Real warriors confront evil when they see it.
Fake warriors cower down and say nothing.
Bohdi Sanders
Real warriors confront evil when they see it. Fake warriors cower down and say nothing. So many people in this world see wrong doing, evil, malicious deeds, and dishonest scams, and turn a blind eye to them. They figure someone else can deal with all of that stuff, as they are busy with their own life. This is exactly what Albert Einstein meant when he said, “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.”
More than a couple of centuries earlier, in 1770, Edmond Burke essentially expressed the same view stating, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Burke went on to say, “Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design…In a connection, the most inconsiderable man, by adding to the weight of the whole, has his value, and his use…No man, who is not inflamed by vain-glory into enthusiasm, can flatter himself that his single, unsupported, desultory, unsystematic endeavors, are of power to defeat the subtle designs and united cabals of ambitious citizens. When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
To put this is plain terms, when malicious, dishonest people pool their efforts, men and women of character, honor, and integrity MUST work together to stop them, or the corrupt, dishonest people will take them down one by one. Another way to say this is, “United we stand, divided we fall.”
This certainly applies to today’s martial arts world. Unscrupulous martial artists have unified their dishonest efforts to bring down many true martial artists. They work together behind the scenes, destroying their reputations, their work, and their lives, one by one. It is easy for a corrupt, dishonest group of people to prey on single individuals, especially in today’s world where technology allows them to do so almost anonymously. But it becomes a different game when warriors band together to stop these dishonest, malicious cliques.
Think about a single thread. A single thread is easily broken without much effort. But if you take 20 or 30 pieces of thread and combine them together to make a cord or a rope, it is almost unbreakable. THAT is what is missing in the martial arts world, and THAT is what allows dishonest, fraudulent people to continue to attack innocent martial artists and to continue their fraudulent and malicious ways.
Nothing will ever change in the world of martial arts until enough good men and women decide that enough is enough, and find the courage to stand against those who are dishonestly using the martial arts for their own twisted purposes. Real warriors confront evil when they see it. Fake warriors cower down and say nothing.
Oh, they always have their justifications and excuses ready for when someone asks them why they are not getting involved. Some claim it is none of their business. Others think nothing can be done about it, so why try. Many are simply afraid that the malicious, dishonest frauds will target them if they stand up against their actions. The justifications are endless, but mostly they boil down to the fact that they either do not care or do not have the backbone to do what’s right. Thank God our founding fathers had more tenacity and courage than most of the people in today’s martial arts world or we would still be living under British rule today!
If the martial arts are not a lifestyle for you, what I call the warrior lifestyle, then you are doing nothing but playing around, period. It is just a fun hobby, no different than yoga, tennis, hiking, or biking. For real martial artists, the martial arts is not something they do, it is a part of who they are; it is a part of their lifestyle – the warrior lifestyle. These are the true warriors, the men and women who are willing to stand up and confront wrongdoing and say, “Damn the consequences! I will do what’s right!”
If you care about fixing the problems in the martial arts world, then you must first determine that you are willing to stand up against those who are destroying the martial arts from the inside and making a mockery of the art that you love. If you aren’t willing to do that, then why would you expect anyone else to?
I can’t tell you how many people urge me to continue to fight against the corruption, dishonesty, and malicious, underhanded attacks in the martial arts world. They send me information and evidence to “out” those involved. And in almost every instance, they follow that up with, “Please do not use my name; I don’t want these people coming after me or lying about me and trashing my reputation like they have yours.”
Why should I always be the one to stick my neck out to benefit everyone else, when others want to support me silently from the safety of the shadows? I shouldn’t have to, but I do it anyway because that is who I am. I am a warrior and I live the lifestyle that I teach on a daily basis. I have always stood against those who do evil and I always will.
Has it cost me? Absolutely. These people have attacked my family and my friends. They have come to my home and placed threats in my mailbox (and quickly running away because they are afraid to face me man-to-man of course). They libel me, slander me, and try their best to destroy my reputation. They harass my family and me on the phone and through social media and emails. But here I am, still standing against these trash, unfazed by these cowards and their cowardly actions.
No matter how strong a man is, one man cannot fight an army on his own. Too many good men and women are doing nothing, which simply allows these malicious frauds to have free reign in the martial arts world. If people do not care enough to stand up for what’s right, sooner or later, those who do stand get tired of the fight and simply walk away.
Why do you guys think we are seeing little kids claiming to be 3rd or 4th dans? Why do you think that everywhere you look now, there is some other yahoo claiming to be a martial arts grandmaster? Why do you think that you see martial arts hall of fame inductees all over the place in today’s martial arts world?
The answer is simple – because good men and women have not cared enough to put a stop to the fraud, the hall of fame scams, or to call these people out. Remember, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” And good men and women have done nothing for far too long in the martial arts world!
I wrote DEFIANCE: Exposing the Dark Side of the Martial Arts, not only to expose what is happening in the martial arts world, but in hopes of motivating and inspiring real martial artists to stand against these dishonest scammers and bring some sanity back to the martial arts.
When you see people who have never practiced Kajukenbo being given the title of Grandmaster in Kajukenbo (yeah, we all know who you guys in CA are), when you see first degree black belts being inducted into so-called martial arts halls of fame, when you see 10-year-olds claiming to be 3rd dans, something is wrong in the martial arts!
When you see groups of malicious martial artists attacking other martial artists to destroy their reputation or to shut them up for purely personal reasons, something is wrong with the martial arts! When you see hacks claiming to have been inducted in 66 martial arts halls of fames and claiming to be the “Godfather of the Martial Arts,” something is wrong with the martial arts!
When you see people bribing other instructors’ students by offering to promote them to higher belt ranks, something is wrong with the martial arts! When you see a highly respected martial arts elder, such as Sifu Al Dacascos train with me, verify my rank and martial arts skills, then get called a liar and attacked by dishonest, malicious martial artists because they dislike me, something is wrong with the martial arts!
These are not isolated actions, folks. This garbage is happening all the time in today’s martial arts world. The martial arts is said to begin and end with respect, but I see very little respect in today’s martial arts world. Respect, loyalty, character, honor, and integrity seem to have been forgotten in the martial arts.
It is time to stand up for what is right or simply sit down and admit that you don’t give a damn about anything other than your own little world. It is time to stand against those who sell belt ranks, fake hall of fame trophies, fake championship belts, and other egocentric worthless junk. It is time to bring character, honor, respect, integrity, and heart back to the martial arts.
If this doesn’t happen, I see true warriors stepping away from the organized martial arts, training on their own or in small groups, and refusing to be called martial artists, as the term has become tainted. I am pretty much already there. I only train for self-defense now. I will never again test for rank or be sucked in by so-called martial arts celebrities.
I take my lifestyle seriously and will not be associated with those who see the martial arts as some social club or sporting event. I will live my life, my way. I have done my part to try to bring character, honor, integrity, respect, wisdom, and tradition back to the martial arts. The question is, “What will you do?” Real warriors confront evil when they see it. Fake warriors cower down and say nothing. Which are you?
