Thanks for your feedback John L,

I understand that I’m new to this and I appreciate advice from experienced MA practitioners. It’s just so disappointing to read posts from people like hunterkell and bossman, who seem to be constantly judging. They already have me boxed as some BAMA stooge already.

I was not put up to this, I haven’t discussed this website with any other BAMA member. I was surfing the web whilst at work and simply came across this site many weeks ago and have been following posts every since. You all sound so paranoid about this! I wonder who is really brainwashed here? According to Mark’s definition, guess you never really know.

If you look back at the posts, anyone that says anything positive about BAMA is immediately pounced upon, yet all negative comments are willingly accepted. People like Kaine26 also have very limited profiles, yet his comments go unchecked.

This is all so one sided. You guys clearly made your mind up from the onset and have no willingness to listen to alternative views. It’s like a school playground, anyone that’s different, or speaks out, gets first labelled, then attacked. Shame on you!

And by the way, nothing about the philosophy will bother me. I’ve read loads on eastern systems and Zen practice. I can understand how this stuff can frighten people new to eastern views. I’ll speak out if BAMA teach philosophy I don’t agree with.

Only now, having posted, do I understand why the BAMA instructors are not coming forward. There’s no point, is there? Some of you here are not looking for answers; you’re a lynch mob. I wonder if there is some personal grievance against BAMA being played out here by a few anonymous individuals and the rest have jumped on the bandwagon.

You guys are the ones giving martial arts a bad name with you judging, narrow-mindedness and…makes me boil!

I leave you guys to whatever makes you happy. Maybe more training will teach you to open up a bit. I leave it to Karma to sort this out. Forgive me for ever opening my mouth (exercising my fingers)

Please guys have a look at this Hypnosis page.
http://www.opencollege.info/qualifications.html

I draw your attention to this part

Members of the School of Bushido / B.A.M.A (Under Grand Master Chusan)

I, for one, am finding the posts between Black Mask on the one hand and Middleway on the other very enlightening. I also believe that Kaine26 and Therion are both posting considered, useful and honest contributions from their very different experiences/point of view.

I feel the questions of the history and background to the school are valid - whether or not current students care about them. If the school has a style/philosophy that has evolved from one man's experiences there is nothing wrong with that ... if every student in the school is aware of that.

The question of value for money is very much a subjective one. Especially with the issue of class size to be considered, this will very much be a matter of choice too.

My concern - and why I am endeavouring to do my own financial due dilligence - is that I am concerned that this is a very much a franchise business making "super-noprmal" profits from low marginal cost activities. Expecting students to sleep in a dojo for a weekend (marginal cost? £10 - £20?) smacks of a club trying to keep costs down ... but for a senior instructor to then charge them £150 for teh privilige ...

If I go to private lessson of a professional eg tennis or swimming coach, I do not expect to pay for his time and then clean his toilets. If someone is giving freely of their time to teach me and only covering room hire costs etc then I will gladly give of my time to help that CLUB in other ways. Especially because the club's assets are held in commune by the members.

However, just because a business is making excess profits does not mean it is illegal ...

I posted earlier in the thread as I was considering joining the BAMA but saw this thread (and another on a different site) saying how it sounds like a con as £20 or whatever is expensive for training even though it's one to one.

With the help of a few people from this site I managed to pick out an alternative MA and training (Muay Thai). I pay £4 per session twice a week. However, for private 1-1 sessions it is £25 for an hour and a half? I looked at another place nearby and they charge £20 an hour for 1-1 coaching.

So maybe the cost for training at BAMA isn't so bad after all, although the "sleepovers", gradings, etc etc seem to be a bit much?

Hi all,

I would just like to say that i'm still trying to get in touch with john alexander but i have found out that mr delane was a director of a business called the fitness farm in somerset between the years of
1990 - 1995.

Black-Mask

Hello Black Mask

I'm still conducting my financial research and nothing to share yet, but will report if I find anything of note.

Do you have anymore insight into this organisation?

Hi, what kind of insight are you looking for?

I do think that bushido is a pyramid scheme, i wish i'd thought of it. lol.
but as far as brainwashing goes it not a cult in anyway that i can see.
I can understand where people from outside of the school see's that but that's life, people only see what they want to.

my only concerns are where the philosophy and weapons and karate came from, don't get me wrong it's taught well but why pay for somthing that you could go and find in a book!!

and the history of the school is also a bother as any history taught is
non-existent in any japanese history searches!!

I hope that help's a little, if you have anymore questions please ask.

Black-Mask

Hello Black Mask

I think it is Pyramid scheme too - but I don't think there is anything wrong with it, legally. I, like you also, am concerned that it has pretensions to a history / lineage that it simply doesn't have.

From you time with the BAMA:-

1) Are the kata's published?
If they are, then perhaps they could be independently scrutinised. If not ...

2) Do you know how the senior members of the BAMA arrived at the Japanese-sounding names?

3) How long has Mr Delane spent in Japan?

4) What is his connection with the ancient feudal phenomenon of the Samurai such that he feels that his school is some kind of continuation of that spirit?

I realise you may not wish to detail any of the financial arrangements of the BAMA but it was the post by "thetruth" that caught my eye. If you wish to give some of the costings then we could assume some student numbers at the various dojo's and make a guesstimate of how much money they are spending. Then this amount could be compared to the level of training students could be getting at more ... traditional ... martial art schools.

I'm not looking to bash BAMA out of hand - and I realise some people prefer their method of training (small class sizes) - I would just like to allow as many people, especiially beginners, to have as much info as possible before making a choice on martial arts training.

Seems to me like the school is just a con. If an Instructor can not give you any history about the club, his Instructors, where he trained and who with then avoid the school. Another idea would be to get in contact with Combat or Martial Arts Magazine and ask them. Try E-Mailing combat@martialartsprint.com />
Cheers
Corruptor

I tried emailing them 3 days ago to get some answers - just as a few others on this site have. Shock horror - no answer as yet.

It seems that anyone who asks any question about history, formation of the art, and validity are straight away ignored and blacklisted on their spamfilter.

I wrote the email in a way that I would write to any institution I was thinking of joining. It was formal, polite, and simply requesting some details. Maybe I'll set up a hotmail account, and email as someone who is totally naive to the martial arts, only ask "why should I train with you guys" and nothing else, and see if I get a reply. Betchya I do!!