Politics In Martial Arts

No, it’s not the Republicans vs. the Democrats battling each other for supremacy for over a hundred years or more. But in martial arts it is certainly more entertaining especially if you are on the sidelines.!



It seems that in just about every martial art whether it be a classical style or a modern hybrid the ridiculous nature of politics intrudes. If it’s not the senior student trying to get in line for position & recognition then it is the head of the system fomenting dissension by practicing nepotism. Sure most systems back in the day passed from father to son and it was accepted as common practice even if the son was totally unqualified the lead the school.



But in recent times this has caused major disagreements within the ranks of more qualified martial artists and sometimes results in a mass exodus. Whether the son leaves or the senior student leaves the outcome is the same which is a very splintered martial arts organization which further divides the rest of the students in terms of loyalties and preferences.



Most Karate styles and many Aikido schools have been the result of this splintering effect. Is it good? Who knows considering the fact that the roots are the same even though the new style takes on a different name and direction. What is different is the dominant personality of the new and improved martial arts schools that tend to flourish more so in America than other places in the world.



Possibly it’s the inherent personality of the Americans that fuels this trend and maybe the rest of the world is wrong in sticking to the same old martial art with the same old names. The fact of the matter is there are only so many ways to punch, kick and twist someone into a pretzel which makes the different martial arts schools less than the differences and more of what binds them together in a long historical tradition.



So whatever the name is there is a long history behind each technique and there should be the realization that there was someone a long time ago that did the technique first. Over the millennium the techniques were perfected based on the need at that particular time in history. Whether it’s Wushu, Jujitsu, Karate, Judo or Muy Thai just to name a few there are many similarities that can be observed by the trained eye.



Look closely at the body movements, length of stride, deflection techniques, hand & foot strikes, blocking movements and the similarities will far outweigh the differences. That is if you are honest with yourself and are not biased towards the particular martial art that you are practicing. The roots are there for everyone to see and observe.



In fact as a dedicated martial artist it is your duty to keep an open mind and learn from other martial arts and other martial arts teachers. This will improve your own training and understanding of the martial art that you have committed time, money and effort into. Don’t have a closed mind!



But let’s get back to good old fashioned politics which usually comes down to the statement that "I am better than you and my martial art is also better than yours". Take any martial art and you will be able find a mindset that dictates that it is the best one that you can train in. This comes from the top and works it’s way all the way down to the white belt student.



The logic behind this might be that if you didn’t say this then the prospective student may look elsewhere. I don’t know but there is no best martial art just better martial artists that you will encounter.



This feature of "best" is quite evident in many styles where the head instructor is considered a living god by many of his acolytes and anything said to the contrary is considered sacrilegious. Now it might be nice to be a living god,grand master with a red belt or have some made up title and have people fawn over you and worship you & the ground that you walk on.



I think it is quite alluring to be treated in such a manner and may corrupt the person that is being worshiped. Adulation at it’s highest form should be reserved for only religious figures and even then with restraint. So you have these head instructors that have either been promoted to this exalted rank or have broken off and started their own system and elevated themselves accordingly. If I was a cynic then I would also consider the money aspect of this exalted rank which does make money for the head of the organization and sometimes a lot of it.



Consider a martial arts style that has 30,000 members worldwide and then multiply their yearly membership dues plus extras such as patches and promotions and you will realize that this is big business. Which I believe also fuels the separation & animosity of senior students from the main organization. Money can cause jealousy and envy and even the martial arts are not immune.



Lest I be considered a total cynic there are organizations that seem to have bypassed this grab for glory and money. I commend them and the head instructors because I feel that this reflects the true spirit of budo. Once you pimp yourself out then you have strayed from the path and most definitely from the "way". So all the money in the world and the best techniques that go along with your fancy world headquarters does not make you a true martial artist.



On the internal politics end of it there will also be the scorned student who feels slighted and left out. This is usually the most senior student who is passed up for some type of promotion or commendation that he or she feels was rightly deserved. It can also happen to lower ranked belts who usually leave the dojo and find another martial arts school to take it’s place where hopefully they can obtain the coveted black belt.



Usually the high ranked scorned student will get angry and feel hurt but not necessarily in that order. The senior student being immature will not discuss the problem with the head instructor or founder of the martial arts system. This obviously causes more problems and then the situation escalates totally out of control whereby the senior student leaves and starts his own system. I have actually seen this three times in different martial arts that I trained under or had experience with and there was always the anger and hurt feelings that went along with the departure.



Another aspect of politics will be the awarding of belts and high ranking in a particular martial arts organization. It should be noted that after a certain point the belts are given for time in, effort & contributions, who you know and age. Sounds just like the rest of the world and because it’s made up of people, it is!



This being said, it does not diminish the the ability of the high ranked black belt and certainly if it is given it is rarely refused. But a 3rd degree black belt may not necessarily be less knowledgeable than a 8th degree black belt. After a certain level it does not mean anything more than an honorary recognition of the individual and his abilities as seen by his peers and the head instructor.



So for all those 15th degree and higher black belts out there in the world I commend you for attaining such a high rank in such a relatively short period of time. Again I may be a bit skeptical but I feel that if there are more than eight to ten degrees of black belt in a martial arts system then something is amiss. With every promotion there is usually a cash payment involved and if you add up a lot of black belts on your waist then you will realize that there is also a financial incentive to promote your senior students on a regular basis. Strange but true!



The other politics that you will always find in a martial arts school is the proverbial pecking order that separates the high ranking students from the lowly ones that wear white and other colored belts around their waists. I think this is unavoidable based on the classical martial arts tradition. The notion of the sempei which roughly translates as your senior in the class.



This is an age old tradition that still lingers today and in my opinion is not too bad even if you far surpass your fellow senior who may have started a day earlier than you. Quaint may be the best description for this practice and in America it is not as widely recognized.



The belt differences initially do mean something in most martial arts schools since it is fair to reason that the black belt has many more years of experience than you. Until you are proficient in the martial art it is best that you listen and learn from the sensei and higher ranked students. Now you will find that not all higher ranked students are knowledgeable or even proficient in the martial art that you are both studying.



It may be disappointing but again the testing procedure may be lacking or even a bit lax. If this happens then the black belts in a particular school may be in reality no more than brown belts. But don’t tell that to the black belts because the reaction will probably not be pleasant. Case in point is my own experience.



Presently I am studying a classical jujitsu style and have been doing so for over seven years now. Based on my past knowledge and experience I am able to learn quite quickly even though old habits die hard. So it has been my choice to put off promotions even as students who joined later on now are wearing black belts. Why you may ask don’t you just take the promotion tests and pick up another black belt?



That’s a great question and I wish I had the total answer. One, was when I was taking it with my son I didn’t want him to get into a competition with me over belts so I stalled the process. Then he left martial arts to take up track and I was left with the belt choice again. Go up the ranks or take it slow and easy and if I get another black belt so be it.



But I am absolutely sure that there are many fellow students that look at the color of the belt on my waist and feel a bit superior. Never judge a martial artist by the color of the belt because looks may be deceiving. In fact I may want to teach one day and that black belt along with the others will be needed to establish credibility. Even I am susceptible to the allure of the black belt and I have consciously resisted it in favor of a purer sense of the martial arts.



Besides a black belt won’t help you too much if all you did is go through some forms and recite back the meanings of the techniques that are required for promotion. It don’t mean a thing if you can’t back up that belt when the shit hits the fan, amen. This sounds rather harsh but the reality is if it does not work when you need it then you have big problems even if you are a 10th degree black belt in whatever martial art that suits your fancy.



Politics won’t work against a 250 lb enraged animal that wants to rip your face off! There has been many a high ranked martial artist that has been hurt or even killed by someone with no specified martial arts experience unless of course you want to count the street as their school. In fact, last year a Tae Kwon Do instructor was killed in a Brooklyn street fight by an ex-con wielding a knife.



One last word about martial arts politics: It will exist in every organization, school and style and it is up to you to refrain from engaging in it. It takes up time, energy and in my opinion does little to advance your martial arts training & knowledge!