Perfect Police Take-Down

As a martial arts practitioner and instructor, in particular one that teach and train this type of technique on a regular basis, it is really great to see a police officer execute a perfectly timed double-leg take-down. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

In case you wonder, we call this morote gari in ju-jitsu, but there are of course other names for it as well. Often used in MMA (mixed martial arts).

Down Syndrome, MMA Fighter

Here's 23-year-old Garrett. He's an MMA fighter who also happens to have Down Syndrome. His parents have apparently taken quite a lot of flack for letting their son fight in mixed martial arts against someone without a disability.

Although these concerns are understandable, I'd argue that there is no easy way to hold a real fighter down when he wants to fight. And Garrett here undoubtedly is just that: a real fighter.

And as this great, inspirational video says: "What do we see in a reflection?" Are we looking at an individual with a disability, or someone with possibilities? If Garrett doesn't label himself, why should we?

Make sure you visit Garrett's fight to read more about a young man who is a role model for other people with disabilities, and who also have begun teaching MMA.

Martial Arts Instructor Description

To balance out the naughty bit below, here's a very accurate martial arts instructor description. In my experience, it's basically a home run :-)

An accurate description of martial arts instructors at work...

Former Ju Jitsu Coach Indicted

Jujutsu - From commons.wikimedia.org

A 20-year-old Woburn, Massachusetts man was arrested in February 2012 and presented with child pornography charges.

The suspect - a ju jitsu instructor, Little League coach and a part-time employee at a church in Winchester - was indicted on the child pornography charges by a Middlesex County grand jury in april 2012.

It was later said he was a jiu-jitsu instructor, but that is apparently not correct. You probably shouldn't blame reporters for not knowing the difference between Small Circle ju jitsu and jiu-jitsu?

Below is an excerpt from the article posted in woburn.patch.com - you can read the full article here.

A Woburn man was indicted on child pornography charges by a Middlesex County grand jury today, reported Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone Thursday afternoon.
Raymond McAllister, 20, of Woburn, was indicted on charges of child enticement, dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, possession of child pornography, and posing a child in a state of sexual conduct.
A former Woburn Little League coach, jiu jitsu instructor and volunteer at St. Mary's Bible Camp in Winchester, McAllister was in Woburn District Court on these charges in February. But, due to the "serious" nature of the charges, the district attorney's office chose to move the case to Superior Court.

Feel free to comment below. Also remember to tweet and share the content. Finally, please check out our other news related site, Best Martial Arts News here.

Accused, Kung Fu Instructor

Kung fu - Illustration from Flickr.com

Since California have a one-strike rule in molestation cases where multiple victims are involved, a 36-year-old kung fu instructor may be facing life imprisonment. The suspect was arrested in March 2012.

The instructor, who operated in San Mateo between 1999 and 2011 is apparently accused of inappropriately touching two young girls (aged 9 and 11). Both alleged victims were kung fu students.

Here's and excerpt of what smdailyjournal.com has to say about the on-going case.

Wong worked at Tat Wong Kung Fu on 43rd Avenue in San Mateo between 1999 and 2011. Prosecutors say he fondled two girls, ages 9 and 11, at different times between August 2010 and October 2011. The girls do not know each other but are very similar in age and appearance, according to San Mateo police.
In the first instance, Wong allegedly took the girl upstairs at the studio and touched her breasts and buttocks. The girl reported the incident but the lack of corroboration led to no prosecution. In October 2011, the second girl reported an identical touching incident upstairs at the studio.

Feel free to comment on the case below or post any updates if you have any!

Tae Kwon Do Instructor Charged

Tae kwon do - Illustration from Flickr.com

From Illinois, wgntv.com reports about another one of these rotten apples within he martial arts community.

A 36-year-old taekwondo teacher and soccer coach is accused of allegedly abusing boys sexually.

There are reportedly more than one victim in this case. One boy was supposedly 10 years when the abuse started in 2005.

Tae kwon do instructor charged

A 36-year-old soccer coach and tae kwon do instructor from Cicero was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail today after being charged with sex crimes that involved minors, authorities said.
Hugo E. Davila was arrested at his home on Wednesday evening and charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault, according to Cook County State's Attorney spokesman Andy Conklin.
Davila also was charged with one count of resisting arrest for allegedly injuring a Cicero police officer during the execution of a search warrant at Davila's home, officials said.

The nutcase apparently assaulted officers during a search at his home? Seems like a nice individual for sure...

Anyone out there with more information about this case - any sentiments perhaps? If so, then you're always welcome to post comments below.

Kung Fu Instructor

Kung fu - Illustration from Flickr.com

A Texas based kung fu instuctor has been found guilty and sentenced to eight years in jail recently, according to http://scntx.com. You can read an excerpt below and get the whole article here.

Just want to mention briefly that - although you can read about quite a number of these cases here - the vast majority of martial arts schools are very safe places in all respects, and that all but a very few martial arts instructors and teachers are hard working, trustworthy and decent people.

That said, it never hurts do use some due diligence when seeking out a suitable training facility for your child in your local area.

Kung fu instructor

On March 16, area resident Ricky Earl Anderson, 48 was sentenced by a Collin County jury to eight years in prison for sexual assault of a child following a jury trial in the 199th District Court of Collin County announced Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis Friday. The trial began on March 12 and concluded March 16.
Anderson, a kung fu instructor, sexually assaulted one of his female kung fu students in his Richardson apartment on Feb. 15, 2004. The victim was 15-years-old at the time of the crime, and under Texas law, a child under the age of 17 cannot consent to sexual contact with an adult. The victim out-cried to Garland Police Detective Curtis Hale in July 2007. Hale investigated the case and coordinated the filing of the case through the Richardson Police Department.
Testimony showed that Anderson, who had conducted many kung fu classes over the years, lived and, or taught kung fu in recent years in Garland, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson, Royce City, Las Vegas, and Ft. Worth.

The good thing is that these individuals are caught and brought to justice. The really sad part is of course that this stuff is allowed to happen in the first place.

Bad Massage Therapy

Massage - Illustration from Flickr.com

Apparently he provided some seriously twisted, bad massage therapy...

The Norwegian martial arts instructor, in his 60s and described by media as a martial arts expert, have been jailed after being found guilty of a sexual crime against a young female student, according to vg.no (The page is in Norwegian).

It appears that the man indicated he could release body blockages in his "massage clients" by having intercourse.

Bad massage therapy

In 2008, a martial arts instructor assaulted a young woman after he claimed sex could free her of bodily blockages.
The young woman visited his long time martial arts teacher in order to be treated with massage, heat and light. The court noted during sentencing that the "massage therapist" had abused his position of trust and authority as a martial arts figure to get customers for his dubious "treatment"

Another sneaky old martial arts bugger abusing his position - very sad and troubling indeed.

Karate Instructor Accused

Karate grading - from Wikipedia.org

It may seem like almost an everyday occurrence that there's another taekwondo or karate instructor accused of a sexual crime of some sort involving a juvenile student.

However, considering the huge number of karate or taekwondo schools and instructors/teachers out there - it's more than anything a statistical thing that these arts are taking the spotlight more often than others.

Also, let us not forget that the vast majority of martial arts teachers are honest, dedicated and trustworthy individuals.

That said - one such case is really one too many, and it involves all martial arts in a significantly negative way.

Here's an excerpt from wtsp.com regarding a recent case from Florida:

A Sarasota teacher was arrested Friday on charges he had sex with a 14-year-old student seven years ago.
According to the affidavit, the victim, now 21, told her brothers that she had sex with John Garcia, a karate instructor at the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, when she was in middle school.
On Febr. 7, the woman told police in a statement that during the incident Garcia dismissed the class, locked the door, and sat her in his lap. He then began to fondle her and proceeded to have sex with her. The woman said this was the first time she ever had sex.

As always, feel free to comment below.

Crush on Karate Teacher

Karate - illustration photo, Flickr.com

It appears that a California girl's crush on her karate teacher in 2007 resulted in the man eventually being accused of a felony and a subsequent trial by jury.

The man has now been cleared by the jury of the serious charges according to pressdemocrat.com. The man was potentially facing 9 years in prison if he had been convicted.

There is definitely no winners in a case like this, and I can't help but speculate if this is a case that should have been brought to court in the first place?

41-year-old Santa Rosa karate instructor was cleared of felony child-sex charges involving a teenage student who witnesses said developed a crush on him.
Jason Bates was accused of kissing and groping the 13-year-old girl in 2007 during classes at the Finley Community Center and at a private martial arts party at his house.

What is your take on this case - or indeed similar cases of martial arts instructors being accused of felony sexual crimes and later cleared.

Accused: Top Karate Coach

Karate training - From Wikipedia.com

Here's another case of an alleged sexual assault case against a well known and respected karate coach, this time from Botswana.

Below, you will see parts of what thevoicebw.com has to say about the matter.

And by all means, let us be clear that being accused is not the same as a guilty sentence..

Police are investigating allegations against well-known karate instructor Andrew Dobolo, accused of sexually assaulting two young girls in his charge during last month's Botswana Games.
Dobolo, a Presidential award winner and viewed as one of the country's shining sports personalities, was the manager of the Gaborone karate team during the competition when the alleged incidents occurred.
Filing charges recently the girl's parents contented that on two separate occasions Dobolo lured the two girls aged 13 and 15 to his house where he sexually molested them.

So, what's your take on this? Does it appear that the number of cases is actually growing, or do you believe it's more a case of more cases being known to the public? Feel free to leave your comment below.

Taekwondo Instructor Molested Girl?

Georgia -- A taekwondo instructor has been charged and is being investigated by police after a teenage girl claimed to have had a sexual relationship with the 32-year-old man. This is according to northeastcobb.patch.com.

The alleged sexual affair is said to have occurred at the martial arts academy in Marietta as well as the man's Roswell residence.

