It's amazing how many emails and messages I receive from all over the world from people who are part of other's 'teams' in the self defense industry. These people are literally afraid to speak to me or some of my friends because their instructors FORBID them to communicate or train with certain other people, me being one of these other people apparently.
The fuck can anyone have the testicles large enough to tell another human being how to live their lives??? Seriously.
One of my more recent team members had sent me a message, asking me if it was ok to go train with someone else and the like, after a certain incident had occurred which prompted his questions: here is part of what I replied which has been edited to maintain anonymity and further illustrate purpose:
Brother, you're a grown man and you make your own decisions. You follow your heart and do what you feel is right, this has nothing to do with me. I never take offense at anyone, especially anyone on my team for training or wishing to train, grow and learn from anyone else and you can ask any of the guys. Matter of fact, Ville recently completed a 5 day course with so and so himself bro.... again, you can ask him yourself.
There are no clans here brother, there are no alliances, there are only people and the choices they make to evolve and grow for themselves and if you feel you can learn something of value there brother, then by all means, absolutely go for it. With all my heart I encourage and will always encourage you and the team to do what is best for yourselves and I will always support your decisions in the end as everyone has their paths to walk.
I'm no guru brother... I am no master, I certainly don't have all the answers nor do I ever pretend too... I just care about people and do my job accordingly in the hopes of bettering a world; and limiting Anyone of an experience that is in no way, shape or form detrimental to their or their families health would be nothing shorter of wrong of me.
Would take a pair of brass balls for me to run your life when running my own is hard enough. Would you be working for a restaurant, would you need permission from it's chef to eat, buy, cook, share food elsewhere?
With that said, go as you will in peace... honest man... Let me know how it goes, you never have to ask me for permission for anything bro... :`) I'm your friend, not your master or owner, you own your life and I trust you and the team implicitly and with all my heart brother.
Much peace and with much sincerity,
Rich
In my most humble of opinions, if you're part of any team out there regardless of industry - where the 'head honcho' tries to govern your lives, where you have to ask another grown man/woman for permission to do anything, where they tell you who you can and cannot train or even communicate with; unless it's a matter of national security, then they are telling you how to run your lives.
If they demand so much "loyalty', then you should be asking yourself why? Loyalty isn't demanded, it's earned through MUTUAL respect and trust and grows forth from a balanced relationship. If you're a part of their team then they should implicitly trust you otherwise, their decision to have you join their team is erroneously based, as why would anyone allow someone they don't trust to join their teams??? Doesn't make sense.
Enough with the masters and the gurus, enough with the titles and the hierarchies which belittles people and places them below others.... no one is below anyone in this world, we are all people, own your damn lives already. Unless you're a sheep and you need to be led and told what to do, who you can and can't talk too, who you can and can't train with, then wake up and realize they don't give a rat's ass about you, they only care about their wallet & you spreading their names for them; and you're in a cult, not a team.
Ask yourself, if you're not a part of their 'upper tribe', would the instructor of whatever "organization" you're a part of even recognize you or know your name were they to run into you in a mall or on the street? And you let them run your lives to boot???
Fuckin hope you're not bowing to anyone outside your dojo's either eh.
Wake the fuck up already. Really. Do some shit.
Sincerely,
Rich
Unfortunately, this is all too common in this industry. How about all the people I have paid lots of money to learn from, being loyal to me and not just looking for more money one year later? Hmmm.... I am only loyal to the people I am trying to make safer, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. I will take what I feel to be the best from many different people and will always give credit. All I want to do is MAKE PEOPLE SAFER and I will be damned if someone says who I can and can't train with! Amen! Lol. That felt good to get off my chest!
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