KarateKen

You have some good questions @Furinkazan here are a few answers that I can give. I can't speak to what the motivation is for everyone when calling out a McDojo, but if is gives potential students red flags to look for and keeps them out of a McDojo, that is a good thing. If someone's primary reason for doing a good dead is to go viral on social media but also ends up helping someone, then the good deed did help a person even if that was not their first intention. Of course, it can also go the other way, people giving out bad info as to what a McD or McStyle is, which can push someone away from solid training. I think one thing that often gets lost in these arguments about a McD is that people train for many different reasons. Just because someone doesn't have the same training reasons doesn't make them wrong, or their school a McD. Also, people like to start drama on the internet, so some of these feuds might be just that. There are not many schools by name I have seen called out, more based on information of what to look for. However, I have seen one chain school called a McD many times, maybe you have seen it. United Studios of Self Defense. They have a reputation for being profit first, known for their high tuition and testing fees. I am not accusing them of being a McD (same with Z Ultimate, who is a copycat of United Studios) but that one has been kicked around a lot. I don't really bother with calling out McD's anymore, I am more focused on what I am doing and less what others are doing, besides I know people and schools are going to do whatever they want to do whether I agree with it or not. In the end I think a lot of the McDojo obsession comes from arrogance, ignorance, insecurity, and people who thrive on drama. Just my observation over the years.

Wild bounce back on Saturday to win against the Avs, handing Colorado their first playoff loss of the season. 5-1 was the final, game four is Monday where the Wild have a chance to tie the series. Ducks and Knights are tied 2-2, Canadians have taken a 2-1 series lead on the Sabers, and the Hurricanes have advanced, currently 8-0 in the playoffs for Carolina.

A few of the 2026 games have been announced. The regular season will open on a Wednesday this year, September 9, when the Seahawks host a team that is TBD (likely the Cowboys). Cowboys will face the Giants in the SNF season opener, and Cowboys will host the Eagles on Thanksgiving. No word yet on who the Lions will play on turkey day. There will be a Black Friday game again this year, and now the league is adding a Thanksgiving Eve game, which is TBA. The Lions will visit the bills in the second Thursday Night game, debuting the Bills new stadium. Some international games have been announced as well, week one between the Rams and 49ers in Australia, and week 3 between the Ravens and Cowboys in Brazil. The full season schedule will be released Thursday night.

Sabers take game one against the Canadians and the Ducks bounce back to take game two against the Knights, so that series is tied going to California. the Hurricanes have defeated the Flyers and take a 3-0 series lead.

To me calling out McDojo's is based on a few things. One, calling out scammers. Because they deserve it. Two, letting students know red flags of McD's so they can be aware and not get scammed. This is especially important for someone looking to join a school for the first time. Third, scamming and belt factories devalue all martial arts. Finally, teaching poor technique is dangerous for the students who can get hurt either by practicing the style or because of a false sense of security. That being said sometimes people are too quick to judge and call out a style/school without proper information. It becomes a style debate about who can beat up who. It is an argument that never goes away.

The Wild bounce back from their game one loss where they gave up nine goals to game two where they only gave up five goals. Problem is they only scored two goals and have been outscored by five goals in the first two games. They trail the series two to zero against Colorado as they now play the next two games in Minnesota. In the NHL Draft lottery, the Toronto Maple Leafs will get the first pick. Two through five is the Sharks, Canucks, Blackhawks, and Rangers.

From what I read from an online discussion of this story, not an official report, the AI facial recognition scan was on Facebook and scanned a photo of her off the Facebook page from 17 years ago. I also looked at a CNN report which states that the AI software "match" was enough for a North Dakota judge to issue an arrest warrant. The woman hired a lawyer who found bank records that proved she was not in North Dakota at the time of the bank robbery. The details of how that was proven were not provided. The photo that the AI tool was looking to match, and did match the Tennessee woman with, was from a fake ID used in the crime. The facial AI tool was from an adjacent police department, West Fargo PD in West Fargo, ND. The Fargo PD made some errors in using the technology (obviously) and have stated they will not be using the West Fargo PD AI tool anymore. The entire story about the AI tool is long and complex, but this is why you don't blindly follow AI, I mean it is Artificial Intelligence. I am generally pro police. I think cops should be treated with respect and they have one of the toughest and least appreciated jobs in the world. The news loves this stuff. They like running a story of police mistakes, it makes for public reaction. When the cops do a great job, which they often do, that is almost never a headline. I am also pro accountability, especially of those who hold a high position of authority/power, which the police and judges do. When people in power make mistakes, others suffer, and they should be held properly accountable.

I had a Sensei who was a guitar player for over 35 years, had been in some bands part time back in his younger days. I also trained with a 4th degree black belt who was a professional musician and would play in different venues around the country. I myself took guitar lessons for a few years as a teenager and I think there is a lot of overlap between learning martial arts and learning music. They both have an artistic element, they both have many options, such as styles of martial arts vs styles of music, they both require a lot of practice, focus, and dedication, you have to learn about teamwork and timing, and once you get decent at it you can create things in your own way. Plus, no matter how long you have been studying them there will always be more you can learn.

Yes, she is planning to sue for a lot of money, not sure how much. If she does win the lawsuit, the taxpayers will get stuck with the bill. I doubt there will be any repercussions by the Fargo police against the detectives, so far it looks like nobody has been fired or demoted. The Fargo Police Chief is retiring and has declined to answer questions about the situation, according to what I read. Repletely turning down on camera interviews and when asked about it at a press conference his answer was "we are not here to talk about that today." So....the police screw up, the lady loses her job and her house, plus five months of her life that was spent behind bars, the taxpayers pay out if/when she wins the lawsuit, and nobody from the police who created this mess are being held accountable. I don't know what it is like where you are, but nothing seems to make sense in America anymore!

The Bruins and Oilers keep their season alive with wins, both trail 3-2 in their respective series between the Sabers and Ducks. Minnesota is one win away now from advancing past the first round in I don't even know how long. They beat the Stars in game five and have a chance to close it out in game six at home on Thursday.

Rumors are heating up about a possible Connor McGregor vs Max Halloway fight on July 11 in Las Vegas.

Well done

Penguins stay alive by beating the Flyers, now trail the series 3-2. Golden Knights win in OT against the Mammoth, and that series is now tied at two.

The Avalanche have swept the LA Kings and await the winner of Wild/Stars. Lightning beat the Canadians to tie the series 2-2. Ducks and Sabers both win and now lead 3-1. That wraps up a Sunday in the NHL. Two games on Monday, Flyers/Penguins and Golden Knights/Mammoth.

You might have seen this AI story in the news recently. A woman living in Tennessee was arrested for robbing a bank in North Dakota because her face matched the AI profile of the suspect. She spent months in jail claiming that she had never been to North Dakota and was at home watching her grandkids during the time the crime took place, and had Uber eat receipts to prove it. She was later released on Christmas Eve in Fargo, ND, after it was discovered, she could not have done it. While in jail she lost her job, her house, and her dog. She is now planning to sue for a lot of money. What also makes this so troubling is the trust the police put into AI. Nobody bothered to do a proper investigation until months later. They just assumed the AI was correct and ignored everything else. Now an innocent person has suffered great loss because of an AI failure and failed trust put into AI by authorities. Then, once she was released from jail, the Fargo, North Dakota Police Department never apologized or gave her money to get back to Tennessee. Unacceptable job by the police. It is very concerning that something like this has happened. Hopefully people will be smarter about how they use AI in the future and it will teach people to not trust it so blindly. I have my doubts though. Many of the social problems we have such as addiction (especially gambling), lack of social awareness, and the loneliness epidemic, to name some, are highly connected to technology. All of these problems are getting worse, and technology is definitely part of it. You can gamble on your phone now. That did not exist fifteen years ago.