Am I Too Brutally Honest About My Views inside the Martial Arts World? - By Sensei Liam Musiak

This is a question I’ve been asked more than once — sometimes genuinely, sometimes as criticism:

“Are you too brutally honest about your views on the martial arts world?”

My honest answer is: yes — I probably am.

And I’m aware of it.

But there is a reason for that honesty, and it isn’t ego, anger, or a desire to offend people.

Yes, I Can Be Brutally Honest — By Choice

I don’t soften my opinions to make them easier to hear. I don’t wrap criticism in tradition, hierarchy, or polite silence. And I don’t pretend problems don’t exist just because they make people uncomfortable.

That does mean I can come across as blunt, confrontational, or even offensive.

I accept that.

But the alternative — saying nothing, or watering down the truth to protect feelings — is exactly how martial arts stagnate.

Progress does not come from comfort. It comes from honest confrontation with reality.

Why That Honesty Matters

The martial arts world has a long-standing issue with:

• Treating questioning as disrespect

• Treating lineage as immunity

• Treating founders as infallible

• Treating criticism as ego or insubordination

Those systems don’t improve because no one is willing to challenge them openly. Silence is mistaken for humility. Obedience is mistaken for respect.

I refuse to participate in that.

If a system works, it should survive scrutiny.

If it doesn’t, it should change.

And if pointing that out makes people uncomfortable, that discomfort is part of growth — not something to be avoided.

Offence Is Sometimes the Cost of Progress

I genuinely do not go out of my way to offend people. But I also understand something many don’t want to accept:

Progress often requires risking offence.

If every idea has to pass through the filter of “will this upset someone?”, nothing meaningful ever changes. Every major shift in martial arts history came from someone being labelled disrespectful, arrogant, or dangerous to tradition.

I would rather be honest and offensive than polite and dishonest.

That doesn’t mean I believe I’m always right.

It means I’m willing to be challenged, corrected, and improved — openly.

An Apology — With Context

So yes, if my honesty has offended anyone, I do apologise.

Not for the ideas themselves, but for how confronting they may feel.

However, I won’t apologise for questioning systems, challenging dogma, or refusing to treat martial arts as sacred and untouchable. People’s safety matters more than tradition. Reality matters more than rank.

If my views spark debate, discomfort, or pushback — that’s not failure. That’s dialogue.

Where I Stand

I believe martial arts should be:

• Honest

• Testable

• Evolving

• Grounded in reality

I believe instructors should welcome criticism, not fear it.

I believe lineage should provide context, not authority.

And I believe respect should never be used to shut down progress.

If that makes me “too brutally honest,” then so be it.

I would rather be honest and uncomfortable than polite and stagnant.

Because martial arts don’t move forward by staying quiet —

they move forward when someone is willing to say the uncomfortable thing out loud.