FTF

[TrueJim]

Race card? Huh?

From the book:

"This one is a big one. Racism does exist, and it's sad it exists in martial arts. Just be wary that you do not fall into the 'Mr. Miyagi' trap. You need to look objectively what the instructor has done and how he teaches martial arts. Just because he has a certain ethnic background, or trained in a certain country (or claims to) doesn't necessarily mean he's a good teacher."

Right. Because there's no point in figuring out WHY it didn't work and how to make it work... That would require skill. And knowledge. And practice. And hard work...

Yah agreed; the things I'm not good at are the things I practice more, not less. That applies to martial arts and life in general.

 

[JowGaWolf]

But Im 16 and there r no adult black belts better than me in my opinion!

This is youth talking. The difference between youth martial artist and adult martial artist is that the Youth always try to win with strength. Adults tend to have a significant amount of strategy capabilities and they will use it against you with no mercy.

In sparring most adults also hold back their strength while youth always try to display theirs. The speed and power that I many adults use is reserved and not their full power or speed. I don't know how the adult students in your class are, and you could be right about being better than adult black belts in your school. But that ego and arrogance in your statement can only lead to you learning the hard way about adults.

 

[WaterGal]

Our of curiosity, I sprung for $2 to read this guy's "Fake Black Belts" PDF. It's 29 pages long, large font, so it's an easy read. Here's a quick book review:

Chapter 1 - the fake history of taekwondo. He reveals that taekwondo isn't actually based on taekkyeon. (I know, we're all shocked.) That's two pages long.

To be fair, a lot of teachers do put that stuff about "Taekwondo is 1000 years old and something something about secret martial artists in the mountains teaching Taekkyon during the Japanese occupation blah blah blah" on their website to appeal to consumers. He may have heard that from his teacher and felt disenchanted when he found out it's not true.

I'm not sure what that has to do with starting a new federation, though.

Chapter 2 - about McDojos. He gives 100 bullet-points about how to spot a McDojo. Things like: Your instructor pulls the race card, you learn pressure points, testing occurs every two months, you practice poomsae excessively, you learn some gymnastics, etc. Some of critiques in the list are fair, but some of them just sound like stuff he didn't enjoy as a student: like helping to clean the school, or bowing when he sees his instructor outside the classroom.

You mean the "Korean way is respect your teacher" kind of thing? I'm not sure I'd call that "pulling the race card", though I've seen it used to excuse behavior that is kind of taking advantage of the students or brushing off legitimate questions. Which also doesn't necessarily make the place a McDojo per se - I think that's a different kind of questionable school.

Also, pressure points are useful to soften up or distract your opponent, and some basic gymnastics drills can be a good way to build agility, balance, etc.

Chapter 3 - how to tell if you master is a fake. Apparently it's a warning sign if he's 6th dan or higher ("he's probably a scam artist"). Again, some of his points are fair (like if the master is high dan but very young) but the concluding paragraph is the big reveal: that his first master faked his 8th dan. If so, it's not surprising he's cynical.

Isn't he supposed to be a 20-year old 4th dan? Hypocritical much?

 

[RTKDCMB]

This is his latest video:

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

He moves well, although the move at 3:00 is one of the worst choices I've seen in a while.

 

[JowGaWolf]

This is his latest video:

This just confirms my thoughts thoughts that he doesn't understand the system that he was trained in. He doesn't understand that all the techniques performed as combos in the testing may only be performed in part during a self defense situation.

I didn't see as a self defense test. To me it looked like a technique and application knowledge test, meaning that here's the technique and here's demo of it's application mechanics. This is not the same approach as, "Here's a technique, here's a demo of it's application mechanics, and here's how it's actually done in a fight."

He failed to understand that it's up to the student to try to use these techniques during free sparring. Most free sparring sessions look like basic kick boxing only because of students don't try to apply the techniques beyond the basic kicks and punches. If a students wants to pull of a martial art technique in a real fight then he or she has to practice using that technique during free sparring. It's the only way.

 

[JowGaWolf]

He moves well, although the move at 3:00 is one of the worst choices I've seen in a while.

Yes that was a bad choice there were some other more practical things a person could have done while in that position. That's one of the risks of teaching flashy techniques used in demos, it bleed into the real stuff. For example, doing a split in a real fight is not the best approach or the most efficient way to deliver a groin strike. Doing a kick up is also not the recommended way of getting off the ground. Things like that look good in a demo but will be costly in a real fight.

 

[justkool141]

You guys getting "facts" from martialartstutor is a kinda funny! He's 21 years old and bashes every martial art! He's not even old enough to have that kind of experience! I respect him but cmon really, he's lying about a lot


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[Buka]

This just confirms my thoughts thoughts that he doesn't understand the system that he was trained in. He doesn't understand that all the techniques performed as combos in the testing may only be performed in part during a self defense situation.

