El Scott Harrell

Martial Arts and Parenting

Here is an outstanding article on children and the martial arts posted on another blog.  The article extolls the virtues of why martial arts training is important for children and the benefits they receive. I particularly like several of the references made concerning juvenile diabetes, heart problems, and other serious health disorders caused by leading a sedentary lifestyle.  Here is what I learned from the article:

Children of all ages learn
 
•  to respect themselves and each other
•  to be self-confident
•  to focus and maintain concentration
•  agility and  coordination
•  moral and ethical behavior
•  to avoid confrontation and temper anger
•  to physically defend themselves only when absolutely necessary

Thanks to ParentStress.com for a great article and a single parent resource with great content and advice concerning raising children!

Martial Arts related question... Can You Help?

Is success through martial arts possible?  I mean, can the martial arts develop the success mindset?  How and Why?

I'd love to hear how the Martial Arts (any of them- Karate, Te Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Aikido, Judo, Brazilian Ju Jitsu, etc, etc) have affected your life or your child's life.  Please send me your comments!

Karate Uniforms- Beware Oddessy Martial Arts Supply

True to my word I am going to post Ted's (from Oddessy Martial Arts) reply to my email.  I had orignially posted this in the comments section but I was afraid that it would not receive enough exposure for my readers to follow or find, so I created a new post.  If you are coming in late on this one, you'll need to read the previous post to catch up.  So here it is, Ted's responses:

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From: Ted [mailto:info@oddessy.com]
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 11:40 AM
To: L. Scott Harrell
Subject: Re: White Heavyweight Gi Order

Mr. Harrell:

Although, you didn't order the Oddessy Brand Gi.
Simply return your uniform for a refund.
Your satisfaction is our primary concern.

Thanks:
Ted

Oddessy Martial Arts Supply
9101 E 40 Highway
Independence, Missouri 64055
Phone: 816-921-3085

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uhhh... Yes I did... I remember specifically asking for the Oddessy Brand Heavy Weight Gi while ordering via the phone- I even gave the lady who took my order the number associated with the gi on the website, 04015-08, and she said that she knew of which uniform I was speaking.

Their website doesn't even include non Oddessy Brand traditional gis- how could I order anything else?

Notice how there is no apology for the possible bait and switch or even a possible misunderstanding and lack of updated information on their website.

Buyer beware!

Posted by: EL Scott Harrell | Friday, October 06, 2006 at 01:05 PM

In the next email from Ted he says:

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From: Ted [mailto:info@oddessy.com]
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 12:45 PM
To: L. Scott Harrell
Subject: Re: White Heavyweight Gi Order

Mr. Harrell:

I reviewed the audio tape of your order and she told you we didn't have the
Oddessy Brand.
But we had an alternate uniform in the size you requested and you told her
you would try that one.
I record all orders to prevent any confusion and to maintain quality
control.
But as I said in my last reply, we will gladly refund your credit card.

Thanks:
Ted

Oddessy Martial Arts Supply
9101 E 40 Highway
Independence, Missouri 64055
Phone: 816-921-3085

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I've heard this one before so I have requested a copy of the audio tape or at least the audio...

If he sends it and I am mistaken, I will retract this entire post and post a sincere apology, if not it will just prove my point.  I'll keep you updated on my own odyssey for martial arts supplies.

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From: L. Scott Harrell [mailto:lscottharrell@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 2:04 PM
To: 'Ted'
Subject: RE: White Heavyweight Gi Order

Please send me a copy of the audio...

Warmest Regards,

L. Scott Harrell
CompassPoint Investigations
In Relentless Pursuit of your Success!
www.CompassPointPI.com

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This is precisely the answer I expected to receive...

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From: Ted [mailto:info@oddessy.com]
Sent: Friday, October 06, 2006 2:22 PM
To: L. Scott Harrell
Subject: Re: White Heavyweight Gi Order

I'll be happy to.
Just send a check for 24.99 to cover copying and shipping costs.

Thanks:
Ted

Oddessy Martial Arts Supply
9101 E 40 Highway
Independence, Missouri 64055
Phone: 816-921-3085

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

We'll let the court of public opinion come to a decision on this one...

