Martial arts shouldn't take years to learn.

[Fuhrer Drumpf]

There will always be exceptions. There are people who, with little or no training, can play nearly any piano piece after a single hearing (with no sheet music). That is not an indicator that piano shouldn't take years to learn.

But let's go back and look at those two examples. How much did Kano train in those 10 years? And did he have exceptional teachers? And what was his movement like before he started that training?

Bruce Lee was physically exceptional, and exceptionally driven. There are also some who say some of his ideas of WC were underdeveloped.

Kano and Lee weren't the exceptions. (And Lee didn't get muscle until much later. He was still pretty skinny when he was in The Green Hornet.) I think there are many amazing martial artists with a lot of creative potential who just choose to continue in their tradition. I've met many myself, including my stepfather, who was my first martial arts teacher and an extraordinary talent in Shotokan.

 

[ShortBridge]

Well, as a Japanese American, I can tell you that some things in my culture are more tradition than logic. This applies to martial arts, too. But what's most annoying is when non-Japanese fetishize Japanese martial arts culture and get all 80s-karate-kid weird about it.

Elizabeth Shue

 

[Fuhrer Drumpf]

Elizabeth Shue

I had to google her. So she's the blonde from The Karate Kid. Ok. I hate that franchise so much. I hope Pat Morita made decent coin for selling his soul in that garbage role.

 

[ShortBridge]

You brought it up.

 

[Fuhrer Drumpf]

You brought it up.

Brought what up?

 

[Tarrycat]

Brought what up?

I like The Karate Kid... . I like 80's movies. I guess to each his own. Do I know anything about karate? NOPE.

 

[Tez3]

I had to google her. So she's the blonde from The Karate Kid. Ok. I hate that franchise so much. I hope Pat Morita made decent coin for selling his soul in that garbage role.

Pat Morita was an actor, he didn't sell his soul that's nonsense. You didn't like the film, many others did and were entertained by it which is the purpose of a film. Your approval isn't necessary.

 

[Tarrycat]

Pat Morita was an actor, he didn't sell his soul that's nonsense. You didn't like the film, many others did and were entertained by it which is the purpose of a film. Your approval isn't necessary.

I agree, Tez.

As far as I know, Pat was just an actor, he wasn't a martial artist - that's the first thing I googled when I first watched it.

I think it may have inspired a lot of people to take up Karate or any other martial art, as a self defense mechanism. A lot of kids out there get bullied. The purpose of all movies is to entertain.

The one movie, which I feel portrayed a more accurate image of martial arts (the Bujinkan & Takamatsuden organisations), is The Last Samurai. I absolutely LOVED it. It is so moving, I cry every time I watch it & it reminds me how special the art is.

Movies aren't always a bad thing. It's not something to take seriously, anyway.

 

[JR 137]

I agree, Tez.

As far as I know, Pat was just an actor, he wasn't a martial artist - that's the first thing I googled when I first watched it.

I think it may have inspired a lot of people to take up Karate or any other martial art, as a self defense mechanism. A lot of kids out there get bullied. The purpose of all movies is to entertain.

The one movie, which I feel portrayed a more accurate image of martial arts (the Bujinkan & Takamatsuden organisations), is The Last Samurai. I absolutely LOVED it. It is so moving, I cry every time I watch it & it reminds me how special the art is.

Movies aren't always a bad thing. It's not something to take seriously, anyway.

I’m not an MA movie fan at all. They’re usually way too over the top, bad acting, stupid story lines, etc. But the Last Samurai is one of my favorite movies, regardless of genre. I don’t know much about actual samurai techniques nor actual sword techniques, so it could be way off from a true sense, it it looks like actual MA during most of it to me.

 

[JR 137]

I agree, Tez.

As far as I know, Pat was just an actor, he wasn't a martial artist - that's the first thing I googled when I first watched it.

I think it may have inspired a lot of people to take up Karate or any other martial art, as a self defense mechanism. A lot of kids out there get bullied. The purpose of all movies is to entertain.

The one movie, which I feel portrayed a more accurate image of martial arts (the Bujinkan & Takamatsuden organisations), is The Last Samurai. I absolutely LOVED it. It is so moving, I cry every time I watch it & it reminds me how special the art is.

Movies aren't always a bad thing. It's not something to take seriously, anyway.

Pat Morita was heavily inspired by Fumio Demura, a truly renowned Shito Ryu karate legend. Demura was also Morita’s stunt double during I believe all 3 films.

 

[JR 137]

I had to google her. So she's the blonde from The Karate Kid. Ok. I hate that franchise so much. I hope Pat Morita made decent coin for selling his soul in that garbage role.

Seeing as how Morita didn’t have a noteworthy career before the Miyagi role, I wouldn’t say he sold out. He wasn’t a highly regarded actor who took a role he hated for some money.

The third movie was garbage. The first and second were great IMO. I was in I think 3rd grade when the first one came out, so I’m a bit biased I guess.

 

[hoshin1600]

Morita didn’t have a noteworthy career before the Miyagi role

now wait just a darn tootin minute.....Pat was Arnold in the TV show "Happy Days"!!! Happy Days is an iconic piece of Americana. (my favorite show as a youngster) without Arnold's where would we be today?
not to mention his appearance in the show "Welcome Back" where he was an inventor who invented musical underwear. Al Pachino or Meryl Streep never invented musical underwear ...now did they?

He wasn’t a highly regarded actor who took a role he hated for some money.

The thing is Pat Morita was actually a stand up comedian.

