What is a pseudo-master?

Something that is pseudo is not real or genuine. A pseudo-master is not a real or genuine master; the master designation is merely the product of the person's imagination. Some pseudo-masters are self created; they fake their resume and credentials to make themselves appear to be masters or they "found" their own style and make themselves the master of the style. Some pseudo-masters are the creation of other pseudo-masters; a rank awarded by a pseudo-master is just as bogus as the original pseudo-master's rank.

Indicators of pseudo-masters

Another way to state this is, if you dress, behave, perform, write, and speak like a master, then the gullible public will perceive you as a master, even if you are not a master!

The following are indicators that compare pseudo-masters and legitimate masters. The indicators are not foolproof, but if you do a little research into the background of a claimed master you may find that many, if not all, of the indicators are present, which should cause you to reconsider you opinion of the "master."

• Pseudo-master indicators are in normal text. Legitimate master indicators are in bold text.
• Pseudo-masters make blatantly obvious claims to be the descendant or successor of some supreme grand master or style founder. If a legitimate master is a descendant or a successor, you will have to search to discover it. The master will be humble and not publicize or mention it.
• Pseudo-masters wear uniforms that would make the robes of a king or queen look inadequate. Their uniforms are usually covered with patches, wild colors, piping, silk, symbols, etc. They wear colorful head bands, wrist bands, etc. Pseudo-masters have large egos, but usually do not have the intellect, education, skills, etc. that would allow them the success needed to justify the large egos. To make up for the deficient, they wear clothing they think makes them appear special. Legitimate masters usually wear simple uniforms of the traditional colors used by their arts.
• Pseudo-masters wear belts that are extra wide and/or extra log. The belts are usually brightly colored and cover with symbols. The ranks stripes are wide, bright, and numerous. The belts are usually as preposterous as their uniforms. Legitimate masters wear simple belts with simple stripes.
• Pseudo-masters speak mumbo jumbo. They use terminology they invented or learned from another pseudo-master. They give complicated names to simple things or techniques to make them sound special. Legitimate masters speak clearly and use standard phraseology.
• Pseudo-masters are usually founders of a new martial. Since there are only a few ways to kick, punch, and grapple, all variations of each are already used in traditional martial arts. Therefore any new art is usually a combination of existing martial arts, or it is some existing martial art with new packaging. Legitimate masters are usually masters in well-established traditional martial arts.
• Pseudo-masters claim their methods and techniques are secret, banned, mystical, cannot be measured scientifically, rely on some special herb or tonic, rely on some internal power that only comes from years of training with said masters, are too deadly to be used by other martial arts, or use some death or delayed death touch. Legitimate masters use time-tested techniques that have been proved scientifically or in actual use.
• Pseudo-masters claims to be a professor or a PhD in the martial arts or some other obscure subject. A check of a pseudo-master's vita will usually result in the degree being a mail order or online degree from an unaccredited university, an "alternative" learning university, some degree program set up by another pseudo-master, or some foreign unrecognized university. Some degrees are honorary, bestowed by some supreme grand pseudo-master. Diplomas, just like rank certificates, are easily generated on computers and are easily obtained from Internet sources. Legitimate masters have standard degrees from accredited universities and have certified transcripts to prove it.
