Okie Dokie Soke!

April Fools' Day seems to be the appropriate time to talk about some very modern history in the Martial Arts world. Specifically the proliferation of martial arts 'styles' being created and marketed to unsuspecting individuals everywhere. I do not intend to name any individuals, organizations or styles in this article and am not attempting to condemn any of them. I am pointing out some terms and concepts to consider when investigating schools to find a place for you or your child to learn a martial art. As I said in my article How to Choose a Martial Art, you're going to be spending a lot of time with these people, so make sure you like them!

Martial artists gather together in sites on the internet to swap links and giggle over the latest new styles to be brought out to the public. Such things are referred to as "Bad Budo", "Krazy Karate" and "Ninjers." When selecting a school, be sure and approach things with an open mind and a grain of salt. Many places that may be appropriate for youth in need of some structure and activity are not as appropriate for an adult wishing to learn a martial art. When looking at web sites, here are some

Red Flags and Abused terms (and what they really mean)!

Soke This term is Japanese word that is often mis-used as a title by individuals who claim to have originated a new martial art. You will seldom find someone claiming this title that doesn't claim to also be a 10th Degree Blackbelt holder! There are numerous Soke organizations that will register these claims and verify the title for anyone willing to pay the membership cost.

Properly used the term refers to the individual that has inherited, and is often named by their predecessor as the successor, a specific style. These are not going to be young men! It is used in a historical perspective to refer to many of the founding fathers in early history of the martial arts.

Large lists of membership credentials - Anyone can be a member of most of these organizations by paying the appropriate fee. Many individuals can legitimately claim to be the founder of an organization. All it takes is filing the appropriate fee in the appropriate state. Of course that is if they actually did any of that, or did they just make up a logo and some letterhead and create a web site? And if you visit the web sites of the other organizations named in a listing, you'll find a circular support group going on where, "I'll list you if you list me" in an attempt to gain credibility.

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