I was wondering how many of you were members of national or international organizations, and if you we're or are still, does it seem to you that politics has any influence over gradings or competitions?

Anytime you have more than one person in a room there are politics involved. It is a very rare person who does not work consciously or unconsciously to gain advantage by influencing or manipulating others perceptions. Personal preferences, opinions, bias and predjudice effect any group of people from martial arts organizations to knitting circles. Even Parents can have favorites. Ironically even treating your kids equally can be terribly unfair.

Hi all. Very profound words "oldman." As an "old man" myself, I agree that politics are everywhere. Knowing that, I have only ever joined one organization in my 38 yrs. of various Martial Arts training and that has been Burton Richardson's JKD Unlimited. It is based on performance and the development of the individual.
Happy Holidays, Ken

Burton Richardson is a good egg. JKD politics revolve around one thing mainly...$$$$.

I am the Senior Instructor/Executive Director of the Hardcore Jeet Kune Do Chinese Gung Fu Association. We do not force members to do anything. Everything we offer is available to all members, but at their request, not because they are forced to do something! I do, however, discourage my members from getting involved in the "politics" of Jeet Kune Do, simply because it usually leads to nothing but trouble! I feel that organizations are good, providing that they offer a service that is useful to the members, and their lineage is legitimate.