• Pseudo-masters have rank, usually high rank, in numerous martial arts. Like roaches, pseudo-masters seem to attract each other. They give each other rank in each other's "organizations" so they all seem like supermen. Legitimate masters have rank in one or two, may three unique arts that complement each other and do not conflict with each other. Just as you cannot be a true Baptist and also be a true Catholic, you cannot be a true believer in the concepts of, and a black belt in, Taekwondo, and also be a true believer in the concepts of, and a black belt in, Shito-ryu karate. If you truly believe in one, you cannot truly believe in the other.
• Pseudo-masters are members of some "recognizing" or "unifying" organization; some even operate their own "recognizing" organization. If you have rank from a legitimate organization, you do not need to be "recognized" by any other organizations. Recognizing organizations tend to "recognize" each other and the members of each other, for a fee of course. These organizations claim not criticize other organizations, styles, or people; however, this claim is usually used to indict others who dare criticize them. Legitimate masters belong to their style's regional, national, or international organizations and that is all, unless membership in another organization is needed for competition, such as belonging to the AAU to compete in AAU tournaments.
• Pseudo-masters are members of one or more "halls of fame" of "recognizing" organizations. Legitimate masters are recognized by their peers in their own organizations.
• Pseudo-masters are usually fat and out of condition, and have some reason for being that way, like a hormone imbalance. Legitimate masters are usually in excellent physical condition, whatever their age or medical situation.
• Both legitimate masters and pseudo-masters have concern for their reputations, and the reputations of their schools, arts, and organizations. However, legitimate masters strive to maintain good reputations, sometimes at the risk of other things, such as income, while pseudo-masters, will risk their reputations in the pursuit of another dollar. The most successful con men are those who are friendly, likable, good looking, seem to care, and seem to know what they are doing. Sometimes masters are too good to be true—so beware.
• Pseudo-masters, although they are now slow and use poor technique, have tales of yesteryear when they were the greatest fighters on the planet. You do not have to know anything about snow skiing to recognize a world-class skier on the slopes; even old ones still have world-class techniques. If you could perform a perfect kick to an opponent's head as a 20 year old, you should at least be able to perform a perfect kick to an opponents' abdomen as a 60 year old, or to the opponent's knee as a 70 or 80 year old. If you could ever ride a bicycle, you will never forget how to ride a bicycle no matter how old you are, or how long it has been since you last rode. Legitimate masters always use perfect techniques or, if unable to perform perfect techniques due to health reasons, will at least know how to teach perfect technique.
• Pseudo-masters usually demand some type respect other than common courtesy; they demand to be called eternal grandmaster, overlord, your highness, or some other ego boosting title that makes them feel important since they have no real authority or power. Legitimate masters only have your call them sir or ma'am or some other simple traditional title.
• Pseudo-masters have photographs hung on walls that show them with numerous other pseudo-masters. The photographs were usually made at one of the aforementioned hall of fame banquets held by recognizing organizations. To be photographed with a master, all you have to do is be at an event where the master is participating in photograph taking with fans; it does not necessarily mean the master knows who you are. Legitimate masters will also have photographs but they will usually be of them with community leaders.

