# FTF



## justkool141

Have u guys heard about the new tkd federation FTF?


----------



## KangTsai

Not a new organisation, just a brand.


----------



## JowGaWolf

The concept of the FTF is a good approach and is a lot better than trash talking martial arts systems.  I don't know how good it will be but if he goes about it the right way then he may be able to do change the way that people think about training their TKD training.  To be honest what he's doing is the same thing that some of us are already doing at our schools except that we don't put it under a different banner and call it Functional Karate or Functional Kung Fu.  Now that I've said that, the name FTF may end up causing problems because it creates the assumption that other TKD organizations aren't functional.


----------



## justkool141

Yes very true!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TrueJim

Just...wow.

Functional Taekwondo Federation:

mysite






If this person looks familiar to you, it's the same person who made the notorious "taekwondo is USELESS for self-defense" video:






There are so many flaws with this idea, it's difficult to know where to even begin to unpack this:

You don't need to create a whole new federation just to offer online instruction. If what the guy wants to do is improve taekwondo instruction via better online content, he doesn't need a federation to do that. 
Likewise you don't need to create a while new "federation" just to focus on self-defense and practical applications. Plenty of schools within existing federations focus on self-defense and practical applications. If he wants to create great online instruction for self-defense, all he needs is a YouTube channel, not a _federation_. 
Also, it's not a "federation" just because you have a logo and a website. Until you get some schools in the organization, it's not a federation. General Choi didn't spend his years in Malaysia coming up with logos, and he didn't have a federation just because he'd designed some teul. You need followers to have a federation.
Along those same lines, rather than focusing first on the logo and the website, why not come up with a _curriculum_ as the first step? Wouldn't that be more logical?
As with his original "taekwondo is useless" video, this guy seems to believe that "taekwondo is broken and needs to be fixed" -- but he's basing that opinion on just his limited experience at the few schools he knows. What makes him think that all taekwondo everywhere is as broken as the taekwondo that he's seen?
And even if we too were to believe that "taekwondo is broken and needs to be fixed", why would we turn to _this_ person to fix it for us?
And even if we were to have this person "fix" taekwondo for us, why would we think the result should even still be called taekwondo? He talks about getting rid of forms and focusing on just his conception of "practical" techniques. He might as well just make up a new name for his martial art.
According to his video, this person doesn't even have his own school? Why would he want to start a whole new _federation_ when he hasn't even succeeded at starting a single school? Does he even know what a federation is, and what it takes to operate one? And why should WE believe that a person who isn't even running his own school is qualified to run a federation, to the extent that we'd want to join his federation?
And I guess this guy wants lots of schools to put up his FTF banner...but to what end? I guess the idea is that if you see an FTF banner in a school, you'll know the focus is self-defense? If that's your interest, why not just ask about self-defense when you're signing up at a school in the first place? What does the banner prove?
I admire this person's passion, and I wish him well. In any case, it's not a "federation" until you have some schools following you (as opposed to just having a logo and a website), so this guy's got a lo-o-o-ong road ahead of him I'm afraid.


----------



## Gnarlie

This guy and his little buddy can't even *talk* functionally. I think I'm just fine without their help. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## Earl Weiss

Claims both ITF and WTF 4th Dan. Would be interesting to see his certs.


----------



## justkool141

Lolol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jedmus

I don't buy into it myself. He claims that the FTF is creating a functional Tae Kwondo when all it's doing is removing everything that makes it Tae Kwondo and focusing on self defense. If that's his goal he should not be calling it Tae Kwondo, he should call them what they are, self defense classes.


----------



## justkool141

True TKD is a lot more than just self defense! Also he wants to mix his TKD with boxing


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Gnarlie

Earl Weiss said:


> Claims both ITF and WTF 4th Dan. Would be interesting to see his certs.


Judging by the standard of forms he demonstrated in earlier videos, I find both of those claims highly questionable...this is not the way 4th Dans should be moving IMO.


----------



## JowGaWolf

Gnarlie said:


> Judging by the standard of forms he demonstrated in earlier videos, I find both of those claims highly questionable...this is not the way 4th Dans should be moving IMO.


I don't take TKD.  What's the difference between how he is moving vs how a 4th dan will move.  Minus the display of the ability to connect power etc.


----------



## Gnarlie

JowGaWolf said:


> I don't take TKD.  What's the difference between how he is moving vs how a 4th dan will move.  Minus the display of the ability to connect power etc.


Stances, basic positions, connecting motions and above all control of weight are all far from what I would expect at that level. That's even taking into account that this is supposed to be a tutorial and regardless of whether ITF, KKW or WTF standards are applied. Just bad.

I'm not just being critical for the sake of it - these guys are very critical of Taekwondo and martial arts in general, and in my book if you don't have your own house in order, you don't get to criticise with any credibility.


----------



## FlamingJulian

Yeah. I Think all Taekwondo is functional so I don't like the idea. Lol


-Julian


----------



## Jedmus

Gnarlie said:


> Judging by the standard of forms he demonstrated in earlier videos, I find both of those claims highly questionable...this is not the way 4th Dans should be moving IMO.



can't agree more that is truly shocking to try and say that video was a display of ITF Tae Kwondo. Even as an instructional video for beginners the stances, foot positions, connecting motions between each move and the blocks / punches themselves are juvenile to say the least!


----------



## JowGaWolf

Gnarlie said:


> Stances, basic positions, connecting motions and above all control of weight are all far from what I would expect at that level. That's even taking into account that this is supposed to be a tutorial and regardless of whether ITF, KKW or WTF standards are applied. Just bad.
> 
> I'm not just being critical for the sake of it - these guys are very critical of Taekwondo and martial arts in general, and in my book if you don't have your own house in order, you don't get to criticise with any credibility.


Sounds like he has a very high mountain to climb.  It will be interesting if he gets other people to teach and show the techniques or if he's going to try it on his own.  I'm just glad that he finally decided to stop trash talking martial arts.  Between the 2 ideas the FTF would be the least insulting.  The worst case scenario for FTF is that it's will put a spotlight on his understanding of techniques if he decides to demonstrate them.  He's either going to amaze us with his knowledge or he's going to show just how much he really doesn't know.


----------



## Tony Dismukes

JowGaWolf said:


> He's either going to amaze us with his knowledge or he's going to show just how much he really doesn't know.


I know which option my money is on.


----------



## Buka

Wolowitz is back! Where's his girlfriend?


----------



## justkool141

Lolol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Buka

JowGaWolf said:


> I don't take TKD.  What's the difference between how he is moving vs how a 4th dan will move.  Minus the display of the ability to connect power etc.



The difference is like this. This is how Wolowitz moves...





This is how the guys I know move.


----------



## chrispillertkd

Gnarlie said:


> Judging by the standard of forms he demonstrated in earlier videos, I find both of those claims highly questionable...this is not the way 4th Dans should be moving IMO.



It's not just a question of how a 4th dan should be moving. What I want to know is why someone who claims to be a 4th dan from the ITF has no understanding of the body mechanics of that style. The manner in which he steps is wrong, the shifting of his feet in between steps is something you're not supposed to do, the way he prepares for blocks is wrong, the way he prepares for punching is wrong, he creates a saw-tooth wave while stepping since he doesn't properly flex his knee while stepping (which is something Gen. Choi specifically points out in the encyclopedia as being wrong), the way he comes to chumbi seogi is wrong. 

It's almost as if he has no background in ITF Taekwon-Do at all...

Pax,

Chris


----------



## RTKDCMB

It just seems to be Martial tutor vocalizing rectally again.


----------



## Metal

chrispillertkd said:


> It's almost as if he has no background in ITF Taekwon-Do at all...



He definitely didn't have an ITF uniform to wear when filming this video. ;-)

Anyway, this whole FTF ******** isn't even worth discussing on a Martial Arts forum.


----------



## RTKDCMB

Gnarlie said:


> Judging by the standard of forms he demonstrated in earlier videos, I find both of those claims highly questionable...this is not the way 4th Dans should be moving IMO.


He seems to make a lot of claims based on limited knowledge:

functionaltkd


----------



## TrueJim

chrispillertkd said:


> ...the shifting of his feet in between steps is something you're not supposed to do...




*1. *I was wondering about that. Many times when he steps or turns, he shuffles _both_ feet through the step, rather than pivoting on one leg and stepping with the other. I know in Kukkiwon-style that wouldn't fly, but I was wondering if maybe ITF-style was less strict about something like that. 


*2. *I'm glad the _chambering_ was pointed out as well. Again, I don't know ITF-style, but I've seen enough Chon-Ji to recognize the "two forearms crossed in front of you" chamber for the Low Block. 







In our Kukkiwon-style school, we chamber for Low Blocks by aiming the off-arm forward and the blocking arm on the collar. 






This chamber in _this_ video though looks like a *"bear hug"* chamber and I hadn't seen it before. I assumed it must be some sort of school-specific chamber?  I wonder where he picked it up?


----------



## Earl Weiss

Gnarlie said:


> Judging by the standard of forms he demonstrated in earlier videos, I find both of those claims highly questionable...this is not the way 4th Dans should be moving IMO.



I n fairness to this guy part of the movement is to try and show someone a practice method. It is also likely that he is performing how he was taught and according to that standard it may or may not be a good performance.   

However it is very sad if: 
1. He thinks this is performed to the ITF technical standard. and / or
2. He knows it is not an ITF standard but is intentional attempting to fool the unwar.y


----------



## Earl Weiss

TrueJim said:


> *1. *I was wondering about that. Many times when he steps or turns, he shuffles _both_ feet through the step, rather than pivoting on one leg and stepping with the other. I know in Kukkiwon-style that wouldn't fly, but I was wondering if maybe ITF-style was less strict about something like that.



The shuffle is wrong. Part of a long list of what is wrong.


----------



## martialartstutor

Hello everyone, thank you all for your responses and thoughts on the FTF.

