Traditionalist,

What would you rather see. 2 men training hard and achieving at the highest level in an international sport or 2 men sitting on the dole because of the fact that all life's doors are forever closed to them because of mistakes in their past? Isn't the very fact that martial arts can teach discipline and change lives the reason that we encourage troubled youngsters to train? I know plenty of people with records in both the MT/Kickboxing scene and the traditional martial arts and all of them credit their training as a significant factor in their decision to change their lives. Why do Dixon and Ray want to run youth programmes out of their new gym? Because they know that training can help young people learn discipline, set goals, and have a sense of achievement in their lives.

I think that you are questioning Mark and Paul's integrity by suggesting that they didn't disclose their history (I'm not sure if that makes you very brave or very stupid! Have you seen the size of them!LOL)If you don't know for a fact that they DIDN'T disclose then I don't think you should raise the issue at all. This sort of thing just seems like one more example of NZs chronic tall poppy syndrome!