Fraud Busters

[Brother John]

So we can expect Frank Dux to come out and say that he's a fake and that there was no secret Kumite?

Use discernment.
The fact that you believe one way about Mr. Dux is evidence enough that he's "outed" himself through claims and such.
I think that's what he was meaning.

Your Brother
John

 

[RRouuselot]

Sometimes, I read about frauds like the above and I don't even want to talk about training. I don't want to open my mouth "in the same room" as these people. I often wonder if money is to blame, but then again, I've been to some very financially successful dojangs that were very good.

My personal feeling is that we have created an "open door" policy where any asshat can cross the threshold of your dojang and then walk out and saying whatever. This may be okay for others, heck it was okay with my teacher, but it's not how I choose to run things.

I'm not sure if its different in Asia, but I do things a little differently. I don't advertise. I don't have an open door policy. If people find out about us and want to train, they've got to contact me first. I'm going to ask a few questions. New students are usually recommended by other students. I tell them to be wary of who they talk to regarding their training and I tell them to use good judgement if you want to give them my dojang number.

Consequently, I don't have a lot of students. The students I do have, though, are part of a network. They know each other, they help each other train and they back each other up through the hard parts of our training. We have a pretty tight school and I am able to keep my standards high. I expect excellence and I think that I have created an environment that fosters it. I guess time will tell...

I had a low rank student take a Song Moo Kwan class to fill in his schedule. The class was taught my a 6th dan that I've had some negative dealings with. (Basically, when I first opened my school, he found out and tried to shut me down. He felt that I was trying to poach students from him. I moved my dojang and started my current policy) Anyway, my student is low ranked and the class he took happened to be the other persons middle rank class. Mark (Kid on MT) whooped all of this students in sparring and showed some really good technique. The 6th dan, then proceeded to attempt to poach a student from me! Mark choose to stay with me even though I hold the lowest teaching rank in our art (which is another reason I keep a low profile). I felt very honored and I think my approach is working the way I want it to.

upnorthkyosa

Oddly enough you and I have much in common on a couple of points even though we are on opposite sides of the planet.

I don’t charge.

I don’t advertise.

My students are more like family than students.

I don’t need to hold their hand in class and make sure they are giving it their best effort, they know I expect it and will settle for nothing less.

They know, during training I don’t care if they had a bad day, or if their girl dumped them…..none of that matters during class in the dojo. If they want to talk about it after class fine, if not fine….I am not a guidance counselor….but I will be their friend.

I can remember after training we all went to a nice Japanese Pub for “dribbles and kibbles” and a new student said “thanks for letting me join your dojo” my reply was “I didn’t” and walked off to the head. He asked another student what I meant by that. They said “In Robert’s dojo your feet decide if you stay or not”. Which is true. I rarely if ever kick people out. The last guy was a good friend of mine of more than 20 years. We are still friends he just doesn’t get to train with me anymore.

Along those lines I don’t usually ask prospective students what theirgoals are.

One reason is I am not interested; the second reason is their goals will not change what I teach and the goals of what I teach. If they like it they can stay, if they don’t then no problem. I don’t run a daycare center for bored adults or a warm fuzzy feeling factory.

Anyway, I have gone off topic……sorry

 

[Brother John]

He's now telling people he was training here at our school recently...and while sparring me he kicked my butt so badly that he was asked to leave.
<sigh.>
Regards,
Steve

Sounds like this guys actions/words are his own worst insults.
Too bad...

Your Brother
John

 

[RRouuselot]

He's now telling people he was training here at our school recently...and while sparring me he kicked my butt so badly that he was asked to leave.

Invite him back for round 2!!

 

[hardheadjarhead]

... and your wife obviously knows he is saying this

...and she is going through menopause

...Lord have mercy on his soul, cause when she catches him, she certainly won't... make sure you get more pictures, before and after would be good. :uhyeah:

Right. I take pictures and then am indicted for complicity in murder. The cop asks "so HOW did she get that guy's head up his rectum?"

She's mellowed somewhat now...isn't quite as homicidal. But OH, jeez. Five years ago....


Regards,


Steve

 

[DuckofDeath]

How many "Frank Dux is a fraud" posts do you plan on making? Old news, no one disagrees, the horse was dead, tenderized and cooked up long ago....

Actually, the horse--or flying horse, to be more precise--is alive and kicking at USC.

 

[DuckofDeath]

The fact that you believe one way about Mr. Dux is evidence enough that he's "outed" himself through claims and such.

He hasn't "outed" himself yet; but he's going to. Stay tuned...

 

[Brother John]

He hasn't "outed" himself yet; but he's going to. Stay tuned...

