From Bad To Worse
Yesterday I reviewed a book titled, “ Learn Martial Arts In Eight Weeks,” by Michael de Pasquale, Jr. Basically I ripped the book apart, because of the title, and the fact the way the text was written it truly appears the author felt the material presented could actually be learned from a book, and that it would only take eight weeks. At least there was no disclaimer to suggest otherwise.
Today I found something that is a lot worse, and even more disturbing. It is clearly the next evolution of the claims made by books such as the one above.
The below is a copy of the actual ad as found on the Internet: www.ashidakim.com/dojopress/catalogbk7.html. CAVEAT EMPTOR!
MUGEI-MUMEI no Jitsu
THE 21st Century Martial Art
ANYONE CAN BE A BLACK BELT
No contracts or expensive classes
INSTANT KUNG FU
No boring forms or impossible exercises
OVERCOME ANY ATTACKER
Without physical Contact
BREAK BRICKS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS
No practice required
KILL AND RESTORE TO LIFE
The Power of Life and Death
GO BEYOND MERE TECHNIQUE
And learn the nature of Warriorship
Arranged in the traditional manner of Self Instruction, those who read this book even once will possess the knowledge and therefore the power, equal to that of any Black Belt 1st Degree in any recognized system of martial arts known to man. That rank and the Official DOJO Certificate confirming it are conferred upon the purchase of this text. The actual level of skill of the individual is a matter of personal choice and practice.
It has been said that, "Mugei-Mumei no Jitsu is better than Kung Fu, badder than Karate, softer than Tai Chi, gentler than Judo, and deadlier than Dim Mak." But, it is not WE who have said this.
BLACK BELT CERTIFICATE and
FREE DOJO MEMBERSHIP ID CARD
included with purchase
5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover;
retail $ 19.95 USD
Pay With PayPal
Copyright © 1998 Dojo Press, Inc.
All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form. SM112476
Now before I get on my soap box and start ranting, let me state that I have never read this book, nor do I have any first hand information on the art of Mugei-Mumei no Jitsu. Though my understanding is that it is a martial art developed by the infamous Ashida Kim, need more be said?
However, this essay is not about the book, the style, or the reputation of Ashida Kim. It’s about the claims this ad makes, and the certification it offers.
If you’re interested in reading a review of this book by someone who actually has a copy, you can read Phil Elmore’s essay titled “Mugei Mumei no Jitsu A book Review,” at http://www.themartialist.com/pecom/mugei.htm. It’s pretty amusing.
In a nutshell his review is basically what I thought the material would be; an opinion I made based solely on the above ad.
First of all, I don’t think I need to make comments about the claims this ad makes in regards to being better than other styles. That’s marketing, and if you're foolish enough to believe that, too bad for you. You and this book were made for each other.
Secondly, as for the claims such as, “overcome any attacker without physical contact,” and “kill and restore to life, the power of life and death” I’m not even sure what in the hell these things mean.
How do you overcome an attacker without making physical contact? Does this mean you run away? Don’t tell me this book teaches some mystical “chi” enhanced powers where the practitioner can extend his energy through the air. Or maybe this book teaches some Jedi Knight mind skills; “Luke, use the force.”
Or maybe you don’t make physical contact because as you attempt to use any of the information within this book the attacker knocks you out, or kills you. At this point the attacker is so “overcome” by what just happed they run away.
As for the lines, “kill and restore life, the power of life and death,” my only comment is, did Dr. Frankenstein write this book. Don’t the dead normally stay dead, except in zombie movies? Does this book teach voodoo? Or does this book teach you to kill your attacker, and then so you don’t feel guilty and remorseful methods of bringing them back to life?
Honestly I have absolutely no idea what this line means. This claim alone should be a red flag for anyone considering buying this book.
Lastly, in regards to the claim that “one only needs to read this information once and then will posses the same power and knowledge as a first degree black belt,” that’s just absurd. (editor's note: That depends whom you buy the black belt from)
Maybe, just maybe, some small amount of knowledge a black belt acquires can be achieved, but I can’t imagine how one gains “power,” unless the author is referring to the old adage, “knowledge is power,” which I don’t think is the author’s intentions.
Of course except for making money selling this nonsense, I have no idea what his real intentions are.
Putting all the authors claims aside, my biggest problem with this ad, and others like this one, is that a “Black Belt” certificate is sent along with the book. This not only degrades the entire black belt system, but also undermines the ethics and respectability of all martial arts.
It is unscrupulous practices such as this that hurt all of us, who actually worked our butts off to obtain acknowledgement and certification in the martial art we choose to practice. It undermines the very credibility of all of us who teach, and try to make a living propagating the martial arts.
While a book like “Learn Martial Arts In Eight Weeks” is bad enough on its own, sending a certificate to validate proficiency backing up such a claim is a thousand times worse.
Fortunately, most people will have the common sense to see this ad for what it is, however there are plenty of people who will not.
And then there are those unscrupulous enough to profit further once they have this material in their possession. These are the types of individuals who will use the accompanying certificate to validate themselves as teachers and open a martial art school. That’s not only scary; it’s extremely dangerous to those who get fooled into studying at such a school, and there will be people who do.
The sad fact is most novice students don’t know one martial art from another, nor how to judge who is qualified to teach them. Most beginners make their decision where to study based mainly on location and the teacher’s credentials.
Unfortunately, while these beginners may exam the credentials hung on a wall, they have no real clue how to evaluate them, or any way of knowing if they have any merit. For the most part, people just accept things at face value.
Sure, some of these novices who train at less reputable schools may get a clue early on and leave, but there will be others who will study hard and, heaven forbid, further propagate what they have learned.
Deep down I know there is nothing that can be done to stop these sorts of advertisements, and that my ranting on a “blog” won’t change things. I’m also aware this is not the first of these types of ads ever offered. I’ve seen others, some of which were even worse, though this one definitely ranks in the top five.
(To date the “Gracie jujitsu” home study instructor’s course complete with certificate, license to teach, and window decal, holds that honor. It was advertised in Black Belt magazine several years ago. Unfortunately, I don’t remember which Gracie offered this product.)
Hopefully if enough people speak out about this topic the message will get out there. After all, as martial artists, especially those of us who teach, it is our obligation to safeguard our fellow martial artists and those that may one day join us on the path.
(Editor's note: I'd just like to point out the irony that similar arguments have been used by message board denizens saying that Yachigusa-Ryu's lack of credentials harms their arts. I'll presume you can understand the difference. It's a complex world out there.)
Today I found something that is a lot worse, and even more disturbing. It is clearly the next evolution of the claims made by books such as the one above.
The below is a copy of the actual ad as found on the Internet: www.ashidakim.com/dojopress/catalogbk7.html. CAVEAT EMPTOR!
MUGEI-MUMEI no Jitsu
THE 21st Century Martial Art
ANYONE CAN BE A BLACK BELT
No contracts or expensive classes
INSTANT KUNG FU
No boring forms or impossible exercises
OVERCOME ANY ATTACKER
Without physical Contact
BREAK BRICKS WITH YOUR BARE HANDS
No practice required
KILL AND RESTORE TO LIFE
The Power of Life and Death
GO BEYOND MERE TECHNIQUE
And learn the nature of Warriorship
Arranged in the traditional manner of Self Instruction, those who read this book even once will possess the knowledge and therefore the power, equal to that of any Black Belt 1st Degree in any recognized system of martial arts known to man. That rank and the Official DOJO Certificate confirming it are conferred upon the purchase of this text. The actual level of skill of the individual is a matter of personal choice and practice.
It has been said that, "Mugei-Mumei no Jitsu is better than Kung Fu, badder than Karate, softer than Tai Chi, gentler than Judo, and deadlier than Dim Mak." But, it is not WE who have said this.
BLACK BELT CERTIFICATE and
FREE DOJO MEMBERSHIP ID CARD
included with purchase
5 1/2 x 8 1/2, softcover;
retail $ 19.95 USD
Pay With PayPal
Copyright © 1998 Dojo Press, Inc.
All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form. SM112476
Now before I get on my soap box and start ranting, let me state that I have never read this book, nor do I have any first hand information on the art of Mugei-Mumei no Jitsu. Though my understanding is that it is a martial art developed by the infamous Ashida Kim, need more be said?
However, this essay is not about the book, the style, or the reputation of Ashida Kim. It’s about the claims this ad makes, and the certification it offers.
