Fakes and Frauds in Life and Martial Arts

I was going to write this blog post about my recent run-in with a fake martial arts master. I made a video on it last week; you can watch it below. I found this situation so hilarious and ridiculous, and I really wanted to discuss the issues of arrogance and posturing that are all-too-common in martial arts.

For privacy reasons YouTube needs your permission to be loaded. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.

But then, within a few minutes of online searching in preparation for writing this article, I discovered that two of my courses had been pirated.

I have courses published on Teachable, in Karate Shrimp Academy, and a week or so ago I put some courses on Udemy. I have mixed feelings about Udemy and the way they treat their instructors, but I published them anyway for one reason: I want to help people improve their performance. And the best way to do that? Expand my reach. Offer my courses in places where people can find them. That’s really what it came down to.

But then, within a week of publishing my courses on Udemy, to have a student sign up for two of them and steal the entirety of those courses, and then upload them on another website? To not even get paid by Udemy for the sale of those courses, that this thieving student seemingly quickly refunded?? This is such a pisser.

What drives these people? Lying about your credentials to get adulation and respect from your peers? Pretending to be something you’re not just to get more sales on your books? Stealing other people’s efforts because you can’t be bothered to put in the work yourself?

Forget integrity. Just do whatever you need to to make a quick buck, right? Whatever you can to get that power and status.

It’s such bullshit.

And yes, I’m ranting, but it’s my blog so I can.

I have taken the necessary steps to have the pirated courses removed. And I’m contemplating removing my courses from Udemy entirely. And yes, this whole situation leaves a really bad taste in my mouth. But it clarifies something important:

These people: I am not like them. I have no desire to swindle anyone. I am not driven by power or status. I have no desire to make a quick buck at someone else’s expense.

I want to help people improve their performance. And I want to do so in a way that feels authentic and respectful.

I truly value people—and not these people, this martial arts swindler and online pirate—I mean people like you. People who also value honesty and integrity. People who have no patience for arrogance and posturing, and simply want to feel seen and heard and understood.

You are reading my blog. For some reason you see something of value here. And hopefully it’s the realization that I value you.

You are my people. And I will continue to do whatever I can to put you first, above my own self-interest. I will do that for you.

Thank you for reading.

Recommended Resources

Nutrition Makeover: 10 Steps for Better Eating Habits and a Healthier Diet

Build the foundation of a healthy diet through habits that are realistic and sustainable. No restriction or calorie counting!

Mobility Course Bundle

6 courses to help you improve mobility throughout your kinetic chain. Awesome for improving posture, balance, and stances for karate, and generating more power in your techniques!

Check out some of my articles on performance and competition:

Here are some of my articles on nutrition and health: