Martial Arts Schools and Negative Internet Postings

Response to Negative postings on internet:

At most martial art schools I have trained at, and especially at the Jung Suwon Martial Art Academy the purpose is to teach and train people in the martial arts.  Some people want to come for only a few months.  Some people want to come to attain a black belt.  Others want to continue to train for their own personal development, and others want to become instructors and teachers.  Our desire is that everyone learn things that will benefit their lives, or the lives of others, in a positive way. 

Jung Suwon is a martial art that was derived from the Korean martial arts of Tae Kwon Do, and Tang Soo Do.   Over the thousands of years of training in the martial arts, people worked to perfect the art of self-defense.  During that time practitioners discovered that many other benefits were derived.  These benefits include the following:

1.       Physical Fitness:  Training regularly in the martial arts will make you more physically fit and benefit other sports you are involved with.  It builds coordination, balance, strength, timing, awareness, and confidence.  It allows you to move faster, breathe better, and understand the concepts of self-defense both physically and mentally.

2.       Health:   To be the best you can be, requires taking care of your body, mind, and spirit.  This means to eat properly, reduce stress, breathe deeper, learn to meditate, and think positive thoughts.

3.       Discipline:  Training requires years of discipline and patience.  As you learn to be more disciplined, you will learn to apply this to other areas of your life.  This can allow you to enjoy more success in all aspects of your life.  Some people will say, “I don’t like discipline”.  Well, discipline helps you to break through and overcome your weaknesses.  Discipline actually is the key to success and freedom.  If you can overcome your weaknesses, and stay focused on your goals, you will be much more successful in your life.

4.       Self-Defense: – The ability to protect oneself and loved ones.  Practitioners learn to protect themselves from attacker trying to harm, bully, rape, or kill. 

5.       Confidence

6.       Focus

7.       Emotional Control

8.       Positive Mental Attitude

9.       And many more…

A quick summary:

Korea is the birthplace of many martial arts. Often, these martial arts share principles and ranking systems with one another. Their methods vary, some are developed for combative purposes and some are for self-defense and counter attacking. Since these martial arts have many techniques, becoming a master in any one requires a long-term commitment.

Read more: Types of Korean Martial Arts | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_6157328_types-korean-martial-arts.html#ixzz1liKayjPW

Why People Stop Training:

We have learned over time, that training in the martial arts can be a physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging activity, and therefore, not for everyone.  We try to make it a beneficial learning experience for everyone, but those that leave usually fall into several categories:

1.       Many people take what they learn, and move on in their lives to strive towards their goals.  This is the most common case.

2.       Others, take what they have learned physically and mentally, and use that as a foundation to improve at other sports.

3.       Others use their increased confidence to get better jobs or better relationships.

4.       Others use their increased focus to improve their educational status or career.

5.       Others use what they learn to help build and enjoy their family relationships more.

6.       Etc.

Another category for people quitting, is they are not happy with their experience.  This can happen for several reasons:

1.       Too physically demanding.

2.       Too much time required.

3.       Personal bad habits too hard to overcome.  These include smoking, drugs, depression, anger, shyness, etc…

4.       Personal relationships with other people go bad.

5.       Too strict.

6.       Misunderstandings.

7.       Bullying

8.       Mistakes

It is these categories that usually cause people to get angry and write very negative things on the internet.  Many times these negative stories and comments are personal attacks and very vindictive.  We are sorry if anyone had a negative experience, and we wish we could have done more to help them.  We could address and publicize each particular situation directly, but our policy is to respect people’s privacy and personal situations.

Basically instructors try their best.  Everyone is human, and we can't please everyone.  Overall we all tried our best, and if things didn’t work out, we are sorry, and lets move on.  So to address many of these stories, we will do so in a very general manner in the following points.  The names were changed to protect all involved.

1.       Cult or Culture?   The martial arts comes from Asia, and was created in a different culture.  In the Asian culture, bowing to each other is very normal.  It is like saying hi to each other and it shows respect to each other.  In the Western culture, people usually wave at each other and shake hands with each other.   I was born in the Western culture and when I first saw people bowing to each other it looked a little weird.    Once I practiced it for a while, it felt very nice and cleaner.  As I started learning more about the spread of colds and disease, I started to prefer bowing from shaking hands.  So people that are having a good experience will talk of bowing is a positive way.  Sometimes when someone quits and gives up martial arts, they will say, “well I didn’t want to follow that funny culture anyway, and it made me feel like I was in a cult.”  Use your better judgment, and you decide.

2.       Brainwashing?  Is this really possible?  This is the biggest complaint I hear, from people that left due to a negative experience.  First of all, if brainwashing and mind control were really possible, we would have millions of people signed up and train regularly.  Sorry, it just doesn’t work that way.  Humans have the free will to make their own decisions, and do all the time.  Secondly, the only brainwashing I see, is trying to make people feel more positive, more confident and more optimistic.  I would suggest as a world, we need to influence those around us, to be more positive and optimistic.  