Super salespersons

Modern pseudo-masters are super salesmen. They play on fear, cater to hope,and, once they have you, they will keep you coming back for more. Seldom do their victims realize how often or how skillfully they have been cheated.

Most people think that a pseudo-master would be easy to spot, but sometimes it difficult to separate fact from hype. Many pseudo-masters use scientific terms and quote (or misquote) scientific references. Many think of a pseudo-master as a weird, loud person with outlandish ideas, so they are fooled by the smooth talking, well dressed, seemly educated pseudo-masters. How many people do you know who believe in acupuncture, parapsychology, death touch, walking on hot coals, crystal power, pyramid power, the plants can communicate, astrology, etc.

Pseudo-masters are not promoting the quality of their arts, but their ability to influence people. To those who feel victimized by bullies, they promise relief. To those who feel victimized by crime, they promise to make you a killing machine. To the health-conscious, they promise good health. Pseudo-masters reach people by appealing to their emotions. The following are some of the ways they do it:

• Appeal to vanity. Pseudo-masters appeal to your curiosity and persuade you give their art a try and see if it works. When you notice some results, then they appeal to your vanity to convince you to disregard scientific fact in favor of your personal experience. Anytime a person tries something new, he or she will notice some changes and results; that how fad diets work. Usually people notice results because they are desperate for some results. Pseudo-masters will tell you that traditional styles are outdated. They convince you that although their techniques have been proven not to work for other people, they still might work for you—because you are special.
• Turn students into salespeople. Most people, who think they have been helped by an unorthodox art, enjoy sharing their success stories with their friends. People who give such testimonials are usually motivated by a sincere wish to help their friends. Rarely do they realize how difficult it is to evaluate any martial art on the basis of personal experience. Many people experience the placebo effect (see the next item for information on the placebo effect), where a person feels better merely because he or she has taken a positive step in his or her life. Since we tend to believe what others tell us of their personal experiences, testimonials may be powerful persuaders. Despite their unreliability, they are the cornerstone of a pseudo-master's success. Some pseudo-masters systematically turn their students into salespeople.
• Use involuntary actions. Pseudo-masters use the involuntary thoughts and motions that occur in people to fool the public into thinking that the pseudo-masters have special powers. Sometimes, pseudo-masters fool themselves to the point that they actually believe they have special powers. People who claim to find water using "divining rods" are in this last category. They hold rods or sticks loosely in their hands and claim that the rods come together when the person is standing over water. They believe that divining works and are unaware that they are actually involuntarily moving the rods.
• Use of fear. A slick way for pseudo-masters to attract students is to invent a problem. For example, by exploiting news reports of crime, a pseudo-master may convince you that crime is rampant in your city or neighborhood when in reality it is statistically lower than average.
• Pseudo-mystics. Some pseudo-masters claim they can detect "deficiencies" or "imbalances" in your body before any symptoms appear or before they can be detected by conventional means. Then they show you how their methods can prevent the problems. And, when the terrible consequences they warn about do not develop, they claim success.
• Try not to think about a yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Once the thought is in your mind, the more you try not to think about it, the more you will think about it. As a child, I used to fool children, and adults, into believing that occult forces were at work by using a string to detect whether or not they were telling the truth. To make a string truth detector, tie a small weight, such as a ring or a small pyramid shaped fishing weight, to the end of a string. Have the victim sit at a table, place an elbow on the table, and hold the other end of the weighted string above a spot on the table using just the thumb and forefinger to hold the string. Have the victim hold the weight still, just above the spot on the table. Tell the person try to keep the weight still and the spirits will make the weight will swing clockwise (to the right) for "yes" and counterclockwise (to the left) for "no" in response to questions you will ask them. Then ask the person simple questions to which you both know the answers. The weight will move according to the correct answer. Then try some personal questions and really get the person frustrated. The harder the person tries to keep the weight still, the more it will move.

Pseudo-masters use these human characteristic to fool people into believing they have mystical powers. They plant thoughts into the minds of people and then let the involuntary actions of the people take over.

• Character. Pseudo-masters seem to think that being a character is the same as having character. Character is earned through a lifetime of exemplary behavior, not from dressing or acting as a caricature of what a "master" should look and act like as portrayed in the movies.
• Hope for sale. Since ancient times, people have sought at least four different magic potions: the love potion, the fountain of youth, the cure-all, and the athletic super pill. Pseudo-masters have always been willing to cater to these desires. They used to offer unicorn horn, special elixirs, amulets, and magical brews; today they offer vitamins, bee pollen, ginseng, pyramids, biorhythm charts, aromatherapy, and much more. Even reputable products are promoted as though they are potions; Olympic athletes tell us that breakfast cereals will make us champions.
• Rely on the placebo effect. The placebo effect is a measurable, observable, or perceived improvement in health that is not attributable to standard medical treatment. It is a real phenomenon that is used by charlatans and pseudo-masters to convince gullible people that they have some mystic power.

Studies have shown objective improvements in health from placebos in support of the notion that the placebo effect is an entirely psychological phenomenon.

Doctors in one study successfully eliminated warts by painting them with a brightly colored, inert dye and promising patients the warts would be gone when the color wore off. In a study of asthmatics, researchers found that they could produce dilation of the airways by simply telling people they were inhaling a bronchiodilator, even when they were not. Patients suffering pain after wisdom-tooth extraction got just as much relief from a fake application of ultrasound as from a real one, so long as both patient and therapist thought the machine was on. Fifty-two percent of the colitis patients treated with placebo in 11 different trials reported feeling better -- and 50 percent of the inflamed intestines actually looked better when assessed with a sigmoidoscope ("The Placebo Prescription" by Margaret Talbot, New York Times Magazine, January 9, 2000).

