Kanos or Klowns — The TRUTH About “Founders” and Style Recognition

By Lordus Sapiens — My Monkey Fu will destroy your Bullshit Ryu!!!

Recently the following, taken from the World Martial Arts Brotherhood Facebook page, was posted on the Bullshit Martial Arts page:

“Hello; as Founder of a new branch/system of Karate, who may I approach about obtaining or earning system/founder recognition for my art?”

Recent Post from the World Martial Arts Brotherhood Facebook page shared on Bullshit Martial Arts

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The post generated a lot of comments, but I don’t know that all the commenters quite “get” the problem with the original post.

Because I am just so damned special, I’ll try to make some sense of it.

Is What You’re Trying To Do Being a “Founder” and Creating a “New” Martial Art, or Is It Just Another School?

First of all, and before I go down the whole founder and style recognition rabbit hole, I’m going to point out a little truth. The truth is this:

Mashing together elements and techniques from a few different martial arts to create or modify your curriculum is not the same thing as creating a new martial art.

With very few exceptions (actually, there are no exceptions, I’m just giving myself a little wiggle room for the sake of argument), pretty much all “founders” of “recognized” “new” martial arts haven’t actually created anything. They’re just mixing up and moving around things that already exist, things that were developed and refined by other people long ago. Their “arts” are entirely derivative and don’t bring anything new or innovative into the world.

My own, personal experience as an example:

After earning my black belt in Taekwondo and teaching for my instructor for a number of years, I ran my own martial arts clubs for over two decades. Over those two decades, I brought elements of different martial arts and other ideas into my curriculum. A little Hapkido, some Judo, a couple of Aikido techniques I liked, a short staff form I learned from another instructor (who turned out to be a complete ass-hat), some weapons disarms I picked up at clinics (mostly worthless, I eventually decided/learned), and some stuff I came up with on my own that likely exists elsewhere but I just haven’t stumble across them yet in someone else’s context. I modified my teaching methods and structured the flow of my lessons based on things I learned from my formal teaching and Kinesiology training in college (because a martial arts education isn’t necessarily a good teaching education) and by the time my active career as a martial art instructor finally started to wind down, my “system,” which is tailored specifically to me, was pretty much set and (in my mind, at least) “proven” (based on my students’ performance at competitions and peer-led exams) as by this time I had inflicted it upon thousands of students.

But I hadn’t created a new martial art.

I had merely developed my personal method of teaching Taekwondo, my expression of Taekwondo, a school of Taekwondo…that, while it included some outside elements that I liked or found some value in, was still 99.9% Taekwondo, which I did not create or develop, and still utilized mostly methods taught to me by my teacher devised by the people who came before him.

I didn’t reinvent the wheel. At most I tried some different tread patterns until I found what worked best for my sometimes sad attempts to effectively navigate the martial arts terrain.

Now, I could make some superficial changes to my system like getting rid of the uniforms and Korean language stuff, inventing my own terminology, devising a goofy ranking system that is completely different (how about a series of tattoos that form a special symbol to signify that someone has achieved mastery — that’s an idea I haven’t seen put into practice out there and I like the cult aspect of it), and developing special branding (a name) to market it to my desired demographic (people with money, preferably)…

But it would still just be Taekwondo.

And I would be completely full of shit.

But that’s exactly what almost all of these “founders” are doing with their “new” martial arts and styles. They are taking their knowledge of some foundational martial art (and it should also be pointed out that most of the guys who do this tend to have weak credentials, often as little as a first dan in only one art or style, if even that), throwing in some other stuff that they only have a superficial knowledge of, and then claiming they have made something new and unique that they should be recognized and revered and paid a lot of money for.

It would be okay and appropriate to say they created a “school of” whatever it is their foundational art is. “Lordus Sapien’s Monkey Kwan of Taekwondo,” or “Joe Bob’s Man Cave of Martial Arts,” but to name it some combination of poorly combined Asian martial arts word salad and claim it’s a new martial art is ridiculous and dishonest. All you’ve done is established a school based on your personal experience (for better or worse). You haven’t created anything and “official” “foundership” and “style recognition” are completely unnecessary unless you just can’t live without having that part of your ego stroked for a fee…

Which seems to be a huge preoccupation for folks these days.

I should probably point out that even Bruce Lee was adamant that his Jeet Kune Do — which has inspired the “creation” of more bullshit “styles” than anything else in modern martial arts history — was not a new martial art but a philosophy and approach for studying martial arts. Lee took what as he saw as the best elements of Kung Fu, Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, wrestling, boxing and so on to develop his own personal expression of martial arts which would result in something different for anyone who adopted his approach. This essentially makes it IMPOSSIBLE for Jeet Kune Do to become or produce a universal or set “style” due to the approaches underlying dynamism and flexibility.