Firstly, I would like to apologize for all the bashing I did on martial arts. My earlier videos were sparked by more anger and disgust with the TKD system becuase of how my instructor and his fellow instructors showcased it. What's more is that despite years looking for better schools, I came to the conclusion that TKD is a flawed system when you compare it to things like Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or MMA. 

I've been doing martial arts for over 15 years, and in my experience I developed a strong passion for teaching Taekwondo and wanted to use the similar structure (belt progressions, uniform, terminology) to teach a more practical form of martial arts. I have seen some of the value of TKD in my mma experience, but I would say it wouldn't have been possible until I developed a stronger boxing and wrestling foundation.

You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol

In my new federation (and yes, I'm calling out the other federations impractical) there will be no forms, only sparring application and self defense. Similar to burton richardson's jkd unlimited, or daido juku karate-do (kudo). The problem with forms is that they are the very standard for testing and I find them a great waste of time in my opinion.

There are many other people who support my ideas, so believe me when I tell you that I've heard all the naysayers say this federation won't work out. I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically. I have many people who have been following my ideas and want to see this federation come to life. 

I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world. Even if that means offering current practioners a new practical curriculum they can impliment in their schools. 

No kid blackbelts. No more belt factories. No more testing fees. No more no-contact sparring. No more forms. No more point sparring. No more fake techniques. No more one steps. No more fake hapkido wrist locks that don't work against resistance. No more conformist mentalities. No more social hierarchy. No more out of shape instructors. No more hiding behind 8 degrees. No more flashy demonstrations. No more gymnastics. No more dancing. No more Mcdojos. Just real, practical, and effective martial arts for children, teens, adults, fighters, and families.


----------



## Gnarlie

What a lot of hot air. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## justkool141

FTF = Failing Taekwondo federation


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JowGaWolf

(looking at the posts) It didn't take long for that mountain that he has to climb to get higher.


----------



## mkxkunglao12345

FTF is what Ive been waiting for! I dont want to be a dancer, i want to learn how to fight using only the legit stuff from FTF


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TrueJim

martialartstutor said:


> I came to the conclusion that TKD is a flawed system when you compare it to things like Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or MMA.



Then why not teach one of those other things, rather than inventing a new martial art?

And since you _are_ inventing a new martial art, why call it taekwondo?  Isn't that name already taken?




martialartstutor said:


> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? ...You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol



First of all, there's a difference between _criticizing_ and _critiquing_. 

Secondly, the question was about your _credentials_. No offense, but how did you get to be 4th dan without learning the movements?




martialartstutor said:


> In my new federation



It's not a _federation_ until it has multiple schools as members. Right now it's just an _idea_ for a federation. A concept. A gleam in your eye. A nascent dream waiting to take flight. 

It also doesn't have a curriculum yet, which one would think would be the first order of business?  I mean, it's not like General Choi spent a couple years in Malaysia contemplating what the logo should look like: he spent that time developing a curriculum.




martialartstutor said:


> I have many people who have been following my ideas and want to see this federation come to life.



As previously noted, I admire your passion and I wish you luck. But it's not a federation until you have schools as members. Right now you have individuals who like your idea, not schools who are members.




martialartstutor said:


> *I have many people who have been following my ideas *and want to see this federation come to life.



"We're going to have a curriculum, okay? I'm going to get all the smartest black belts in a room for a month and I'm going to tell them: develop a curriculum. I already have an idea for a curriculum, but I don't want to give it away, okay? Maybe I'll like their idea for a curriculum, or maybe I'll like mine. But it'll be huge. It'll be the best curriculum. All the best techniques. And I'm going to have many schools as members, all the best schools. Everybody is saying so..."


----------



## RTKDCMB

Gnarlie said:


> What a lot of hot air.


You've just got to wonder which end it is coming from.


----------



## chrispillertkd

martialartstutor said:


> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol



My criticism of your performance of Chon-Ji was to point out that you have not the slightest grasp of the body mechanics underlying Gen. Choi's system. Why you claim to be a 4th dan in the ITF I do not know. If I had to hazard a guess from viewing your video and from the quoted statement above I'd say your instructor wasn't a member of the ITF himself and had only learned some of Gen. Choi's patterns and taught them without changing anything he learned in karate.

Far from being a critique of your "dancing" my comments were a critique of your body mechanics. This may prove to be important if you need to defend yourself some day.

How long were you in the ITF? Did you ever get a chance to train with any of Gen. Choi's senior students? Since you've only been training for 15 years I presume you didn't have an opportunity to train with him. Which ITF group did you get certified through?



> In my new federation (and yes, I'm calling out the other federations impractical) there will be no forms, only sparring application and self defense. Similar to burton richardson's jkd unlimited, or daido juku karate-do (kudo). The problem with forms is that they are the very standard for testing and I find them a great waste of time in my opinion.





> I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world. Even if that means offering current practioners a new practical curriculum they can impliment in their schools.



Speaking personally, I wasn't offended by your plan to form a new federation. More power to you, in fact. But if you weren't actually certified by the ITF please don't say that you were. Many people who learn some of the Chang Hun tul but were never part of the ITF say they are "ITF Taekwon-Do" but lack understanding of Gen. Choi's actual style.

Pax,

Chris


----------



## Tony Dismukes

martialartstutor said:


> Hello everyone, thank you all for your responses and thoughts on the FTF.
> 
> Firstly, I would like to apologize for all the bashing I did on martial arts. My earlier videos were sparked by more anger and disgust with the TKD system becuase of how my instructor and his fellow instructors showcased it. What's more is that despite years looking for better schools, I came to the conclusion that TKD is a flawed system when you compare it to things like Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or MMA.
> 
> I've been doing martial arts for over 15 years, and in my experience I developed a strong passion for teaching Taekwondo and wanted to use the similar structure (belt progressions, uniform, terminology) to teach a more practical form of martial arts. I have seen some of the value of TKD in my mma experience, but I would say it wouldn't have been possible until I developed a stronger boxing and wrestling foundation.
> 
> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol
> 
> In my new federation (and yes, I'm calling out the other federations impractical) there will be no forms, only sparring application and self defense. Similar to burton richardson's jkd unlimited, or daido juku karate-do (kudo). The problem with forms is that they are the very standard for testing and I find them a great waste of time in my opinion.
> 
> There are many other people who support my ideas, so believe me when I tell you that I've heard all the naysayers say this federation won't work out. I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically. I have many people who have been following my ideas and want to see this federation come to life.
> 
> I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world. Even if that means offering current practioners a new practical curriculum they can impliment in their schools.
> 
> No kid blackbelts. No more belt factories. No more testing fees. No more no-contact sparring. No more forms. No more point sparring. No more fake techniques. No more one steps. No more fake hapkido wrist locks that don't work against resistance. No more conformist mentalities. No more social hierarchy. No more out of shape instructors. No more hiding behind 8 degrees. No more flashy demonstrations. No more gymnastics. No more dancing. No more Mcdojos. Just real, practical, and effective martial arts for children, teens, adults, fighters, and families.



Hi Taylor, just a few questions and comments...

Your website says that your "FTKD" is  95% boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai, and brazilian jiu jitsu and only 5% TKD. If this is the case, why bother to use "Tae Kwon Do" as 3/4 of the name of your new system? The arts which by your estimation comprise 95% of your system aren't mentioned in the name at all!

How much time have you spent training in each of  boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, muay thai, and BJJ? Do you have any particular achievements or ranks in those systems which would indicate your qualifications to teach any of those arts? You say _"I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically_." Your earliest videos on your YouTube channel were uploaded a year ago. Does that mean you've only been training those arts for a year now?

There are plenty of MMA gyms out there with coaches who have extensive experience in boxing, kickboxing, muay thai and BJJ. Some of them even have some TKD experience to throw into the mix. Why would a student who wants the kind of training represented by those arts choose to come to you rather than one of those gyms?

It seems to me that "FTKD" is a style you've created, rather than a "federation." A federation would be a group of schools or instructors working under the same umbrella. Do you have any schools signed up for your federation yet? For that matter, do you have your own school where you are teaching your FTKD curriculum? If so, I don't see it on your website.

You say _"No more belt factories. No more testing fees. No more no-contact sparring. No more forms. No more point sparring_. ... etc, etc, etc" That's not really accurate. Those things will always exist in schools where people want them. Likewise, there are plenty of schools out there where those elements aren't present because the instructors and students don't want them. If you want to join one of the many existing schools where those things you don't like aren't present - great! If you want to start your own school where those features aren't present - great! Just be aware that you're only changing your own training, not the martial arts world. Instructors and students who want the kind of training you're advocating already have plenty of options to choose from. Instructors and students who want the kind of training you're criticizing will continue to do their own thing.


----------



## Earl Weiss

martialartstutor said:


> Hello everyone, thank you all for your responses and thoughts on the FTF.
> 
> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol<<<
> 
> *You put out video using the ITF Logo, represent it to be the way to practice the ITF form. You are criticized for a performance which is badly flawed according to the standard you claim it represents.   For some reason you find this disturbing? *
> 
> . No more forms. No more point sparring. No more fake techniques. No more one steps. No more fake hapkido wrist locks that don't work against resistance. No more conformist mentalities. No more social hierarchy. No more out of shape instructors. No more hiding behind 8 degrees. No more flashy demonstrations. No more gymnastics. No more dancing. No more Mcdojos. Just real, practical, and effective martial arts for children, teens, adults, fighters, and families.



If all you want is Self defense or Sparring, then a great deal of your time will be wasted with a martial art.   There are plenty of people who market reality Based "Systems" which eliminate most if not all the things you think are a waste of time.


----------



## JowGaWolf

martialartstutor said:


> I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically.


Trying to hold back my mad dog.