I didn't see as a self defense test. To me it looked like a technique and application knowledge test, meaning that here's the technique and here's demo of it's application mechanics. This is not the same approach as, "Here's a technique, here's a demo of it's application mechanics, and here's how it's actually done in a fight."

He failed to understand that it's up to the student to try to use these techniques during free sparring. Most free sparring sessions look like basic kick boxing only because of students don't try to apply the techniques beyond the basic kicks and punches. If a students wants to pull of a martial art technique in a real fight then he or she has to practice using that technique during free sparring. It's the only way.

We're kind of making his argument for him. And giving him PR time, too.

 

[JowGaWolf]

We're kind of making his argument for him. And giving him PR time, too.

Not sure what argument that you are referring to since he has so many lol. As for PR time, that's fine too since he's not getting PR related to him being knowledgeable of martial arts including the one that he studies (TKD). He'll do the same thing that McDojos have been doing which is make money of people who are less knowledgeable about martial arts.
From his website.
"5. HONESTY AND TRUTH
Here at Functional TKD we make sure we keep an honest and truthful experience when it comes to martial arts practice. We don't try to be diplomatic when it comes to self defense; it either works or it doesn't."

He's not interested in Honesty and Truth. His videos make it clear that he's not even interested in learning.

"1. STREET APPLICATION
Our entire curriculum revolves around self defense. This is the standard for which our testing requires."

He can't even understand where street application for TKD begins and ends, so there is very little chance that he'll understand any application that someone tries to teach him.

So yeah. He can have his PR and his time in the spot light. I look at it like cancer. It's something that I'm aware of and talk about, but it doesn't mean that many people want it.

I will admit that I do find entertainment in waiting for him to get his butt handed to him, so that he can then talk about BJJ and Muay Thai being garbage.

 

[Buka]

Lol. Yeah. He sure is digging himself a nice little hole. Probably going to rain sooner or later.

 

[justkool141]

FTF: some pros and cons
Pros: takes out forms
Takes out traditional stuff that doesnt work in the street
: more realistic sparring!
Cons: Implies that other tkd isnt functional!

Takes out all respect/traditional tkd tenets!
Gets rid of all the forms!(I think we should have 4-5 forms but 9 is a lot)


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[JowGaWolf]

FTF: some pros and cons
Pros: takes out forms
Takes out traditional stuff that doesnt work in the street
: more realistic sparring!
Cons: Implies that other tkd isnt functional!

Takes out all respect/traditional tkd tenets!
Gets rid of all the forms!(I think we should have 4-5 forms but 9 is a lot)


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We'll see how it turns out. My guess is that the Pros that you mention will eventually be tested and that someone will write a review on about his FTF stuff the same way that people write reviews about other stuff. Someone will try to do the stuff that he teaches and they will either say that his stuff works or that his stuff doesn't work.

As for forms, how much time does it take to finish your longest form from beginning to end?

 

[Metal]

Gets rid of all the forms!(I think we should have 4-5 forms but 9 is a lot)
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What kind of Taekwono do you practice so that you have 9 forms?

 

[Dirty Dog]

Gets rid of all the forms!(I think we should have 4-5 forms but 9 is a lot)

Piffle. TKD forms are short (the Chang Hon forms tend to be somewhat longer, but even they are not all that long) and easy to learn.
I practice about 50 different TKD forms. And I can learn from every one.
I suspect, as is very common with younger students, that you don't really understand forms.
Incidentally, what system are you in that has 9 forms?
There are six Kicho form (that I know).
There are eight Palgwae forms.
There are eight Taegeuk forms.
There are nine yudanja forms in the KKW system.
There are 24 Chang Hon forms.

 

[Earl Weiss]

You guys getting "facts" from martialartstutor is a kinda funny! He's 21 years old

The folly of youth is mistaking knowledge as a substitute for experience. The folly of age is mistaking experience as a substitute for knowledge. Martialartstutor has clearly evolved (some may say devolved) during his 15 years. Should he continue on a path the evolution may continue. Only time will tell. History is littered with those who thought they could develop a better system toward whatever purpose. Some have succeeded to a greater or lesser extent.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

FTF: some pros and cons
Pros: takes out forms
Takes out traditional stuff that doesnt work in the street
: more realistic sparring!
Cons: Implies that other tkd isnt functional!

Takes out all respect/traditional tkd tenets!
Gets rid of all the forms!(I think we should have 4-5 forms but 9 is a lot)


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Pros: His new system (despite the name) is 95% boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai, and brazilian jiu jitsu. Those are solid arts with a lot of functionality behind them.

