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Racism In The Martial Arts

11/19/2015

10 Comments

 
Author: Bret Gordon
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Even in the turmoil of today's society, the hypocrisy of certain individuals never ceases to amaze me. One need only turn on the news to know of the racial tension growing among the American population, but this is not the racism I am referring to. What I'm referring to is the self-inflicted inferiority complex of American martial artists to their Asian counterparts.

When discussing the topic of young masters, the argument always references the maturity level of the practitioner as well as their life experience (or lack thereof). If the study of Budo is a lifelong journey, how can someone under the age of 35 (still pushing the boundaries) have enough life experience or even martial arts experience to claim high rank in any martial arts system, let alone multiple systems, or even worse - claim to be the founder of their own system! This argument generally comes by way of traditional/classical practitioners who may have reached the peak of their martial arts progression. They use the argument that in a true traditional system, mastery cannot be achieved at such a young age. However, the history of their own system(s) seems to get conveniently overlooked.


Let me provide you with some examples of well documented historical cases of young masters, even founders!
  • Kano Jigoro, founder of Kodokan Judo, began his martial arts training at the age of 17. By the time he opened the Kodokan in 1882 (age 22), he had earned master level certification in Tenjin Shin'yo Ryu Jujutsu as well as Menkyo Kaiden in Kito Ryu Jujutsu.
  • Bruce Lee died at the age of 33, already experiencing worldwide acclaim as one of the greatest martial artists that ever lived (a controversy for another day) and the founder of Jeet Kune Do, though he had never officially earned a black belt.
  • Miyamoto Musashi founded the system of Nito-Ryu Kenjutsu at the ripe old age of 15, after defeating numerous opponents of classical sword styles in his famous duels.
  • Ji Han Jae, founder of Sin Moo Hapkido, studied under Choi Yong-Sul from 1953-1956 before he opened his own school. In 1959, he coins the name "Hapkido" to replace the name "Yusul" currently used by Choi and is currently revered as the founder of Hapkido.
  • Hwang Kee, at the age of 31, combined Soo Bahk Do with the Chinese T'ang method to create Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan.
  • Masaaki Hatsumi began his martial arts training at the age of 26 in 1957, and by 1972 (age 41) had achieved Menkyo Kaiden in 9 different martial arts and founded the Bujinkan.
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There are numerous other examples, but I think I've made my point. I've heard the counter arguments that say "Well, their culture is different. They trained from dawn to dusk with a severity that the average American can't handle." That may be true in some cases, sure, but you're telling me that an American (age 23) with 19 years of martial arts experience does not have the same amount of experience as a Japanese practitioner with five (Kano, age 22)? So then, the only logical explanation is that it's acceptable for a martial artist of Asian ethnicity to make such a claim simply because they're Asian, and that Americans (and all Westerners) are truly the inferior race. Sounds ridiculous right? Oh, and then there's that inconvenient example of Peter Urban who broke away from Yamaguchi sensei and claimed 10th Dan at the ripe old age of 30.

Let's end this hypocrisy and racial profiling in the martial arts. In a world where everyone seeks equality, for the right to be treated as fairly as the person next to them, to be judged on their own merit alone and not to be compared to another, how can we tolerate such behavior in the martial arts?


10 Comments
Glendon Mullings link
11/19/2015 01:36:40 pm

I completely agree with this post.. as I am affiliated with USA Goju &Chinese Goju of which is American..!

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Gregory DeGraffenreid
11/19/2015 02:16:58 pm

When Bruce lee Lee enrolled at the University of Washington in 1961 he earned a black belt in Judo

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Katie McCombs
11/19/2015 04:21:37 pm

I agree that there needs to be some understanding that younger martial artists can and do earn their black belts just as the elders do....by working hard and training hard.
That being said, one other "pet peeve" I have had is hearing some martial artists say that a young practitioner cannot actually obtain black belt ranking because they are too young. I have heard, "they need to be able to take down an adult to prove that they are black belt worthy." If this is true, then wouldn't it mean that every martial artist should have to take down someone who is 2-4 times their size in order to prove their worth? In tournaments we spar with those who are close to our age, size, and experience - so why train as if you are "fighting someone your own size" if that isn't "good enough?" Just some of my random thoughts on the subject.

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Melvin S. Brown Jr. link
11/20/2015 04:36:51 pm

Very insightful Sir. I respectfully add that this is a common history throughout martial arts organizations even more recently. In the 80's our organization - at the passing of the founder - locally recognized some of our teachers as the epitome of achievement that had trained less that 20 years. My Children have all been Black Belts longer than that now. However, it is relative. If you are the Senior in the group hen you are the Senior. If you are the best martial artist in the group then your are regardless. Thank You for your article.