3.       Why do people training in the martial arts bow to each other?  It is a way to greet another person, and it is a way to show respect to each other.  During cold season, I would suggest, it is also a safer and cleaner way to say hello or goodbye.

4.       Why do they say “yes sir” and “no sir” to each other?  Similar to the military, a system of discipline creates a more focused, respectful, and safer environment.  Discipline can be your friend.  It allows you to focus your time and energy more, which in turn allows you to learn and grow more. 

5.       Why do my instructors push me so hard to perform?  Martial arts is similar to the military in that respect.  In the Military, you are supposed to defend your nation.  In the martial arts, you learn to defend the innocent, your family, and yourself.  To do that, you have to push yourself to learn and develop new skills.  In the beginning, your instructors will push you.  Hopefully, over time, you will learn to push and drive yourself.

6.       Why is there a ranking system?  Are seniors better than juniors?  Why or Why not?  The ranking system is similar to the military.  It is used to communicate someone’s experience and accomplishment within the system.  It does not mean that one person is better than another.  In some cases it is an indication of someone’s role and responsibility within the organization.

7.       Excitement, positive attitude, and shouting for joy?  Are they on drugs?  I don’t like all that rah-rah.  Bringing up lots of positive energy, and getting pumped up with excitement is not common with most people, but if done properly, can make people feel very positive and strong.  It can then be focused towards accomplishing overcoming their weaknesses and achieving their goals. 

8.       They make me do things on very little sleep.  They are torturing me.  Why?  This is not torture.  In my view, this is learning to overcome your weaknesses, and learning to challenge yourself.  Sometimes in real life you don’t have a choice when you have to defend yourself.  If someone breaks into your house at night and you are tired, are you going to ask the intruder, to come back again when you are rested?  Of course not.  You need to overcome your emotions and personal needs at the time, and learn to bring up your best, even in difficult situations.  Normally people will attack you when you are at your weakest.  That is why in the martial arts, you must learn to bring up your strength, even under challenging conditions.  In order to learn this, it is better to practice and prepare for it, and not be caught off guard. 

9.       I can’t leave.  Why are they forcing me to stay?  If that were true, everyone in the world would be like a robot, and do exactly what I tell them.  Sorry, the world just doesn’t work that way.  People choose to do what they want to do.  Remember, martial arts training isn’t for everyone.  It is hard work, and people need to want to train.  They also over time, learn to enjoy working out and challenging themselves.

10.   They break apart families?  Why?  I think Martial arts to a family, is very much like any other sport or activity.  Many times, I have seen families getting stronger together by training together.  The bonds formed by training together can be very strong and last a lifetime.  Family members can grow and share in an activities together.  They can rejoice and celebrate together.  On the other hand, like other activities, if someone wants to do it and others don’t, that is their individual choice.   

11.   When love becomes hate.  My mother wanted to have a relationship with an instructor?  It didn’t work out.  So was this abuse, or an unrealistic expectation?  Some of the most negative experiences usually come out of failed relationships.  That is why we discourage people coming to the Martial Art Academy, from treating the school like a dating service.   Your first and most important goal in training in the martial arts, should be for your own self development.  Once people lose that focus, and get into using the school for forming relationships, things can go downhill fast.  If so, they usually blame everyone else for their heartaches; the people involved, and the school, and the instructors.  This is how the most negative stories are created. 

12.   I heard they took people’s money?  What really happened?  Martial arts schools are generally not huge money makers, and often times exuberant students want to spend their time and money on the school, to advance the school and/or make training conditions better.  At the time, they are happy and excited.  If for some reason, they become disenchanted and leave, they usually blame others for spending their money.  This is a form of buyer’s remorse and a typical response.  Unfortunately it creates negative stories, and forms bad impressions. 

13.   They made my children smoke and drink?  Why did they do that?  As you know, the peer pressures to smoke and drink in society are strong.  Sometimes, with parent permission, it is good to introduce younger students to these bad elements, to discourage them for future use.  It has been very effective on some children, and on others, they can grow up hating us, and in some cases they are source of negative press on the internet.  It is hard to satisfy everyone, but the goal is to make our students healthier and stronger, and to help protect them from the temptations of outside society. 

14.   Sexual Bullying and Texting.  With modern technology advancing, we need to be ready for anything.  In one case we found young boys between the ages of 10-14, sending out very sexual messages to girls of the same ages.  It was very inappropriate behavior in our opinion.  We ended up having to suspend some of the students, and bring it to their parents’ attention.  To our surprise the parents were upset, and didn’t really believe their kids did it.  The kids were upset at us.  After that, many negative comments and references appeared on the internet.  We are committed to protecting  our students from bullying and abuse, even among each other.

 References: Jung Suwon Martial Arts, location, Grandmaster Tae Yun Kim, Testing, Ki Energy Forms, Black Belt Testing, Smashwords, Jung Suwon Kids blog, Facebook,  Reviews, Training in the Snow,
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