Oddessy Martial Arts Supply

It's been awhile, Dear Reader, since I have felt the need to conjure a hex against anyone or anything but this Voodoo Hex is most certainly well deserved.

The story begins last week when I ordered a martial arts uniform, traditionally called a "gi" from Oddessy Martial Arts Supply out of Independence, Missouri.  I was originally impressed (now I feel duped) by the style and quality of the gis they were advertising; their own web copy described the Oddessy Brand Heavy Weight Gi: "These uniforms are hand made, in Kansas City, MO, and are of the highest quality 10 to 12 ounce fabric. No other manufacturer..."

What a croc of crap!  The gi I received was not handmade in Missouri- they're made in Pakistan, they're not Oddessy brand, they're not heavy weight or 10 to 12 ounce material and in fact saveral other manufacturers do make them larger than a size 8, that's who they ordered mine from. 

I can best sum up the situation in my email to them this afternoon:

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From: L. Scott Harrell [mailto:lscottharrell@redacted.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2006 1:13 PM
To: 'info@oddessy.com'
Subject: White Heavyweight Gi Order

To whom this may concern,

I ordered *what I thought* was going to be a Size 8 Oddessy Brand Heavy Weight White uniform on 9/30/06.  Instead I received a Bold Look gi.

1. Your website advertises that this would be an "Oddessy Brand" gi- "hand made in Kansas City, MO."  As a Pensacola martial arts school owner I have a wholesale account with Bold Look and own several Bold Look gis.  My cost on that gi is less than one-half of the cost of my order through you; if I another Bold Look gi, rest assured I would not have ordered through you at twice the cost.

2. Your website advertises that the gi I ordered is $69.99- instead I was charged $74.99 plus $10 shipping.

3. MOST IMPORTANTLY- Your website advertises (I attached a copy of your page) that I was going to receive a heavy weight gi, "highest quality 10 to 12 ounce fabric," instead I received a medium weight gi.  I just confirmed the order through Bold Look that the 55/45 material is the inferior 8.5 ounce medium weight fabric.  The lady who took my order sure didn't offer up this little nugget of information when I specifically ordered the heavy weight Oddessy uniform.  This is a HUGE discrepancy in product advertised/ordered versus product shipped and is about as close as it comes to false advertising.  Perhaps this one goes unnoticed by new students or hobbyists but I have the benefit of experience.

I called this morning to discuss the issue and hopefully find a resolution but the lady with whom I spoke was less than pleased to be of service; to say that I am an unhappy customer at this point would be understating the obvious. 

I am sending the gi back to you at my expense and despite what the package insert or the lady on the phone are indicating regarding not refunding the shipping costs I am requesting, and expect, a full refund of my purchase to include the $10 shipping.  Anything less will be charged back to you through my credit card as "Merchandise/Service Not as Described."  Reimbursement of my shipping costs would be a nice gesture of goodwill ($8.50 via USPS Priority Mail w/ Delivery Confirmation).

Warmest Regards,

L. Scott Harrell
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What is so "hexolicious" here is that they are substituting inferior quality materials in the place of what they are advertising; I'd bet dollars to donuts that most people would never know or suspect the switch!

I feel swindled but I will prevail.

And before you all lambaste me for my spelling of 'Oddessy' yes, I know that it is actually spelled incorrectly.  Unless they were trying to be cute- it should be Odyssey. 

As of this writing, I still have not heard back from anyone at Oddessy, if they do decide to own up to this (at the very least I would characterize this as potentially false and misleading advertising) I will post their explanation here in the comments section. 

So without further ado, this Voodoo Hex goes out to all my homies at Oddessy Martial Arts Supply:

Voodoo, VooDOO, VOODOOOO!

Kids, just say NO to Hextra Large Uniforms from Oddessy Martial Arts

Martial Arts and Bounty Hunting

Many people who write me asking how one should get started in the bail enforcement industry often include their martial arts backgrounds as a lead in to the question at hand. I often chuckle at that- but one recent email did pose the question, “How will my martial arts background apply to bounty hunting?”

