Check this guy out! 8th Degree BB in like 10 or 15 styles!

[Chris Herzog]

......waiting patiently to pounce.

[Craig Murray]

At least these kinds of guys are so much easier to expose and get a real look at than they were in the past. When I was a kid first learning martial arts, there was no internet where people could discuss how this guy's monkey paw might not be completely legit.

It's still pretty gross, but at least it's much easier to uncover the truth.

[Matt Thomas]

Of course it's Tennessee. Not sure if it was like this before, but that guy's Facebook page is locked down now, can't see anything but cover photo. Reminds me of this story I read a couple months ago:

"I live in a small place, in the UK, and own the only full time martial arts gym in about 5 towns. there are still quite a few once a week type classes nearby that share church halls and other such venues, but i'm the only one following the more American Business model of a full time dedicated room.

I run an amateur MMA team, and i invite a lot of the combat sport coaches such as judo, boxing and thaiboxing to come down and train with us/ teach a class. In doing so word has gotten around to a lot of coaches about my full time facility and i often get calls from people wanting to rent the room to host seminars, put on extra classes etc.

I got a phone call one day from two guys who said they did some form of Karate and that they would like to use the room twice a week for a few weeks to prepare for their black belt grading. i explained to them that unfortunately the time slots they wanted were the busiest and most important times on the schedule as that was team training time, and they asked if they could just do their thing in a corner somewhere, and that they wouldn't bother or interfere with the class going on. I said "sure, why not" and thought nothing more of it.

They turned up and, proceeded to practice together out of a book some of the shittiest stuff i had ever seen in my life. You have to understand going on around them, were guys doing timed rounds on heavybags, fast paced padwork, partner drills such as shoot and sprawl, escaping from the mount while being grounded and pounded etc etc. i might be blowing my own trumpet, but it wasn't hard to see that people were getting stuff done, the competitors were looking sharp, and the guys working towards their first bout were starting to get sharp. it looked good.

And in the corner by the mirrors, these two guys in Gi's are striking poses and correcting each other by moving an arm or leg the barest fraction of a millimetre, all while comparing each others pose to that of the one in the book. they were there for two hours, and never broke a sweat.

Chatting to them afterwards they had answered an advert in the local unemployment agency to run their own Go Kan Ryu Karate club, they had been at it for two weeks, and they were getting black belt grading in a further 2-3 weeks.

From what i heard they got their black belts and went door to door selling their karate classes, coaching in my area and spreading their sub standard skill around. Every now and then we get one of their ex students through the door, who can't believe how cheap we are in comparison, yet they never manage to stick it out because their expectation of their skills, and how hard they expect to have to work, when met with reality leads to disappointment.

In a separate instance, i once went to invite a local Karate instructor to bring a crowd of students down for a bit of cross training, and when i entered the classroom, he was teaching a kids class, when he saw me he stopped the class and sat everyone down and started talking martial theory, i think he was trying to impress me, he certainly kept looking over to see if i agreed or approved. after about 35 mins of talking, he pulled a kid of about 11 years old out of the line and did a shitty wrist lock on him and dropped him to the floor, he then knelt on the kids head and talk about various ways to finish the technique from there, kneeling on the kids head the whole time for about 10 mins. I'm sure he was holding most his weight off him but still, it had to be uncomfortable.

So the kids ended up with a 45 min theory lecture, after the warm up, and then about 10-15 min to try a few wrist locks before class ended. I decided to introduce myself and just tell him that i was popping in to be neighbourly, and i didn't bother with the invite. I once made the mistake of inviting a local Wing chun guy down to coach, and he covered so much theory, that my guys were actually making up excuses to leave. one guy got one of the people leaving to ring his phone, so that he could claim an emergency and make a dignified exit. i learnt my lesson not to invite people who love the sound of their own voices to teach.

I've been a coach for 15 years, I've met so many characters in that time i could easily fill this thread with stories myself."

[J.J Weatherall]

Anyone who wants to know more about this Lee Mantis Kung Fu master in Tullahoma, TN. please feel free to email me at lisac1@charter.net

Oh don't be a tease!

[J.J Weatherall]

Hold the phone...is this "Master Le Chong"?? He has some sweet moves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd7M4H0b62k

[Paul Byars]

I just now saw this about the e-mail. Has anyone e-mailed that address already?

