Opinions on ATA Black Belt test video...?

This kind of farce is exactly why many people think that the martial arts are a joke. I can't even begin to say how sick this kind of junk is. It makes me sick. What makes me even more upset is that the people testing paid a large testing fee. They really believe that they are black belts. The ATA is smart in that they don't allow anyone that is not an ATA member to interact with their classes or events. They know that if they did they would be embarrasses and exposed for the frauds they are. Heck even old guys like me in my mid 50's would make them all look like fools. If they ever had the chance to train, spar, or do kata with anyone from any half decent martial arts school, they would never go back to that trash.

Those of you that know me, know that I don't recommend styles. I rarely ever speak negatively about other schools, styles, or individuals. But there has to be a point of accountability. By that I mean that we who are the seniors in the martial arts and know the good from the trash, need to speak out. Otherwise even more people will fall victim to this kind of trash. If I eve see even one ATA student or instructor worth his or her rank, I'd be wiling to acknowledge it. but I seriously doubt that it will ever happen. It boils down to the fact that the average person can't tell good martial arts from bad. And when someone new to the martial arts joins the ATA, they are brainwashed by them. They spend all their time there, never getting the chance to train in a school that teaches real martial arts. How sad it is for those of us that know better to see people waste their time and money on this. It is so sad to see these people on the street and know that they don't have a clue. The ATA should be banned from the U.S.A. For those that don't believe that the ATA is bogus, I say this..... Why is it that even the Koreans on Korea don't recognize ATA black belts as being legitimate? Surely it is not because they are intimidated by them.

When I moved to Georgia I found that 9 out of 10 of the martial arts schools here are ATA schools. Fortunately, there are two guys here in cumming that teach good traditional martial arts. They welcomed me when they found that I too do traditional and realistic martial arts.

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Clowns is right....... Seeing this trash does make me want to go in the local ATA McDojo down the street and beat the crap out of the so-called master. I'd love to do it right in front of his class. I'm not the kind of guy to do that sort of thing, or condone it. but still it makes you really want to. Problem is I'd get arrested. Not only that it probably would only make me feel good. Those there would likely be so occupied with thoughts that I'd attacked their instructor that they would not stop to think about how easily I made a fool of him.

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I'm still boiling. I remember hearing one mother tell another that she paid $300 for her little boy to take his black belt test. The whole time she was talking about it and was so proud of him for passing it. Another time I overheard someone remark that they had paid $500 for their black belt test. Makes you wonder what people would be willing to pay for a legitimate black belt rank? I must also mention that more than once in Virginia I had people come into my dojo and watch. Then they would tell me that they wanted to come join my class. The sad part is that they would then say that they knew that their class was no where near a good one. but they would then comment that they were going to come join my class, but that they were close to black belt. They did not want to quit before they tested for it. Even though they had realized that they were being taken, they could not shake the idea of staying until they reached their black belt. They would comment that they felt like they had wasted all they time and money if they did not at least stay until they got their black belt. but even more sad was the fact that those same people never returned. I guess they were to embarrassed. Either that, or they allowed themselves to get all pumped up and let their emotions overtake their common sense.

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I can not stand a thief, and that is all ATA is, a group of thieves. I have never understood how someone can fall for that. It should be obvious to anyone that has even seen a Martial Arts movie that is NOT Martial Arts. The Power Rangers have more in common with true Martial Arts than that crap. I would not have passed any of those so called black belts for a white belt, and we don't test for those. LOL

ATA is in the YMCA's around here, I was thinking about joining the Y a few months ago. There was an ATA class just ending. The instructor (and I use that term VERY loosely), saw me watching and tried to recruit me. He stopped talking and walked away as soon as I said that I was a real Black Belt in real Tae Kwon Do along with 2 other styles and not one of his pretend ones. He didn't even give me the chance to explain the difference. So I know some of them know that what they are spreading isn't the real deal. I have thought about showing up to a class and trying there free trial just to get in the door and show the students what techniques with correct form and application look like.

Now to answer your question, the world is full of stupid people, that are willing to believe anything that sounds good and is easy. Also people equate quality with price. A high price means it is the best to some people, it must be or they wouldn't charge so much. PATHETIC!

What the heck is this? Now I see why everyone gets so worked up about ATA. Their "3rd degree black belts" are the same as the "no-belt levels" at the dojo I go to. I just became yellow belt a week ago and would put these people to shame.

I don't even know how instructors of these places get away with charging that much money for poorly taught self-defense. If these students ever ended up having to defend themselves, they wouldn't be able to. The grown man in the class doesn't even do pushups and situps correctly. A regular gym membership would have at least conditioned them better than the shape they're in. I mean the two kids were gasping for air at one time or another during the video.No conditioning, no form, no sensible prices, no decent instructor. I mean the man was standing there scratching his neck and yelling "harder!" the entire time.