Your statement makes me want to fight you.  like for real in a ring, cage, just to show you that you don't know as much as you think you learned within a few months.  It's good that you feel better about your fighting ability and that you have improved but don't get carried away.  A few months of Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu is not even a drop in the bucket when it comes to understanding fighting techniques or fighting in general.
Personally I think learning Taekkyon would be a better use and would help you understand TKD techniques better.  Muay Thai will help because the kicking mechanics and applications of the kicking are going to require similar elements, but there's nothing in Jiu Jitsu that's going to help you understand TKD techniques better. The only way Jiu Jitsu will help is if you try to use TKD against Jiu Jitsu and then you'll have a better understanding of what TKD techniques you need to do and which ones you don't need to do when facing someone that does Jiu Jitsu.  At least then you'll grasp a better understanding of the openings in TKD attacks and defenses that you need to be aware of so you don't end up on your back.



martialartstutor said:


> I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world.


 Start by understanding that you can't make TKD better by abandoning it and adding stuff that's no where near the concepts of TKD.  I can't make boxing better by adding Juijitsu, that would just make it not boxing.


----------



## JowGaWolf

TrueJim said:


> "We're going to have a curriculum, okay? I'm going to get all the smartest black belts in a room for a month and I'm going to tell them: develop a curriculum. I already have an idea for a curriculum, but I don't want to give it away, okay? Maybe I'll like their idea for a curriculum, or maybe I'll like mine. But it'll be huge. It'll be the best curriculum. All the best techniques. And I'm going to have many schools as members, all the best schools. Everybody is saying so..."


 you know you're wrong for that. lol


----------



## JowGaWolf

Earl Weiss said:


> If all you want is Self defense or Sparring, then a great deal of your time will be wasted with a martial art.   There are plenty of people who market reality Based "Systems" which eliminate most if not all the things you think are a waste of time.


I was thinking the same thing.


----------



## werdna notxas

I do not think that any of you that are negatively criticizing martialartstutor about understand what his intentions are with FTF taekwondo.

I too have been doing taekwondo for quite some time and realized that there are holes in the art that need to be filled. (no proper use of hands, no defense against takedowns, never any emphasis on the clinch, etc.). There is also too much of a focus on forms and one-step sparring that will NOT prepare you to defend yourself.

Kudo karate is a perfect example of an evolving traditional martial art. They have worked with thai kickboxers, american boxing coaches, and brazillian jiu jitsu practitioners to make their karate better. If you go on youtube and watch a video by martial arts tutor called "Chuck Norris is legit" he (martialartstutor) talks about how even the great martial artist of his time, Chuck Norris himself, earned his black belt in brazillian jiu jitsu and now requires his students to learn grappling in his karate school.

Taekwondo is not an absolutely horrible martial art. I personally have lived in South Korea for a few years and the practitioners are incredible athletes, but it can only take you so far. Even some of the teakwondo instructors that I have talked to over there have admitted that they had flaws in their system so they took up either boxing or muay thai to make their stand up fighting more complete.

Again, martialartstutor does not mean to hate on everyone who has a passion for taekwondo. It is a beautiful art, but based on what ITF and WTF schools teach these days, it is not worthy of calling itself a 'martial art'.


----------



## Metal

werdna notxas said:


> I do not think that any of you that are negatively criticizing martialartstutor about understand what his intentions are with FTF taekwondo.
> 
> I too have been doing taekwondo for quite some time and realized that there are holes in the art that need to be filled. (no proper use of hands, no defense against takedowns, never any emphasis on the clinch, etc.). There is also too much of a focus on forms and one-step sparring that will NOT prepare you to defend yourself.
> 
> [...]
> Again, martialartstutor does not mean to hate on everyone who has a passion for taekwondo. It is a beautiful art, but based on what ITF and WTF schools teach these days, it is not worthy of calling itself a 'martial art'.



Welcome to the forum!

It's good to see new people joining in order to defend that FTF idea. ;-)


Regarding your mentioned 'holes in the system': Those aren't holes in the system. If these are problems at certain dojangs than these are problems of the dojangs' curriculums. 

Did you ever realize that the majority of techniques in TKD are hand techniques? Did you ever realize that the first technique the Kukkiwon lists in their list of basic techniques are *Kkeokgi (꺾기) *,* Neomgigi (넘기기) *and *Ppaegi (빼기)*? If you never heard these terms: those are self defense techniques.


Btw, you shouldn't call it Functional Taekwondo, but "stripped down to self-defense Taekwondo". Just because many schools are stripped down to the sports-side of Taekwondo doesn't mean there's need for a new Federation. 

Anyway, this discussion is old and will never end. It also won't ever end, because there are and will always be people who want the sport focused side of TKD, who don't want to fight, but who want to stay in good shape and have fun.


----------



## Buka

werdna notxas said:


> It is a beautiful art, but based on what ITF and WTF schools teach these days, it is not worthy of calling itself a 'martial art'.



I do not know what ITF and WTF do. But where do you get the authority to say what is a Martial Art?


----------



## Buka

martialartstutor said:


> Hello everyone, thank you all for your responses and thoughts on the FTF.
> 
> Firstly, I would like to apologize for all the bashing I did on martial arts. My earlier videos were sparked by more anger and disgust with the TKD system becuase of how my instructor and his fellow instructors showcased it. What's more is that despite years looking for better schools, I came to the conclusion that TKD is a flawed system when you compare it to things like Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or MMA.
> 
> I've been doing martial arts for over 15 years, and in my experience I developed a strong passion for teaching Taekwondo and wanted to use the similar structure (belt progressions, uniform, terminology) to teach a more practical form of martial arts. I have seen some of the value of TKD in my mma experience, but I would say it wouldn't have been possible until I developed a stronger boxing and wrestling foundation.
> 
> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol
> 
> In my new federation (and yes, I'm calling out the other federations impractical) there will be no forms, only sparring application and self defense. Similar to burton richardson's jkd unlimited, or daido juku karate-do (kudo). The problem with forms is that they are the very standard for testing and I find them a great waste of time in my opinion.
> 
> There are many other people who support my ideas, so believe me when I tell you that I've heard all the naysayers say this federation won't work out. I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically. I have many people who have been following my ideas and want to see this federation come to life.
> 
> I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world. Even if that means offering current practioners a new practical curriculum they can impliment in their schools.
> 
> No kid blackbelts. No more belt factories. No more testing fees. No more no-contact sparring. No more forms. No more point sparring. No more fake techniques. No more one steps. No more fake hapkido wrist locks that don't work against resistance. No more conformist mentalities. No more social hierarchy. No more out of shape instructors. No more hiding behind 8 degrees. No more flashy demonstrations. No more gymnastics. No more dancing. No more Mcdojos. Just real, practical, and effective martial arts for children, teens, adults, fighters, and families.



It is extremely difficult for me to clear my mind of what my initial feelings and thoughts were concerning any of this. Which was a video bashing the very art you were still teaching, at that time, at your instructor's school.And then putting it on the damn internet. That's an infamia and has nothing to do with whether the art or school is good, bad or mediocre.


----------



## Earl Weiss

Metal said:


> Welcome to the forum!
> 
> It's good to see new people joining in order to defend that FTF idea. ;-)
> 
> .



I guess it's a hot topic where 2 new people join in a few hours to defend something.


----------



## TrueJim

Earl Weiss said:


> I guess it's a hot topic where 2 new people join in a few hours to defend something.



What are the odds!


----------



## Rough Rider

Welcome to the discussion, Taylor.  I watched several of your videos, and, yes, I was upset by several of them and entertained as well.  Anyway, apology accepted. 

Self-defense is an important aspect of Taekwondo, but it is not the only one.  There are Five core areas of TKD: Forms, Self-defense, Sparring, Breaking, and One-steps.  You are proposing to eliminate three of these (I assume, as you don't mention breaking at all.)  If you want to start a school that teaches only SD and sparring, I have no problem with that, but, as others have said, it's not Taekwondo.  So, why do you insist on a name that does not accurately represent what you are teaching?

Also, in your "TKD Sucks" video, you kept talking about the lousy SD training at a particular school, but what you were describing sounded like One-steps.  They are not the same thing.  One-steps are simply a drill and are not intended to be a realistic SD scenario.  If this school was teaching otherwise, well shame on them.  At my school One-step (Ilsushik) and Self-defense are entirely different lessons.  Our SD lessons involve eye-gouges, sweeps, take-downs, chokes, and lots of other fun stuff.  The attacker also hits you in various ways, not just a straight punch.

Similarly, Poomse is not self-defense.  It is a way to condition your muscle-memory to remember different techniques.  Are you going to use them in that exact way in a fight?  Of course not!  That's not the point.  Anyway, there are others who can explain Poomse better than I can.  I know you hate it with a passion, but I think it's fun and relaxing.  Does that mean I suck, too?


----------



## Tony Dismukes

Rough Rider said:


> Self-defense is an important aspect of Taekwondo, but it is not the only one. There are Five core areas of TKD: Forms, Self-defense, Sparring, Breaking, and One-steps. You are proposing to eliminate three of these (I assume, as you don't mention breaking at all.) If you want to start a school that teaches only SD and sparring, I have no problem with that, but, as others have said, it's not Taekwondo. So, why do you insist on a name that does not accurately represent what you are teaching?


I could maybe see the point of the name if Taylor was keeping the combative techniques, tactics, and body mechanics of TKD, while just ditching certain specific training methods he disliked. You could argue about whether he should change the name of the art in that case, but at least he would have a reasonable claim to still having at least a version of TKD. What I can't see a good reason for is keeping the TKD name if he's just doing MMA with a little TKD sprinkled around the edges.


----------



## JowGaWolf

In all honesty future, FTF students are going to have a bounty on their heads from all of the system bashing that the founder did.  The founder may want to take those videos down if his students are ever thinking about doing competitive fighting.

Maybe it's just me, but  I would rather fight against someone who only wants to win a competition, than to fight against someone who doesn't care about winning so long as they prove a point that their system doesn't suck.  FTF students could be taking beatings that they don't deserve only because their founder talked junk.  I wonder how the FTF supporters feel about this perspective.


