"a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister."
"a misplaced or excessive admiration for a particular person or thing."
(source: google)
Now it happens I landed myself in a sort of a cult; the school was a christian martial arts school. Nothing wrong with that, it's just that they - in my opinion - took it too far, particularly with regard to self-defense. Scripture was constantly quoted, and so there was a moral compass, rather than technical discussions of how techniques work and are applied. They talked more about the "when" to apply, and less about the "how" to apply.
But there are groups - and people - who have this fixation for people like Bruce Lee, the Gracie family, or O Sensei. I've seen Aikido schools where the mantra is "o sensei says to do this" or "o sensei does it this way" - for everything. Or that Bruce Lee said this, so it must be true. And on and on.
These people who subscribe to the idolatry toward these people are sheep. And flocks of these sheep are called cults.
Then again, David Koresh was a cult leader, as was Jim Jones. These people were evil. I don't think that O Sensei, Bruce Lee, or the Gracies were cult leaders, nor were they evil; rather, the people who hold these guys in such high reverence are themselves a cult.
I think every time something steps out of the to us social normal and acceptable boundaries you at least start the chance of dealing with a cult. at what point you cross over into a full blown cult will depend on where each person's boundaries of what is socially acceptable are and each person's definition of what is a cult. The people in the cult never think that they are in a cult but they still have an idea of what they think a cult is and consider what someone else does being a cult.
You need to set your own rules of what you are willing to do and where you draw the line and then you need to stick to that.
I would say I am currently in a school that is a member of an organization that I would consider a cult. I am still low enough rank that I can just barely get away of not getting involved in the cult like practices of the organization but I also know that there will be a time that eventually it will be demanded that I partake and then it will be time to say good-bye. In the meantime I learn everything I can (they have really good techniques) and then I will have to run with it. What makes these guys a cult to me is first and foremost their idea that their martial art is the one and only and thou shalt not have any other martial art beside theirs (I do anyway and have no intention to quit my other martial arts). They don't just bow to all the black belts it is much more of a kowtowing and spend more time on that than training. Luckily my teacher does not require this practice when we train but at social events with other schools this is totally annoying. They worship the Shinza with funny (as in funky, not funny - haha) little ritual and their Shinza travels in a box with them every where they go just like the old jews took their tora with them in the Old Testament of the bible. This I could respect and even accept if they were sincere and actually believed in the Shinto religion but they don't and made up their own religion believing in 'spirits of the dojo' who live in the Shinza and worshiping those with incense and kowtowing and other rituals. Black belts are free to abuse lower ranks for their entertainment which often results in what I would call hazing and everything is supposed to be done 'in good fun' but in my opinion they often overstep the boundaries of human dignity. I believe that while lower ranks should not get as much respect as someone who has been doing this for decades they still deserve respect as they are the future of martial arts and if we have no students there will be no future for your martial arts style. I just do not socialize with them. I will go their dinners and then I will excuse myself because anything that happens after these dinners is usually not good.
Some schools have a clique of senior students, newcomers can not penetrate and that can take on cult like proportions. I know of a school that is a group of black belts who allow just enough white belts into the school to pay the mortgage on their building. If there is more than they need they will find one to bully out. White belts are used as their meal ticket and noone stays.
Cults are all about controlling others. In the school I go to they slowly train you to suck you in. I have to have very tight and clear boundaries of what I am willing to do and where I draw the line and I constantly review these boundaries to make sure I do not overstep them anywhere or I will find myself part of this.
Martial arts schools and cult leaders are infinitely creative so it is very important that you yourself have a very clear definition of who and what you are and then be true to yourself.
I would have to say one that stresses and accepts only certain aspects while ignoring those other aspects in life common to most.
yin yang with lion and tiger, a tiger, a lion, a fist,
