Unraveling the Essence of a Grandmaster: A Perspective on Leadership in Martial Arts

[Hot Lunch]

The tuner community in automobiles can be garish. With led lights, huge fins, fancy paint jobs, etc. it’s not just about performance.

Do you have any insight?

You mean the ricer community? I know you can't see inside those mirror tints, but those rice burners typically aren't being driven by Japanese Americans, or even Asian Americans at all. It's typically THIS guy. The creator of this meme forgot to add the fake Cuban link chain.

 

[Steve]

You mean the ricer community? I know you can't see inside those mirror tints, but those rice burners typically aren't being driven by Japanese Americans, or even Asian Americans at all. It's typically THIS guy. The creator of this meme forgot to add the fake Cuban link chain.

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Well, thanks for making it weird. We are talking about Japan, where I’m guessing most of the drivers are Japanese.

 

[Buka]

Stars and stripes

That Gi top once belonged to Joe Lewis.
Fortunately for me, it shrunk.

 

[Holmejr]

From Edgar Sulite:

“A master of the art is called and acknowledged a Master by other masters, never by himself.”

“To be recognized as a Grandmaster or Master of combat arts in the Philippines, you must have made your reputation and show mental maturity and physical age. Grandmasters question the rankings of other grandmasters.”

There was a time when these folks went from town to town challenging or accepted challenges of escrimadors coming to them. Their reputations grew over time and virtually anyone in the arts knew who they were. It was a brutally honest system. And it wasn’t that long ago.

 

[Gyakuto]

That Gi top once belonged to Joe Lewis.
Fortunately for me, it shrunk.

To this person?

 

[HighKick]

So the OP practices FMA, and the two guys defending it practice KMA.

Aren't there several Christianity-based cults where the Korean male head is believed to be God or the second coming of the messiah by the members - such as Ahn Sahng-hong, Lee Man-hee, and a few others? And then there's the Kim regime...

And this isn't a criticism of Korean culture. Minus a Kim regime equivalent, we've have David Koresh and other self-proclaimed messiahs right here in the US.

But it does appear that Japanese culture wouldn't allow for things like this.

Definitely not just in KMA. Sadly, that happens everywhere.

 

[Hyoho]

Unraveling the Essence of a Grandmaster: A Perspective on Leadership in Martial Arts

Understanding the concept of a ‘grandmaster’ can often be challenging. However, one shared quality among all grandmasters is undeniably their innate leadership skills. Taking Modern Arnis as our reference point, we see a clear hierarchy – from the students to the Guros (teachers), ascending to the Masters, the Datus, and finally, the Grandmaster. This pyramid illustrates the evolution of leadership, with each rank commanding the one beneath.

At the pinnacle, the grandmaster symbolizes the embodiment of leadership, often likened to a president or a king. They bear the responsibility of guiding all other ranks, setting the course for the future of the organization, and embodying the essence of the art.

However, recently there has been a surge in individuals seeking to earn the title of ‘grandmaster’ for personal prestige, with little or no intention of shouldering the leadership responsibilities that the title demands. It’s my humble belief that such behavior undermines the sanctity of the title and the art.

Take note, martial arts aspirants who have achieved the esteemed title of ‘grandmaster’, yet only lead a handful of students from a school, recreation center, backyard or garage, it’s time to either rise to the occasion or respectfully step aside.

I present these thoughts as my personal perspective. I acknowledge and respect the diversity of opinions in the martial arts community and I am open to engaging in constructive conversations about this or related topics.

So, dear readers, community members, and fellow martial arts enthusiasts, I invite your feedback. Do my sentiments resonate, or am I just being overly critical? Are we, as part of this revered tradition, upholding the high standards set by our predecessors?

Thank you for considering my viewpoint, and I look forward to our dialogue.

With all due respect,
Datu Tim Hartman
World Modern Arnis Alliance

#modernarnis #DatuHartman #arnis #datu #Filipinomartialarts #grandmaster #martialarts

Having sat in Banilad many times on the bench watching my good friend Grandmaster Cacoy Canete. It was rather obvious how esteemed and experienced he was.

 

[Hyoho]

Thankfully, I've never trained any place where someone held the title of "Grandmaster.

Its just Filipino use of the English language that often crops up. Here they call a well know wanted criminal a "celebrity" traffic triangles become an "early warning device". Flowery words but the Grandmaster (Cacoy Canete) I knew well and used to sit on his bench was on a par to Japanese Sohke. Sadly the Grandmaster Soky dokey associations have given the term a bad name.