Some "alternative" health practices that rely on the placebo effect are: acupuncture, aromatherapy, bioharmonics, crystal power, homeopathy, and reflexology. Recent studies have show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for pain, but the same studies found that needles placed randomly by a sham acupuncturist had the same effect. If people believe something will work, it will usually works for them in some manner. Look at the success of faith healers or stage hypnotists.

Pseudo-masters use the placebo effect to prove their off-the-wall concepts work. For example, look at Dim-mak practitioners. Dim-mak professes to use a light touch, or even thought waves, to incapacitate a person. Dim-mak techniques work when used on Dim-mak believers, however, when it is used on non-believers, it is useless. Most Dim-mak practitioners are not purposefully faking the effects; they honestly believe that Dim-mak works, so they produce the desired effect when a technique is applied to them.

• False hope. False hope is the cruelest thing that pseudo-masters offer because it can lure victims away from effective training. Students with proper martial arts training do not have false expectations of their abilities. They learn their capabilities and their weaknesses and learn deal with them. Pseudo-masters who give students false expectations of their abilities and waste the students' time and money. Then, when self-defense may be needed, the false training may lead to a student's injury or death.
• Confidence. Pseudo-masters exude confidence. Even when they admit that their methods are unproven, they attempt to minimize it by mentioning how difficult it is to prove mystical things. When they exude self-confidence and enthusiasm, it is likely to be contagious and spread to their students.
• Alternatives. Because people like the idea of making choices, pseudo-masters often refer to their arts as "alternatives" to traditional martial arts. But unsafe, ineffective, or unproven arts cannot be a genuine alternative to one that has a proven track record.
• Extras. Pseudo-masters often promote their art as offering "something extra" that other arts to not offer. Usually that something is the very thing you were seeking, such as a better love life.
• Association. Another clever trick pseudo-masters use is to include their techniques in a list of otherwise commonly accepted techniques to promote it by association. They may say that their techniques work best when combined with lifestyle changes, which in itself usually produces tangible benefits.
• One-sided coin. When students on a combined training regime (both a traditional art and pseudo-art) improve, the pseudo regime gets the credit. If the students do not improve, pseudo-masters tell them the traditional art was to blame.
• Taking credit. Pseudo-masters also capitalize on the natural healing powers of the body by taking credit for any improvement in a student's health. When you start feeling better, pseudo-masters say it is because of their art. An opposite tack the use is to shift blame when their techniques do not work. They tell you that you have not improved because your previous training has polluted your thinking.
• Rationalization. Pseudo-masters rationalize their own existence by making up rules that prove their existence. For example, the following are the words of "a Soke" and "PhD in martial arts:

• • "A person cannot win a tournament he or she created." TKDTutor says: Thus, sokes do not compete. If sokes do not compete, then they do not have to prove their claims in the ring.
  • "A person cannot be graded in a martial art he or she created. I personally believe such a person is above rank." TKDTutor says: Therefore, you make yourself god of your martial art. Since you are above rank, no one will ever be able to attain your position.
  • "Grade should reflect a person's skill, not his or her age. Just because a person is older, it does not make the person wiser or better." TKDTutor says: To attain a "master" status in an established martial art, you must train and work within the art and within the martial arts community for many years until you become a recognized pillar of the martial arts community. This takes many. many years of hard work, not just in your school as the owner, but as a member of the martial arts community in general. A grandmaster needs even more years of hard work. This means grandmasters are usually over 50 years old. However, if you are the "founder" of your style, you may make yourself the "grandmaster" regardless of your age.
  • "You should always train with a person before you pass judgment on them." TKDTutor says: When you hear statements such as this, you know something is wrong. Michael Moore says, "You should not judge my movies until you see them." Translation: "Pay to see my movie and make me rich." I do not need to train with "masters" to judge them idiots. Their statements, actions, behavior, character, etc. establishes their idiocy.
  • "If a person is 25 and has trained 7 day a week since the age of five, is the person any better or worse than someone who is 50 years of age who has trained once a week since the age of 5? Shouldn't their rank reflect this?" TKDTutor says: This is the classic rationalization used by people who do not have what it takes to achieve rank. While in the Navy, I heard this type of comment from sailors all the time when they rationalized their not achieving rank. In their own minds, they were just as good, if not better, than the higher ranks. Therefore, they believed they should be that rank. Needless, to say, they never achieved high rank and they could not create their own Navy and make themselves the highest rank in it as the pseudo-masters when creating their own martial arts.
  • "If a person's rules are different than yours, you should respect the rules, but they should also respect your rules." TKDTutor says: Pseudo-masters like to feel righteous. They say they respect your legitimate rank, so you should respect their rank, even though it is illegitimate. Thus, it is you that is wrong, not them.
  • "Never ask someone to do something you cannot do yourself." TKDTutor says: I guess a football coach should not ask a player to do something the coach cannot do. If this were true, all students would be limited to the abilities of their instructors. So, if your instructor is a pseudo-master with limited or questionable abilities, you will be limited by those limited abilities.
  • "If a person awards you a rank or title, you should accept it and say thank you, even if you know you don't deserve such an honor. Instead, prove to them that you were deserving of the honor." TKDTutor says: Pseudo-masters shower each other with ranks and awards. Thus, they justify each other's existence. Poor employees use this rationalization when they think they deserve a promotion. Instead of being awarded a higher position because they have proven they have earned it, they think you should give them the position, and then they will prove they deserved the position.
• Doctors and professors. Doctorates are awarded by accredited universities to students have met all the requirements for the degree. A honorary doctorate is just that—honorary—it is meaningless in the academic world. Doctorate degrees may be obtained over the Internet for a fee without ever entering a university classroom. If the degree is not from a recognized, accredited university, it is useless. Professors are college or university teachers who, through years of teaching and published independent research, have earn the coveted position of professor. To maintain this position, they must continue to be published researchers.

Many pseudo-masters claim to hold doctorates and professorships, but, with a little investigation, you will find the degrees are frauds or honorary and that the professor title is also self-appointed or awarded by an illegitimate organization. Some claim an honorary doctorate from a fraudulent college (you must be a rotten master if you can only claim a honorary degree from a diploma mill).

Some pseudo-masters have real doctorates, but this does not make them less a fraud. Being a expert in one thing does not make you an expert at something else. There are many doctorate holders who are in prison for fraud. Being a doctorate does not mean you are any wiser than an ordinary person. There were doctorates among the thousands of people who drank poisoned Kool-Aid in the Jim Jones cult in Guiana in the 1970s.
Some Internet martial art organizations bestow PhDs and the title professor based upon "life experience" or "work experience." If a person has been a martial arts instructor for many years and is a soke (often bestowed by the same organization), they qualify for an advanced degree or a sokeship. It is no wonder that these organizations are not accredited by any nationally recognized accreditation agency. If life experience entitles you to a PhD, then I deserve a PhD for having to deal with idiots. There are hundreds of public school teachers with BA or MA degrees who have taught school for 30 or more years, often winning awards for teaching. Why are they not awarded PhDs or professorships because of their work experience? What makes a police officer who is a part-time martial arts instructor so special that he or she deserves to be called a soke or professor of the martial arts? Why do they not seek a PhD for work experience from a national police organization? (One reason is because they would be the laughing stock of their precinct)