But people are still going to miss the point and think that “Keet Kune Do” is a set martial art, and they are going to keep holding up Lee as a justification for creating bullshit…

Well…because people are just kinda dumb, it seems.

Anyway…

Can Such a Thing Actually Even Be Real?

Having said all that, I will say that at least conceptually, “founding” a “new” martial art or martial art system is still a valid idea. There are people out there who have the skill, experience, insight, and intelligence to create their own martial art, give it a name, and market it to the public.

It’s possible.

Such people do exist and have existed.

What is interesting, or perhaps surprising about it, however, is that the people who are actually “qualified” to do so generally don’t.

They tend to stick with what they’ve always done, calling it what it’s always been called, tweaking and improving and adding to their curriculum and methods while giving little to no thought to the idea of creating a brand or promoting what they do as supremely innovative or new. There are exceptions, of course (one moment as I brace myself for the onslaught of comments from Bruce Lee fanboys), but from the historical to the contemporary, most of the really great teachers and innovators seem to have shied away from that sort of thing. They would and are embarrassed to be called “founders” and would never even consider approaching others for any sort of recognition.

I believe that’s called “modesty” and “humility.”

But again, someone like this could set up a space to serve as a sort of “martial arts laboratory” somewhere and, stripping everything down to a blank slate, spend years developing and testing various approaches and structures for a new combat or self defense system in a systematic way until something truly unique finally emerges (Peyton Quinn’s RMCAT comes to mind where he developed his ideas about real world self defense, but he never called what he did a “new martial art”).

There are a handful of examples of people and groups doing this, but overwhelmingly they don’t because, frankly, it takes too long and is just too fucking hard for most people to pull off…and, because of the wealth of effective martial arts approaches already out there, it’s largely a waste of time that’s better spent learning an existing, proven, legitimate system.

So, whenever one runs across someone claiming to have created their own martial art, their claims should be treated with extreme skepticism.

So, What’s the Deal With All This “Founder” and Style Recognition Nonsense?

These days, the martial arts world is full of inflated ranks, self-appointed “founders,” and organizations that will “recognize” these people and what they do…

Always for a price.

Now, I’m sure it’s been noticed that I slipped in the word “qualified” in the above. If being recognized as a “founder” could be a real “thing,” two things would have to follow:

(1) that there would be a broadly accepted mechanism for establishing legitimate authorities endowed with the power and authority to evaluate and sanction the creation and establishment of new styles (thus giving such “recognition” actual weight); and…

(2) that there would be recognized criteria for such a thing, a minimum set of requirements, a baseline of sorts in terms of knowledge, experience, and skill to become a “founder.”

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately, depending on your view), In America there is (1) no legitimate mechanism nor legitimate authorities endowed with the power and authority to recognize new martial arts and styles, and (2) there is little in the way of agreement on what the qualifications for a “founder” should be.

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“There simply is NO legitimate group or organization in America that performs the function of “recognizing” founders and new styles of martial arts.”

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Regarding (1) organizations that recognize founders and styles in America, the sad reality is that almost ALL the groups who claim to do so are for-profit businesses (part of the “vanity award” business) that do NO vetting or quality control and only care about whether the check clears (rendering their recognition absolutely meaningless), or they are so small and insignificant that what their “recognition” is also absolutely meaningless. There simply is NO legitimate group or organization in America that performs the function of “recognizing” founders and new styles of martial arts. The (arguably) largest and best known group that claims to serve this function in America (and a model for almost every other similar group), the World head of Family Sokeship Council, is a private business started by “Professor” (not a real professor) Frank E. Sanchez that was established to feed his hall of fame event which (the two entities combined) serve only to enrich Frank E. Sanchez.

Pure money grubbing bullshit.

Regarding (2) qualifications, requirements for rank and so on are really within the realm of schools and style groups, not some higher authority (that doesn’t exist anyway). Above that, a real standard simply doesn’t exist beyond having an active checking account or credit card.

What Might a Set of Minimum Qualifications for a “Founder” or Style Recognition (a “New” Martial Art) Look Like?

That said, while some people will disagree, I will argue that a “standard” can be inferred from martial arts history and traditions and by looking at real pioneers and creators whose creations have stood the test of time. Assuming that demonstrable skill, knowledge, and experience (e.g., good qualifications) are actually important to people — believe it or not, they aren’t to everyone — I would suggest that something like the following might be appropriate today for someone about to claim “foundership” of a “new” martial art:

1. Being Able to Prove Having Demonstrated Above Average Skill and Knowledge as a Black Belt Level Martial Artist…

Martial artists with poor to average skills and knowledge generally typically aren’t able to discern (let alone teach) the nuances of high-level martial arts. Because of that, they aren’t qualified to “found” a new martial art (at least one worth pursuing over others).

2. Being Able to Prove Having Earned a Teacher’s-Level Credential as a Black Belt Level Martial Artist Under a Qualified Teacher…

Black belt martial artists who have not legitimately been recognized as competent teachers in at least one martial art likely don’t have an adequate background or training as teachers (earning a black belt doesn’t magically endow people with teaching ability) and therefore also aren’t qualified to “found” a new martial art.

3. Being Able to Prove Having Accumulated (without significant gaps) 15 or More Years of Experience as a Black Belt Level Instructor…

Creating a martial art requires an extensive amount of teaching experience to develop an understanding of (and opportunities to apply and test) what “works” and what doesn’t, so a person without significant, hands-on teaching experience just isn’t going to be qualified to “found” a new martial art (not an effective one, at least).

4. Being Able to Prove Having Served as Head of Their Own School for the Majority of Their Teaching Experience…

Instructors without a significant amount of experience running a school or program just don’t have the experience managing a program or of developing and refining a syllabus, etc. and then putting it to work under real world conditions and therefore aren’t qualified to “found” a new martial art.

5. Being Able to Prove Having Had a Significant Number of Flesh and Blood Students During Their Career as a Teacher and School Head…

It should go without saying, but someone who has never had experience (or has very little verifiable experience) teaching real students simply isn’t qualified to “found” a martial art.

Now All the Above Might Seem a Bit Daunting or Excessive…

…to some folks, but while it’s merely my (somewhat learned) opinion, I also believe that legitimacy and recognizing real expertise starts with setting and enforcing high standards, and it really is comparable to what is expected of “masters” or true experts and innovators capable of forging new paths in other fields.

The person who bursts onto the scene with astonishing, groundbreaking insights but very little experience is exceedingly rare. Often, Kano is cited as having created Judo at a very young age and with very little martial arts experience, though it’s more appropriate to say that Kano founded the Judo concept in 1882 in his early 20’s and that he developed and tested it from that point forward for the rest of his life. Judo did not appear fully formed in 1882, and the open, public manner in which he developed and tested Judo — which is the strongest testament to its legitimacy and effectiveness — is almost never followed by other supposed “founders.”

It’s not an accident that most so-called “founders” these days operate in the shadows.

To over-use another oft-cited example to dispel the notion that it’s reasonable to accept the idea that people with little experience can be founders, Bruce Lee — obsessed with the intellectual study of martial arts as well as physical training, widely regarded as a martial arts prodigy, and possibly a polymath intellect — studied martial arts for 13 years before “founding” and later publicizing the Jeet Kune Do concept. His article “Liberate Yourself From Classical Karate” didn’t appear until 1971, which would actually make it 17 years.

To leave martial arts for a more mainstream example, even Einstein took 15 years from the year he completed work at the Polytechnic School in Zurich (1900) to begin publishing on General Relativity in 1915 (during which he served as a professor for a significant amount of time). In other words, it took about 15 years for him to develop and refine his ideas while he was mentored and learned from others, taught others, and demonstrated his eventual “mastery” by earning a PhD and eventually publishing work (in 1915) that led to a Nobel Prize in 1922 (a total of 22 years).

And many people think Einstein was the greatest genius of the 20th century.

The guys caught up in all this “founder” nonsense are NOT geniuses.

But People Always Want to Think They Are The Exceptions (apparently even more exceptional than people like Lee or Einstein)…

When it comes to the martial arts world, it seems we have two kinds of people: those who don’t really care about status (understanding that real recognition and status comes all on its own from doing the work and demonstrating skill and knowledge over time), and those who seem to want and expect status long before they could ever legitimately earn it. That’s where we get the current crop of frauds and fake grandmasters and “founders” of bullshit “martial arts.”

Lets look at two of the world’s greatest frauds, Frank Dux and Ashida Kim. If we compare their backgrounds to my list of qualifications, we find them sadly wanting:

1. Despite hyperbolic claims about their skills (Frank’s bullshit Bloodsport/Kumite fight record and Ashida’s Ninja claims), no proof exists that either of them were ever “above average” at martial arts or even black belts. What little video evidence of their “skills” in their “prime” that exists is quite underwhelming…

…and it’s well established that they both were around green belt level when they started what passes as their careers (amusingly, they also BOTH fell back on using magic tricks to fool people into thinking they have special skills or powers).

2. Neither Dux nor Ashida can claim to having been recognized as competent teachers by any legitimate instructor or organization (sorry, the Black Dragon Fighting Society and circle jerk community they associate with don’t count). It’s well established that Frank’s claimed instructor is a complete fabrication lifted from Ian Flemming’s James Bond novels and the equally false story of Count Dante. What little formal training he might have had in Taekwondo and Judo consisted of a few classes taken at the local community college as a kid. Frank’s entire background is fabricated:

At 14:58, Frank slips and admits he is self-taught.

As far as Ashida goes, I don’t think ANYBODY knows who his original teacher or teachers might have been, and he seemingly appeared in the martial arts like a ninja fart on the wind just in time to try to exploit the beginning of the whole ninja craze (this is also a feature of Frank’s switch to ninjutsu, as he was still telling people he was a Taekwondo expert as late as September 1980).

3, 4 & 5. Frank can ALMOST claim a long career as a black belt instructor, just not as a real black belt since his rank was clearly self-awarded. He ran a school for a while, still has affiliates, and had students, but his experience is suspect because it’s well known that he farmed out the actual teaching while he was playing at being a Hollywood big wheel, and he has never produced a student of note.

With Ashida, it’s really difficult to assess because it doesn’t seem that the “Food Stamp Ninja” (who apparently has lived most of his life with his mother) has ever had a school or students at all. He does show up at hall of fames and circle-jerk events where he “teaches” between sessions of chain-smoking…

…but what he does is actually painful to watch (ever notice how the mega frauds can jaw-jack forever but never seem to actually teach anything)?

So Frank and Ashida — two of the most copied models in the martial arts fraud biz — are both utter fails based on my criteria. Despight that, Frank claims to have created his own martial art (thus, a “founder”) and Ashida claims to be a grandmaster and foremost authority on all things ninja.

Should we be surprised to learn that Frank and Ashida stole the Black Dragon Fighting Society — a notorious martial arts certificate mill that recognizes founders and styles — from the legitimate heirs of Count Dante?

A gathering of frauds and “founders.”

Sadly, this pattern repeats in the “founder” and style recognition world. Some people, a certain sort of personality type, gets a taste of martial arts, starts to covet special status, and then decides that it’s okay — even preferable — to take shortcuts to “grandmastery.” A quick survey of 10th dan founders and creators of their own martial arts seems to always turn up example after example of low-skilled and low-ranked “martial artists” with dubious backgrounds and little verifiable experience making highly improbable claims.

Circling Back to the Beginning…

So, why do people do it? The wannabe shrink that I am would point to various mental conditions and disorders. Narcissism is high on the list…compensating for low esteem…immaturity and feelings of unjustifiable grandiosity…good old Dunning-Krugers. And, of course, some people are just cons looking to make money and believe this sort of thing is just good marketing.

Looking back at the original post…

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“Hello; as Founder of a new branch/system of Karate, who may I approach about obtaining or earning system/founder recognition for my art?”

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…tells us a few things about the original poster.

“as Founder of a new branch/system of Karate” — The poster is probably young, inexperienced, and a bit socially immature…but clearly thinks a lot of himself in that he believes he’s capable of creating a new style of Karate worthy of some sort of recognition. I would bet the banana plantation he’s a colored belt or a first dan with a poor “education” in martial arts standards and traditions who spends a lot of time obsessing about Karate on the internet.

“…who may I approach about obtaining or earning system/founder recognition for my art?” — The whole question is about status and finding a shortcut to get something without really working for it (“obtaining,” e.g., buying recognition). The fact that he’s asking suggests that he is encouraged by other people (frauds, rank/status whores, etc.) who he sees doing the same thing. Clearly he doesn’t understand or care that what he’s asking for is unethical, but he does seem to think it’s important that he can claim that an outside group has put their seal of approval on him even if it’s only to establish some sort of plausible deniability.

He doesn’t seem to be concerned with legitimacy or authenticity.

If someone establishes a school and decides to put “Founder” on their business card and letterhead, no one is going to give a shit. Within their school, they can give themselves whatever “club rank” they want and unless they start running around at tournaments wearing a red belt with 12 gold bars on it at age 26, nobody is going to give a shit. People can do what they want within their own schools. The only things holding them back are their own integrity, how much they care about what other instructors think, and how much bullshit their students (assuming they have any) are willing to tolerate.

But being a secret 15th dan grandmaster founder of the world greatest unknown martial art isn’t a lot of fun. Certainly not as much fun as being able to say on your web site:

“Jim-Bob’s Martial Arts Mancave is proud to announce that the International World Global Martial Science Wushu Kwan Do Sokeship Founder Grandmaster Federation Council has promoted our Head Instructor and Founder Jim-Bob to 12th Dan Founder of Tae-Hap-Goju-Quan-Fan-Ryu which has been officially recognized as a Unique and Deadly Martial Art by the I.W.G.M.S.W.K.D.S.F.G.F.C! Pleas join us in congratulating newly anointed Grand Kaiso Dojokwoon Poo Ba Jim-Bob! A belt and certificate presentation and ceremony will be held tonight at the Mancave where juice and cookies will be served. Attendance is required!”

Because, in the end, none of this is about creating or improving martial arts. It’s all about…