But some people don't want to expose their followers, or potential followers to the truth. Some people want others to buy into their BS and they will spend many hours, days and years trying to get out their BS message, heck these days they will even put up websites and have their buddies promote them. So when presented with the truth, and how to get to the truth, it sounds a lot like hell to them, so instead they search out many different ways, or versions to support there BS. Of course, I don't think that anyone here would do that, but these folks do exist.
"
I never gave anybody hell! I just told the truth and they thought it was hell." Harry S. Truman
A lot of our stuff has been out there for a while now, and it has come to be "generally accepted". But I can remember early on a lot of people were really upset with the seemingly endless facts that we were putting out there, information that we got directly from the pioneers. Those people were really mad, especially the followers of General Choi. And some of them are still mad, licking the wounds which never seem to heal, while they plot their revenge.
Having said that, I would say the vast majority are grateful for the information that we put out there, because it gives them a new perspective on their much beloved martial art, a perspective that refreshes and rejuvenates their desire to continue on their journey. I can't tell you how many people have wrote to me or come up to me to thank me for what we do. They are tired of the bashers who constantly attack and criticize taekwondo. They want to feel good about themselves, their art and their training, and they also want to continue to the upper levels of the path. The biggest fans seem to be, oddly enough, the korean seniors, who always knew that taekwondo was special, but did not have the english words to explain it to their students. The look of respect, admiration and gratitude in their eyes when I see them in person makes all of the BS we have to put up with to get the message out worthwhile.
And the thing that people do not understand is that when it comes down to it, you and I are nothing special. We weren't world champions, nor did we even strive for such things. I know that when I first joined whatever school I joined as a white belt, I was like every other new student, at the bottom of the totem pole, trying to figure it out. Everyone ahead of me was better and more senior, and it seemed like an impossible task to even get close to their skill and knowledge level. If someone had a crystal ball and told me back when I was a white belt that I would be doing the things that I have done, am doing, or will do, I would have told them they were crazy.
Most of those seniors have long since stopped practicing. But we are still here, trying new things, exploring areas previously unknown to us, while attempting to share a small piece of what we have discovered. I've come to accept the fact that no matter what we do, there will always be a small percentage of people who won't like it or us, because we make them feel bad, or small, or stupid, or lazy or whatever else. But I would think that they would feel good, because frankly, if the two of us can get there, then everyone can, including them. We're both nothing special, and if they passed us on the street, they wouldn't even look twice at us.
And what would you do if you found out that it was indeed a backroom promotion for cold hard cash rather than being based on skill, experience, TIG etc?
