Here's the deal...
While trying to retain some diplomacy...
A) I agree with everything Jim H wrote.
b) CDT is/has imploded because it was a goofy idea- that squeezing people like CDT does will cripple attackers. Junk. Junk. Junk. Plus, the organization raped students with horrible fees. It was just a matter of time.
I first saw CDT in police magazines with photos of officers controlling muscle-bound criminals with pinchy/squeezy holds while they aimed their guns at other off-screen felons. I said, "RIGHT!" (code word for bullshit) It took minutes for street cops to figure out that was silly. It took hours for desk-bound "don't sue us," police administrators to catch on, though-so it had an hour of raising fame. (Just for the record, I have had an NJ, CDT guy put the CDT squeezies on me. It is just silly.)
c) Tom came into some money. (I am told by insiders he was financed by friends on Wall St?) I use to know how. With this loot, bankrolled the CDT program. Ads! Ads! Ads! These ads were in the martial arts school organization magazines like NAPMA, etc. hooking these chain schools into franchises, etc. This was the same business plan that keep Los Angeles Krav Maga afloat for years. (it too, is imploding from within, world-wide, for several other reasons.)
d) I am originally a New Jersey boy and I know lots of New Jersey people where Tom is from. He did a lot of combat hapikido years back. I know people that studied with him then and were quite happy and still speak well of those days. In fact, Tom's inner group of tough guys you often see in ads, are actually old-time hapkido guys and are a tough, athletic, cross-trained group.
People now argue about his credible rank in all that. I cannot speak to that, but I have been told since CDT crashed, he had to make Last Resort Tactics- which is...surprise!...combat hapkido in a polo shirt. With the implosion of CDT (ran out of the 50 suckers a year as I like to say, with these courses) he has had to re-invent the wheel to stay afloat. LRT!
e) I am told by that the hand, stick, knife and gun camps that I have run since the 1990s, have partially inspired him to try the same look and business. You see, outsiders think I am a successful millionaire from them. HA! Triple HA! Anyway, Tom has been advertising this style of camp in full-color ads for two years now, yet has not had one? Not enough pre-sign-ups. I can only imagine how expensive they are.
I too, read the Black Belt magazine article and had to gag. But, my gag factor is very high with martial arts magazines. I personally dislike articles that are thinly disguised ads for a person or system, and then impart little-to no education. That was one such ad/article. The staff at these magazines are shackled to their advertisers and therefore "forced" to run these articles. Just a fact of survival. Called "checkbook journalism." Black Belt mag editors started using the term "politically correct" self-defense for CDT.
Using the house of cards resume Jim H refers to, he smooth talks his way into the local FOX TV affiiliates and gets these little safety gig segments. Good for him. We should all do that and could. Go for it! And, no doubt when you research the tons of available crime prevention material out there and free on the internet, do a little cut and paste, his safety books and gigs are pretty sound information, I'll just bet. Good for him. But, as a business veteran, I know that crime prevention and safety does not sell to the public. It ain't sexy. its boring and frightening to people. You will do better selling vacuum cleaners. Tom has tried this route. That info is very good, and needs spreading. That was a good idea. This is the Training-for-Life series, Kent mentioned, or I think anyway. Probably the LRT will be smarter, because it is based on...combat hapikdo!
But, for me? ANYONE that would set forth CDT upon the American public, and claim it is as a self-defense system, in my opinion, can simply never be trusted again. Anyone that would fool my fellow officers with this pinchy bullshit? Cannot be trusted
This locked in his con man status for me, and he would have to do a lot of reputation, rehabilitation to clear that up. Of which, of course in the big picture, what the hell does he care what I think?
You know, he could just be naive. The world of full of no-experience, ain't "seen-the-elephant" people who think their crappy martial arts really work. Is he one of them? This, I could forgive. Or a con man?
That wasn't too diplomatic, sorry. But, I would welcome Tom to come on the forum anytime, clear all this up for us, and tell me how I am wrong. It is possible I have completely misjudged everything, huh? If you met my second wife? You'd see how big I can screw up. So, please just come aboard Tom and straighten this out.
Hock