Cons: He's only been studying those arts for about a year and isn't qualified to teach any of them, much less design a new curriculum or system based on an amalgamation of those arts.

I understand Taylor becoming disillusioned with the quality of instruction he had received in his TKD school. The things he criticizes are things I don't care for much either. Unfortunately, those elements are present at a large number of martial arts schools - TKD and otherwise.

I think he's making a mistake in generalizing his experience to all TKD and TMA schools. I definitely think he was being jerkish when he trashed the art and the school while he was still teaching the art at that school. Still, he's young and it's not uncommon for a 21-year old to overgeneralize or be a jerk about something. I was certainly guilty of both when I was his age. (I'm sure I'm still guilty of both from time to time, but hopefully much less often than I was at age 21.)

The biggest problem with Taylor's attempt to start his new "federation" and new curriculum is that he's gotten attached to the idea of being an expert and an authority in the martial arts - even though he has rejected the legitimacy of most of what he has learned. Rather than just starting out fresh as a white belt in BJJ or a novice in Muay Thai and working his way up in his new arts, he wants to still be a teacher.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Pros: His new system (despite the name) is 95% boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai, and brazilian jiu jitsu. Those are solid arts with a lot of functionality behind them.

Cons: He's only been studying those arts for about a year and isn't qualified to teach any of them, much less design a new curriculum or system based on an amalgamation of those arts.

I understand Taylor becoming disillusioned with the quality of instruction he had received in his TKD school. The things he criticizes are things I don't care for much either. Unfortunately, those elements are present at a large number of martial arts schools - TKD and otherwise.

I think he's making a mistake in generalizing his experience to all TKD and TMA schools. I definitely think he was being jerkish when he trashed the art and the school while he was still teaching the art at that school. Still, he's young and it's not uncommon for a 21-year old to overgeneralize or be a jerk about something. I was certainly guilty of both when I was his age. (I'm sure I'm still guilty of both from time to time, but hopefully much less often than I was at age 21.)

The biggest problem with Taylor's attempt to start his new "federation" and new curriculum is that he's gotten attached to the idea of being an expert and an authority in the martial arts - even though he has rejected the legitimacy of most of what he has learned. Rather than just starting out fresh as a white belt in BJJ or a novice in Muay Thai and working his way up in his new arts, he wants to still be a teacher.

That's a pretty good synopsis of the problem I have with it, Tony. If he had taken the TKD, removed most of the forms, adjusted the focus (so there's more resistance, more realistic scenarios, etc.) and added in some principles and a few techniques he'd picked up in his year of exploring other arts, I'd have more confidence in what he's trying to do. If he added to that a more humble attitude and a better understanding of the principles of TKD (according to those here whose understanding of TKD I trust), I'd maybe even applaud his effort.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Piffle. TKD forms are short (the Chang Hon forms tend to be somewhat longer, but even they are not all that long) and easy to learn.
I practice about 50 different TKD forms. And I can learn from every one.

I'm glad you said this, because it's how I was thinking of TKD forms (being short) especially in comparison to kung fu forms.

 

[Rough Rider]

Copied from the comment section on youtube:

Rough Rider18 hours ago
OK, time for honesty and truth. Please tell us how old you were when you got your 1st degree black belt. We know you were a kid because you got your 4th degree at 18. Next, please explain why we should consider you to be a legitimate Martial Artist when you have stated in the past that anybody who got a BB as a kid is a fake.
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martialartstutor17 hours ago
You got it. I got my first degree blackbelt when I was 10. And yes I do believe it was a fake blackbelt. Could I kick good? Yep. Could I spar well under itf and wtf rules? Yep. Did I memorize all my forms? Yep. Did I know how to do fancy tricks and Bullshido self defense you see in a demo? You bet. However despite that, I committed time to training boxing, wrestling, bjj mma and kickboxing which allowed me to see what I could use from tkd and I came to the conclusion about 5% of the tkd techniques work against live resistance



Rough Rider1 hour ago
So, why do you still wear the belt? Did it become real when you turned 18? Or when you cross-trained in other styles? I guess the biggest issue I have is that you admit that you had BS training for most of your life (from age 5 until about 19-20, right?), but then you turn around and claim "15 years of experience" when trying to establish your legitimacy as an instructor and Federation founder. Doesn't that seem a little disingenuous to you?



martialartstutor1 hour ago
According to itf and wtf standards, I am a blackbelt. To my own standards compared to actual fighters no. I have a certificate and everything. In my new federation, I'm not going to be wearing my 4th degree blackbelt. Just a plain one