This week, Steve and Matt are once again joined by Rob Biernacki to discuss a topic very near and dear to us: cults and the tactics they use.  Cults have a long and storied history within the martial arts.  This episode gives you the tools you need to identify when you're being exploited by a cult-like organization.

Who is vulnerable to recruitment:

1. People seeking security
2. People seeking belonging
3. People seeking specialness/unearned superiority.

Tactics used by cult-like organizations to manipulate their members:

1. An initial act of dominion
2. Reverence to a mysterious mystical figure
3. Secret knowledge
4. Separating you from the rest of your support network and society
5. Hierarchy where questioning authority is prohibited and punished
6. Escalating requirements of personal contribution
7. Ostracizing former members
8. Aggressively protecting the cult’s reputation.

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