WAKE UP CALL





“A tragic life is one lived without passion.”
-Grandmaster Safakhoo

The art of combat spans continents, however the Orient is the location whose arts are most recognized. Fighting practices are as old as civilizations due to the ever present need for protection. The many forms of martial arts were carried across continents by travelers through the Middle East to Asia. Every stopping point of martial arts laid anchor in the culture it affected.

The evolution of the fighting techniques have been lost to the ravages of war and time. In a time of war a country’s history and culture is the first target. Such is especially the case when the turmoil is the effect of multiple revolutions.The Middle Eastern and European martial art has suffered the most changes due to the ever present need to adapt to the wars with neighboring countries.
The Orient carried a different burden of strife, which the differences made the salvage of techniques and practices easier and in a more original state. The Oriental fighting techniques required far less adaptation to the needs of a fighting populace. In spite of the turmoil so familiar to the Middle East some forms of martial art practice remains. Additionally the Orient, having had the opportunity to remain consistent within the scope of their practices of martial arts is able to remain the focal point of the martial art’s origins.

Relative to the false beliefs of martial arts originating in the orient, its practitioners created an aura of mystique about the martial art it so jealously guarded. Few people were invited into the circle of secret fighting practices. It was the common misconception that foreigners or those of the “west” were not worthy of learning the disciplined art of war. Virtually every society and culture has some form of surviving martial art, however, most have not been commercially popularized, and so are not easily recognizable.

A lingering attitude exists which some unscrupulous individuals rely heavily upon for personal gain; the myth that only those of Asian descent are competent martial arts masters. Due to of the secrecy once prevalent in the martial arts community an inaccurate light is cast on the competent, yet non-Asian martial arts Master’s.

In reality the choice to study a martial art must be made critically and not be based on a school’s claim of having been privy to ancient lineages. Long genealogies tracing back to high grand masters serve only as distractions.

To further distract the seeker, the opportunity for belt achievements offered to lure potential students has become a driving force in the mainstream world of martial arts. Though training and achieving new belt rankings are entertaining, the effectiveness of the techniques taught is brought into question.
The opposite extreme are the cage match exhibitions. The blood sport made popular colors professional martial artists as mere animals. Neither example offers an appropriate foundation of a legitimate martial art practice.

The choice is yours. Don’t be lured by the flash of training or the intrigue of individuals making claims of being born behind several generations of Oriental martial arts masters or grand masters.

Ask yourself these questions: How does one become a master? Who is the Master of an art? Does the Master capture images on canvas or is the Master the machine pressing out the prints?
You should upon introspection, find that the former mastered his craft and invented what had yet to be until the designs of imagination brought the life from the unknown into reality. A true master brings images, sound and actions forth from a dormant state into reality.

An individual with an innate drive to instruct shouldn’t be judged based on the race to which they were born. Male or female, the appearance of the Master is of no consequence. What is most important is the knowledge these individuals wish to share.

The experience of a true Master resides in the future. History is left where it belongs, in the past.