I see what you're saying....I just kinda meant that his own words & actions highlight his own FAKENESS.
I feel we are very much in agreement here..

Your Brother
John

 

[Makalakumu]

Oddly enough you and I have much in common on a couple of points even though we are on opposite sides of the planet.

I don’t charge.

I don’t advertise.

My students are more like family than students.

I don’t need to hold their hand in class and make sure they are giving it their best effort, they know I expect it and will settle for nothing less.

They know, during training I don’t care if they had a bad day, or if their girl dumped them…..none of that matters during class in the dojo. If they want to talk about it after class fine, if not fine….I am not a guidance counselor….but I will be their friend.

I can remember after training we all went to a nice Japanese Pub for “dribbles and kibbles” and a new student said “thanks for letting me join your dojo” my reply was “I didn’t” and walked off to the head. He asked another student what I meant by that. They said “In Robert’s dojo your feet decide if you stay or not”. Which is true. I rarely if ever kick people out. The last guy was a good friend of mine of more than 20 years. We are still friends he just doesn’t get to train with me anymore.

Along those lines I don’t usually ask prospective students what theirgoals are.

One reason is I am not interested; the second reason is their goals will not change what I teach and the goals of what I teach. If they like it they can stay, if they don’t then no problem. I don’t run a daycare center for bored adults or a warm fuzzy feeling factory.

Anyway, I have gone off topic……sorry

I'm not sure if it's so off topic. I think that we do things in a similar fashion because there are so many fraudulent claims. I'm wary because I don't want to associate with these people and I want to build a network of people who really want to work hard and train. I think there will always be people out there doing these things for whatever reason, but a teacher can put a stop to it in their school and get on with the good stuff.

 

[hardheadjarhead]

Invite him back for round 2!!

I might just tell his sister in law I'm looking for him in the hopes of getting an explanation...let him sweat...maybe he'll tremble a bit like before.

I asked a psychiatrist (the parent of one of my students) about this form of compulsive lying yesterday, and he's not aware of any disorder that leads a person to commit such fraud. He thought the person's esteem is likely so fragile that he feels the need to construct an identity...and might even become delusional to the point of believing it.

As we've note elsewhere, these guys almost always purport to be martial artists, cops, or military. Not just ANY martial artist...a master. Not just any cop, a detective or SWAT guy. Not just any military person...a SEAL, Special Forces, or Ranger.

As infuriating as it is, it is also rather sad. The guy in question here, our FIQ, is one of three I know with this problem. All are really quite pathetic insofar as their personal lives. They have nothing...NOTHING to which they can lay genuine claim. No accomplishments, no honest reputation, no pride...and they never will because of their habitual lying. It is far easier and far safer, in their view, to construct a make-believe world in which they're the hero than to have to face the challenges we all face and construct an actual reality.

Knowing that, perhaps I'll abstain from making the FIQ sweat...a challenge in any case would never be accepted. I suspect those he knows and works with will quietly question his claims behind his back and let him carry on with his tales, perhaps rolling their eyes and looking at each other with a "there he goes again" expression. He's not going to seriously damage my reputation with such stories...more than likely he'll simply further damage his own.




Regards,


Steve

 

[arnisador]

I don’t charge.

I don’t advertise.

I love your philosophy (much of which I've snipped)! But, surely you have some costs?

 

[Makalakumu]

I love your philosophy (much of which I've snipped)! But, surely you have some costs?

Right now, all of my students and I share in the cost of running our dojang. In the early days, I paid for everything, but then it was just me and a few students. Now, students will buy gear that they "donate" to the cause when stuff wears out. I am currently trying to get enough money for some new mats. We've been grappling on the bare floor for a while because our throwing mats are too small to spread out. Hopefully, with our new floor mats we can do some more randori.

Eventually, I am going to buy some land out in the country and build my own dojang out behind my house. I'll invest quite a bit of money in that because I want my school to be a family thing.

 

[RRouuselot]

I love your philosophy (much of which I've snipped)! But, surely you have some costs?

None at all.....unless you count the gas to and from the dojo.

 

[arnisador]

None at all.....unless you count the gas to and from the dojo.

You get space in a dojo for free?

I know space tends to be expensive in Japan, so that's what is surprising to me!

 

[RRouuselot]

You get space in a dojo for free?

I know space tends to be expensive in Japan, so that's what is surprising to me!

It's a US military facility so there is no need to pay any money.

 

[arnisador]

Ah, cool!

That's great--just teaching the martial arts, without contracts and 6 year old black belts and all. It almost seems quaint, sad to say.