Pat Morita was heavily inspired by Fumio Demura, a truly renowned Shito Ryu karate legend. Demura was also Morita’s stunt double during I believe all 3 films.

According to the NetFlix special on Demura, Fumio Demura was the first choice for the role but Fumio turned it down because he didnt think he could act, so instead did the martial arts parts. Pat and Fumio shared a special botherly bond.

 

[lklawson]

Well, as a Japanese American, I can tell you that some things in my culture are more tradition than logic. This applies to martial arts, too. But what's most annoying is when non-Japanese fetishize Japanese martial arts culture and get all 80s-karate-kid weird about it.

That's nice.

As a mixed heritage, German-American/Scottish-American/God-knows-what-American, I find it annoying when someone makes broad and inclusive statements such as, ""This whole 'years to master' philosphy is pretty unique to East Asian martial arts." which are patently wrong and easily disproved with a simple web search.

The whole "I'm a Japanese-American" thing is utterly and completely irrelevant to the subject at hand.

 

[hoshin1600]

Elizabeth Shue

It always comes back to Elizabeth Shue ,,,doesnt it......

 

[Tez3]

The whole "I'm a Japanese-American" thing is utterly and completely irrelevant to the subject at hand.

This is something that is baffling to non Americans because when we look at you we see Americans, it doesn't occur to us that you might want to be split down into ancestral divisions. We also assume that the culture you have is American because you know.... you are Americans. Many people here who have forbears not from UK carry on customs from those countries but their culture is firmly British ( ie they eat fish and chips, curry, (often together with curry sauce on the chips), watch Coronation Street and discuss the weather) so we think it would be the same with you lot.
I'm also thinking an awful lot of Japanese people have no more than a passing interest in martial arts despite many people assuming that if someone is Japanese/Chinese looking they are automatically a master in karate/Kung Fu.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

This is something that is baffling to non Americans because when we look at you we see Americans, it doesn't occur to us that you might want to be split down into ancestral divisions. We also assume that the culture you have is American because you know.... you are Americans. Many people here who have forbears not from UK carry on customs from those countries but their culture is firmly British ( ie they eat fish and chips, curry, (often together with curry sauce on the chips), watch Coronation Street and discuss the weather) so we think it would be the same with you lot.
I'm also thinking an awful lot of Japanese people have no more than a passing interest in martial arts despite many people assuming that if someone is Japanese/Chinese looking they are automatically a master in karate/Kung Fu.

It's a bit baffling to some Americans, too.

 

[lklawson]

This is something that is baffling to non Americans because when we look at you we see Americans, it doesn't occur to us that you might want to be split down into ancestral divisions.

Generally speaking, it's a pretty new phenomenon. Historically speaking, it really didn't become a "thing" here in the U.S. before the rise of the designation of "African American" as a substitute for "Black" or any of the others some time in the 1980's or so.

To a certain degree it is tied to the long-standing racial tensions here in the U.S.

While there are some who use X-American as a way to divisively differentiate groups of people here in the U.S., there are others who embrace it as a way of identifying a "heritage" and to give themselves "roots," so to speak. "This is my heritage and I am proud of it." Local heritage groups, often very specific in focus, exist to fill this desire. There is a Celtic Dance club here in the Dayton, Ohio area catering to people who identify as an Irish heritage. I know of people who study Irish Martial Arts such as Bhata (cane-fighting) and Wrestling & Boxing styles identified as Irish origin or particularly popular with Irish during the diaspora following the Great Potato Famine, specifically BECAUSE the arts are "Irish," as a way of expressing their Irish-ness and connecting with their roots.

To summarize, there are many who hyphenate (one of) their ethnic origins to "American" who do so to identify with their perceived heritage and there are many who do it to segregate themselves or others.

The more I see it evolve, the more I see it used as a way of dividing people or claiming a position of authority.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[CB Jones]

Pat Morita was heavily inspired by Fumio Demura, a truly renowned Shito Ryu karate legend. Demura was also Morita’s stunt double during I believe all 3 films.

Morita also mimicked a lot of Demura's mannerisms for Mr Miyagi's character.

 

[Tez3]

I know of people who study Irish Martial Arts such as Bhata (cane-fighting)

Bhata is a town in Pakistan lol, bata is the Erse word for 'stick', the Irish do stick fighting not cane fighting ( bamboo doesn't grow in Ireland.) , bataireacht is stick fighting. I've watch the Royal Irish doing it in their gym. Their SNCOs carry the Sail Éille (shillelagh) instead of the pace stick that other regiments have.

 

[lklawson]

Bhata is a town in Pakistan lol, bata is the Erse word for 'stick',

I've seen it anglicized both ways (and a few more). You wouldn't believe the arguments I've seen online between people studying the archaic forms of the language, referencing antique books, etc. Or maybe you wouldn't be surprised at all. In some ways it's not too different from people arguing about anything else.

the Irish do stick fighting not cane fighting ( bamboo doesn't grow in Ireland.) , bataireacht is stick fighting.

This probably won't surprise you but I do study one of the systems, specifically in its 19th Century context. Learned from those of "Irish heritage" and referenced through the few remaining written sources of the time. When I write "cane" I am referring specifically to the use as a "gentleman's walking stick" as was common in the late 19th Century. In this case the "shillelagh" was a knobbed cane/walking-stick.

I've watch the Royal Irish doing it in their gym.

There is a renaissance of historical "Irish" martial methods. Scottish too. I have a number of friends who are delving deep into Scottish sources.

I study these things because I think it's neat and I'm a bit of an anachronism. But, again, a lot of people here in the U.S. are studying as a way of "connecting with their roots."

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk