Leaving a Martial Arts Cult with Russell Johnson

Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan

Dr. Steven Hassan

Self-improvement, Society & Culture, Education

4.8 • 684 Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2024

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Russell Johnson is a former member of the Korean martial arts cult Chung Moo Quan. After much negative publicity, its name was changed to Oom Yung Doe. Now a professional security consultant, activist, and podcaster, Russell got involved with the cult as a teen and was involved for eight years. We first met in the early 90s when he contacted me after reading Combating Cult Mind Control. My book helped him understand how he had been manipulated in the cult using primary BITE model tactics. I have been on his podcast, Deceived, about his experience in the Chung Moo Quan cult. He also has a soon-to-be-published memoir called Deceived: A Journey into Darkness. I have heard from countless people about their involvement in destructive martial arts groups over the years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Dr. Stephen Hassan with another episode of the influence continuum.
0:10.0	Ever think about taking martial arts or know someone who got into martial arts?
0:17.0	I know I did.
0:19.3	One area that we haven't covered yet on our podcast and in blogs is the issue of martial arts cults.
0:29.1	And I reached out to an old friend, colleague, person that I talked with when he first exited the cult, I think it was in 1991 or something
0:42.6	90 or 91, long time ago when we were youngsters, is Russell Johnson, who joins me now.
0:52.4	And Russell, I'll just read a little bit more that you got involved in this
0:56.9	martial arts cult at the tender age of 16. You didn't realize the leader of this martial arts
1:05.9	organization was a function like a cult leader, claimed to be a master who had spiritual
1:15.0	supernatural powers. And you got deep into the world of Chungmu Kwan and the master
1:24.7	John C. Kim, a Korean martial arts cult, I might add. You were, I think,
1:32.8	involved for eight years and you had a near fatal training injury, which led to you meeting
1:41.7	with an attorney to discuss your injuries.
1:45.5	And she's the one who said,
1:47.4	it sounds like you've been an occult, Russell.
1:50.6	And your story,
1:52.4	which you will share,
1:54.1	was that you went to a local library,
1:56.0	found combating cult mind control,
1:58.5	contacted me,
2:00.0	I guess in 1990.
2:02.8	And yeah, there's been a documentary.
	...

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