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Frank Dominguez
11/20/2015 08:30:52 pm

Earning a black belt depend on where you learn a Martial Arts. A black belt in Karate in Japan is totally different from a Black Belt in the US. Belts are just the standard of whoever is teaching the art. Bruce Lee’s art is different it doesn’t need a belt. The practitioner knows where they are in the art. It is non traditional not confining to some standard. You can grown up to your limitation.

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Ron
11/20/2015 09:52:40 pm

Lets be honest, I lived in Korea for 3 years and if the Asians were better at Martial arts, the assumption being because it is a part of their culture, they wouldn't lose in the Olympics to other countries. The issue is that in the West people want to claim some secret mythology and magical air to Asians. Ability is about hard work. Sadly most Asians want to exaggerate the standard because it is their culture and their traditions. As such they will never admit anyone else is their equal or their superior.

I've met people in America who easily surpassed their Asian counter parts in ability and experience. The belts are a new invention, knowledge is all that matters.

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Master Anthony Ray Slaughter link
11/23/2015 05:41:41 am

Do I live to base my life on what others think, or do I perfect me and live the truth that I know ! Racism is based on lies they know !
We must have peace within our selves , regardless of what others say or think .
Supreme Master Slaughter

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EDWARD brown jr
11/23/2015 08:42:23 am

well said very interesting point

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shiq
11/23/2015 12:13:37 pm

I agree with the subject matter

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Michael Partie link
12/5/2015 02:09:47 am

I’ve thought about this post for a few days now. I’m writing this on an airplane at 4:00 in the morning, so I apologize if this sounds disjointed, pretentious, or psychotic.

1 – Mr. Gordon’s primary argument in his piece is that American masters are equal to Asian masters, and if we accept 20-year-old Asian masters, then we should be able to accept 20-year-old American masters. I agree there is no reason to presume any inherent inferiority or superiority based on the country or culture into which one was born. As I’ve previously said, karate essentially entered Japan with Funakoshi sensei’s cultural demonstration in 1922, and widespread acceptance of karate in Japan only pre-dates its entrance in the US in 1946 by 24 years. Karate entered Korea about that same time, taking on a distinctive character and reformulated 11 years later, less than ten years before it entered the US as tae kwon do.

2 – The belief in the superiority of Asian masters has been promoted by those Asian masters themselves, and by their representatives and sponsoring organizations for obvious economic reasons. That said, that 10-25 year head start in the mid-20th century did legitimately make a substantial difference in expertise favoring Asian masters. For a while.

The other reason for the widespread bias in favor of Asian masters is probably due to the allure that Asian disciplines, philosophies, and religions have had in popular culture through the decades. The idea of the “mysterious, inscrutable East” has been a favorite trope in fiction, essay, memoir, music, image, and film for well over a century. Fictional Asian wise men, from the High Lama in “Lost Horizon” to Master Po to Mr. Miyagi are firmly lodged in our collective imaginations and introjected as ideals in our psyches.

Disenchanted, novelty-seeking, or intellectually adventurous Americans and Europeans have been drawn to the ‘Bhagavad Gita,’ the ‘Upanishads,’ ‘Tao Te Ching,’ the ‘Chuang Tzu,’ the ‘Dhammapada, and other writings at least as far back as the American Transcendentalists of the 1820s and 30s.

The 20th century added ’the ‘Book of Five Rings,’ ‘The Art of War,’ ‘The Hagakure,’ and witnessed countless Westerners making pilgrimages to India or Sri Lanka or other destinations in Asia in search of a “spiritual awakening.”

3 – Mr. Gordon points out that martial arts innovators that we venerate today achieved their certificates of mastery or formed their own martial systems in their early adulthood, sometimes after many years of study, but sometimes after only after a handful of years. Bruce Lee studied kung fu for only five years (from age 13 to 18) before coming to Seattle. He had no formal instruction in any martial art once he left Hong Kong.

What do we make of this today? It may be true that Kano sensei opened the Kodokan when he was 22, but I don’t think many people think of a 22 year old when they think of him. I certainly don’t. I relate to the historical figure of Kano sensei in his later years, just as I think of Funakoshi sensei or Dojunim or O’Sensei as older men.

4 – The meaning of Master is extremely individual and subjective. For myself, at my current stage of life, Master definitely invokes the qualities of both expert and sage, that is, it combinines technical mastery and wisdom. And I understand that my conceptualization has absolutely been influenced by my personal explorations of Asian literature and philosophy, as well as all those decades of popular culture representations to which I've been exposed.

I fully concede that my image of the wise teacher is due as much to a glamour (and I’m using the word glamour here in its original sense, meaning a charm or illusion), as to any reality, but nevertheless, I certainly view Mastery as embodying qualities beyond mere technical competence.

And those qualities are not confined to individuals whose ancestors come from Asia.

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