sponsors

 

 

sponsors

 

 

 

 

• Handling the opposition. Pseudo-masters are involved in a constant struggle with traditional martial arts. To maintain their credibility, they use a variety of clever propaganda ploys. Here are some favorites:

  • Resistance. The history of martial arts is laced with instances where great pioneers and their arts were met with resistance. Today's pseudo-masters boldly assert that they are another example of people ahead of their time, and, as such, they are persecuted and condemned by tradition martial art masters. However, close examination shows how unlikely this is. First of all, the early pioneers who were persecuted for their arts lived during times that were much less scientific. In some cases, opposition to their ideas stemmed from religious beliefs that rejected anything not associated with the church. Secondly, a basic principle of the scientific method is that the burden of proof belongs to the claimant. The early martial arts pioneers overcame their opposition because the soundness of their techniques and ideas could be proved.

  • Conspiracy. Pseudo-masters claim that mainstream martial arts organizations are involved in some secret conspiracy to discredit their efforts. They claim that these organizations are trying to suppress their ideas because they are so revolutionary. If you disagree with the pseudo-masters, they say you are disagreeing with them because you are a part of the conspiracy.

  • Conflict. Pseudo-masters poses their opposition to traditional martial arts as a "philosophical conflict" or "paradigm shift," rather than a clash between proven versus unproven or fraudulent techniques and philosophies. This creates the illusion of a "holy war" rather than a conflict that could be resolved by examining the facts. Another diversionary tactic is to charge that critics are biased or have been brainwashed by mainstream martial arts organizations.

  • Science. Pseudo-masters like to charge that, "Science doesn't have all the answers." That may be true, but science does not claim to have all the answers. Rather, science is a rational and responsible process that can answer many questions, including whether techniques are safe and effective for their intended purpose. Pseudo-masters are the ones that constantly claim to have all the answers. Science may not have all the answers, but pseudo-masters have no answers at all!

  • Mistakes. Many techniques advanced by traditional martial arts have later been shown to be unsafe or worthless. Everyone makes mistakes. Such failures become grist for pseudo-masters in their ongoing attacks on traditional arts. Actually, "failures" reflect a key element of the growth of martial arts: the willingness to test its methods and beliefs and abandon those shown to be invalid. True masters have no philosophical commitment to particular techniques, only a commitment to develop and use techniques that are safe and effective. When one of pseudo-master's techniques flunks an effectiveness test, he or she merely rejects the test.

  • Misdirection. Misdirection is what magicians use to shift the audience's attention away from what is important so as to deceive them. When faced with a criticism they cannot meet head on, pseudo-masters simply change the subject or attack the critic in an effort to direct attention away from themselves, much as the way politicians do.

Page 8 of 8:  NEXT  Back  First  Last | Share | Errors | Last Modified:

Subtopics:  NEXT | None 

Topic:  Comments: Add View | Sources | Related: None