Not necessarily the finest of moments and, perhaps, I should reflect a bit on my own motives. Was my motive simply to start something with a specific individual? No. I can safely say that was not the intent.
Did I know the individual was going to respond the way they did? Yes. I certainly could have bet money on that one.
A simple comment that pointed out the individual’s habitual trash talking of others while boosting himself as holding the ‘better way’ really took off and had the cult-like behavior of this individual’s group on prime display in all its’ classic cult-like glory.
The individual took a jab, I responded, the individual took another jab, then another, verbally of course, then their followers joined in... Both students and non-students alike.
Cults generally surround a single charismatic individual that claims direct access to some source or secret knowledge or, in this case, the best knowledge.
A following builds up around them with no real reference point beyond them against which to actually test what this individual claims to know and many begin to echo the leader in their words, deeds, and actions.
Should someone challenge the Leader and/or the worldview they will step up to defend it, tooth and nail, logic and reason be damned.
Threats were thrown my way, along with childish insults, plus an invite to come and try their way, a classic cultish move, followed by more childishness, banter, and outright hostility... Over a single comment that would have been brushed off by anyone else.
Yes, I hung around, I contributed, my motives at this point? See where it goes and if my suspicions were well founded.
Others had told me of their experiences with this group and the individual in particular. Others have voiced their opinions of this person openly, but most keep some modicum of courtesy.
At one point a Senior within this individual’s group called for an end to the banter citing a quote from Chojun Miyagi, the Founder of Goju Ryu, regarding anger and keeping one’s cool while at the same time naming myself and another individual as the instigators and completely ignoring the actions of their Teacher and their fellow group members.
This same person had, previously in the conversation, suggested I shut my mouth and open my ears when his leader spoke, implying that I would do well to learn from what he has to say.
This is all basic cult-like behavior. Do I feel they are going to run off to some compound and die for their leader? No. However, to a lesser extent, they CAN get hurt should they depend on their absolute belief in what their Leader is showing and teaching them.
Without any sort of outside reference or even some more of pressure testing AND no real understanding of self defense law it is not going to be a pretty fallout should one of them have to depend on this for their own safety.
This sort of mentality is dangerous.
At one point I brought this up, but the notion was scoffed at. Laws? Seriously? That was their attitude, which was echoed by their Leader.
This after being told my skill was nothing, my life was a joke, and I likely couldn’t throw down if my life depended on it... All based on comments in a social media thread, one comment in particular which directly called their Leader out.
Never mind none of them had met me, none of them had ever trained with me, and none of them had any insight into my life or what I had or had not experienced.
Their Leader even ‘threatened’ to out my ‘past’ even though he, again, has no knowledge of my life on even a superficial level... Which is interesting considering all the stuff he says about other people, just how much of that is made up too?
Basic tactics to get someone to submit and a means for the Leader to maintain dominance within their circle of followers, not that the followers would break rank so easily, but they might start to show cracks of the Leader does not assert control in whatever form.
It rarely even has to make any sense depending on how much of the follower’s mind is given to the Leader via the ideology touted.
The Leader’s self worth and ego depend on skillfully keeping followers whilst amassing more while the followers tend to gain some sort of purpose from this dance, but it is always a one way street.
The individual shoots down any notion that they are seeking attention, then goes out and does interviews, puts on seminars inviting more people to ‘come and try,’ that it is ‘exactly the same as was passed down,’ and ‘the old way you will not find anywhere else.’
They find ways to go to other people’s events in order to get their name out their, even if the person has no idea who they are.
They begin to sow the seeds of their influence within other Organizations and Schools, drawing in even more under an unofficial banner that would become official at some point.
Some might even capitalize on this to draw from something mutually beneficial, even at the cost of a good relationship with their own Teacher, but that is how they tend to operate... Under the radar in some cases.
These groups are out there. Unfortunately they are not rare. They exist as Organizations unto themselves, but they also exist within pockets of other Organizations that are not necessarily cult-like as a whole.
Buyer beware.
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