If you’re interested in reading a review of this book by someone who actually has a copy, you can read Phil Elmore’s essay titled “Mugei Mumei no Jitsu A book Review,” at http://www.themartialist.com/pecom/mugei.htm. It’s pretty amusing.
In a nutshell his review is basically what I thought the material would be; an opinion I made based solely on the above ad.
First of all, I don’t think I need to make comments about the claims this ad makes in regards to being better than other styles. That’s marketing, and if you're foolish enough to believe that, too bad for you. You and this book were made for each other.
Secondly, as for the claims such as, “overcome any attacker without physical contact,” and “kill and restore to life, the power of life and death” I’m not even sure what in the hell these things mean.
How do you overcome an attacker without making physical contact? Does this mean you run away? Don’t tell me this book teaches some mystical “chi” enhanced powers where the practitioner can extend his energy through the air. Or maybe this book teaches some Jedi Knight mind skills; “Luke, use the force.”
Or maybe you don’t make physical contact because as you attempt to use any of the information within this book the attacker knocks you out, or kills you. At this point the attacker is so “overcome” by what just happed they run away.
As for the lines, “kill and restore life, the power of life and death,” my only comment is, did Dr. Frankenstein write this book. Don’t the dead normally stay dead, except in zombie movies? Does this book teach voodoo? Or does this book teach you to kill your attacker, and then so you don’t feel guilty and remorseful methods of bringing them back to life?
Honestly I have absolutely no idea what this line means. This claim alone should be a red flag for anyone considering buying this book.
Lastly, in regards to the claim that “one only needs to read this information once and then will posses the same power and knowledge as a first degree black belt,” that’s just absurd. (editor's note: That depends whom you buy the black belt from)
Maybe, just maybe, some small amount of knowledge a black belt acquires can be achieved, but I can’t imagine how one gains “power,” unless the author is referring to the old adage, “knowledge is power,” which I don’t think is the author’s intentions.
Of course except for making money selling this nonsense, I have no idea what his real intentions are.
Putting all the authors claims aside, my biggest problem with this ad, and others like this one, is that a “Black Belt” certificate is sent along with the book. This not only degrades the entire black belt system, but also undermines the ethics and respectability of all martial arts.
It is unscrupulous practices such as this that hurt all of us, who actually worked our butts off to obtain acknowledgement and certification in the martial art we choose to practice. It undermines the very credibility of all of us who teach, and try to make a living propagating the martial arts.
While a book like “Learn Martial Arts In Eight Weeks” is bad enough on its own, sending a certificate to validate proficiency backing up such a claim is a thousand times worse.
Fortunately, most people will have the common sense to see this ad for what it is, however there are plenty of people who will not.
And then there are those unscrupulous enough to profit further once they have this material in their possession. These are the types of individuals who will use the accompanying certificate to validate themselves as teachers and open a martial art school. That’s not only scary; it’s extremely dangerous to those who get fooled into studying at such a school, and there will be people who do.
The sad fact is most novice students don’t know one martial art from another, nor how to judge who is qualified to teach them. Most beginners make their decision where to study based mainly on location and the teacher’s credentials.
Unfortunately, while these beginners may exam the credentials hung on a wall, they have no real clue how to evaluate them, or any way of knowing if they have any merit. For the most part, people just accept things at face value.
Sure, some of these novices who train at less reputable schools may get a clue early on and leave, but there will be others who will study hard and, heaven forbid, further propagate what they have learned.
Deep down I know there is nothing that can be done to stop these sorts of advertisements, and that my ranting on a “blog” won’t change things. I’m also aware this is not the first of these types of ads ever offered. I’ve seen others, some of which were even worse, though this one definitely ranks in the top five.
(To date the “Gracie jujitsu” home study instructor’s course complete with certificate, license to teach, and window decal, holds that honor. It was advertised in Black Belt magazine several years ago. Unfortunately, I don’t remember which Gracie offered this product.)
Hopefully if enough people speak out about this topic the message will get out there. After all, as martial artists, especially those of us who teach, it is our obligation to safeguard our fellow martial artists and those that may one day join us on the path.
(Editor's note: I'd just like to point out the irony that similar arguments have been used by message board denizens saying that Yachigusa-Ryu's lack of credentials harms their arts. I'll presume you can understand the difference. It's a complex world out there.)
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