This is sure to be a controversial article, although it does not intend to be one.
I have written a few articles about severing familial relationships within the martial arts–the Filipino Martial Arts, in particular. And let’s put this out up front. I strongly disagree with teachers awarding rank and then taking it away–even the passive-aggressive, labeling of one’s rank invalid or “outdated”. Matter of fact, I dislike this practice and consider it spineless, dishonest and cowardly. I’ll say this to any Master’s face, any Grandmaster’s face, or any of their lackeys.
And, yes, any student who sticks by a Master who does this is a lackey.
Now don’t get me wrong. I myself have disowned a student for bad behavior. I do it frequently. I expel, I suspend privileges, I set them free, I sever the relationship. But as one who takes immense pride in what I teach and the skill my students achieve under me–I would be a FOOL to say “this man studied from me for 5/10/20 years and doesn’t know what he’s doing.” If I trained a man that long and then say he sucks, what does that say about the quality of my teaching? Sure, relationships sour. Even relationships among siblings or classmates, or worse, teachers and parents–can go wrong. But can you imagine a man saying to the child he once held in the palm of his hand, “You are not mine, you’re not a REAL member of this family–in fact, change your name.” It’s crazy, and only the Creator of the Universe can take away someone’s knowledge and lineage. Who do you think you are?
Someone needs a reality check. I’m waiting for a former student to say to his rank-revoking Master, “Fuck you, and if you think I suck, come and TAKE my certificate from me…” Go ahead, I’ll wait.
If you would like to get a glimpse of what I’ve said about this subject, please see this article. I devoted it to one GM in particular, but I was making a statement about all who engage in this very hurtful practice.
This student gave you his LIFE for years at a time, placed all his trust and faith in self preservation in the art you are teaching, placed his family’s safety in your words and your imagination (cause all of our arts are rooted somewhat in our imagination)–and you invalidate all of that by telling him his learning was a waste of time? WTF. If the student and you fell out, expel him. But your art is now his, leave him be. No need to slander him, ruin his reputation, render him unable to feed himself and his family. Asshole.
I have long admired the Pekiti Tirsia system, going all the way back to the PT Arnis days, when GM Leo Gaje and his uncle Nene Tortal were still together. I admired them. I admired Master Gaje all the way back in the NYC days. You may not know this, but 1/3 of my Eskrima knowledge is in a style my Grandfather called “pikiti”. Is it related to the Tortal family’s style? Probably, but what I do only closely resembles their style. I have been friends with an early endorsed PT Master, Greg Alland, going back some 30 years. I’ve sought his advice, his input and even sparred with him. I like the system, but not the mystique they keep, and damn sure not the politics and business model.
Back to Master Waid. I don’t know him, but I have seen him around for 20+ years. He’s very good. He has a great reputation among not just his students but other Masters, both friends and rivals. From here, it looks like he lent PTK the foundation to their semi-military look. You have to give a man credit. Not everything good in a system filters from the top down, and you must give credit its due. PTK has undergone several facelifts and Tim Waid was there for the “Commando” phase, and he was damn good at it. So what happened?
I’ll tell you what happened.
The funny thing about FMA guys, they are so quick to show off what the hell they know and what they can do, you can research anyone and their ability online now. I judge people 99% on fighting ability, not demonstration skill. But people rarely put fighting skill into video clips, so we must rely on what we know of fighting, and see from someone’s movement if they can throw down or not. Most of you reading this blog don’t have as good an eye for that shit, so you probably think Tony Jaa is a great fighter, and think Steven Segal is all fluff. So this next statement may not hold true for you… But as a fighter, in my opinion, I have yet to see any PTK guy in recent times (besides some of the guys from the 70s/80s–but that’s not recent) who look like they can throw down the way Mr. Waid can. If you are offended by this statement, go find Mr. Waid and record yourself kicking his ass–or come to California and kick mine–and we can address your hurt feelings over lunch. In my opinion, Tim Waid was one of the best instructors around and it probably made him some enemies. He did what he does, and few others–possibly even GM Gaje himself–could do it better. He’s not the chicken-blood kind of guy. He doesn’t wear skirts and dance around to Kulintang music. He isn’t fast talking. He probably doesn’t have a model’s portfolio. He isn’t going to win any “Poging Pinoy” contests. He doesn’t talk about 8 generations back, secret techniques, or original anything. But if you want to learn to put a man in the grave–or stop a man trying to put YOU in the grave–my guess is, he’s the one you wanna go see. I would think that many attendees would arrive for training and only want to learn from him. Having someone like that won’t hurt the money. It doesn’t take away from the system, as long as this person is loyal. But it may hurt the ego. So they probably come to learn from Waid. Recording a fantastied reality show about the arts and you need ratings to go up? See someone else. See, he had the military credentials, the actual experience doing this stuff, and the background and skill at teaching it. If he wanted to, he could take his education, go off on his own and start his own stuff and rename the art, disown his teachers and classmates, declare himself the best and make a living doing his shit on his own.
But he didn’t. That’s all you need to know.
And now he doesn’t have a valid, “approved” PTK credentials. Ho hum. It’s not like anyone who learns from him ever asked to see his creds.
When it was over, people flocked to the internet to slam his name or defend it, or just sit by and jerk off to the melee that ensued concerning his relationship with Pekiti Tirsia. I can tell you this: I have yet to see ONE WORD of critique or anger from Master Waid or his crew.
And that’s all you need to know.
My friends, conflict can be good for business. But it’s bad for you, your respect, and the confidence people have in you and your character. Take the high road, no matter what is thrown at you, and always, always–let your skill speak for itself.
Knowledge and skill are not an objects you can demand back when you are having menstrual moments. If it comes down to it, regardless of what happened between you, end the relationship, but keep your dignity. This is what separates the martial artists from the side showmen.
One last thing: Sometimes, when you’re the best of your generation, others around you who aren’t so good will want to dim your light (or throw shade over it) because they are concerned that no one will notice them–or see how bright their light is. This is why many of your teachers never tell you about who the best fighters in their youth were, nor do they introduce you to them. If you look at 99% of martial arts resumes out there, you will rarely see classmates discussed in those histories. As if the lineage only contained themselves and their teachers. Because to them, that’s all that mattered. And sometimes, sadly, your worst competition will be your own teacher. Of course, this is only my opinion.
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