Alex. I'm not an accountant so can you help me with this ?
The individual being discussed hides behind a fake name to make comments and threats against former students.
The individual being discussed is in the process of trying to secure the rights to the Jin Pal Hapkido logo that was founded by GrandMaster Kim.
The individual being discussed had a lawyer draft a letter accusing Master Thomas Lok of steal potential business.
The individual being discussed made phony belt certificates and gave them to his students knowing full well they were worthless.
The individual being discussed kept money from Lion dances, demonstrations and seminars and gave a pathetic percentage to those involved...of which I was one many times. Alex you might remember the Grand Opening of that mall in Vancouver, I blew my knee out doing Eagle catches prey...GrandMaster Kim came to my room afterwards to check on me....the individual being discussed couldn't be bothered, even though we all came out to support his studio, spent the entire weekend doing demo's and seminars of which he charged every participant but he did no instructing....where'd that money go....hhhmmm, those sure are shiny tires.
The individual being discussed went to Europe and demanded of an 8th Dan Master to have a room ready for him upon his arrival then when he got there took it upon himself to engage in an interview that was originally set up for GrandMaster Bong Soo Han with a local magazine not once mentioning his Master or GrandMaster.
The individual being discussed claims he is the only one that should have the title Sifu Lok, yet Master Thomas Lok was his Sifu and will always be his senior in many respects.
Now Alex, this is where I need your help....my math isn't good. Being an accountant do the above actions add up to someone who is a good person, has his ego in check, respect for his seniors, and some one who has Hapkido as his main focus...are these the actions of a Master of anything let alone Hapkido ?
I've been around since the individual in question was still training in Regina. My comments are factual, not pulled out of thin air. It is not a huge conspiracy against the individual being discussed, there is a reason that people with credentials like Grand Master Kim and Master Thomas Lok do not want to be associated with him.
I'm sick of the attempts to discredit Master Thomas Lok, he has given his life to the martial arts and asks nothing more than for his students to train hard so that they will be able to pass on the knowledge they have gained.
This is called preservation of Goodwill. In another words, protecting the turf. I do not think the preservation of goodwill due to the circumstances (Master Thomas Lok coming to Vancouver to compete). This is common reaction of an incumbent, and a business self-defense technique. Wouldn't matter to Thomas Lok if he didn't teach in Vancouver. For instance, if Master Michael Lok did not come to Vancouver to teach 12 years ago, and gain of much publicity. No one would know Thomas Lok. TL will have to start from scratch. What right does he have to build upon the student base of his previous branch to do business? For example, I allow a coffee franchise to open in Vancouver and the headquarter is in Regina. Vancouver does really well, Regina wants a better profit sharing. When then it was decided to enter themselves first by KICKING out the Vancouver franchise and proceed to open a Hapkido studio. If you take names out and use Company A and Company B in place, you would think this is a very shaddy transaction. All of a sudden, you say it is Jin Pal Hapkido, Master Thomas Lok and it sounds okay to you? We cannot argue that Michael didn't used Jin Pal to start. He paid his part for using Jin Pal during those period. It doesn't matter what the aftermath is because during that time, he did his things and paid his due. In the end, do you still realize in substance, Master Thomas Lok capitalized on Michael Lok's business? I got emails of MTL opening a new studio from TLok long ago, doesn't this prove the outreach? Where did Master Thomas Lok open his studio? Didn't he open in front of another studio? Even if Master Michael Lok is disrespectful etc. It doesn't mean the above can be done to him. It is bullying.
Care to elaborate why Michael Lok is kicked out? Because he disrespected everyone? What motives does he have doing so? It doesn't seem to be better business motive to be kicked out. Let us analyze the business motive of Thomas Lok coming into Vancouver AFTER Michael Lok is kicked out? Once again, we are all people with lives to live. There is no problem making a living out of Hapkido. In fact, I encourage it. However, to say Master Michael Lok is not a good person for protecting business, then I guess Research In Motion, Nortel Networks, Bombardier, Ebay, Microsoft is all bad individuals because they will not hestitate to defend themselves. If you like to associate for profit as a bad thing, I don't mind. Everyone knows that Hapkido ain't a charity obviously. Master Michael Lok is not cheating anyone, in Vancouver, there aint that many people in the same calibre of teaching.
For lion dances, no one forced anyone to do any lion dances. You know what is coming, you wanted to do it, you get whatever. For me, lion dance is traditional culture and I would do it for free (the effort was not worth the money, I did 3~4 years in a row
) But the fun of it. If you would think of it rather simple, you don't have to do it.
I did not say Master Michael Lok is the best person in the world or he is the most respectful, but he does his part. Dave, I was there when you blew your knee and I felt really awful about it. Master Thomas Lok was a great teacher, I respect him whole-heartedly. No one discredited hereThomas Lok at all. I didn't, the anonymous person didn't. View it all you want, but if you replace every names of the studio with A, B and Cs, it would seem like the act of business perservation for a reasonable person. When in fact, Master Michael Lok's studio is being provoked. I AM NOT JUDGING WHO IS RIGHT OR WRONG. Michael can be wrong. But unbiased analysis would look this way.
Regards,
Alex Lin
. If your current Instructor endorses what you are doing, I am sending a copy of this to GM Kim Jin Pal by mail.
