Be honest, do you look down upon it?

[Judodad_karateson]

I don't look down on them at all, but when looking for a school, I tend to favor ones with connections. The tournaments and the resources offered to a network of schools offer so much more than a lone school can.

Of course, there are plenty of bad feds, so..

[MAfreak]

i did belong to a federation, but don't do anymore. and its the other way round, i have to admit, i look down on them (in this specific one) because they are very limited people not really knowing or teaching how to fight.

i would never make it a matter of being in a federation to judge if someone is a good martial artist or not.

[wildbourgman]

I see good and bad in both being a part of a federation and not being affiliated. The good is that there should be some quality control when an instructor is affiliated to a good organization that enforces a standard. The bad is that some groups are not open minded and they even punish those that color outside of the lines.

The good with not being affiliated with a federation is that you can be free to experiment and use what works from multiple systems in the same way martial arts was formed. The bad is that you have the opportunity for charlatans and other bad actors to promote something that's unworthy of being considered a martial art. If a marital artist is convinced that he doesn't need to use good judgment, because he can simply conjure up a "Chi ball" and throw it at his adversary, then his instructor might not be the kind of fellow I want teaching my kids martial arts.

Oh yeah, to answer the question, I don't look down on the un-affiliated but I am instantly dubious. That comes from years of witnessing marital (con)-artist making the rest of us look bad. But being instantly dubious simply makes me curious about the background of the martial artist and his or her past affiliations and or lineage in martial arts. Every good martial artist has a story to tell, federation affiliated folks simply have a piece of paper to back up the story.

[bassaiguy]

Shotokan is sort of famous for its affiliation-snobbery and as a traditional Shotokan person from an independent school I have experienced this bias before at tournaments and seminars. Locally, because my instructor was well-known and well-regarded, it hasn't been as much of a problem.

I recently joined a small association that my instructors belonged to back in 80s and 90s. I joined in order to rebuild friendships rather than impress anyone with credentials. I have to say, I have been pleasantly surprised by the friendship and attentiveness this association has offered my little school. For the minimal affiliation cost it has been a rewarding experience. This is a multi-style association that does not interfere with the internal functions of my school, however.

Coming from an independent background I don't judge anyone based on their lack of affiliation, but I also feel that my students and I had better perform as well or better than the big groups in our area because I think there is a bias.

[Spartacus Maximus]

After years of practising, learning and training, one ought to be able to see beyond affiliations or lack of it. If somebody has good practical skills and is willing and able to teach these to other people, who cares what lineage it comes from or what governing body they are affiliated with?

How foolish must one be to look down on something for the sake of lineage or affiliation?

[wildbourgman]

After years of practising, learning and training, one ought to be able to see beyond affiliations or lack of it. If somebody has good practical skills and is willing and able to teach these to other people, who cares what lineage it comes from or what governing body they are affiliated with?

How foolish must one be to look down on something for the sake of lineage or affiliation?

I agree with your last point, but I would add that having affiliations and/or proven lineage can help folks that don't have a working knowledge of martial arts chose where to start when looking for instruction. Not everyone can look at an instructor and see what experienced practitioners see. So they can take some comfort in someone's background just as employers want to see your work history, certifications, trade association memberships, college degree, and references.

So why would I expect to have a prospective employee that provides a service to me to have a resume' and not expect the same from a prospective martial arts instructor that I might employ to provide a service?

I agree that associations or lack there of don't make the martial artist but it can be very helpful with marketing and proving to the untrained eye that you have a proven background. It certainly gives you an edge in the martial arts market.

[cheesefrysamurai]

I'm a member of a rather large organization and I could tell you I've never heard anything derogatory regarding stand alone dojos. Lineage is important. Integrity is important. People choose to unaffiliated or be stand alone and that's fine.

I've never even heard a debate regarding this amongst our members.

[bushido_man96]

I try not to stereotype on anything when I hear of this federation or that association, but at times, this is hard to keep from doing.

I was part of the ATA for quite some time, so I've seen both sides of this equation.

If I am speaking with an instructor or student, I'll ask if they are affiliated with any federation or association, and if they are not, I'm good with that. I like to ask, because then when they are talking about something like technique, or sparring, or forms, if I know what association they are from, then I might have some framework within which I can understand what they are talking about.

If they aren't affiliated, then I like to ask about how their techniques or forms or other procedures vary from what I've done, do, or seen done by others. It really just makes for great discussion for me.

[MatsuShinshii]

Being affiliated with an organization/federation has pluses and minus'.

I belong to a rather small traditional organization that does not take your pay check for everything we do. However I have belonged to other organizations that charge you for anything and everything.

The main point of belonging to an organization is that you have access to higher ranks and thus can continue your journey through the ranks. If you belong to a private school you may only get to a certain level and you have to stay there or leave and join another school because your instructor is only of a certain rank/knowledge.

If you belong to a tight based community that supports each other I see it as a benefit. If the contrary is the case I would rather go it alone.

And no I do not look down on those not affiliated with a federation. To be honest I look down on some federations due to their practices, McDojoish and pure business with little concentration on producing good Karateka and all emphasis on making as much as possible before their students figure it out.

I look down on those that invent more belts/ranks or create new techniques not found in their art to be able to charge money and only for the sake of money. I do not look down upon an individual that strikes out due to the issues I have listed above. Having a federation/organization benefits the instructor and their students if their main focus is on passing on the art.

[Shizentai]

I don't look down on people without a federation. However, I do look down on certain federations that seem more like a marketing ploy than a credible lineage. Even if you're part of those though, I don't look down on the individual. Sometimes I feel bad for the victim, but not looking down.