MA destroyed by politics!

Black Swan

Was at the California Summer Games 2006, TKD Sport Competition, held in San Diego this weekend. The number of competitors declined significantly from the year before, and it was suggested by some that politics were to blame. Apparently, since the USTU collapsed a couple of years ago, there has been a lot of political infighting to establish a successor organisation at both the national and state levels to represent taekwondo in the USA. I'm in TKD for the sport, fitness, and self development. Not politics! Why do we have to have sport spoilers?

Dave Joyce

Hey man, sorry to hear you had such a **** time after having travelled so far but I'm afraid politics in MA is always going to be there and I think moreso in the competitive/sporting ones. That was one of the main reasons I quit WEKAF and stopped compeating in Stickfighting, all of the bullsheet politics. That is why we are lucky in MT in Ireland to have such a united body in the Irish Muaythai Council and to be honest, Muaythai as a whole worldwide doesn't fair TOO bad from politics.

Colm_OReilly

Dave I don't think it's exclusive to sport based MA. During my Kenpo days the politics were unreal.

Unfortunately as long as there's something to gain and people living with a scarcity mentality politics will exist.

Baggio...

Colm_OReilly wrote:

During my Kenpo days the politics were unreal.

I hear that... All these so called 7th/8th dans behaving like spoiled kids. That's why I decided to train privately many moons ago. You would not get me with in 100 yards of a kenpo club now.:mad:

Politics has been eating away at the martial arts for years. Everybody wants a bigger slice than the next guy.

What can you do?:(

pearsquasher

What can you do?

- find a martial art that appeals to you
- find a good teacher in that art
- train hard
- if relationship with your teacher fails, find another one
- don't try and convince people you know something when you don't
- always be a student

Result = minimal politics and a fruitfull martial art experience.

Its worked for me for 15 years

Roper

pearsquasher wrote:

- find a martial art that appeals to you
- find a good teacher in that art
- train hard
- if relationship with your teacher fails, find another one
- don't try and convince people you know something when you don't
- always be a student

Result = minimal politics and a fruitfull martial art experience.

Its worked for me for 15 years

Sounds like a working formula to me!

I haven't seen an ounce of politics for almost exactly a year now and it has been possibly, maybe, my best 12 months of training ever. I think because it was politics free. Not having to worry about who I was talking to, if they'd say it to such a person, if they'd say it back to me that somebody was pist off at something else. The org I was in was bad enough but then you had to worry about the other TKD groups:mad: . It used to really get to me.

Baggio...

pearsquasher wrote:

Result = minimal politics and a fruitfull martial art experience.

Already done it mate...

dent

Colm_OReilly wrote:

Dave I don't think it's exclusive to sport based MA. During my Kenpo days the politics were unreal.

Unfortunately as long as there's something to gain and people living with a scarcity mentality politics will exist.

Agree whole heartedly with this statement. Did WTF tae kwon do and it was rife with politics right down to who was the best person to run the club.

Then did Jujutsu and it was great when it was just a bunch of lads training. Then external Jujutsu originations reared its ugly head and for me the club went downhill from there.

But politics is a fact of life, just look at any office in world. My advice is to just try and stay out of it and when it try's to force itself on you move clubs.

Stupid politics, ruins everything :mad:

pma-ire

Roper wrote:

Sounds like a working formula to me!

I haven't seen an ounce of politics for almost exactly a year now and it has been possibly, maybe, my best 12 months of training ever. I think because it was politics free. Not having to worry about who I was talking to, if they'd say it to such a person, if they'd say it back to me that somebody was pist off at something else. The org I was in was bad enough but then you had to worry about the other TKD groups:mad: . It used to really get to me.

I took that jump also man!!

And I remember when you were playing around with the idea and then took the jump!!

It's much better for MA clubs to be out of the BS and just have loose association and friendships with everyone!!

But politics is just a human fact of life!!

As I said before on a thread yonks ago on the bickering between MA training camps and will it ever end? I quoted The Big Yin!!

"Not as long as they are sh!tting in our shoes! And we are p!ssing in there bovril!!"

Dave Joyce

Dave I don't think it's exclusive to sport based MA

My actual quote:

I'm afraid politics in MA is always going to be there and I think moreso in the competitive/sporting ones.

I never said it was exclusive to sport based MA but that sport based MA tend to have more of a problem with politics, however, I do agree nearly every MA has BS politics of one form or another.

Mola.mola

Dave that's simply because "non sporting" ma don't need national goverening bodies. You need coperation between clubs ( I don't mean 3 but 300) if you want to have an all Ireland competition that's indicative of the national standard.