Article: Are You in a Martial Arts Cult?

**jn1996** · Posted On: 4/04/2012 4:20pm

Originally Posted by Virus

Many of the martial arts, particularly the Asian styles, operate thier clubs with cult-like characteristics. While not being "cults" per-say, they share certian similarities such as hierachy, rituals and insular thinking.

Old thread but great topic. Add Kokondo Karate to the list. With a Jim Jones-type "leader", insane loyalties, "group think", punishment & ostracism for deviating from the said "group think", pompous self-important 'masters' who will hypocritically turn on students and violate their own codes of behavior if you don't bow down to their delusional self- importance, secrecy & covering up for piss poor (including sexual harassment) behavior of some of their instructors, 'bitch patrol' barbaric goons who will show their "loyalty" to the system by being completely unethical & corrupt..seriously, don't go to them to learn self-defense, we need self-defense FROM some of them..

**Vince Tortelli** · Posted On: 4/04/2012 4:56pm

Originally Posted by jn1996

Old thread but great topic. Add Kokondo Karate to the list. With a Jim Jones-type "leader"

One would think a crazed cult with a "Jim Jones" type leader would be a self solving problem.

**alex** · Posted On: 4/04/2012 4:58pm

well our coaches sat us down and passed kava around while trying to teach us how to pick up girls in a seminar once. we even had special guest females to give their input etc. i guess that was kinda cult like. (to be fair, some of the guys at our gym think that showing girls how to throw elbows is a legitimate pick up line)

**jn1996** · Posted On: 4/04/2012 9:41pm

Originally Posted by Vince Tortelli

One would think a crazed cult with a "Jim Jones" type leader would be a self solving problem.

Ha! I know, really...but they do seem so great at first.

Originally Posted by Alex

well our coaches sat us down and passed kava around while trying to teach us how to pick up girls in a seminar once. we even had special guest females to give their input etc. i guess that was kinda cult like. (to be fair, some of the guys at our gym think that showing girls how to throw elbows is a legitimate pick up line)

Yeah maybe, depends on how the females took it, I guess. The instructor I am thinking of was more the direct Madmen era-esque blatant sexual harasser who then intimidated his students into silence/ submission :/