Has race ever been made into an issue for you?

[Ronin74]

The Female instructor thread by DoubleZ711, got me to wondering if has race ever been made an issue for anyone else when it came to training? Specifically, have you ever been told not to concern yourself with a particular art, because there was already an art from your ethnic background that you could be involved with?

I was once told not to bother with learning another art (even though I do have an interest in it), because as Filipino, FMA should be more of my concern. I couldn't help but feel this was limiting and close-minded, and was disappointed to hear it came from an instructor who's opinion I respected. I'll admit that my initial interest in FMA was to utilize my love of martial arts as a vehicle to help learn about my culture, but beyond that, I don't see how having that kind of a mentality would benefit anyone.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?

 

[terryl965]

I train in what I like and who I like and nothing has ever changed that. Race should never come into lay in the MA.

 

[Bruno@MT]

No.

But then again I am from Belgium, so any martial art originating here would probably involve distracting people with waffles and chocolate, and then making them drink 'real' beer which will knock them out after a couple of glasses.

 

[Ironcrane]

Never happened like that exactly, but I've come across a couple of instances where race was an issue. I wrote down one of them in a post I made in the comedy cafe. You can find that one there.
There was one other thing that happened, but it wasn't as severe as that. Basicly, myself, and two of my friends were trying to decide on a name for our school, and one of them suggested KKK. that being - Karate, Kenpo, and Kung fu, which were our martial backgrounds. What was ironic about that, was he was black.
He really wanted that name, but my other friend, and I, were eventually able to talk him out of it.

 

[seasoned]

When I walk into a DoJo all I see are people, as it is in life. Jerks and low life's are not bound by race, color, or gender. As for me, I base everyone by the content of their character, and have found that Martial arts has a tendency to bond, Rather the alienate people.

 

[harlan]

I'm kinda curious about the original post.

Was the source of dissuasion your teacher, or from others? I think it makes a big difference is dissuasion, with any rationale, comes from ones teacher.

 

[jarrod]

No.

But then again I am from Belgium, so any martial art originating here would probably involve distracting people with waffles and chocolate, and then making them drink 'real' beer which will knock them out after a couple of glasses.

now that is an attack i would welcome!

jf

 

[Ronin74]

No.

But then again I am from Belgium, so any martial art originating here would probably involve distracting people with waffles and chocolate, and then making them drink 'real' beer which will knock them out after a couple of glasses.

I have no defense for this... LOL

 

[Ronin74]

I'm kinda curious about the original post.

Was the source of dissuasion your teacher, or from others? I think it makes a big difference is dissuasion, with any rationale, comes from ones teacher.

Not exactly. I've taken a few classes under that instructor before, but not enough to warrent them as my teacher.

 

[tshadowchaser]

has race ever been made an issue for anyone else when it came to training?

I once had a parent acuse me of racism until I showed him a picture of the person my son was named after and another picture in my office of some of my close friends.
As for myslef i welcome anyone into my class if they are willing to train and treat others in class as brothers and sisters. Point infact when I taught in N.C. I had a class of all white students until a friend came by to study. My students where given the choice treat him as they did me and each other or leave.

 

[FearlessFreep]

now that is an attack i would welcome!

jf

Go down happy, for sure...

 

[Rich Parsons]

The Female instructor thread by DoubleZ711, got me to wondering if has race ever been made an issue for anyone else when it came to training? Specifically, have you ever been told not to concern yourself with a particular art, because there was already an art from your ethnic background that you could be involved with?

I was once told not to bother with learning another art (even though I do have an interest in it), because as Filipino, FMA should be more of my concern. I couldn't help but feel this was limiting and close-minded, and was disappointed to hear it came from an instructor who's opinion I respected. I'll admit that my initial interest in FMA was to utilize my love of martial arts as a vehicle to help learn about my culture, but beyond that, I don't see how having that kind of a mentality would benefit anyone.

Has this ever happened to anyone else?

I have had Filipino's get upset when they found out I trained and taught FMA systems.

I have had Filipino's tell me to not teach as I cannot ever truly be as good as any Filipino.

I have some people get upset as I was not Blond and Blue Eyed, but I cared not for training with them.

And not to make it sound like all Filipino's are racist, I have had two great man teach me what they knew, so it is on an individual by individual basis.

 

[FearlessFreep]

*shrug* no. My background is a mixture of Russian, Slovak and Scot/Irish so I'm not sure there's a real ethnic background there that applies to Martial Arts.

My current (Hapkido) instructor is black as was my prior (Tae Kwon Do) instructor. It's never been an issue to me or anyone in class that I've ever noticed

 

[FearlessFreep]

I have had Filipino's get upset when they found out I trained and taught FMA systems.

I have had Filipino's tell me to not teach as I cannot ever truly be as good as any Filipino.

I have some people get upset as I was not Blond and Blue Eyed, but I cared not for training with them.

That actually sounds very similar to stories I've heard about Koreans (and maybe Japanese as well). I heard that one of tehe biggest differences between BJJ and many of the Asian arts was that the Gracies were willing to share everything with anyone and at the time the Asian arts were a little more insular.

 

[searcher]

The only time I have ever seen race come up when I was around was back when I was boxing. And the one making the racist comments was quickly quieted by the other of the same race that were present.

Most of the time, it is the MA side of things that make us share a common mindset/interest. It is when we are away that race tends to become a thing and not very often.

 

[Nolerama]

It sucks that someone you respect in the MAs thinks that you shouldn't train in the FMAs, especially as a Filipino.

I'm Filipino, and have taken a stab at the FMA's as a way to integrate it into my fighting game (the footwork and speed can make you very agile) and to explore my own culture.

Purists come with any MA. I suggest looking at that particular instructor as a purist who refuses to look beyond his experiences. Agree to disagree about your differing curiosity levels and wish him a good day. You'll get something out of your training in the FMAs, and you might bring something back your friend might be able to appreciate.

And it might change his mind.

So have fun with it. Besides, I don't think this is a race issue as much as it may be a Art-centric issue.

 

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

Being a Latino, I don't think I have much to choose from if I'm going to go from my own ethnic martial arts (Aztec fighting isn't that popular in central Texas)

That said, I don't think it should matter where we come from. We all walk the same way, look ahead when we stand, throw the same punches, get hurt by the same throws. There's nothing I, as a Latino, can't do that a Russian can do.

Consider the Jingwu Sports Federation, it was formed to unify the martial arts of China so as to make them available to all people, not just those in the family, or region, whatever. I think we'll always have the purists, but there are also always going to be those that do their damndest to try and change that.

That's one of the reasons why I enjoy living in America so much, as, while the martial arts may not be united, they certainly are easily available to those wish for them, in most cases. If you want to take an art, you can get on google, look for it, and you'll probably find one somewhere in America, and they'll accept you.

 

[Big Don]

My school is 98% Mexican. I and 3 others are the exceptions. Race only really matters to a holes.

 

[geezer]

That's one of the reasons why I enjoy living in America so much, as, while the martial arts may not be united, ...If you want to take an art, you can get on google, look for it, and you'll probably find one somewhere in America, and they'll accept you.

Over the years I've encountered a few MA practiioners and instructors that have some racial issues. Some have been Anglo-American and were subtly anti-minority. Others have been from the cultures where their art originated and were biased against sharing it fully with outsiders. But one great thing about living in America. Every citizen, regardless of race, gender, religion or ethnic origin is equally an American. It's not like that in some other developed nations. I've heard that an ethnic Turk may be born and raised in Germany, and speak German as a native, but legally is not a German. Nor, I've been told, is an ethnic Korean born in Japan considered Japanese. For all our faults, I believe we are finally moving beyond such "tribal" attitudes.

 

[Ronin74]

Race only really matters to a holes.

Can't get it any clearer than that.

I'm proud of my culture, but never would I try to limit myself or others by saying that this or that art was better left to the groups credited with their origin.