A chap I know trains with this group in the UK.

I looked on the EKGB site to see if they were a member but couldn't see them.

Anyone know anything about them?

http://www.bushido.uk.com/index.htm

Do a search for the name in Google, there were plenty of hits, that's just one. (Dunno if that's where your pal trains).

Do you know who the Chief Instructor is or where they are based?

Thank you both for your responses.

They seem to have several bases. Some definately in Gloucestershire / Herfordshire the other in Nottingham.

I have looked at several of the websites, and was slightly concerned as to what they teach (all the sites are the same template as well) as I have never heard of some of the styles (maybe you guys could help defining some of these, especially "fist of the bamboo spear"!)

They claim to be visited / led by someone called Master Chusan, who I have never heard of (I don't claim to know or heard of every head of school in martial arts in the UK, but I've got a reasonable grasp of most of them).

But what concerned me most of all is the price that my mate is paying. Approx £25 / hr for one to one tuition.

So then, not a member of the EKGB, high prices, uncommon styles, one on one tuition, a cynical person may begin to ask whats going on.

I hope someone proves me wrong, as my mate is a nice bloke and I don't want to see him wasting money.

I guess you could point out how much training he *could* get for his £25 a week.

Private tuition isn't so unusual I suppose, but it is usually seen as an adjunct to a class based session, so far as I can tell. (The local Wing Chun club insists on a one to one session once a week, but members get two class sessions too, afaik). Alarm bells also rang for me when the site promised "faster advancement" than other arts because of the one to ones.

On the other hand. all I can say really is that it wouldn't be for me - maybe your friend likes the way these guys do things, and really, that's for him to decide.

But still... £25... I'd be taking a couple of kickboxing sessions, maybe a silat session, some BJJ... hell, I'd probably have money for a pint on the way home too....

I am a Director of the EKGB and they are not affilliated to the Governing Body in any way that I can tell. I know most senior Instructors, groups and Associations in the UK and never heard of these people, their Martial Arts are ALL unrecognisable as well. I have certainly never heard of "Master Chusan"

I would be VERY wary of these people.

I have circulated the web site address to the rest of the EKGB Management Board for comment. I'll update you if any information is forthcoming.

Thanks Bossman. I look forward to hearing the comittee's thoughts.

I've spoken to my mate whose going to ask them a few questions when he next trains, such as liscencing, membership of governing body, insurance and history ......

He also descibed his first lesson which involved listening to a message from 'Master Chusan' and then a short demonstration from your personal instructor. No actual participation until you signed up!

The more he described it the more the whole set up sounded very familiar. It appears to me that this is a 'pyramid' selling system (which could explain the high prices).

I hope that there are members of the Bushido Acadamy of Martial Arts out there reading this thread and I invite them to reply to the points that have been raised.

PS My friend will reconsider his training programme next week ......

If anyone's still intersted in this topic I just found
www.bushidoacademy.info

Which has more information, based in Swindon, headed by a Pete Delane.

Since we're talking about them, would anyone have any objection to me pointing them in the direction of this forum?

No I'm happy for you to do that.

Regds
Mr V