----------



## RTKDCMB

werdna notxas said:


> I too have been doing taekwondo for quite some time and realized that there are holes in the art that need to be filled. (no proper use of hands, no defense against takedowns, never any emphasis on the clinch, etc.).



Unless you happen to study the complete art of TKD where these things have not been removed during the watering down process that seems to have occurred in whatever school you studied at.



werdna notxas said:


> There is also too much of a focus on forms and one-step sparring that will NOT prepare you to defend yourself.



This is only true if you have only studied them poorly.



werdna notxas said:


> Taekwondo is not an absolutely horrible martial art....but it can only take you so far.



Speak for yourself.



werdna notxas said:


> Again, martialartstutor does not mean to hate on everyone who has a passion for taekwondo.



He doesn't mean to, it is just a natural consequence of ignorance and lack of knowledge.



werdna notxas said:


> It is a beautiful art, but based on what ITF and WTF schools teach these days, it is not worthy of calling itself a 'martial art'.



These are not the only organizations. WTF does not have schools (you must mean KKW, they have schools) and you have based it only on what YOU have seen and your personal opinion, which doesn't mean much.


----------



## Rough Rider

Here's one thing to keep in mind that may offer some perspective on  all of this.  This expert who's telling us that the entire world of TKD has been doing everything wrong and that he has all of the answers- is 21 years old.


----------



## Buka

Rough Rider said:


> Here's one thing to keep in mind that may offer some perspective on  all of this.  This expert who's telling us that the entire world of TKD has been doing everything wrong and that he has all of the answers- is 21 years old.



Good point.


----------



## Gnarlie

At 21 it seems to be pretty difficult to put a coherent and cohesive point together. As regards putting together a coherent and cohesive martial art, well... 

Creating a viable martial art from other martial arts takes understanding of them, deep experience of them and above all genius levels of talent at the age of 21.

I've seen your videos. I've seen how you move, how you spar and above all how you think. Based on that, I wouldn't hold your breath on membership requests outside of your circle of buddies.

I mean do what you want, but a federation will not build itself, and neither will a curriculum. You will need help if this is going to succeed, and I think you're unlikely to get it from the traditional martial artists you seem hell bent on insulting (whether intentionally or not). 


Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


----------



## TrueJim

...and since we're talking about stripping down taekwondo and adding other stuff anyway:

Chun Kuhn Do - combines taekwondo with additional grappling techniques and weapons training
Gwon Gyokdo - combines taekwondo and muay thai.
Han Moo Do - Scandinavian martial art that combines taekwondo, hapkido, and hoi jeon moo sool.
Han Mu Do - Korean martial art that combines taekwondo and hapkido.
Iin Tae Kwon - combines traditional taekwondo with additional techniques including weapon disarms, joint-locks, and take-downs.
Kajukenbo - an American hybrid combining Karate, Tang Soo Do, Judo, Jujutsu, Kenpo, and Boxing.
Teukgong Moosool - Korean martial art that combines elements of taekwondo, hapkido, judo, kyuk too ki, and Chinese martial arts.
Yongmudo - developed at Korea's Yong-In University, combines taekwondo, hapkido, judo, and ssireum.
Tong Che Bahk Do - U.S. martial art that combines traditional taekwondo, karate, and Chinese martial arts.
...it's not as if this has never been thought of before. One could just learn and teach one of these hybrids rather than creating yet another new curriculum.


----------



## Dirty Dog

werdna notxas said:


> Again, martialartstutor does not mean to hate on everyone who has a passion for taekwondo. It is a beautiful art, but based on what ITF and WTF schools teach these days, it is not worthy of calling itself a 'martial art'.



Since there is no such thing as a WTF school, it's safe to say you don't know enough to speak on the subject.


----------



## Tony Dismukes

Rough Rider said:


> Here's one thing to keep in mind that may offer some perspective on  all of this.  This expert who's telling us that the entire world of TKD has been doing everything wrong and that he has all of the answers- is 21 years old.


I'm grateful that the internet was not available to me when I was 21 years old. It meant that my lack of maturity and good sense was only apparent to those in my immediate circle, many of whom were no better off than I was  in those departments.


----------



## Buka

Tony Dismukes said:


> I'm grateful that the internet was not available to me when I was 21 years old. It meant that my lack of maturity and good sense was only apparent to those in my immediate circle, many of whom were no better off than I was  in those departments.



Yeah, I was as dumb as a box of doughnuts, too.


----------



## Rough Rider

The same day he apologized for his previous videos, he posted this little gem.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

martialartstutor said:


> Hello everyone, thank you all for your responses and thoughts on the FTF.
> 
> Firstly, I would like to apologize for all the bashing I did on martial arts. My earlier videos were sparked by more anger and disgust with the TKD system becuase of how my instructor and his fellow instructors showcased it. What's more is that despite years looking for better schools, I came to the conclusion that TKD is a flawed system when you compare it to things like Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or MMA.
> 
> I've been doing martial arts for over 15 years, and in my experience I developed a strong passion for teaching Taekwondo and wanted to use the similar structure (belt progressions, uniform, terminology) to teach a more practical form of martial arts. I have seen some of the value of TKD in my mma experience, but I would say it wouldn't have been possible until I developed a stronger boxing and wrestling foundation.
> 
> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol
> 
> In my new federation (and yes, I'm calling out the other federations impractical) there will be no forms, only sparring application and self defense. Similar to burton richardson's jkd unlimited, or daido juku karate-do (kudo). The problem with forms is that they are the very standard for testing and I find them a great waste of time in my opinion.
> 
> There are many other people who support my ideas, so believe me when I tell you that I've heard all the naysayers say this federation won't work out. I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically. I have many people who have been following my ideas and want to see this federation come to life.
> 
> I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world. Even if that means offering current practioners a new practical curriculum they can impliment in their schools.
> 
> No kid blackbelts. No more belt factories. No more testing fees. No more no-contact sparring. No more forms. No more point sparring. No more fake techniques. No more one steps. No more fake hapkido wrist locks that don't work against resistance. No more conformist mentalities. No more social hierarchy. No more out of shape instructors. No more hiding behind 8 degrees. No more flashy demonstrations. No more gymnastics. No more dancing. No more Mcdojos. Just real, practical, and effective martial arts for children, teens, adults, fighters, and families.


You see forms as part of the problem. And that's part of the problem. Forms aren't always necessary, but if you can't do the forms well, you probably have missed some of the principles of the art, which might be a clue as to why you posted that TKD was useless for self-defense. What you should have posted wast that your TKD was useless for self-defense, because there are some practitioners (and instructors) who have practical TKD already.


----------



## JowGaWolf




----------



## Jaeimseu

JowGaWolf said:


>



Wow. He's confident he can beat ANY Kukkiwon or ITF black belt. Yawn. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Dirty Dog

Jaeimseu said:


> Wow. He's confident he can beat ANY Kukkiwon or ITF black belt. Yawn.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



I guess we know who will take the Gold at the next Olympics then...


----------



## Buka

Rough Rider said:


> The same day he apologized for his previous videos, he posted this little gem.



I'm speechless. It has to be lead paint chips.


----------



## TrueJim

We've probably already given this more attention than it deserves, but I can't resist this line:

"If you're a Kukkiwon black-belt under the WTF or ITF standards..."


----------



## Rough Rider

This guy continually rips on kid black belts, which is probably the only point on which he will get support here. However, he is 21 now and was 20 when he started posting these videos. From the start he was a 4th Dan boasting of 15 years of experience.  You do the math. I'll ask the question:  Taylor, how old were you when you got your black belt?


----------



## FlamingJulian

JowGaWolf said:


> In all honesty future, FTF students are going to have a bounty on their heads from all of the system bashing that the founder did.  The founder may want to take those videos down if his students are ever thinking about doing competitive fighting.
> 
> Maybe it's just me, but  I would rather fight against someone who only wants to win a competition, than to fight against someone who doesn't care about winning so long as they prove a point that their system doesn't suck.  FTF students could be taking beatings that they don't deserve only because their founder talked junk.  I wonder how the FTF supporters feel about this perspective.



Yeah I agree. 


-Julian


----------



## Balrog

martialartstutor said:


> Hello everyone, thank you all for your responses and thoughts on the FTF.
> 
> Firstly, I would like to apologize for all the bashing I did on martial arts. My earlier videos were sparked by more anger and disgust with the TKD system becuase of how my instructor and his fellow instructors showcased it. What's more is that despite years looking for better schools, I came to the conclusion that TKD is a flawed system when you compare it to things like Muay thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or MMA.
> 
> I've been doing martial arts for over 15 years, and in my experience I developed a strong passion for teaching Taekwondo and wanted to use the similar structure (belt progressions, uniform, terminology) to teach a more practical form of martial arts. I have seen some of the value of TKD in my mma experience, but I would say it wouldn't have been possible until I developed a stronger boxing and wrestling foundation.
> 
> You see, you guys are critisizing my forms. What matters more; being able to fight or knowing how to punch and kick the air? (Btw, the style I learned came from an instructor with a karate background; he liked to use those type of movements which explains why I don't move like the typical ift practioner) I often find it disturbing how much emphasis there is on something like that. You're essentially critiquing my "dancing". This isn't dancing with the stars lol
> 
> In my new federation (and yes, I'm calling out the other federations impractical) there will be no forms, only sparring application and self defense. Similar to burton richardson's jkd unlimited, or daido juku karate-do (kudo). The problem with forms is that they are the very standard for testing and I find them a great waste of time in my opinion.
> 
> There are many other people who support my ideas, so believe me when I tell you that I've heard all the naysayers say this federation won't work out. I've been training kickboxing muay thai and jiu jitsu ever since I uploaded my first few videos and I can tell you that my knowledge of fighting has increased drastically. I have many people who have been following my ideas and want to see this federation come to life.
> 
> I apologize to anyone whom I offended, I'm just trying to make Taekwondo a better martial art for people around the world. Even if that means offering current practioners a new practical curriculum they can impliment in their schools.
> 
> No kid blackbelts. No more belt factories. No more testing fees. No more no-contact sparring. No more forms. No more point sparring. No more fake techniques. No more one steps. No more fake hapkido wrist locks that don't work against resistance. No more conformist mentalities. No more social hierarchy. No more out of shape instructors. No more hiding behind 8 degrees. No more flashy demonstrations. No more gymnastics. No more dancing. No more Mcdojos. Just real, practical, and effective martial arts for children, teens, adults, fighters, and families.