[Lisa]

Yup. This is exactly the venue to let people know the quality of instructor and moral role model Lee Mantis is. Then he shows up to the forum, then it's always beautiful. Because you get the truth. I love truth.

I have sent an email to Paul Byars about this instructor. Let me tell you guys since you wanted to know. This thread does not allow me to post my own post by itself. I have to reply to someone so I will reply to you.

I visited Lee Mantis / Real name is Dennis Lawson to observe his skills or teaching methods. He has a tiny room in his house to train in. Well that was ok, I was willing to train with a grand master. I saw a certificate and some pictures on the wall. First session, he shows me some moves, no real training, just some moves. He seemed to know what he was doing. Fast with his hands and feet. After the first session he sends me a message on facebook asking me to help him find 8 more students and I agreed. So I made up an ad to put on facebook to reach all of my friends and asked him to approve it first. He said it was great and thanked me. So I posted it. An hour later he messages me again screaming at me for blasting the internet with the ad. I was like “what the heck?” but let it go.

2nd class.........again more moves.....nothing you could really remember and totally different from the first set of moves. He may know the moves but he cant seem to teach them very well. Any ways his wife was black and blue. Had a black eye. They both rushed to explain she fell. Ok I accepted that. We left on great terms. Then I get another message on facebook saying I was dismissed from class because I could not keep my balance. (he has two thick carpets laying on top of each other and not pulled down). He also said I was using his class to try to kill someone. This guy is totally crazy and he refused to give me back my money. I felt like he was getting students and taking their money and then finding reasons to dismiss them and keep the money. His behavior is outrageous. I’ve been in the martial arts since I was 16 years old and have NEVER had a teacher behave this way. NEVER. Of course my balance was not good. It’s been years since I trained. I wanted to get back into it. And on two layers of thick carpet? forget it. I am now going to go to David and Julie Gabbard on S Polk St. Behind the Dairy Queen in Tullahoma. He has top notch and excellent credentials and has a huge dojo and even a sparring ring.

I hoped this help. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Or call Dennis Lawson / Lee Mantis and ask to watch him in action before you decide. Just don’t give him any money unless its for one day at a time.

[Lisa]

I'm trying to but for some reason this thread will not allow me to post my own message and I have to reply to someone else's. So far it isnt letting me do that either. Trying again

[Lisa]

I visited Lee Mantis / Real name is Dennis Lawson to observe his skills or teaching methods. He has a tiny room in his house to train in. Well that was ok, I was willing to train with a grand master. I saw a certificate and some pictures on the wall. First session, he shows me some moves, no real training, just some moves. He seemed to know what he was doing. Fast with his hands and feet. After the first session he sends me a message on facebook asking me to help him find 8 more students and I agreed. So I made up an ad to put on facebook to reach all of my friends and asked him to approve it first. He said it was great and thanked me. So I posted it. An hour later he messages me again screaming at me for blasting the internet with the ad. I was like “what the heck?” but let it go.

2nd class.........again more moves.....nothing you could really remember and totally different from the first set of moves. He may know the moves but he cant seem to teach them very well. Any ways his wife was black and blue. Had a black eye. They both rushed to explain she fell. Ok I accepted that. We left on great terms. Then I get another message on facebook saying I was dismissed from class because I could not keep my balance. (he has two thick carpets laying on top of each other and not pulled down). He also said I was using his class to try to kill someone. This guy is totally crazy and he refused to give me back my money. I felt like he was getting students and taking their money and then finding reasons to dismiss them and keep the money. His behavior is outrageous. I’ve been in the martial arts since I was 16 years old and have NEVER had a teacher behave this way. NEVER. Of course my balance was not good. It’s been years since I trained. I wanted to get back into it. And on two layers of thick carpet? forget it. I am now going to go to David and Julie Gabbard on S Polk St. Behind the Dairy Queen in Tullahoma. He has top notch and excellent credentials and has a huge dojo and even a sparring ring.

I hoped this help. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Or call Dennis Lawson / Lee Mantis and ask to watch him in action before you decide. Just don’t give him any money unless its for one day at a time.

[Lisa]

There I think that worked. You guys can get to know me on facebook under Lisa Rhoads if you want to. I just want people to be cautious with this Lee Mantis/Dennis Lawson because he took my money and wouldnt give it back