O.K., there was a story on the news a while back about gang members joining the armed forces to get the military training and bring it back to the stree. I admit that I never caught the actual story but the clip got me thinking. This on top of hearing about terrorist taking MA training before 911 and other campaigns of theirs. Do these issues put a moral responsability on us as instructors and professional martial artists to know the back grounds of those we train. Should we do background checks, or is it something we have a right to do? I have my predisposed thoughts, but what does everyone else believe. Share the love...
This is an interesting topic, in that I have thought of this same scenario. I plan to teach in the near future and have concerns about teaching/training ex-cons and terrorists that want to use the knowledge illegally. Is it legal to have a potential student fingerprints or background checked? Does it infringes on their civil rights. While I believe that instructors have limited responsibility in what and who we instruct, what people do with that knowledge is on them. But should or can we check them out before accepting them as students? I know this doesn't answer your question, but I have the same concerns.
Anyone can do a background check on virtually anyone if they want to pay for it. Obviously the more information you have the better, but basically a name and a DOB is about all you have to have as a minimum. I'd hate to see it though, seems like everyone is chasing shadows when it comes to peoples backgrounds. I mean doesn't about everyone have something they'd prefer to hide from the world?
i get nervious when ever people want to start restricking the rights of others. especially with this whole terrorist scare and hystaria, it could be implimented out of paranona and not fact. but i agree there is a responsibility to the instructor to not train those that will use the knowledge for harm. but i think that has always been a possibility and always will be. that is why i think that beginners should not learn dangerous techniques, the kind that could kill someone, or weapons trainning. as they learn more and demonstrate discipline they learn more and more dangerous things.
I know one teacher who will do background checks on every student, many of his students are LEO's of some kind. but most teachers I know just go from their impressions of the prospective student from meeting and talking to them.
If you have serious reserves about teaching someone for whatever reason, don't teach them. There's nothing here that obligates you either way. But background checks? I wouldn't go so far. Do YOU have the money and time and trouble to perform those? Or is your time better spent training and teaching? And will it really stop anything? I mean, maybe they're clean now, you teach them, then 5 years later is when they opt to go crazy. And how will it affect you from a business perspective? If people know they have to get a background check before joining, I think that would turn a lot of people off. It would sound suspcious, it wouldn't sound right because well... it's not like you're being hired for some sensitive job, this is for most people a recreational activity... I didn't have to get a background check to go to the park, or join a gym, or go to church, or the movies, or whatever. Yet.... For the same token, how about offering a background check on you, the instructor? For everyone you check, you also get your background checked and revealed to them. If anything, I'd want to know my kids had a sound instructor, moreso than I as a teacher would want to know I had sound students. But that might be one place to consider it... before you hire an instructor, especially one that works with kids (given martial arts tends to involve a lot of physical contact). I supposedly live in the "Land of the Free" where people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. But every day we're becoming a total opposite of that. We are now all suspect until we prove we're innocent, and even then "we're keeping an eye on you." There is no more trust, there is no more belief that most people are good honest people (which most are, when you turn off the TV news and look at those around you). I think it's a sad state of affairs. One rotten apple spoils it for everyone, and it shouldn't be that way. I think background checks can have their place, but I think it's a poor shortcut for determining someone's character. Maybe I'm just reactionary to the state of the world today and the whole "you can never be too sure" mentality that makes us look sideways and suspicously at our neighbor. But I think I'd rather go back to just trusting people and treating people right, until they give me reason otherwise.