I have been lurking and following this concept for a while, but I am going to pitch my $0.02 worth into the ring.

My friend, you are doomed to failure.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and your first impression frankly sucks.  The post I quoted is a perfect example:  you offered a fake apology and then continued with the same arrogant, know-it-all bashing behavior.  No one is going to take you seriously as a result.

You've been doing martial arts for over 15 years?  And you are 21?  There are people on the board, myself included, that have been doing martial arts longer than you have been alive.  Much longer.  And we read things like your complaining about one-steps (for example) and we laugh, because we know that you have no clue what one-steps are about.  They are a training tool for new students to learn timing, distancing and control.  

You're complaining about kid Black Belts?  Given your age and how long you trained, it seems to me that you probably fit in that category yourself.

My advice to you?  Go back into training and learn some basic life skills, such as courtesy, respect and loyalty.  I have seen folks like you before.  They think they know everything and they are going to set the world on fire.  And I don't see them around any more.


----------



## justkool141

Im 16 and I'm going for black belt in 3 weeks! I guarantee I will take martialartstutor in a fight!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Dirty Dog

Balrog said:


> You're complaining about kid Black Belts?  Given your age and how long you trained, it seems to me that you probably fit in that category yourself.



This is probably the ONLY thing I will ever say in this persons defense...

I disagree with the whole baby black belt concept. Our school does not issue them. We've awarded ONE to a quite exceptional 17 year old girl who had been training for more than a decade. We've lost students because I have told their parents that under no circumstances will their little prodigy be given a black belt for their 10th birthday.

If this characters parents put him in a school that hands out baby black belts, and 20 year old 4th Dans (which, while totally in keeping with the KKW philosophy strikes me as ridiculous) that's not his fault. And if he's decided that baby black belts are a Bad Thing, then I'd actually agree with him. 

I was a baby black belt. I was a 2nd Dan before I could drive myself to class, and a 3rd before I graduated High School. Looking back, I think that was a mistake, but it was how that system worked.

The difference is, you won't ever see me wearing that rank or citing it as a reason for bashing the system that awarded it. I was just a kid, and my understanding of the system was every bit as superficial as his. But I wasn't foolish enough to proclaim to the world that I knew more than those who'd spent 30 or 40 years training in the system, at least..


----------



## justkool141

Dirty Dog said:


> This is probably the ONLY thing I will ever say in this persons defense...
> 
> I disagree with the whole baby black belt concept. Our school does not issue them. We've awarded ONE to a quite exceptional 17 year old girl who had been training for more than a decade. We've lost students because I have told their parents that under no circumstances will their little prodigy be given a black belt for their 10th birthday.
> 
> If this characters parents put him in a school that hands out baby black belts, and 20 year old 4th Dans (which, while totally in keeping with the KKW philosophy strikes me as ridiculous) that's not his fault. And if he's decided that baby black belts are a Bad Thing, then I'd actually agree with him.
> 
> I was a baby black belt. I was a 2nd Dan before I could drive myself to class, and a 3rd before I graduated High School. Looking back, I think that was a mistake, but it was how that system worked.
> 
> The difference is, you won't ever see me wearing that rank or citing it as a reason for bashing the system that awarded it. I was just a kid, and my understanding of the system was every bit as superficial as his. But I wasn't foolish enough to proclaim to the world that I knew more than those who'd spent 30 or 40 years training in the system, at least..



It should based on skill! Chances are- a 12 year old wont be good enough to get a black belt! But Im 16 and there r no adult black belts better than me in my opinion! And yes... im old enough to drive! But I agree with"dont sell black belts to kids" but i dont agree with " u should have to be 18"!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Dirty Dog

justkool141 said:


> It should based on skill! Chances are- a 12 year old wont be good enough to get a black belt! But Im 16 and there r no adult black belts better than me in my opinion! And yes... im old enough to drive! But I agree with"dont sell black belts to kids" but i dont agree with " u should have to be 18"!



No, it should be based on *understanding*. Which requires a level of maturity that very very few will have at 16.


----------



## Tez3

justkool141 said:


> Im 16 and I'm going for black belt in 3 weeks! I guarantee I will take martialartstutor in a fight!
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Well there's a reason right there not to give you your belt yet.


----------



## Tez3

justkool141 said:


> But Im 16 and there r no adult black belts better than me in my opinion! And yes... im old enough to drive



Not in the UK you aren't.


----------



## Earl Weiss

justkool141 said:


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



I see you also excel at modesty and humility.


----------



## justkool141

Usa is the only thing that matters! Sry


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## justkool141

But u people on tapatalk have no lives and lie about being masters lolol! FTF is really a big joke! My master is a 6th dan and he's the only one who has my respect! So bye 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TrueJim

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. 

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.

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.

Chapter 4 - the importance of having a resisting opponent when training self-defense No argument there, but I don't know that it's worth a chapter. 

Chapter 5 - why he's creating functional taekwondo. He recaps what he says in his videos: some people are turned off by the phrase MMA, but people generally do seem to be drawn to the word taekwondo, so it's better to call his art taekwondo (rather than calling it MMA) so that his art will have more curb appeal. To me that seems intellectually dishonest, but you can't argue with his line of reasoning: taekwondo is indeed very popular. He also goes over his belt system: under the age of 16 the highest rank you can achieve is white->yellow->orange->green, but then after age 16 you'll be allowed to go to blue->red->brown->black. This guy really seems to be obsessed with the question of belt colors.

Chapter 6 - his teach philosophy is that if you try a technique and it doesn't work for you (like because of your body type of whatever), switch to a similar technique that does work for you and practice that technique instead. Example: if a throw doesn't work for you, practice single-leg takedowns instead.

Chapter 7 - recommended resources: a list of equipment you should buy (targets, gloves, etc.), and four books that he recommends:  http://amzn.to/2cS2xwa http://amzn.to/2c6G5yu http://amzn.to/2c6FfSd http://amzn.to/2c6Fuwx 


That's it!


----------



## Dirty Dog

TrueJim said:


> 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_:



Oh goody.



TrueJim said:


> 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.



Which has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of the paper, anyway.



TrueJim said:


> Chapter 2 - about McDojos. He gives 100 bullet-points about how to spot a McDojo. Things like: Your instructor pulls the race card,



Race card? Huh?



TrueJim said:


> you learn pressure points



I teach pressure points. I use pressure points.



TrueJim said:


> , testing occurs every two months



We have testing whenever someone is ready to advance. That might be every month. It might be two months. It might be more.



TrueJim said:


> , you practice poomsae excessively



Define "excessively"... purely a matter of how much you enjoy doing poomsae.



TrueJim said:


> , you learn some gymnastics



Breakfalls and rolls are gymnastics...



TrueJim said:


> 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.



You mean, like a 20 year old 4th Dan who claims to know enough to invent his own martial art?



TrueJim said:


> Chapter 6 - his teach philosophy is that if you try a technique and it doesn't work for you (like because of your body type of whatever), switch to a similar technique that does work for you and practice that technique instead. Example: if a throw doesn't work for you, practice single-leg takedowns instead.



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...


----------



## Gerry Seymour

Dirty Dog said:


> Oh goody.
> 
> 
> 
> Which has nothing whatsoever to do with the subject of the paper, anyway.
> 
> 
> 
> Race card? Huh?
> 
> 
> 
> I teach pressure points. I use pressure points.
> 
> 
> 
> We have testing whenever someone is ready to advance. That might be every month. It might be two months. It might be more.
> 
> 
> 
> Define "excessively"... purely a matter of how much you enjoy doing poomsae.
> 
> 
> 
> Breakfalls and rolls are gymnastics...
> 
> 
> 
> You mean, like a 20 year old 4th Dan who claims to know enough to invent his own martial art?
> 
> 
> 
> 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...


Yet another post I want to click agree on more than once. You saved me typing my replies. Then I used up the same keystrokes typing this one.

Damn it.


----------



## Tez3

justkool141 said:


> Usa is the only thing that matters! Sry
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



In the USA as in the rest of the world education matters, it's a shame yours has let you down.


----------



## TrueJim

Dirty Dog said:


> 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."



Dirty Dog said:


> 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

justkool141 said:


> 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

TrueJim said:


> 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

RTKDCMB said:


> 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

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> 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


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Buka

JowGaWolf said:


> 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

Buka said:


> 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)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JowGaWolf

justkool141 said:


> 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)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



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

justkool141 said:


> Gets rid of all the forms!(I think we should have 4-5 forms but 9 is a lot)
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



What kind of Taekwono do you practice so that you have 9 forms?


----------



## Dirty Dog

justkool141 said:


> 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

justkool141 said:


> 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

justkool141 said:


> 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)
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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

Tony Dismukes said:


> 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

Dirty Dog said:


> 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.
 2 
Hide replies 




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


----------



## JowGaWolf

Rough Rider said:


> 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.
> 2
> Hide replies
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 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


lol...I saw that post on Youtube and knew it had to be someone from here. too funny.