As many of you mentioned, a real black belt needs to get in one of those ATA schools and just start "showing off" their perfect form and kicks when the instructor isn't looking, slip every student their card, and move on to the next school.

Ata White Belt Form

OMG. This is why Taekwando has a bad rap.I watched about 2 min. I couldn't force myself to watch any longer. My yellow belt student would look like a Taekwando Master alongside these folks. Whoever their master is he is doing the good intentioned folks a big disservice. I couldn't do that to my students. How would they defend themselves? Where is the Taekwando? MY art is destroyed. Why did you have to make me look at this?

Sorry for the rant. Questions were rhetorical.

It is equivalent to selling bad medicine. It hurts the patient instead of curing them. I know not everyone who comes to our school is going to be a great or even a good martial artiest. Just like any other school there will be A students and D students and everything in between. These students are clearly not challenged and coddled and mislead into believing they are 2nd dan when they clearly have not even mastered their stances which a white belt learns first before their forms and ... I just am at a loss for words acceptable on Yahoo.

edit:

I thought it might be a one of a kind really bad school so I looked at a few min. of some of the other videos. The long bo staff form is one of my son's favorite forms so i forced myself to watch that one. It bears no resemblance to any fighting art I have ever witnessed. None of the strikes were strikes. None of the horizontal lunges were horizontal and the guy got a high score. Seems the ATA so far as these videos are concerned are far removed from martial arts. The full contact sparing video was a farce. It looked like a couple 3rd graders having it out in the school yard. So I guess in my humble opinion this is the worst martial arts I have seen ever.

I actually found it to be very educational. That is if you were to consider the video as a primer on how to spot a McDojo. Other than that, I really feel bad for the students, they seem to have no clue whatsoever about just how appallingly lacking they are in even just the basics.You can see the big kid giving his best and beating the bag with his forearms instead of throwing reverse punches due to fatigue from 8:12 to 8:30, his face was so red and he looked almost out of it, I thought he was gonna keel over dead from the effort, but he really wanted to finish it and it is that sincere drive to want to succeed at something that makes this whole thing even worse, that someone would actually have the gall to take advantage of these kids is criminal.

One other thing that bothers me, in the logo on the wall behind the students, while they were being interviewed, you can see the words Mastership, Honor and Loyalty, etc. I mean, it's bad enough that they're trying to pass that crap off as martial arts, now they even have to invent a new word? Mastership? What's next? Martial Artism? And what's up with the "Space Balls" hand salute before the board breaking?

First of all, I'd like to thank u Nwohio for answering many of my questions. Uve helped me alot.

Now, If ud like my opinion, I wouldn't like to criticise... I've only 1 year experience of Karate and not Taekwondo. I wonder if it's me or it was a bit slowmotion? Also, another thing I was wondering is if my eyes are fooling me that there is no hip rotation in the roundhouse kicks. Another thing I wonder... Is it really sparring if you're kicking like that? Lastly, are they bending forward while punching? O.O Lol, I thought 3rd degree black belts were many times better than me... O.O No offence to ATA practitioners... But there are some good attributes, like there is some rotation while punching...

Lol, at first I didnt notice the mistakes they did, and I was thinking what's wrong? That's when I started noticing the mistakes I said above. But now I see even more mistakes to top the ones I said above... 8:10 are those haymakers? I thought those punches didnt exist in Taekwondo.... HAHAHAH 8:20 I really couldnt help myself from laughing......

I only made it to 1:33 before I had to push stop...

I never would have made it past white belt in TSD if I looked the way they did. The lack of balance and posture in their stances was sickening. I'm not sure whether to call the lack of confidence and focus in the students sad or pathetic, because I'm usually not one to be overly critical of people.

I don't understand why anyone would want to be a part of what I watched in the beginning of the video.

-- I'm just lost for words on that at the moment.

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ok. I had to look at that a little more (14:00 - 14:40) after the comment from Aaron J. I just can't believe that happened.

:O IT BURNS!! Oh lord.

I didn't think it was going to be so bad, because I forgot for a second it was a black belt test, but when I found that out I just couldn't believe it.

ATA is a core reason why TKD is seen as so weak, and it angers me. Unfortunately it's still going to be time until we can really see places like that closed up.

Much of it is typical of a McDojo and also demonstrates what is wrong, to some extent, with martial arts today in this country with instructors misrepresenting things and taking advantage of a students lack of knowledge and experience. While some of these students are unsuspecting the instructor probably knows that you don't start studying a martial art and after three years are testing for a 2nd degree black-belt. The fact that the instructor is really testing them is more of a crime than the lack of quality and understanding as demonstrated by those inexperienced student's. In my mind they have an excuse at least while that instructor doesn't.