I met a woman the other day, and she was spouting the most amazing clap trap about how she would only take martial arts from an Oriental(her words) because they have martial arts ingrained in them, and thats where martial arts come from. Seriously, I listened politely, and asked what type of martial arts she was talking about. Oh she doesn't actually take lessons yet but she is looking into TDK or Shotokan, she knows that the instructors at the places she is looking into are both "oriental" and that a non oriental just can't understand it the way they do. Don't I think I'm missing out on the deeper issues by only having a American teacher? I just had to point out that Japan has only had Karate since the twenties or so(not including Jujitsu) and that Korea has only had Karate since the forties or so, and Americans have been exposed to Japanese , Korean MA since at least the 40's so how much more ingrained can 20yrs get you? then mentioned that Jujitsu and Chinese MA have been around the US even longer, Well she wasn't buying it, then I pointed out that Oriental was like a rug or furniture and she should try using country of origins ore at least Asian, again the blank look, like I should just not talk while she explained to me how little I know. I guess I was supposed to drop everything and run to the nearest "oriental" for real lessons LOL
So how many of you have come across this type of blind racist viewpoint ? is it still really that prevalent??

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Unn frigging beleivable !

Some times the stupidity and ignorance of members of my species astounds me.

Martial Art Style Tand Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan, Haedong Gumdo

Funniest thing was she was really serious, she was a thin Pilates kind of woman tanned and in decent shape, well dressed. You would think from looking at her she would have been more up on the double slur she was handing out, against Asians and Americans in the same breath, it was priceless. I would love to be a fly on the wall when she talked to the all knowing and wise "Oriental" instructer and explained her feelings LOL

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Yeah, I've had the same kind of thing happen a few times. People would come in & talk to me about classes, & then ask my instructor ( a Korean) the same dang things when they met with him.

On the same note, I met C M Griffin (TKD Times columnist) last year at the Battle of Columbus & asked him how his new school is going. He is experiencing the same thing to the point that he may have closed his school since then.

Aren't you glad we are more enlightened in the 21st century?

I know of a korean man who was extremly talented who had a school , since he did not speak english well he concentrated on teaching and his students responded well . He was one of the best instructors you could ever hope for . However , because he was new to america and could not speak english well he had a hard time and so his school closed . Such is life that we learn .

I remember growing up I had a very good friend , many times one of us would be attacked for either being white or black . The most bizarre was one day we were held up by three black men with a pistol , we both had our hands up but only I was being robbed , when I went for the gun another group of blacks , aprox. 8 to 10 that were walking by joined in the attack , interestingly, these two groups completely ignored my friend that was now several feet away still with his hands up . My friend honestly could not beleive that he had been forgotten in the scuffle . He still has that pistol that I gave him and we have many times sat and discussed this over that pistol to no avail and we are still very good friends .

My Truth

Truth,

That is too funny, was your friend Black or White? I ask because this sounds like something that the News would ignore, because if he was White, there was no racist attack, so no sensational late breaking story!, if he was black then the group that came by helped a whte guy being robbed again no News would care about it because it wouldn't be sensational news , LOL Whatever , the poor guy stood there with his hands up? it reminds me of something that would happen in a Jackie Chan movie, you must bust his chops over that one!

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

There's racism in every race, against every race, even though there shouldnt be. Living here in the south racism is very prevalent. Sometimes it is a cycle. A cycle that must be broken, somone needs to stand up, & say I have had enough. Some people are taught by their parents, or others. Some are learned from life experience. I have seen almost all forms of racism, or more appropriately discrimination. Because, discrimination goes beyond race. Alot, not all white people down here are racist agaisnt black people. Some are racist agaisnt all other racest, the white supremacist. Some black people dont like white people because of either what they've been thru, or what they've been told happened to their ancestors/familly. A new type of racism to me, that I just came across this past yr, is the hispanics, against the black people, again some not all, just like any race. This is something new to me, cause growing up, I have had friends of every race, many of them were hispanic, none of them were prejudice. However, I have come across many at my job, that are; & am trying to work hard to do something about it. I, myself have been subject of discrimination. I've tried to set up a Karate class at a rec ctr, that was predominately in a black neighborhood, & told no. I was w/ a friend of mine, who also trains one day, & we drove by there. He said, I'm gonna stop by to see if they'd be interested in setting up a class. They told him yes, he was black. When we were walking back to the car, I said, I dont understand, I tried to set up a class here before, & they said no. He said, David, you're not in CT anymore, you're in the south. That is the 1st time I actually recognized it. Then began recognizing it more, & more. Sometimes, people would just stop, & stare if I had a woman of an opposite race on a date w/ me. Sometimes, I would just stare back, sometimes I would get as ignorant as them, & say something to them. But, I have grown since then, & learn to ignore the stares. I have seen people being prejudice against asians, as well. Saying their not gonna train w/ them, cause their very greedy, they dont tell the truth, you're not gonna learn everything from them, etc. I've either trained in, or traveled to CT, NY, FL, GA, ARK, TX, Japan, & Okinawa. I can tell you no matter where you go, you will find your share of instructors that will do the same things, no matter what race they are. I have even come across racist instructors. You know, in Okinawa, & in Japan alot of Okinawan's dont like Gaijin (Foreigners), because of several reasons. #1, we gotta remember the US was at war w/ Japan, & destroyed Okinawa, as well. But #2, there are many "American G.I.'s" that are very rude, loud, & obnoxious in Okinawa. I've seen this stuff 1st hand in Okinawa. At the Tsunahiki, which is the worlds largest Tug A War (I believe), after the tug a war, they cut up the rope to give it to the people there. I witnessed an American woman pulling a piece of rope out of an older womans hand, very violently. The older woman was trying to hold it, but this woman just kept on pulling it from her, till she let it go. In the airport, on the way back, we got held over cause of a typhon, in Osaka, there were many American military there yelling, & screaming all night, when others were trying to sleep. Playing football, & kicking around trash receptacles. I was very ashamed of this stuff happening, it made me very sad. These are people representing our country! My instructor said to me one time, these American G.I.'s are very rude. I said I dont know why they are, & I dont know why they dont learn the language, Reigi/reishiki (manners & customs). He said, because all they learn is kill, kill, kill. I then appologized for us, he told me he said, David why you appologize for? I said because they are so rude. He said, but you not like them. You can see 1st hand some of the resentment against the Gaijin here: http://www.tianxingjianwushu.com/tianxingjian_pic/wadedown.wmv
I have always been a bit overweight, & have been discriminated cause of it. I have had instructors tell me I'm not gonna test you, cause you're overweight; You should be ashamed of yourself to even put a uniform on. I was a kid back then, & the instructor telling me this worked for the school board w/ special needs kids, he should of known better! But, as you can see discrimination is not just based upon other races, as evidenced in this thread, & if you look around at other forums today, but also based on outer coverings of other types. I live a similar dream as MLK did. Not to be judged by our covering of of exterior body, but by the content of our character. As there are people bad, & good in each, & every race. That we need to look past their outer covering, & see what's inside. It bothers me very much that this stuff is happening in this day, & age. Like I said, it's a cycle, & it must be broken!

