The American Jidokwan Association (AJA) was the subject of
significant controversy and accusations of fraudulent claims within the martial
arts community. While the AJA presents itself as an organization dedicated to
preserving and promoting the art of Jidokwan with a rich history and legitimate
lineage, these claims have been strongly disputed by credible sources and
individuals connected to the original American Ji Do Kwan lineage.
Steven Hatfield’s claims about American Jidokwan unraveled
due to several critical failures in substantiating their asserted lineage and
organizational legitimacy.
A person by the name of Patrick Justice was promoted to 9th degree black belt and
served as President of the American Jidokwan Association (AJA), a rank and
position awarded to him by Steven Hatfield to give the appearance of legitimacy
to the organization. However, This promotion, which occurred when Justice was
in his thirties, has been widely criticized as fraudulent, given his relatively
limited training and teaching record and the questionable practices of Hatfield and the AJA.
Hatfield further attempted to establish his legitimacy by claiming a
direct connection to E.A. Fuzy, the recognized founder of American Ji Do Kwan,
through two individuals: William Sirbaugh (Hatfield’s stepfather) and Shune
Yung Davis. However, there is no credible evidence that either Sirbaugh or
Davis played any role in developing American Ji Do Kwan or even existed as
martial arts instructors with verifiable credentials. Their supposed
contributions and relationships with Fuzy are unproven and widely considered
fabricated.
American Jidokwan claims refuted.
The timeline and details of Hatfields claimed lineage has shifted repeatedly as inconsistencies and challenges emerged. For example,
Hatfield’s biography changed the identity of his mentors and the specifics of
their involvement, while the AJA's official history page was frequently revised
to accommodate new revelations that contradicted earlier claims.
Senior black belts, board members, and the widow of E.A.
Fuzy from the original American Ji Do Kwan organization publicly denounced
Gordon and Hatfield’s claims. They asserted that the AJA’s narrative was a
fabrication and that neither Gordon nor Hatfield had any legitimate connection
to Fuzy’s legacy or organization.
It was claimed that Sensei Charles “Buddy” Brown supported Hatfield’s
version of events. However, when directly contacted, Brown not only refused to
corroborate Hatfield’s version but also expressed his dismay at how his words
were misrepresented to serve the AJA’s purpose.
Hatfield has a pattern of questionable
claims regarding martial arts backgrounds and credentials, not just in Jidokwan
but across other martial arts styles. These included unverifiable instructors,
dubious transfers of rank and authority, and even allegations of buying
credentials.
Hatfield's inability to provide
documentation, credible witnesses, or consistent narratives led to the claims
being widely dismissed as fraudulent. Even legal threats and lawsuits did not
result in the production of credible evidence supporting their story.
Hatfield's supposed martial arts background story has
changed numerous times, showing a
pattern of frequent and significant revisions. Between 2012 and 2017, there was
no mention of Ji Do Kwan in Hatfield’s public biographies or organizational
histories. The narrative connecting Hatfield to American Ji Do Kwan and GM E.A.
Fuzy only emerged after Fuzy’s death, and has since been repeatedly altered to
address inconsistencies and new revelations.
Hatfield has presented “many different versions of their
story as they have tried to stay ahead of all the revelations that have shown
that their claims are little more than fabrications”. Specific timeline claims,
such as the involvement of William Sirbaugh, the existence of Shune Yung Davis,
and the sequence of events regarding Hatfield’s early training and rapid
promotions—have changed as his “stories” were exposed contradictions and
impossibilities (such as implausible travel and training timelines for Hatfield
as a child).
Observers note that the AJA’s official history page has been
“re-written over and over again,” and the organization eventually added a
disclaimer acknowledging that their account is subject to ongoing revision as
“new information regularly becomes available”. It appears that the American Jidokwan Association (AJA) has changed it's website and is the US Traditional Taekwondo Federation (USTTF).
As a result. the record shows
that Hatfield’s martial arts background story has changed multiple times, often
significantly, in response to scrutiny, making Hatfield’s narrative highly
unreliable and widely viewed as fraudulent
and his lineage totally manufactured rather than earned.
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