!) to students for their belt tests. I wished she wouldn't because they all have the potential to be great, not to mention she has so many more resources than our school, but the extra resources are entirely due to the fact that she's dumbed the curriculum down enough that people aren't inclined to quit after the first couple of lessons. The students occasionally visited our school, but I have the feeling it was viewed as an exercise in masochism and that my instructor scared them. It was funny at first until you realize it discouraged them from visiting, and that if they thought my mild-mannered instructor was scary, they were in for a world of hurt when they tried to get their blackbelts from the EXTREMELY INTENSE Chief Master waiting for them up north. It's like going from yoga class to boot camp for them.
That said, I can't say I hold much respect for the people I see in that Bullshido link you posted. When I clicked on that, I expected posts from people with integrity, discipline, honesty, humility, etc, as well as good physical technique, power, control, and so on, but all I see is a lot of posturing and aggression from people who only want to work on the physical aspects. Just like the schools they jeer at, they don't have any oversight either. The attitudes are really bad. If the school is encouraging this kind of egotistical, violent mindset, then it's just as bad as the schools that like waltzing through daisy fields and waving their hands vaguely in the direction of their enemies.