Toxic Masculinity

There was a movie a few years back called The Art of Self Defense. Despite the unassuming title, the film explores the pitfalls of encountering the wrong dojo to train at. The lead character is a milquetoast pushover who's afraid of his own shadow. After getting beaten and robbed he decides he's had enough and ends up taking karate lessons from a deranged sensei who encourages his new charge to be a violent psychopath. The student takes his misguided teachings into the real world with predictable results. I won't spoil things by revealing more, but not surprisingly, the story does not end well. Cultish behavior is nothing new in the martial arts, and with the advent of social media, young men are finding inspiration in the rather vile corners of the internet. 

My son asked me recently if I ever heard of a retired kickboxing/MMA competitor named Andrew Tate. I hadn't, so with a little digging I found that after Tate retired from competition he started to monetize online courses on how to get rich and "male-female interactions." His Hustler's University turned out to be a pyramid scheme targeting young men who were buying into his hype to become an alpha male. An alpha is the apex of male aggression and dominance hierarchy in the animal kingdom. Primatologist Robert Sapolsky has studied this in non-human primates and its relation to the highly stratified social structure of baboons*. In humans, being an alpha male is associated with narcissism, entitlement and even misogyny. In layman's terms, human alpha males are highly predisposed to just being assholes.

Tate's net worth supposedly puts him in the neighborhood of 50 million USD, but has since been kicked off numerous social media platforms (where he earns most of his money) for inciting violence and dehumanizing speech, particularly aimed at women. As of this writing, Tate sits in a jail cell in Romania awaiting a judge's decision regarding Tate's (and three others') involvement in a human trafficking scheme using women to create pornography for profit, among other charges including rape. I don't know if Tate's years as a world champion martial arts competitor led to his self-indulgent dysfunctional worldview of male dominance. Maybe he got messed up as a kid. A long held psychology axiom states that events that occur during childhood can reveal themselves in unpredictable ways later in life. I doubt that an undertaking in a traditional martial art style during his formative years would've put him on the right path (budo), but who knows? Would an early-life intervention have made a difference in a guy like Tate?

Jason Wilson runs a youth program for troubled boys in Detroit called The Cave of Adullam Transformational Training Academy, a quasi-martial arts facility that "is not a martial arts school but a Transformational Training Academy." Wilson, the chief instructor who cites a background in jiu-jitsu, judo, and kempo (but doesn't hold rank in any of these styles), teaches young men in a traditional dojo-setting the values needed to become an upright man and a decent citizen. Wilson muses how some martial artists can attain a black belt in their chosen style, but remain a white belt in the game of life.

"When I first started the CATTA, there were many “Scared Straight” programs in Michigan, and I had even participated in a couple", says Wilson. "However, I quickly discovered that inflicting trauma will never help a boy release it but instead teach him to suppress it. Nowadays, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Scared Straight or Bootcamp program because discipline without love is ineffectual."

Maybe that's the antidote to toxic masculinity in young men: The understanding that the best and even worst of us have an innate need to love and to be loved. And the sooner the better. As The Beatles famously sang, "Love is all you need."

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!

*Robert M. Saplolsky 2017. Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. Penguin Press.

Sore Loser At The Olympics

The following is a story taken from a news report dated 8/12/16:

Israeli judoka Or Sasson defeated Egyptian rival Islam El Shahaby in the first round of the men’s over-100kg competition at the Rio Games on Friday, and was left standing when his opponent refused to shake his hand at the end of the match.

In judo it is customary to both bow to opponents — a sign of respect in Japan — and shake hands after a bout is over.

El Shehaby had been well beaten but stood impassively and then backed away as Sasson tried to shake his hand.

As he left the mat area, El Shehaby was called back to the center by the referee to bow.

But he was then loudly jeered out of the arena by angry supporters.

He later announced he was quitting judo.

The story resonates with the long history of social, political and religious schism in the Middle East. Many are defending the actions of the Egyptian, claiming he received heavy criticism online for "shaming his faith and nation" for merely competing with an Israeli at the Games. A handshake at the end of a match is not mandatory.

Sadly, disrespect is nothing new in martial arts events at the Olympics. At the 2008 Games in Beijing, a competitor received a lifetime ban from the World Taekwondo Federation after he kicked a referee in the head, pushed a judge and then spat on the floor before being ejected by security. Of course, while the recent tale lacks the blatant violence of this one, it's indicative of the lack of dignity and self-control in the face of defeat.

Jigaro Kano (1860-1938), the founder of judo, sought early on to include judo as an Olympic event. He died before his dream was realized at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. We need not imagine what the master would have thought of what happened this past Friday in Rio. In his words:

Judo should be free as art and science from any external influences, political, national, racial, and financial or any other organized interest. And all things connected with it should be directed to its ultimate object, the benefit of humanity.

Karate Characters

The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the characters of its participants. - Gichin Funakoshi

I've previously posted about the pitfalls of competing. Some of the antics of participants through the years have been deplorable. In 2008 Cuban competitor Angel Matos kicked a referee in the head after he was disqualified in an Olympic tae kwon do bout. In a separate incident, Isao Nakamura Fushiki actually attacked a contestant in a karate match in which he was the referee.

This past weekend I watched a karate tournament that left me shaking my head in disgust. While the judging was fair and competent from my view, a few of the competitors (kumite, men's BB division) were arguing with referees on certain calls in a manner that I felt was quite disrespectful. [One liability of point-matches is the seemingly arbitrary nature of scoring points or ippon in a stop-and-go fashion, something that doesn't exist in continuous sparring events that allows full contact and KO's, a la Kyokushin or the K-1, but I digress.] Generally I'm in favor of sportive karate, but not when the players engage in disgraceful behavior. What's particularly bad is how this leaves such a negative impression on anyone who has to witness this kind of thing, especially novice and young practitioners.

Fortunately, nothing I saw came remotely close to this. Brace yourself:

Titles, Bowing and other Lunacy

I called my first karate instructor by his first name, as did everyone else. Later, when I began traditional studies elsewhere, the Japanese title of sensei was conveyed. Sensei is an honorific term designated for instructors who hold the rank of at least sandan (3rd degree black belt), and this is the way it should be. Junior instructors should not be referred to as sensei, even if the top brass isn't around. But the lower ranked yudansha (black belt holders) have achieved something special, so they deserve some recognition. When addressed, Mister or Miss or simply "sir" gets the job done. I don't like the title of sensei to be thrown around.

One school I trained at had the annoying policy of calling anyone with a black belt sensei. I really hated that. As a young shodan (1st black belt) I had no inclination to teach and as such I didn't feel I should be afforded the title. Furthermore I felt this practice took away from the legit instructors that actually earned and deserved this distinction. But it gets worse. If said yudansha walked into the dojo during the course of a class, it was understood that everyone had to stop what they were doing - regardless of whatever that was - and perform a "courtesy bow" to the exhalted black belt "sensei." I kid you not. The first time this happened to me I actually turned around to see if some big shot was walking in behind me. Naturally I failed to bow back to the class, much to the chagrin of the chief instructor, but I respectfully protested. "Sir, why do you call all the black belts 'sensei'? I'm really not comfortable with that. 'Mr. Vesia' would be fine."

"No, no... we call the brown belts 'Mister.' It's all to show respect, Sensei John."

It didn't stop there. At the end of class we would all line up to bow to a portrait of Shimabuku (our founder) hanging on the wall. Then the most senior student present bows to the instructor. The whole class bows. All fine and good. This is the stock ritual most Isshinryu dojo are accustomed to. But this place took it further. Now the sempai (seniors) were then required to bow to the juniors uttering "skit skit kohai ni rei". And of course the newbies had to return the favor ("skit skit sempai ni rei"). I must've bowed 10,000 times during my brief stay at this school.

To top it all off, the chief instructor of said school who had been campaigning for a long awaited promotion to 5th dan ended up driving away almost all of his students when he began to exhibit bizarre behavior, culminating in a divorce, the closing of his school and other personal disasters I'd rather not go into. Becoming a shihan was the beginning of the end for this guy, who became so identified with his persona as a martial arts master that it drove him crazy. We sempai, kohai, sensei and even various renshi could only helplessly watch this onetime decent karate instructor completely lose it, both psychologically and professionally.

I think respect and titles are an important and even necessary feature in traditional martial arts. But when they become the pursuit of self-aggrandizement or to bolster the status of certain students it can only lead to trouble.

Feel The Power

Recently I came across a good read that I thought could be relevant for martial study. Power vs. Force is a book that describes how power, as per author David Hawkins' definition, is of the authentic variety, whereas force belongs to the antiquated self-serving agenda which is typical of the egoic human condition. Low attractor fields manifesting in fear, including its offshoots such as shame, anger and even pride, will actually produce physical weakness. True empowerment emanating from high attractor fields will always produce the desired positive effect. I must warn you that Hawkins' views and research findings are not without controversy. Still, his work has some compelling implications for the martial arts. He writes:

The most highly developed martial arts clearly demonstrates how motive and principle are of ultimate importance... The most frequently heard admonition to trainees is "stop trying to use force." Schools devoted to these arts produce masters whose overriding concern is victory of the higher self over the lower self through control, training and commitment to goals aligned with true power. Alignment with these power attractor patterns is not limited to the exercise of the discipline itself but becomes an entire lifestyle.

"Victory of the higher self" is an oft quoted noble sentiment in the martial arts, but it's usually not a priority for beginning students. But beginners (and occassionaly their seniors) can be subject to these so-called lower attractor patterns. Emotions such as self-consciousness and especially stress have been known to produce catabolic hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These "fight or flight" agents certainly have their place, but too much can be health detrimental in the long term.

Here's an interesting test found in the book that will supposedly yield a valid answer to just about any kind of question. You need two people for this. Somebody poses a question, one that requires a concrete yes/no response. The test subject holds out one arm parallel to the floor while the second person presses down with two fingers on the wrist of the extended arm and says "resist." The subject then resists with all of her/his strength. If the answer is no the subject will go weak and the arm will descend. If the answer is yes the subject will remain strong and be able to resist the downward pressure. That's it. Check out these sample questions you could pose. Remember, you'll need a partner for this experiment.

• Am I training in the right style? (Y/N?)
• Is my instructor a true master? (Y/N?)
• Do I deserve to be promoted? (Y/N?)
• Will I be able to kick Joey's butt if I take karate? (Y/N?)

The possibilities are endless. Try this out at home and get back to me. In the meantime keep training!

Think Big

There's this guy from my area that runs a karate school out of his house. A basement dojo, I'm told, can be a rough place to train. At any rate, this particular fellow checks in at 6'8 and weighs 315 pounds. A friend of mine knows him from the old days. "Years ago he came to train with us because he heard good things about Isshinryu, plus he was killing everyone in sparring at his other school."

"Of course you gave him a warm welcome upon his arrival", I said with thinly veiled sarcasm. "Sure", said my friend. "We took him apart his first day there!"

In almost any physical activity, size and strength go a long way. In the martial arts, size and strength are almost met with contempt. That is, martial-art techniques were developed to down any opponent, regardless of size. If you look at most of the founders of Asian martial arts, you'll see that they were small men, typically just over five feet tall. This kind of shortcoming (pun intended) can seem like a liability for anyone who wants to learn the art of self-defense. But a liability - or as we perceive it as such - can be sublimated into a catalyst to accomplish big things. Napoleon complex is a term used to describe people who are physically short and in turn overcompensate for their so-called handicap.

The conventional belief is that the smaller man (less than 5'5) has a chip on his shoulder, but British researchers have revealed something else. In experiments that were conducted, it was found that it's the average-sized guy who is more likely to lose his temper.

"Make yourself larger than your opponent" advises Musashi. Not merely a mental ploy, what this really means is make your spirit larger. Somehow, this manifests into the physical. Good posture is generally equated with an air of confidence and a sense of well being. We've all seen the opposite: those who lack self esteem carry themselves poorly. They look down at the ground, slumped over, almost in an attempt to hide. We are what we think. And as long as we're thinking, says Donald Trump, think big and kick ass!

Cheap Shot

This has got to be one of the most disgraceful moments in sport karate. Keep an eye on the referee, Isao Nakamura Fushiki, 7th dan. If this doesn't make your blood boil, nothing will:

Egomania

Have you ever trained with somebody who really gets on your nerves? I'm talking about the guy or gal who's so full of themselves that you're tempted to take off your belt and use it to strangle them (not recommended)! If you've been involved in the martial arts for any length of time, by now you realize that the training hall can be rife with all kinds of egocentric behavior. With the modern advent of belts, trophies, and especially titles, it's no wonder. But here's the really interesting part: traits that we're able to observe in others are likely to be a part of us as well. Projection is a term used in psychology that refers to aspects of personality or behavior that we assign to others that we don't dare to admit we actually own.

Admitting to one's own flaws requires introspection and a certain amount of gall. In the martial arts (and especially Zen) awareness is a central topic. Self-awareness is the ultimate goal of this journey that is traditionally approached through a meditation practice (mokuso). Freud once remarked that most neuroses can be traced to the fear of self-knowledge. That's an interesting indictment. Why would we be so afraid to "know ourselves"? I'm not trying to sound rhetorical here, but rather illustrate the idea that many people have trouble confronting their own demons.

Personality disorders such as narcissism are basically veiled coping mechanisms; they're rooted in fear. Fear, as it turns out, is the motivating factor that drives many people to the martial arts. Latent fear expresses itself through the human psyche in many guises, such as anger, greed, violent behavior, and envy. When a student I used to train with received a green belt after only three months of lessons, another member became outraged. "It took me over a year to get my green belt!", he argued. As it turned out, the newly promoted student did not receive any preferential treatment and in fact deserved his rank. Another time there was a student who would never admit defeat in sparring, no matter how lop-sided the match appeared. Healthy competition in the dojo is favorable, but it should never be at the expense of camaraderie. For some, the martial path becomes pathological.

Character

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." If there's one recurring theme in the news, it's the abuse of power. Leaders and authority figures of every stripe seem to be involved in one scandal or another. Judges, politicians, law enforcers, and school teachers all make the headlines. The acquisition of power precedes corruption, or so it seems for the morally challenged.

The development of honor and ethics are at the forefront of martial arts philosophy. At least it's preached that way. But paying lip service to these positive qualities isn't enough; they must be put into action. This is character. It is said that training in the martial arts strengthens one's resolve or purpose. This is what Lincoln meant by "stand(ing) adversity". Can this lead to the development of character? Does enduring the hardships of shugyo (intense training) necessarily make one virtuous?

Warriors of every class and culture throughout history have played the roles of both hero and villain. Absolutely and without a doubt, there are saints and sinners amongst us in the modern martial arts as well. Power derived from learning a combative skill can be a blessing or a curse. Wielding this kind of power requires responsibility, wisdom, proper restraint, and character. I don't believe training in the martial ways necessarily gives rise to these traits automatically, but must be acquired through reflective living, learning from mistakes, and resisting the temptation of ego-gratification.

Only You

Since training in the martial arts cultivates self-reliance, it is the self that we should come to refer to as a reliable guide. Trophies, pats on the back, and colored belts are not necessarily reliable indicators of proficiency. In fact, they can and often become stumbling blocks. Occasionally, practitioners become attached to the idea of doing something well, but if someone else has other ideas (as in the form of a derisive remark), it can be a long and painful fall to the mat. Our desire for approval is directly proportionate to our repulsion to criticism; they are fundamentally born of the same seed of fear. The idea is to develop the capacity for self-reflection. This dissipates the need to rely on others for a sense of identity or value, otherwise this shaky sense of self follows us right into the dojo. To further compound the problem, there exists a rigid, almost militaristic hierarchy in virtually all martial arts schools that dictates and reinforce our so-called worth. Line Up! Black belts assemble in the front line, lower ranks in subsequent lines to the back of the deck. Whenever I visit a school, I'll line up next to a white belt, just to see if anyone notices. Humility is a lesson that is best taught without preaching.

A common term used to characterize the classical warrior was mizu no kokoro - mind like water. This is popularly defined as a reposed state of mind, akin to a calm lake. But there's more to it than just that. A body of water reflects back whatever comes its way, whether it's a bird flying overhead, or the vastness of the moon. It doesn't absorb, judge, or inflate itself with the image presented before it. The water doesn't ripple or move, it just is. Be that way. Be like the calm lake. Then whatever comes your way, whatever anyone says about you, you'll be able to take it graciously without it affecting who you really are.

Revenge

In the West, the ability to live well is considered the best revenge. Revenge is referred to in the Bible as "an eye for an eye...". In the East, revenge is very serious business, and is a dish that is best served cold. This is a topic that gets more than its fair share of attention in certain warrior codes. If a samurai's master was murdered for whatever reason, he had to fulfill a giri (profound obligation) to even the score, and this could take years. Today, those who may have been victimized come to the martial arts to exact retribution on the next potential abuser. This is actually avenging, which is considered just and even honorable. Revenge is really an admission of pain; that to commit revenge implies bringing some sense of relief or satisfaction. My guess is that to succeed at revenge can only bring more misery.

Revenge is exclusively ego driven and desirous, and the so-called reason for it is usually blown out of proportion. Such is the nature of the ego. When aikido's Morihei Ueshiba spoke of the "enemy lurking deep within", he was obviously using this as a metaphor for the egoic mind. Vengeance of any kind always bears the fruit of karma. Even when a ronin avenged the death of a master, he was obliged to commit suicide (seppuku). Revenge is never sweet.

This Is Only A Test

Goal settings, and actualizing them are one of the main attractions of the martial arts. The satisfaction and elation of receiving a new belt is something that must be experienced first hand. Belts can be acquired at intervals through formal testing, but as an instructor of mine once noted, students should be "tested" (i.e. inconspicuously observed) everytime they attend class.

It behooves the student to devote time in preparation for the test. Unfortunately, you're not only being tested on what you know, you're being tested on how well you test. Although this may seem unfair, it prepares the student to deal with stress in a positive manner. The ability to relax under any circumstances is a natural by-product of the experience, confidence, and well being that results from dedicated training. While some may regard acquiring rank as a source of ego-inflation, the student would do well to realize that true nobility is derived from forgoing any type of self-aggrandizement or narcissism.

The Shadow Knows

Plastic Zen was one of the definitions Draeger gave of the martial arts. In Zen, the ultimate goal (usually acquired through meditation) is a realization of the unconscious called satori. If the real enemy is truly within, then knowing this aspect of ourselves allows us to withdraw our projections of a so-called enemy without.

Jung called the repressed self The Shadow. The Shadow is the anti-self, the alter-ego which is in opposition to who we regard as ourself. The Shadow, by its nature, is unknown to the egoic-self, and herein lies the problem: Conflicts between people, and on a larger scale, wars between nations, erupt when negative attributes are projected onto them. So "they" become the enemy. Jean-Paul Sartre wrote, "Hell is other people". But Jung posited that the only way we can see any quality in others(good or bad) is to actually have ownership of it ourselves. Realizing this brings us closer to understanding a very important characteristic of the martial arts.

The Real Enemy: Fighting The False Self

"Harboring the idea of a foe goes against the fundamental principle of all Japanese classical martial disciplines... a confused mind turns against itself and is its own enemy", wrote Donn Draeger. And as one sixteenth century kenshi was credited with saying, "I use my swords only to vanquish my own selfish desires."

Unfortunately for many, the martial arts becomes a narcissistic, self-centered activity. Classical budo teachings warn against the workings of an egoic mind. Training, meditation, and kata practice are tools the martial arts aspirant use to develop appropriate right action to any given situation. Through training, the student becomes transformed. Self-importance, vanity, false pride, all fear-based behaviors, are replaced by positive attributes such as humility, calmness and inner peace. The higher-self always wants to be known, and positive change and transcendence are always available to the serious budoka.

The Psychology of Fighting, Part I

When a new student begins to train in Karate, he or she learns basic stances, punches, kicks, defensive moves and so on, which are organized into pre-arranged ancient forms called kata. Kata, by its nature, works from a script. A real fight, however, is utter chaos. Being able to deal with a chaotic situation means having to cultivate various states of mind to ensure success against some maniac that you happen to run up against.

Zanshin is a heightened sense of awareness of one's surroundings. Mushin means open mind - a mind that has no pre-conceptions or expectations. Kan-Ken futatsu no Koto - the ability to see with "intuitive" eyes via the unconscious. Psychical seeing enables one to sense the presence of danger. Fudoshin - a principle developed by the great swordsman Miyamoto Musashi, refers to a relaxed, calm disposition. The detached, ego-less mind should be regarded as the ultimate ideal for the warrior.