Bounty Hunters, I prefer Bail Enforcement Agents or Bail Investigators, by definition deal with dangerous situations every day they go to work. We are often sticking our heads into the proverbial lion’s mouth every time we attempt to take a bail-secured defendant into custody by serving a civil bond forfeiture warrant attached to a criminal failure to appear capias. It’s easy to forget that what we do on a daily basis, oftentimes alone and poorly armed, is a MAJOR EVENT requiring highly trained SWAT teams within most law enforcement departments!

In my experience, which is longer and more varied than most in the bail bond recovery business, 1 out of every 100 people I have taken to jail for a bail bondsman will react violently to the apprehension- but the violence ranges widely between simple resistance to someone trying to shoot me with a firearm of some sort. Luckily, 97% of these violent encounters do not require any use of force beyond the simple application of some “pain compliance” methods. Thankfully, I have only had to use an Air-Taser once and point my firearm at a defendant or a co-actor once.

What happens in these violent situations is that we must immediate apply the use of force continuum, which plainly states that bail enforcers shall use only that force which is reasonable and lawful, given the facts and circumstances known at the time of the event to effectively bring an incident under control. "Reasonableness" of the use of force must be judged from the perspective of a reasonable investigator on the scene at the time of the incident. A bail enforcement agent, who is authorized by the surety on a bail piece, who makes or attempts to make an arrest need not retreat or desist from his efforts by reason of resistance or threatened resistance of the person being arrested; nor shall such investigator be deemed an aggressor or lose his right to self-defense by the use of reasonable force to affect the arrest or to prevent escape or to overcome resistance.

Reasonably, I cannot shoot a defendant for resisting the application of handcuffs if he does not pose an imminent threat to my own life. This is where the pain compliance techniques that can be learned via many martial art styles or a system known as CDT® (Compliance, Direction and Take-down) are most appropriately applied. Simply put these techniques consist of low level stunning, activation points, escorts and compliance techniques that can be used to control another person without causing permanent damage; hostility management, anger diffusion and escape should also be applied when applicable.

“Standing Ju Jitsu,” Aikido and Judo are all outstanding martial arts in their real-world application in the typical scenarios one might encounter in most bail enforcement actions. They are my choice of techniques to use but it can take a lifetime to master each art’s own nuances and complexities; this may not be practical for the new or aspiring fugitive recovery investigator. Perhaps the next best choice for most should be CDT®, which is a personal protection system and not a martial art. Its creators claim that it can be learned quickly and effectively no matter what your gender or size. Most importantly, CDT® techniques can be learned and mastered through a properly structured training course in a limited amount of time and are proven to work effectively against any gender and body size. I hear good thing about it from my friends in law enforcement however, when the creators make dubious claims such as “the most effective non-deadly force system in the world” I have to stop and give pause.

Either way, when a bail agent needs to utilize less-than-deadly force by means of empty handed tactics, that person must be able to do so quickly, skillfully, and with reduced risk and liability to all concerned. The longer the investigator has to be engaged with a defendant or those who mean to prevent his arrest, the greater risk of sustaining injury or even death. Furthermore, depending upon a defendant’s actions or the situation, the BEA may have to increase or decrease the amount of force employed. The techniques discussed allow for the escalation and de-escalation of lawful force without causing serious or deadly injury and that’s a big plus in my book when it comes to reducing the liability often involved with going “hands on” with anyone.

This is the nexus between the martial arts, their real world application as combative arts and the modern day bounty hunter.

Scott Harrell is the principal of CompassPoint Investigations and the author of many articles concerning bail enforcement, private investigation and security via his websites. He is an avid martial artist and is part owner of Seikou Martial Arts Academy

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How has Martial Arts Benefited You in Your Life?

I found a short, but striking, article concerning martial arts and their benefits.  It seemed to make sense and I enjoyed the website's assertions that success in life and health can be attributed to the practice of martial arts.

Success Through Martial Arts

I studied Kung Fu, Judo, and Ju-Jitsu from the time I was 8 years old up until I went into the Navy at 17.  Looking back, I believe that I benefited tremendously not only in my ability to defend myself but in the areas of confidence, focus, academics, fitness, etc, etc.  I'm thinking of going back now (at 34) and have no illusions that it will be easy.  Hopefully I be able to find clarity, peace and tranquility in my extremely hectic schedule these days.  Losing a few pounds would be nice as well.

As always, I appreciate your comments and thanks for visiting my blog.

-Scott