"In my new federation, I'm not going to be wearing my 4th degree blackbelt. Just a plain one"  Sounds like Traditional Chinese Martial arts lol


----------



## TrueJim

Rough Rider said:


> In my new federation, I'm not going to be wearing my 4th degree blackbelt. Just a plain one



I was under the impression that currently he's an instructor in somebody else's school? Until he has his own club or school, there's no place to be not wearing a belt _at.

Rosencrantz: We might as well be dead. Do you think death could possibly be a boat?
Guildenstern: No, no, no... Death is 'not-being.' You can't 'not-be' on a boat.
Rosencrantz: Really? I've frequently not been on boats._


----------



## Azulx

Isn't there a way to see if he is certified in the ITF, or if he is full of shinto?


----------



## Earl Weiss

Azulx said:


> Isn't there a way to see if he is certified in the ITF, or if he is full of shinto?


Well, since his reply indicated he "Has a certificate and everything" you can ask for a copy.   With the ITF Splits  since 2002 the organization could be contacted indicating the person has this rank and is it legit. 

FWIW some years ago a school had a meltdown and people came to me seeking advancement.   Had a feeling certs were bogus.    I asked for a copy and I knew when I saw it, it was bogus but i did not want to be the bad guy so I sent it to the  ITF with a letter asking if it was legit.   Suffice it to say the response was irate.    Sad part was the students were so  upset with the BS their teacher had fed them (Sound familiar) few chose to continue with the ITF.


----------



## Balrog

Dirty Dog said:


> This is probably the ONLY thing I will ever say in this persons defense...
> 
> I disagree with the whole baby black belt concept.


Well, it depends on what you call a baby Black Belt.  Giving a Black Belt to a 6 year old...I have issues with that.  Since I don't accept students under 6, that means that the kid stands a chance of making it to 1st Degree at about 10, which is the absolute lowest age I could consider giving a Black Belt to.  And I've had 10 year olds that were better Black Belts than some thirty year olds.  Telling someone that they can't earn a rank because they are not old enough, when they have demonstrated that they are ready for the rank, seems a little overboard to me.

It all boils down to their own personal dedication.  The OP might have been very dedicated and worked his butt off and earned the rank.  I don't know.


----------



## chrispillertkd

Azulx said:


> Isn't there a way to see if he is certified in the ITF, or if he is full of shinto?



I just checked the ITF member database and his name doesn't show up. Likewise, he isn't listed as one of the "affiliated members" on the web site of the group under GM Trajtenberg. I didn't see any way to search for members on the site for the group under Master Ri, Yong Son so can't speak to that.

Since he's been training for 15 years it seems likely that his promotion would be in the system somewhere if it was from the ITF. I imagine it was most likely an independent promotion but is described as "ITF" because he learned ITF patterns, although without any knowledge of the body mechanics taught in Gen. Choi's system. 

I'd be curious to see if his WTF/KKW promotion is on record anywhere but, to be honest, the amount of information needed to do a search on the KKW website means it's an all but useless search function.

Pax,

Chris


----------



## Metal

chrispillertkd said:


> I'd be curious to see if his WTF/KKW promotion is on record anywhere but, to be honest, the amount of information needed to do a search on the KKW website means it's an all but useless search function.



Since he's a member of this forum his birthday can be found in his profile, so here's his Kukkiwon registration which lists him as a 2nd Poom:




 


Since he doesn't really care about Taekwondo he probably isn't even aware that he was never registered as a 4th Dan.


----------



## Gnarlie

Metal said:


> Since he's a member of this forum his birthday can be found in his profile, so here's his Kukkiwon registration which lists him as a 2nd Poom:
> 
> View attachment 20133
> 
> 
> Since he doesn't really care about Taekwondo he probably isn't even aware that he was never registered as a 4th Dan.


Hilarious.


----------



## Monkey Turned Wolf

Is there a reason you guys care so much about this guy to the point that you're going to his youtube page to force him to answer your questions, laughing at his attempts to have someone challenge him/his friend, finding out what his 'official' certification is even though you don't know if he was part of an independent school, and spending almost 6 pages (on just this thread) bashing the guy?

I'm not a fan of him either, but there's no reason to harp on him so much. If he is actually bad, his federation will probably fail, and he is trying to make himself better. If he is somehow one of those rare talents who can pick up various arts easily, and it works out for him, good for him! Either way, unless any of us plan on training there, it has no real impact on our lives or our martial arts training.


----------



## Buka

kempodisciple said:


> Is there a reason you guys care so much about this guy to the point that you're going to his youtube page to force him to answer your questions, laughing at his attempts to have someone challenge him/his friend, finding out what his 'official' certification is even though you don't know if he was part of an independent school, and spending almost 6 pages (on just this thread) bashing the guy?
> 
> I'm not a fan of him either, but there's no reason to harp on him so much. If he is actually bad, his federation will probably fail, and he is trying to make himself better. If he is somehow one of those rare talents who can pick up various arts easily, and it works out for him, good for him! Either way, unless any of us plan on training there, it has no real impact on our lives or our martial arts training.



I wish you weren't right. But you are.


----------



## TrueJim

kempodisciple said:


> ...going to his youtube page to force him to answer your questions...



Respectfully, I have to disagree; nobody's _forcing_ him to do anything. That's what YouTube comment sections are _for_: to engage with the video's author. People _outside_ this forum are asking him questions on YouTube, as are people on this forum.

             I don't think that participation in this forum should preclude anybody from also asking questions of a YouTuber in their YouTube comment section.



kempodisciple said:


> ...laughing at his attempts to have someone challenge him/his friend...



I don't think anybody has laughed at him?  Most of us have wished him luck, but with healthy skepticism.



kempodisciple said:


> ...finding out what his 'official' certification is...



That's on him though. He bashes young people with high dan rank, then claims master's rank for himself even though he's young. It's legitimate to note the irony.



kempodisciple said:


> ...If he is actually bad, his federation will probably fail, and he is trying to make himself better. If he is somehow one of those rare talents who can pick up various arts easily, and it works out for him, good for him! Either way, unless any of us plan on training there, it has no real impact on our lives or our martial arts training.



As several of us have noted before, I admire his passion and I wish him good luck.


----------



## chrispillertkd

kempodisciple said:


> finding out what his 'official' certification is even though you don't know if he was part of an independent school,



He claimed to have a 4th dan from an organization I belong to. When someone posted a video of him doing the most basic pattern from that organization it was very obvious he didn't have any understanding of the body mechanics of the style he claims to be ranked in by my organization. 

The ITF breaks down dan rankings as follows: 1-3 dan are "novice" black belts who have a good grasp of the basics, 4-6 dan are "experts" who can become International Instructors and test students for dan ranking, 7-9 dan are masters. If someone claims the ITF gave them a 4th dan and they cannot properly execute Chon-Ji, the pattern learned by 9th gup students, then something is amiss. 

Their instructor may have done both them and the ITF a great disservice since International Instructors act, for all practical purposes, as quality control agents since they failed to properly teach their student and applied for a dan certificate for someone who doesn't meet the most basic standard. If this is the case then they should look for a new ITF instructor who will actually teach them the style correctly. 

Or their instructor simply lied to them about being certified by the ITF and never actually got them a real ITF certificate in the first place (and given the KKW rank discrepancy this seems possible with the ITF rank, too). If this is the case they should stop training at that school and possibly bring legal action against their instructor since they were defrauded. 

Or, the person in question just got an independent certificate but says he's "ITF" because he was taught some ITF patterns even though the style in which they were taught isn't how the ITF teaches Taekwon-Do. If this is the case he should stop because it isn't true and gives other people an erroneous impression and doing so knowingly is a clear lack of integrity.

Pax,

Chris


----------



## Dirty Dog

Balrog said:


> Well, it depends on what you call a baby Black Belt.  Giving a Black Belt to a 6 year old...I have issues with that.  Since I don't accept students under 6, that means that the kid stands a chance of making it to 1st Degree at about 10, which is the absolute lowest age I could consider giving a Black Belt to.  And I've had 10 year olds that were better Black Belts than some thirty year olds.  Telling someone that they can't earn a rank because they are not old enough, when they have demonstrated that they are ready for the rank, seems a little overboard to me.
> 
> It all boils down to their own personal dedication.  The OP might have been very dedicated and worked his butt off and earned the rank.  I don't know.



As I have said more than a few times, 1st Dan is a teaching rank in our system. I would not issue a teaching rank to a 10 year old. I doubt you would either.

As I said in the part of my post that wasn't quoted, a 20 year old 4th Dan is entirely possible within the KKW system. It would be totally out of the question in our system.


----------



## Metal

kempodisciple said:


> Is there a reason you guys care so much about this guy [...] finding out what his 'official' certification is even though you don't know if he was part of an independent school, and spending almost 6 pages (on just this thread) bashing the guy?



Well, on his website he claims to be a "4th Degree WTF and ITF Blackbelt with over 15 years experience studying hapkido, taekwondo, gumdo, mma, muay thai, boxing, brazilian jiu-jitsu, and wrestling."

Don't even wanna mention about him probably not even being aware that a Blackbelt in the WTF world would actually be a Kukkiwon Blackbelt.

On his website he also sells an E-Book where he claims to teach people:



> 100 Red Flags of a Mcdojo and Why
> 
> How to know if your martial arts instructor faked his credentials
> 
> Why forms are a waste of time
> 
> The correct way to test techniques
> 
> How to spot a fake blackelt



To me, a 21-year old who makes his website look like he has 15 years of experience in several martial arts and who claims to hold a certain Dan grade by certain organizations and then in the end does not officially hold these ranks, is fake. Someone who bashes the art he's been practicing for 15 years and especially who's bashing the art while he's still teaching it at someone else's dojang is not a real black belt. Someone who does not look beyond the walls of the dojang he trains/teaches him at 4th Dan and who won't look further into 'his' art is not a real black belt. Of course he's been looking into other arts for the last six months, yet he didn't even comprehend what Taekwondo actually can be if you study all aspects of it.