• Founders. Pseudo-masters are generally the founders of their own martial arts systems and thus are the "grandmasters" of the system. Anyone may "found" a system and install themselves as the grandmaster, even people who have not even studied another martial arts style. There are no laws that regulate the founding of a martial arts system.
• Disclaimer. Instead of promising to make you a good martial artist, some pseudo-masters offer to "cleanse" or "detoxify" your body, balance its chemistry, release its "ki energy," bring it in harmony with nature, or do other things to help you help yourself. This type of disclaimer serves two purposes. Since it is impossible to measure the processes the pseudo-masters describe, it is difficult to prove them wrong. In addition, the use of this specific terminology may help them avoid prosecution for fraud.
• Consult doctor. Many pseudo-masters suggest that students consult a doctor before following their advice. Since they know most people probably will not consult with their doctor, this disclaimer protects the pseudo-masters from legal responsibility for any dangerous tactics since they told you consult a doctor.
• Your fault. Sometimes the pseudo-masters will say, "You may have come to me too late, but I will try my best to help you." That way, if you fail, you have only yourself to blame. For students who see the light and quit the training, pseudo-masters the failure on their stopping training too soon.
• Cultural association. Some pseudo-masters ally themselves with religious or other cultural beliefs by associating their art with some prejudice in their target audience.
• Create governing organizations. Pseudo-masters not only create their own martial arts but also create "world" organizations that recognize themselves as legitimate masters, as well as other pseudo-masters. By uniting in this effort, pseudo-masters will be able to claim high ranks in numerous martial arts and have the "certificates" to prove it.
• Handling the opposition. Pseudo-masters are involved in a constant struggle with traditional martial arts. To maintain their credibility, they use a variety of clever propaganda ploys. Here are some favorites:
• Resistance. The history of martial arts is laced with instances where great pioneers and their arts were met with resistance. Today's pseudo-masters boldly assert that they are another example of people ahead of their time, and, as such, they are persecuted and condemned by tradition martial art masters. However, close examination shows how unlikely this is. First of all, the early pioneers who were persecuted for their arts lived during times that were much less scientific. In some cases, opposition to their ideas stemmed from religious beliefs that rejected anything not associated with the church. Secondly, a basic principle of the scientific method is that the burden of proof belongs to the claimant. The early martial arts pioneers overcame their opposition because the soundness of their techniques and ideas could be proved.
• Conspiracy. Pseudo-masters claim that mainstream martial arts organizations are involved in some secret conspiracy to discredit their efforts. They claim that these organizations are trying to suppress their ideas because they are so revolutionary. If you disagree with the pseudo-masters, they say you are disagreeing with them because you are a part of the conspiracy.
• Conflict. Pseudo-masters poses their opposition to traditional martial arts as a "philosophical conflict" or "paradigm shift," rather than a clash between proven versus unproven or fraudulent techniques and philosophies. This creates the illusion of a "holy war" rather than a conflict that could be resolved by examining the facts. Another diversionary tactic is to charge that critics are biased or have been brainwashed by mainstream martial arts organizations.
• Science. Pseudo-masters like to charge that, "Science doesn't have all the answers." That may be true, but science does not claim to have all the answers. Rather, science is a rational and responsible process that can answer many questions, including whether techniques are safe and effective for their intended purpose. Pseudo-masters are the ones that constantly claim to have all the answers. Science may not have all the answers, but pseudo-masters have no answers at all!
• Mistakes. Many techniques advanced by traditional martial arts have later been shown to be unsafe or worthless. Everyone makes mistakes. Such failures become grist for pseudo-masters in their ongoing attacks on traditional arts. Actually, "failures" reflect a key element of the growth of martial arts: the willingness to test its methods and beliefs and abandon those shown to be invalid. True masters have no philosophical commitment to particular techniques, only a commitment to develop and use techniques that are safe and effective. When one of pseudo-master's techniques flunks an effectiveness test, he or she merely rejects the test.
• Misdirection. Misdirection is what magicians use to shift the audience's attention away from what is important so as to deceive them. When faced with a criticism they cannot meet head on, pseudo-masters simply change the subject or attack the critic in an effort to direct attention away from themselves, much as the way politicians do.

Words of wisdom from some pseudo-masters

Periodically, I get email from pseudo-masters complaining about my definition of what constitutes a pseudo-master, questioning what gives me the right to tell potential martial art students that “pseudo-masters” exist, and even making threats of legal proceedings or physical harm. Here are some of their comments and my responses: