Martial arts vetting.

**Hollykate** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 4:20pm

Sup guys

Why when starting some martial arts, but not all of them they ask you if you have ever been convicted of violence.

But i thought about this and i don't think they can even find out.

I mean what do they do? ring up the local police station and say "hello i'm a local karate/jujitsu instructor and i want to know if mr smith has ever had any fights. so can you bring up his criminal record file."

and what happens if they did, would they say to you one session oh your doing very well with the kata but we checked your background and you bottled someone in 96 so unfortunatly we can't teach you anymore sorry about that.

What are your thoughts on this is it a load of old bollocks?

**BoonDog** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 5:24pm

Originally Posted by Hollykate

Sup guys

Sup

Originally Posted by Hollykate

Why when starting some martial arts, but not all of them they ask you if you have ever been convicted of violence.

Personally never been asked this when signing up for any MA. Not sure how to answer since this is a business decision by the owner of the establishment.

Originally Posted by Hollykate

But i thought about this and i don't think they can even find out.

Sure they can if you answer "yes"

Originally Posted by Hollykate

I mean what do they do? ring up the local police station and say "hello i'm a local karate/jujitsu instructor and i want to know if mr smith has ever had any fights. so can you bring up his criminal record file."

Might work. Depends on where you live and what the policies are on releasing criminal information

Originally Posted by Hollykate

and what happens if they did, would they say to you one session oh your doing very well with the kata but we checked your background and you bottled someone in 96 so unfortunatly we can't teach you anymore sorry about that.

Why yes they can exclude you from their establishment.

Originally Posted by Hollykate

What are your thoughts on this is it a load of old bollocks?

Can't say as I never had to deal with it. It is a business decision though. Why does it matter to you?

**thrutch** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 5:24pm

I've been convicted of "violent crime", twice, in the early 90s when I was in my late teens. Neither of them was for bottling someone. One was for burning a colleague with a teaspoon. True story.

I've been asked several times when working in various places, applying for visas and God knows what else . Never said anything about it. I wouldn't tell an MA school if they asked either.

If you bottled someone that makes you a **** btw.

**doofaloofa** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 5:29pm

In the TKD school I attend there is a 'do you have a criminal record' part for your black belt, but I think its just for the insurance

**thrutch** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 5:33pm

Do the Gardai ever really give anyone criminal records though? I always thought all the micks were generally up to no good with complete impunity?

**Mr. Machette** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 5:37pm

I've never had to pass a background check to study with anybody myself.

The kind of person who's just going to use their skills to bully people or rape women or whatever b.s. they think their going to be able to do usually out themselves pretty fast. They tend not to take well to discipline or patience and they can't be an Uke without getting all personally butt hurt and turing things into 7#3 R341 D34D1Y.

**doofaloofa** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 5:44pm

Originally Posted by thrutch

Do the Gardai ever really give anyone criminal records though? I always thought all the micks were generally up to no good with complete impunity?

An example of an Irish criminal record

**Permalost** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 6:10pm

My current teacher had a "Do you have a criminal record?" question on the form when I started and a line to explain. Two of his top students are active LEOs, but I wouldn't be too surprised if he never followed up on it. It kinda makes sense to me- at least if I were to ever get into some trouble eskrimaing people and they decided to question my teacher, he could point to the piece of paper, so even if I lied at least there's a record that says that I said my record is clean. In this respect, I don't think that a background check is usual even though the criminal record part is common enough. I seem to recall that from my old kung fu school too. I also wonder if its a bit of a marketing gimmick, to imply how dangerous the art is.

**dougguod** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 6:15pm

Originally Posted by Hollykate

But i thought about this and i don't think they can even find out.

I mean what do they do? ring up the local police station and say "hello i'm a local karate/jujitsu instructor and i want to know if mr smith has ever had any fights. so can you bring up his criminal record file."

http://wcca.wicourts.gov/index.xsl

In my state, anybody can use the above to look up anybody else's convictions. And there are numerous other such sites, both free and paid, with varying degrees of effectiveness. Finding out if somebody has been convicted of a violent crime, at least as an adult, is pretty easy.

**thrutch** · Posted On: 7/11/2012 6:23pm

This is the link for the OP, who's in the UK if memory serves:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJus...ords/DG_199794

Salient points - members of the public can't check on other people's criminal records, any conviction becomes spent after a certain period and once it's spent your are no longer required to declare it.