----------



## Earl Weiss

kempodisciple said:


> Is there a reason you guys care so much about this guy to the point that you're going to his youtube page to force him to answer your questions,...................................... almost 6 pages (on just this thread) bashing the guy?
> 
> .......................... If he is actually bad, his federation will probably fail, and he is trying to make himself better. ................................



"
*The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing (Attrbuted to various people.)*

So, this guy feels he was mislead by instructors concerning the value of what he was taught.  Now, it seems he may be misleading others as to the validity of his credentials.* Part of the value of the internet is to enlighten the unwary. *


----------



## Balrog

Dirty Dog said:


> As I have said more than a few times, 1st Dan is a teaching rank in our system. I would not issue a teaching rank to a 10 year old. I doubt you would either.
> 
> As I said in the part of my post that wasn't quoted, a 20 year old 4th Dan is entirely possible within the KKW system. It would be totally out of the question in our system.


In our system, you can still be considered a student up to 2nd Degree.  If you want to go past that, you have to be a Trainee Instructor at the very least.


----------



## RTKDCMB

justkool141 said:


> FTF = Failing Taekwondo federation
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


FTF = Fraudulent Taekwondo Farce.


----------



## justkool141

Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## TrueJim

Dirty Dog said:


> As I have said more than a few times, 1st Dan is a teaching rank in our system. I would not issue a teaching rank to a 10 year old. I doubt you would either.



In our school, some 1st Dans are considered instructors, but never 1st Poom. So by defintion nobody under 15 would ever be called an instructor, even though our Pooms do wear black belts. In practice though nobody under age 18 is ever called instructor. We do have a Leadership Team for younger teenagers where they essentially get to be _assistants_ to the instructors. To be on the Leadership Team, a student has to attend a weekly 1-hour leadership class where you're taught how to teach taekwondo.


----------



## justkool141

TrueJim said:


> In our school, some 1st Dans are considered instructors, but never 1st Poom. So by defintion nobody under 15 would ever be called an instructor, even though our Pooms do wear black belts. In practice though nobody under age 18 is ever called instructor. We do have a Leadership Team for younger teenagers where they essentially get to be _assistants_ to the instructors. To be on the Leadership Team, a student has to attend a weekly 1-hour leadership class where you're taught how to teach taekwondo.



Some people forget that 1st dan is no where near the end! I do agree that kids under 15 should get a junior black! At my school they wear red and black!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Monkey Turned Wolf

Earl Weiss said:


> "
> *The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing (Attrbuted to various people.)*
> 
> So, this guy feels he was mislead by instructors concerning the value of what he was taught.  Now, it seems he may be misleading others as to the validity of his credentials.* Part of the value of the internet is to enlighten the unwary. *


This would make sense if you were talking to people considering training with him. Instead this thread (and others posted) are just turning into echo boards of everyone saying "yeah, he sucks" or laughing at him, rather than enlightening the unwary or figuring out how to deal with the issue.


----------



## FlamingJulian

I can't even look at Taylor Kelly without laughing anymore lol. That's the image he put in my head. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


-Julian


----------



## RTKDCMB

Here's the latest from the Muppet show:


----------



## Gerry Seymour

RTKDCMB said:


> Here's the latest from the Muppet show:


So, now he's been teaching his own curriculum for 6 years (since age 15 or 16) while he was teaching at his instructor's school?


----------



## TrueJim

gpseymour said:


> So, now he's been teaching his own curriculum for 6 years (since age 15 or 16) while he was teaching at his instructor's school?



I think he alluded to that in his prior video, "How do deal with difficult Korean masters", or whatever that video was called. The upshot was that he just went to a different school and taught his own curriculum. 

Also, regarding this new video, what does it mean to combine "taekwondo, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, bjj, and MMA" ? Isn't that just *MMA*, period? Isn't that what the first *M* stands for?

And also, "All the good stuff you see in traditional martial arts (like belt progression)" ...but not forms of course. So it sounds like FTF is just MMA...but with belt colors?


----------



## JowGaWolf

TrueJim said:


> I think he alluded to that in his prior video, "How do deal with difficult Korean masters", or whatever that video was called. The upshot was that he just went to a different school and taught his own curriculum.
> 
> Also, regarding this new video, what does it mean to combine "taekwondo, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, bjj, and MMA" ? Isn't that just *MMA*, period? Isn't that what the first *M* stands for?
> 
> And also, "All the good stuff you see in traditional martial arts (like belt progression)" ...but not forms of course. So it sounds like FTF is just MMA...but with belt colors?


This is what his system looks like.  These are FTF combinations


----------



## Archtkd

JowGaWolf said:


> This is what his system looks like.  These are FTF combinations



Kicking and punching a bag is a system? FTF combinations? How are they different from what anybody kicking and punching a bag (with the most basic of kicking and punching techniques) would do?


----------



## JowGaWolf

Archtkd said:


> Kicking and punching a bag is a system? FTF combinations? How are they different from what anybody kicking and punching a bag (with the most basic of kicking and punching techniques) would do?


That would be a good question for one of his fanboys to ask him.


----------



## Jaeimseu

He's really breaking new ground. Personally, I've never been a fan of throwing back hook kicks on a "heavy" bag.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JowGaWolf

Jaeimseu said:


> He's really breaking new ground. Personally, I've never been a fan of throwing back hook kicks on a "heavy" bag.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yep. TMA's don't have those type of punches (jab, uppercuts, hooks, cross, spinning back kick, thrust punch, overhand punch, reverse punch,).  It's a good thing FTF is now here to show us the functional combinations.


----------



## Buka

Why, oh why, can't I keep away from reading this thread? I feel like I'm hooked on drugs.


----------



## JowGaWolf

Buka said:


> Why, oh why, can't I keep away from reading this thread? I feel like I'm hooked on drugs.


lol...don't fight it.  It's entertainment.  Just when you think it can't get worst, it does. lol


----------



## Metal

While it is entertaining to see these two guys making fools of themselves it's also pretty sad as well as upsetting. 

And after all: Two guys ranting about martial arts while sitting on a couch isn't a Federation.


The more videos I watched the more those dudes remind me of "Pinky and the Brain".


Actually, what they're doing has been done countless times before. Only in the past people didn't really know how use the internet to spread their ideas.


----------



## RTKDCMB

Metal said:


> The more videos I watched the more those dudes remind me of "Pinky and the Brain".



I was thinking more like Statler and Waldorf:


----------



## Gnarlie

RTKDCMB said:


> I was thinking more like Statler and Waldorf:
> 
> View attachment 20138


Definitely Beavis and Butthead.


----------



## Earl Weiss

JowGaWolf said:


> This is what his system looks like.  These are FTF combinations


Can't help but wonder if it's an FTF thing to drop the kicking side hand  as you use that leg to kick.  Sorry - one of my favorite corrections.


----------



## Tony Dismukes

Earl Weiss said:


> Can't help but wonder if it's an FTF thing to drop the kicking side hand  as you use that leg to kick.  Sorry - one of my favorite corrections.


It's actually correct Muay Thai form to drop the kicking side hand when throwing a round kick. He might have picked it up from there. Or maybe not, considering he also does the same thing on his spin kicks.


----------



## JowGaWolf

Earl Weiss said:


> Can't help but wonder if it's an FTF thing to drop the kicking side hand  as you use that leg to kick.  Sorry - one of my favorite corrections.


he's got major telltale issues.  He shakes his left hand before he attacks.


----------



## Earl Weiss

JowGaWolf said:


> he's got major telltale issues.  He shakes his left hand before he attacks.



Good catch - a little double pump.


----------



## JowGaWolf

Earl Weiss said:


> Good catch - a little double pump.


Thanks. Winning a sparring match or fight with a telltale that big would be extremely difficult since it gives away when you will attack.  He might as well just say outloud. "I'm going to attack."  You can actually see the same telltale here.  I think his sparring partner was exploiting it.


----------



## Flatfish

RTKDCMB said:


> I was thinking more like Statler and Waldorf:
> 
> View attachment 20138




 Now that's just plain mean....they're not that old


----------



## Gwai Lo Dan

Earl Weiss said:


> Can't help but wonder if it's an FTF thing to drop the kicking side hand  as you use that leg to kick.  Sorry - one of my favorite corrections.


Funny I correct it the other way, teaching to drop the hand to beginners who are very stiff. I put the caveat that you wouldn't necessarily always do that, but it makes the kick easier to learn (learning to turn your body more) and leads to a more powerful kick.


----------



## Gwai Lo Dan

JowGaWolf said:


> This is what his system looks like.  These are FTF combinations


I don't agree with dismissing his abilities.  I think he moves better than most of the KKW black belts I see.  I am always surprised to see that most of the KKW 1st dans testing have "no" hands, even though the "kwon" part means fists. Personally, I think my hands are marginal, and that is mostly from practising basic punching by myself.


----------



## KangTsai

KangTsai said:


> Not a new organisation, just a brand.


You know what, cancel that. FTF is not a new federation, it's a joke.


----------



## JowGaWolf

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> I don't agree with dismissing his abilities.  I think he moves better than most of the KKW black belts I see.  I am always surprised to see that most of the KKW 1st dans testing have "no" hands, even though the "kwon" part means fists. Personally, I think my hands are marginal, and that is mostly from practising basic punching by myself.


His ability to do what?


----------



## Earl Weiss

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> Funny I correct it the other way, teaching to drop the hand to beginners who are very stiff. I put the caveat that you wouldn't necessarily always do that, but it makes the kick easier to learn (learning to turn your body more) and leads to a more powerful kick.


There is often  a trade off when teaching beginners. For instance I teach a Side piercing kick by keeping one hand on the wall for balance while they lift the opposite side leg for the chamber and put the kicking side hand behind their back to grab their belt to keep from rolling the shoulder and exposing their back, they understand this is a learning / practice method and they would not have the non kicking side hand to the rear and the kicking side hand behind their back when sparring.