I used to be law enforcement and fugitive recovery. I know many legal ways and inexpensive ones to do background checks. Time and mony are not a concern by any means. And I am not asking for myself, but for the sake of provoking though.. And I know that the idea of American liberties and innocence is a wonderful thing, but let us all not forget the old addage... An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
This is a tough question. We have a right to preserve the safety of innocent citizens from predators and terrorists. The truth is many who are convicted cons and who plan on using the skills for bad things will not be looking to spend money on conventional arts,they have learned from other Really bad people how to fight and survive in the Real World of Convicts in Prison. Then we have the fact that if they are EX CONS who served their time DO WE have the right to stop them trying to learn something of benefit? Mike Tyson is an Ex Con,if he wanted to be trained in MMA to enter that world would you teach him? Will we set types of crimes or activities to be kept out of our schools or will it be if they are financially likely to use it in a crime? Tax evaders ?(Martha Stewart,convicted) Drunk Drivers? (like William Kenedy Smith,admitted) Drug Users? (like Robin Williams admitted) Murders? ( like Don King,convicted) Rapist ?(like Mike Tyson,convicted) Will we train teens or young men/women who may have records covered by the courts? Will we run hair and urine samples periodically? All those in the arts and some instructors are not clean and pure,some have problems,some molest children,some use drugs,some Drink to excess and drive,some provide protection to drug dealers,pimps and for other criminal activities. I am not sure people want to start investigating and testing possible students as it might come out and the law may ask to test and investigate some of those already teaching and Some won't want that. We could go to making training like having a fire arm and you must be required to register your hands ? I do not think this is a course we as instructors should go down as it will bring regulations no one will want. What about terrorists? Terrorists have the ability to train with some of the best trained fighters if they are true terrorists who are schooled and have traveled to Camps for the purpose of learning terrorism,they do not need TMAs or what most of us teach. Many in the US who could be potential terrorists will not have a record,Richard Reed and John Walker as an example,so they would get through a screening anyway. Terror training is available from those who incite terror acts,but as was the case with 9/11 terrorists some will seek specialized training like military combatives ,and like the terrorists when some one comes in asking for just the killing side and not the self defense side (unless they are military or LEO in special units) I would send them packing. Then we have lawsuits that would be brought from the ACLU and others who would gladly argue to shut you down for trying to look into someones background because they want SELF DEFENSE lessons. As Instructors all we can do is talk to potential students,see their needs and desires and if they are freaky in what they want to learn tell them look else where,most of us do not teach what these people are looking for anyway. This is why I laugh when people say they train to fight Highly trained criminals,criminals who may seek to be on the UFC pro circuit or something,lol,Criminals have other needs besides paying a monthly fee to wait a few years or so to use what we have to offer. Some others of us may have skills that would be more useful,for terrorist needs but as said unless you are in the military or an LEO they would be asked to walk. The solution to me is talk to potential students and make a decision based on the conversation and the expected needs of the potential student.
It was pointed out to me back in Hong Kong that there are certain kick-boxing clubs in particular that have a lot of Chinese gang members training in them. The police try to do background checks through some gym instructors and crack down on the individuals concerned, but the issue still persists and is hard to eliminate. I suspect such gang training goes on in other countries, too. I would wonder how much 'damage' a small group of individuals could really inflict on society just through knowledge of martial arts. I think the ballistic/explosive weapons employed in attacks have a much more deadly effect than some kicks and punches. I think we should worry more about hidden weapon caches than who's training in martial arts gyms. You could argue that background checks would have to be done in every sector of society if we were to try and eradicate criminals: who is entering the supermarket; who is entering university campuses; who is buying a cinema ticket; who is building up stamina on the gym treadmills. It's just not feasible to consider every location that every human individual visits. Remember also that in some countries you are already assumed to be a threat to society if you are just found carrying your nunchuku around in the street in an unlocked back (British regulation) nevermind actually practising with them in the local park (arrestable offence). I think the martial arts field vs the nanny state in this regard has already gone too far! I'm already wondering how I will practice nunchaku when I get back to the UK!!
P.S. I'd also not worry too much about a few oddballs training in the army for their own purposes. Living right next to the 38th parallel, Kim Jong Il already has a trained army, which could be put to action at any time. Some speculate that all those soldiers are also trained in martial arts too. This may be the most imposing mass-killing unit of human combatants that we should worry about right now. Pres. Bush's own background checks on Pres. Kim's regime certainly hasn't profligated any advantages in this case!