David

David,

What discovery channel episode was that video from?

JH

I forgot the name of it. If you goto the discovery channel site, you can probablly find it. Whoever runs that site, that the link is posted on could probablly tell you too. I know Wade has a site, as well. I think his last name is spelled chroninger, but, cant remember. You can probablly do a websearch for the following words, & find out more info on it: Wade Meibukan Goju Ryu Ikemiyagi Sensei. That will atleast get you in the ball park.

David

Bernard,

That is too funny. Reminds me of the stories I was told in the 80s by folks who ran martial arts schools.

They said it was common to hire a Korean or other Asian to sit at the front of the school and greet people, sell the lessons to them, because back in the 60s and 70s this helped get students in the door. (Unless there was an Asian many did not believe the school was a true martial arts school). They saw the Korean or other Asian (who often had no martial arts experience) and elected to join the school based on this impression, even though the instructors were white or African American.

I remember one of their comments back in 1980 something, "I am glad we don't have to do that anymore."

Maybe we do :)

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

Maybe we do comment ;)

It is in jest. It should not be necessary in this day and age, but the practice was designed to get students in the door and once their get them to overcome their misconceptions/stereotypes based on race. Theoretically, we should be living in a more enlightened time 30 or 40 years later one would have hoped.

Saving myself the hate mail :)

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

At least sometimes you can use peoples ignorance against them.

Back in 84 when I was in basic we had a guy in my squad who happened to be Korean. He was pretty small and being he was korean these room temperature IQ types decided he would be a great target.

It didnt take long before I had had enough. I realised I wasnt in high school anymore and couldnt simply fight them, besides that was why I had started taken Tae Kwan Do in the first place. So I used my head.

My friend who was the victim of their taunts and abuse, James, had never really taken any martial arts. But I told these guys that he was a Master at Tae Kwan Do, and that he was sworn not to use his art unless he had to. I told them that he was 1000 times better then me, that he learned his skills straight from his family. I then proceeded to demonstrate my skills to them.

Basically, I was young and fast and had really good control with my basic kicks. I was only a 6th gup. I put round kicks up by their heads and side kicks about 1/2 an inch from their nose. My friend James just stood there, with a calm expression on his face, hands behind his back. When I was done I turned and bowed to him, he bowed back to me. These two idiots just kind of nodded a bit and left the room. They never said boo to him again.

What was really funny was there was a drill sargeant nearby who had seen and heard everything. He came into the room and asked us if James was really a Master. James told him how he never really had any training at all. The DI left the room laughing his ass off about how easily these two were duped.

The story was probably funnier if you had been there, I probably could have told it better also. Boy though it makes me laugh everytime I think about it.

Martial Art Style Tand Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan, Haedong Gumdo

That reminds me of a push up contest I got in with a La boy while I was in Basic,we just didn't get along and so during a break we started on each others physical prowess, and it came down to me saying I could do twice as many one armed push ups as he could do two handed. Well this guy turns around and does 80 before quiting, and I was like uh oh,Every one was looking at me and I was under the gun with my squad looking on. I switched hands art every twenty, then ten ,then five, till I did 160, one armed, then sqeezed 6 more out, My squad had bragging rights and even the TI was smiling. Especially the next morning and several after that, my whole body was so sore, PE was brutal.

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do

160 one armed push ups... Dam sir.

Martial Art Style Tand Soo Do Mi Guk Kwan, Haedong Gumdo

Well with about fifty guys screaming at me to do it, it was going to be worse if I quit, but I paid for it for about four days. I don't know how many I can do now though, maybe 80, if I'm feeling especially masochistic maybe I'll try and see, LOL

b

Martial Art Style Tang Soo Do