----------



## Gwai Lo Dan

JowGaWolf said:


> His ability to do what?


From what I saw in the video, he looked quite decent in his hands and kicking.  I am not saying I would admire him like a super grand master, but he looked as good to me as most other BB's .


----------



## Gwai Lo Dan

Earl Weiss said:


> There is often  a trade off when teaching beginners. For instance I teach a Side piercing kick by keeping one hand on the wall for balance while they lift the opposite side leg for the chamber and put the kicking side hand behind their back to grab their belt to keep from rolling the shoulder and exposing their back, they understand this is a learning / practice method and they would not have the non kicking side hand to the rear and the kicking side hand behind their back when sparring.


Funny, although I have traditionally moved my kicking hand outwards while doing a side kick (towards the target), I've been asked to twist my body and put both hands towards my front side, exposing my back.  More of a poomse style I guess.


----------



## TrueJim

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> Funny, although I have traditionally moved my kicking hand outwards while doing a side kick (towards the target), I've been asked to twist my body and put both hands towards my front side, exposing my back.  More of a poomse style I guess.



Same...when I first studied taekwondo years ago, it was okay to keep the kicking hand out while doing a side kick. When I returned a few years ago (to a more poomsae-oriented school), I was taught to keep both hands near the knot of my belt.

Recently I was told that if I were in a poomsae competition in Korea, for a front kick I'd want to keep my fists very close to my chest...but for a competition in the U.S., I'd again want to keep both hands down near the knot of my belt.


----------



## JowGaWolf

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> From what I saw in the video, he looked quite decent in his hands and kicking.  I am not saying I would admire him like a super grand master, but he looked as good to me as most other BB's .


I guess the entire black belt thing throws me off because I don't associate black belts or any belt with a skill set. Instead of you saying that he looked as good as anyone with his years of experience, you compare him with other people who have black belts which may or may not reflect skill level:

When I compare punching, I compare it with other people who have the same amount of experience (in years) with training punches and kicks withing their fighting system. In other words, if someone says that they have 6 years of experience with throwing punches and combos, then I expect to see a performance that looks like 6 years of throwing punches and kicks combos training and I just don't see it with him.  It may seem like I'm being hard on him, but he's the one that put himself in the position of "the guy with the right experience."

Now compare what he showed vs these students.  You can clearly see that they have trained and that they have a comfort with punching and kicking combos that can only come from training.


----------



## RTKDCMB

JowGaWolf said:


> Thanks. Winning a sparring match or fight with a telltale that big would be extremely difficult since it gives away when you will attack.  He might as well just say outloud. "I'm going to attack."  You can actually see the same telltale here.  I think his sparring partner was exploiting it.


The audience doesn't seem to be very interested.


----------



## Wilde

JowGaWolf said:


> The concept of the FTF is a good approach and is a lot better than trash talking martial arts systems.  I don't know how good it will be but if he goes about it the right way then he may be able to do change the way that people think about training their TKD training.  To be honest what he's doing is the same thing that some of us are already doing at our schools except that we don't put it under a different banner and call it Functional Karate or Functional Kung Fu.  Now that I've said that, the name FTF may end up causing problems because it creates the assumption that other TKD organizations aren't functional.


There are so many associations, federations, dojos, and dojangs these days, it'll make your head spin. I just find it disappointing that people don't understand why martial arts are the way they are. Sure some of the moves are not practical, but with modification they can be used. But I digress, there has always been a harsh line between tradition and function.


----------



## JowGaWolf

RTKDCMB said:


> The audience doesn't seem to be very interested.


I thought the same too.  I'll have to do some sparring in public to see if I get a similar reaction.


----------



## TrueJim

Not to perpetuate silliness, but here's a new video that's worth watching for those who wish to follow the arc that these guys are tracing out:






It's obviously just trolling; none of these are phrases or arguments one uses when one is actually trying to _persuade_.


----------



## Gwai Lo Dan

Going astray, I cringed when I heard "f__k", "like" and "dude" all within a dozen words.  I found it extremely ironic when the one guy later said "I can talk really well".  Yes I am old.


----------



## RTKDCMB

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> Going astray, I cringed when I heard "f__k", "like" and "dude" all within a dozen words.  I found it extremely ironic when the one guy later said "I can talk really well".  Yes I am old.


The very first sentence they uttered is more cringe-worthy.


----------



## Gerry Seymour

Gwai Lo Dan said:


> Going astray, I cringed when I heard "f__k", "like" and "dude" all within a dozen words.  I found it extremely ironic when the one guy later said "I can talk really well".  Yes I am old.


Reminds me of someone saying recently, "I have all the best words."


----------



## TrueJim

gpseymour said:


> Reminds me of someone saying recently, "I have all the best words."



I was thinking the exact same thing, but since I had already made one Trump comparison in this thread, I thought I should pass this time. 

"I'm going to build a new taekwondo federation, and I'm going to make karate pay for it!"  ;-)


----------



## Gwai Lo Dan

TrueJim said:


> I was thinking the exact same thing, but since I had already made one Trump comparison in this thread, I thought I should pass this time.


It takes a unique confidence to be able to say, "There are a lot of problems in the world, and I have all the solutions".


----------



## blackbeltsomeday

I know this thread is old, but here is an update:

Mr. Kelley has finally done it.  He now has a full time gym in Grand Prairie, Texas.  I am looking forward to seeing the competition results that his school puts out.


----------



## TrueJim

His website places a reasonably heavy emphasis on the fact that he offers kids classes, which previously he seemed to only grudgingly tolerate. He's always been absolutely insistent that kids should never, ever get black belts -- I'm curious to see how long he will maintain that position now that he has his own school and a cadre of child students. Is he going to make 6 year old Elijah wait 10 years for his black belt?


----------



## blackbeltsomeday

His latest video on the martialartstutor channel addresses that question toward the end.


----------



## ScorpionShawn

TrueJim said:


> Just...wow.
> 
> Functional Taekwondo Federation:
> 
> mysite
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If this person looks familiar to you, it's the same person who made the notorious "taekwondo is USELESS for self-defense" video:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> There are so many flaws with this idea, it's difficult to know where to even begin to unpack this:
> 
> You don't need to create a whole new federation just to offer online instruction. If what the guy wants to do is improve taekwondo instruction via better online content, he doesn't need a federation to do that.
> Likewise you don't need to create a while new "federation" just to focus on self-defense and practical applications. Plenty of schools within existing federations focus on self-defense and practical applications. If he wants to create great online instruction for self-defense, all he needs is a YouTube channel, not a _federation_.
> Also, it's not a "federation" just because you have a logo and a website. Until you get some schools in the organization, it's not a federation. General Choi didn't spend his years in Malaysia coming up with logos, and he didn't have a federation just because he'd designed some teul. You need followers to have a federation.
> Along those same lines, rather than focusing first on the logo and the website, why not come up with a _curriculum_ as the first step? Wouldn't that be more logical?
> As with his original "taekwondo is useless" video, this guy seems to believe that "taekwondo is broken and needs to be fixed" -- but he's basing that opinion on just his limited experience at the few schools he knows. What makes him think that all taekwondo everywhere is as broken as the taekwondo that he's seen?
> And even if we too were to believe that "taekwondo is broken and needs to be fixed", why would we turn to _this_ person to fix it for us?
> And even if we were to have this person "fix" taekwondo for us, why would we think the result should even still be called taekwondo? He talks about getting rid of forms and focusing on just his conception of "practical" techniques. He might as well just make up a new name for his martial art.
> According to his video, this person doesn't even have his own school? Why would he want to start a whole new _federation_ when he hasn't even succeeded at starting a single school? Does he even know what a federation is, and what it takes to operate one? And why should WE believe that a person who isn't even running his own school is qualified to run a federation, to the extent that we'd want to join his federation?
> And I guess this guy wants lots of schools to put up his FTF banner...but to what end? I guess the idea is that if you see an FTF banner in a school, you'll know the focus is self-defense? If that's your interest, why not just ask about self-defense when you're signing up at a school in the first place? What does the banner prove?
> I admire this person's passion, and I wish him well. In any case, it's not a "federation" until you have some schools following you (as opposed to just having a logo and a website), so this guy's got a lo-o-o-ong road ahead of him I'm afraid.


Nah this kid is womb ****. Trying to speak about street vs sport and I bet he has no exp in the street. He spends alot of his time telling you all these arts TKD and Hapkido dont work lol He says he hasn't looked to much into other schools that are what he calls legit. Yet he wants people to join his FTF. Got to do better than hating to get me involved.


----------



## ScorpionShawn




----------



## CB Jones

I have a simple belief... nothing is impressive when it is based on demeaning someone else or their ability/knowledge to make yourself look good.

And basically that is what FTF has attempted.

If you have a great product it will stand for itself.


----------



## blackbeltsomeday

I agree that hating is not the way to go, but we will just have to see what happens.  I follow lots of martial arts Youtube channels for fun, and I do find his pretty entertaining.  I actually travel to Dallas a couple time per year for work, so maybe I will visit his school when I am there next time and see what he's all about.


----------



## TrueJim

blackbeltsomeday said:


> His latest video on the martialartstutor channel addresses that question toward the end.



I just watched Taylor's latest video. This is the same guy who told other martial artists of the world to "Get your instructors d*ck out of your mouth" in one of his previous YouTube videos (that he's since taken down), and who claimed in multiple YouTube videos (and on his previous website) that most schools that teach kids are McDojos...

...and now in his _latest_ video he's saying that he loves teaching kids, that that's how you pay the bills when you run a school, and that the haters can call him Barney the Dinosaur all they want.

This is a very big a change all within a year! What would be icing on the cake is a video that said, "You know what, I was wrong before. My bad". 

*What changed his opinion?*  Opening his own school, rather than just being a part-time instructor in other people's schools. It's amazing how things change when you start taking personal ownership of the experience of the kids that you're teaching.


----------