Taekwondo Instructor, Sex Assault

Canada -- A former, part-time taekwondo instructor in Oakville is facing several charges stemming from a sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy, according to insidehalton.com.

The incident reportedly occurred at the taekwondo school in 2002. The victim was a student there and the accused was an instructor.

Stop the karate violence!

...Or: "Holy Batman, our non-violent masked intruder got a karate lesson for free."

Indiana -- Journalgazette.net reported about a man who entered a karate school in Fort Wayne with a Batman T-shirt as a mask.

When the 37-year-old man was told to leave by the instructor, he reportedly punched the instructor and was subdued.

The batmaniac, who allegedly had been mumbling to himself without anyone being able to tell what he was talking about, later told police that he had tried to give the other man a note with the words "Stop The Violence" on it.

Karate Instructor Facing Trial

Pennsylvania -- A 27-year-old instructor is facing trial on charges he raped a 12-year-old karate student, according to wnep.com.

The man reportedly was an instructor at a martial arts school in Pocono Summit, and it is alleged he had sex with the young girl in the girl's home in Tobyhanna on several occasions from August 2011.

School Employee Arrested

Ohio -- A school employee and karate teacher in the Columbus-area has been accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old student. The incident allegedly occurred in December 2011, according to 10tv.com.

The alleged victim's mother said the man was a physical education teacher and that he also was a martial arts instructor. She said the incident happened when her daughter changed outfits.

"Sexting" Taekwondo Teacher

Arizona -- A 24-year-old taekwondo teacher from Mesa has been jailed following a sexting sting, police said.

The man, who according to kpho.com was a 12-year-old girl's instructor, allegedly began sending the girl nude photos of himself to her cell phone.

Following the arrest across on October 27,  Gilbert police said the man admitted to sending naked images of himself to the young girl's cell phone.

Judo Instructor, 71, Arrested

Canada -- Believing there may be more victims, police have arrested and charged a 71-year-old judo instructor with sexually assaulting a female student on a number of occasions, according to thestar.com.

Police in Toronto allege the man sexually assaulted the student, a teenager at the time, at the judo club from the mid-1980s until the early 1990s.

Judo Instructor Guilty

Even though a staggering number of complaints have emerged for years regarding dangerous teaching activities in Japanese school judo - nothing has apparently come out of it ... until now. Here's an article from google.com (feel free to comment below):

Japan -- A Japanese court on Wednesday found a martial arts instructor guilty over the death of a six-year-old boy, a court official said, in the first criminal case over judo training in Japan.

The Osaka District Court found the instructor guilty of causing the boy's death by repeatedly slamming him to the floor during training, ordering the defendant to pay a fine of one million yen ($13,000), the official said.

It is the first criminal case filed by Japanese prosecutors against judo trainers, according to a victims' group, despite over 100 child deaths blamed on harsh training or hazing between 1983 and 2010.

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Have your say about these judo related injuries and deaths in the comment field below. It appears this has to do mainly with inexperienced instructors and teachers. What's your point of view?

Closing Martial Arts Schools

When martial arts businesses are closing down with little or no warning, it puts a bad name on the martial arts community as a whole and students and parents alike are left in the dust.

What is even worse is that some of these closed schools is down to criminal activities of the operators, or quarrels and disagreements among instructors and owners - often times "political" issues over power, control or money.

The following two cases are recent examples:

South Dakota -- A Sioux Falls martial arts school abruptly closed its doors Monday morning. Now, the owner of the school and parents of students taking lessons are accusing each other of wrongdoing.

Each side says the other took money and failed to live up to various obligations. And it's the kids who are being caught in the middle of a very different kind of fight.

The first word many parents of those students received about this dispute was notice during the school day that the vehicle that normally picks up their children to take them to classes wouldn't be showing up.

The Elite Martial Arts Academy was officially formed on August 1. Back in April, when it was called the Sioux Falls Martial Arts Academy, owner Tom Werner asked for $35 membership fees for students to join USA Taekwondo.

That membership allows kids to travel to national competitions. But according to former instructors, as well as some parents, those applications haven't been processed more than five months later.

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South Carolina -- When a Boiling Springs mom went to drop off her children at a popular martial arts business last Thursday she found a sign on the door that said "no more classes."

The woman (...) says she paid $1,132 to All-American Martial Arts Center in Boiling Springs on August 31. The money was paid as a six-month advance, but she says her children received only two and a half weeks of classes before the place closed.

The woman says another mother at the facility told her, "The owner's been arrested, and they're closing, and I said wait a minute. I just paid for six months! ... I paid in full.

Spartanburg County deputies did arrest (the owner) on August 16 and charged him with 2nd degree burglary, petite larceny and obtaining goods under false pretenses. Deputies say (the owner) stole jewelry from the home of one of his clients and later pawned it.

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What's your take on situations like this? Any experiences about martial arts businesses closing down you care to share with the rest of us? Feel free to comment below!