"Professor" Alan Thornton "10th Dan" awarded an MBE

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by Dean Winchester, Jun 21, 2014.

  1. Dean Winchester

    Dean Winchester Valued Member

  2. Ben Gash CLF

    Ben Gash CLF Valued Member

    I'll be glad to be wrong, but does seem to scream Walt.
     
  3. Alansmurf

    Alansmurf Aspire to Inspire before you Expire Supporter

    Never heard of him .....and lived in West London for the last 25 years ...

    Trained in Brentford ...

    Martial arts world is not that secretive .....

    Smurf
     
  4. LemonSloth

    LemonSloth Laugh and grow fat!

    It's in the Daily Mail. It's obviously legit.

    Seriously though, he claims he hasn't been able to teach for years because of an injury but is recognised for his work world wide...what work is this?
     
  5. Dean Winchester

    Dean Winchester Valued Member

    Soon as I saw Juko-kai I knew it wouldn't end well.
     
  6. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

  7. Alienfish360

    Alienfish360 Valued Member

    Maybe it's fujian animal, and he was never pulling everybodies leg all along?
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2014
  8. Late for dinner

    Late for dinner Valued Member

    http://karatekidzonline.com/interviews/thornton.html

    Says he got to aout a 5th day (questionable) and since then people have flocked to make him a soke and also a 9th and 10th dan (since as a Soke he should be given an appropriate grade eh ;' )

    Soke (if I am correct) was a term in kabuki theatre to describe dead masters. Not a martial arts term at all......

    Now we have the world "sokeship" council etc....so the slime spreads further. The same thing seems to be happening in kung fu circles now.

    What I will never understand is how people who are still quite young can claim these titles. Funnier still is the idea that there are now gangs of "grandmasters" running wild!!!!

    Wonder who got paid off for him to get this MBE when so many more deserving have been ignored over the years...

    LFD
     
  9. Late for dinner

    Late for dinner Valued Member

    Oddly he says his grades can be traced back to teachers in Japan but except for the dubious claim of an Isshinryu 5th dan all of his further teachers are in the US, Germany or somewhere else (at least from what he says in the interview I posted).

    LFD
     
  10. Dean Winchester

    Dean Winchester Valued Member

  11. Dean Winchester

    Dean Winchester Valued Member

    Last edited: Jun 21, 2014
  12. Alansmurf

    Alansmurf Aspire to Inspire before you Expire Supporter

    I lust wasted my time reading some of his claims /////// BORELOCKS ...
     
  13. Late for dinner

    Late for dinner Valued Member

    Last edited: Jun 21, 2014
  14. Dan93

    Dan93 Valued Member

    I have been training for twenty years in West London and I have never heard if him... If Ticky Donovan Sensei has never heard of him that tells you all you need to know. Pffft. Another disillusional wannabe... Amazed they didn't check the governing bodies to verify his grades and status before giving him a MBE.

    Dan
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2014
  15. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    Sounds a bit dodgy, doesn't it?
     
  16. Aegis

    Aegis River Guardian Admin Supporter

    Just goes to show how much research is done before making awards like this.

    I trained under a Judo coach who has been heavily involved in squad training for years, has conducted numerous gradings, officiated at competitions and has helped to run the national governing body. He's a 5th dan (to the best of my knowledge) and a very good one at that.

    The fact that this guy with what looks like a made-up grade and a fake professorship has been granted an MBE is a travesty if he hasn't actually done anything which his supposed peers have heard of/
     
  17. Aegis

    Aegis River Guardian Admin Supporter

    I've actually complained to the honours committee about this award. If the majority of martial arts, including some very senior influential people within the UK karate scene, haven't heard of him and if his business practices and those of the associated companies are dodgy, how on earth is he being awarded this honour for services to martial arts?

    From what I can tell, this is simply some guy who made up his own art, made up his own grade and made up his own academic titles but has otherwise contributed nothing to the martial arts community in the UK, and is now being rewarded for his self-promotion.

    I'm sure if anyone else wishes to contact the honours committee to express concern, this email address might be useful:
    honours@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk
     
  18. Alansmurf

    Alansmurf Aspire to Inspire before you Expire Supporter

    Go for it Ian
     
  19. Aegis

    Aegis River Guardian Admin Supporter

    Already have, I'm wondering if any other martial artists might be able to get in touch to say "I'm X, I've trained in Y for Z years and I've never heard of "Professor" Alan Thornton and have no idea what services t martial arts he has rendered".
     
  20. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    I've also sent an e-mail to the Honours Committee asking them and the Sports Committee to look into this case.

    I've suggested Mr Thornton should provide documentation to substantiate his claims.

    I'll keep you posted should I get a reply.
     

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