David Soard Pleads Guilty to Harrasment Chinese Shaolin Center/ Shaolin-Do

[krsd]

Here is a page listing characteristics and ways of recognizing cults specifically geared towards martial arts:

http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/cults.htm

[Shaolin Girl]

And I apologize for what I've said. It may very well be that GMT is completely paralyzed by certain legal dealings.

The Soards, however, are far worse, both ethically and as instructors, than I originally thought.

Just thought I'd clear that up.

[krsd]

Elder Master Garry Mullins, Senior Master Gary Grooms, and Master Kevin Mullins visited Phoenix this weekend. This was just sent out to the Phoenix CSC students:

Hello all our Phoenix students,

Thank you all for coming out on Thursday and Saturday to meet with and train with Elder Master Garry Mullins, Senior Master Gary Grooms, and Master Kevin Mullins.

I had the most exciting, challenging, enlightening, and fun training experience I can remember. I am so glad that many of you were able to share the training also.

Both Master Mullins and Master Grooms paid their own travel expenses to and from Phoenix and trained us all weekend for no fee at all. They have inspired me and have trained us and helped us purely to honor a respectful martial code.

I am looking forward to every class coming up and sharing with you more of what we learned this week!

Looking forward to training with you all. We have a lot in store for us. Don't miss it!

I will be honored to host these great Shaolin Masters again!

Jacob Rydberg

[krsd]

Those are the combined police reports for the case that he just plead guilty to harassment for. I don't believe it contains anything official pertaining to the Colorado Springs case.

I recently obtained a copy of the court transcript from the Colorado Springs case that took place on Jan 28, 2009.

Here is the PDF transcript of the Jan 28, 2009 Colorado Springs Court case:

This is the case addressing the allegations that David Soard (aka Elder Master David Soard) perpetrated "Unlawful Sexual Contact" against Cynthia Clark on the night of June 9th, 2006.

The court testimonies surround events taking place In Colorado Springs while the Soards were visiting to test students for belt advancement, and to teach a seminar/festival for Three-Sectional-Staff which was taught by Sharron Soard. Also addressed are related events following these events such as dates of email correspondence and police reports and actions.

[krsd]

I've just heard that the Colorado Springs Case has been sealed. Fortunately information and facts are out there already, so while it may not be admissible in future cases at least it serves to help warn the public.

[krsd]

It looks like David Soard now has a Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...1962251&ref=nf

Sharron Soard has had one for a while:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Sharon-Soard/1584665933

On it he is listing a new website:
http://www.goshaolin.com/
That this is listed instead of the previous one listed for the Boulder & Denver CSC's (http://www.shao-lin.com/) is interesting and might be part of an effort to put some distance from the recent events and the related bad publicity.

[krsd]

There are a couple of Facebook groups tied to David and Sharron Soard (created by Sharron) and the Denver/Boulder Chinese Shaolin Centers (CSC).

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=53100780534

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Chinese-Shao-Lin-Center-Kung-Fu/86517758117?ref=nf

They have also been more actively trying to bury the bad publicity online that has resulted from the allegations, court case, and plea bargain.

[immortalmonky]

No one has posted this yet but Las Vegas shaolin closed a few weeks ago and websites for it have been redirected to salt lake city school.

[krsd]

Are you sure that the Las Vegas school is actually shut down, or is it under a new name now? That the website is redirecting to the Utah school is odd since those schools were on opposite sides of the conflict. [upon pulling up the site, it looks like it is down, not redirecting as indicated by "immortalmonky"]

I know the Phoenix School (the original one run by Jake) has changed it;'s name and dropped all ties to Sin The indefinitely.

Shortly after visit by Sin The to the Las Vegas school Jake (The Phoenix/Tempe school instructor and owner) made a trip out to talk to Sin The in person and let him know that he would no longer be hosting Sin The, and would be severing all ties with him. Sin The is now apparently spinning that as "conduct unbecoming a martial artist" etc. And there was a Facebook event posted by Elder Master Grooms as a notification of Sin The's announcement to that effect (The Facebook event has since been removed or expired)

Upon informing Sin The of the intent to no longer host or otherwise be connected to him there were threats of legal action for use of the name Chinese Shaolin Center, teaching "his" art, for use of the logo on the gi's, etc. They had already switched to a new gi without the logo, but older students were allowed to keep wearing their old gi's they had previously purchased if they desired. The name change happened immediately following the Trip to see Sin The in LA and the threat of legal action and the subsequent court costs (regardless of how baseless the law suit might or might not be) was a fundamental reason for the name change.

[It is Fake]

I had a long good talk with Jake about this and I'm glad he cut ties. Better to forge off on your own than to move from under one thumb to another one. No, that i snot an insult to Grooms.

Still, the problems were under GMT and the Soards how much different would it be under GMT and Groom? The head guy is still dictating what you do. I may have to go check the school out now just for a look see. Granted, the system is still Shaolin-Do but, I know Jake is all about cross training and learning new things form OTHER Martial artists.

That ends the inbreeding that stagnates CMA in general. Thanks for the update.