I neither love nor hate CS products. IMO, they put out some very good stuff and some not so good, pretty much like (almost) every other company. Some of their stuff is great, but isn't for me. And I do own several CS knives. I've just never 'bonded' with any of them, if that makes any sense. To each his/her own. I do think the Broken Skull folder is quite good, and I got mine when they were going for $45, but I still strongly dislike the pocket clip, and all CS clips.
At this point, I don't really have much opinion on Lynn Thompson, other than he does his thing. I've been into martial arts for over 41 years, and I would never refer to myself as a warrior. Because, quite frankly, I've never fought in a war. I have experienced competition in the US and Asia, and have successfully defended my life on the street once, and while the danger was very real in the latter incident, that's not the same thing as fighting in a war.
And just to play devil's advocate, I learned early on that looks can be deceiving. I've seen some overweight people who were in deceptively better condition, and more athletic/physically competent than their physiques would indicate. *I'm not saying this does or doesn't apply to LT,* just putting it out there. Having a Channing Tatum physique alone does not make someone a better fighter or martial artist.
Jim