Trump Gets His Black Belt

Yesterday at Mar-a-Lago, the former US president Donald Trump received an honorary 9th degree black belt in the Korean martial art of tae kwon do. It should be noted that Trump is not the only world political figure to be bestowed such an honor. In 2013, Russian president Vladimir Putin was awarded the same honor  during a visit to South Korea. 

Though neither man has actually ever practiced tae kwon do, Putin does hold a black belt in judo, an art he has been training in since he was 11. 

As an Okinawan karate practitioner, my articles on tae kwon do have been comparatively limited. So here is a good opportunity to list the philosophical tenets of the martial art:

 

• Courtesy: Politeness and respect for others, behaving in a well-mannered and civil fashion.
• Integrity: Showing good character, honesty, and decency.
• Perseverance: The willingness to continue to struggle against all odds to reach a goal.
• Self-Control: Keeping one's emotions, desires, and impulses in check, particularly in difficult or trying circumstances.
• Indomitable Spirit:  An attribute shown when a courageous person and his principles are pitted against overwhelming odds. Unconquerable.

 

Like other arts, tae kwon do endeavors to make not just good fighters, but good people who possess inner strength and moral rectitude. These are attributes anyone should aspire to. 

While one could only hope an 'honorary' black belt can produce such a result on its own, I respectfully have my doubts.

Neat Tricks

Eric Shahan, a martial arts practitioner who specializes in translating classic Japanese texts into English has translated a treatise on acquiring supernatural powers in a new book, Twelve Rules Of The Sword, that was passed down verbally from a 17th century samurai school. Among other things, the rules for prevailing in combat involves saying two prayers and writing Sanskrit characters on your palms. Could be a tad time consuming when the heat is on. But supposedly the book also discusses some practical strategies for combat, similar to those found in The Book Of Five Rings, which deals more with the psychology of fighting than physical techniques. Training, attitude and situational awareness, while paramount in the martial arts, are far from magical concepts.

In Okinawan karate, performing the kata Sanchin over and over is supposed to develop otherworldly stamina and strength. The ancient form, of Chinese origin, is akin to a dynamic-tension routine that was hawked in comic books by bodybuilder Charles Atlas in past decades. It's a slow motion punch-and-block sequence that mimics pushing and pulling a heavy weight with isometric contractions and forced breathing. Entire books have been written on the single topic of Sanchin. The kata is a staple in many schools of karate, especially Goju-ryu. Its founder, Chojun Miyagi, made his students perform Sanchin many times each day, with the idea that it would transform them mentally, physically, and spiritually. Miyagi himself was built like a bull and purportedly could perform superhuman feats. In one public demonstration in 1924, he...

[T]hrust his hand into a bunch of bamboos and pulled out one from the center. He stuck his hand into a slab of meat and tore off chunks. He put white chalk on the bottom of his feet, jumped up, and kicked the ceiling — leaving his foot-prints on the ceiling for all to see. Spectators hit him with long bo (staffs) with no effect. He tore off the bark of a tree (with his fingers). And with his big toe he punctured a hole in a kerosene can...He did many more feats which had to be believed.*

These types of feats today are rare. Most modern demos involve crowd-pleasers like self defense moves and board breaking. Gymnastic feats like tricking or parkour (the latter which is derived from military obstacle course training) flood the internet. Most recently we have the Bottle Cap Challenge, originally uploaded by Farabi Davletchin, a champion taekwondo fighter from Kazakhstan. The trick involves setting up a bottle of some beverage roughly chest high, and executing a variant of a spinning hook kick which grazes the pre-loosened bottle cap, spinning it off the top while leaving the remaining bottle untouched.

Everyone seems to be getting in on the action with their own clips, including famous martial arts actor Jason Statham (see above). Pretty impressive for a guy over fifty. If Chuck Norris were a bit younger he would have a go at this.^† Hell, maybe I'll give it a shot. Still, Miyagi would probably outdo everyone with his barefoot hole-in-the-kerosene can move. Then again, Miyagi also said at the conclusion of his demo, "Karate is a total commitment. I have not done anything that someone else cannot do, or, for that matter, you. There is no halfway measure. Either you do it or you don't. Nothing is impossible."

Indeed. There is no magic.


* Richard Kim 1974. The Weaponless Warriors. Ohara Publications. (Originally written by journalist Tojuda Anshu.)
† Want to feel old? Norris will be eighty next year. Can you believe it?

My Black Belt Beats Your Black Belt

A friend of a friend (both guys are longtime Isshinryu karate practitioners) is a part-owner of a successful Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) school in the Hamptons of Long Island, NY. I went to his dojo years ago when he was still doing karate; he was fairly new to BJJ and showed some impressive on-the-ground techniques (his uke [attacker] was 6'8, 300 + pounds). At the time I was dabbling in aikido and tai chi, so the rough and tumble techniques of BJJ were refreshing, so to speak. I had no interest in regular BJJ training, but I respected its apparent effectiveness. My friend's friend has since developed some early onset arthritic joints (he's in his early 30s) from the habitual grabbing of other players' gi (judo jacket), armbars, and the like. His fingers in particular are messed up and will likely worsen, but no cauliflower ears so far.


His new school is a gold mine given that he's in a ritzy area and that he's teaching BJJ. His classes ain't cheap. Because BJJ has more "street cred" (his term) than most traditional martial-art styles, he can charge more — a lot more than the average karate school. I've discussed the efficacy of striking vs. grappling styles in this post, but one thing that really separates BJJ from the rest of the traditional pack of styles is this: for a typical student it takes about 12 years to get to black belt. This is roughly twice as long as it takes to acquire a black belt in karate or many other styles. While BJJ is still regarded as a "traditional" martial art — in that players practice in a gi, go bare feet, and adhere to colored belts for rank — its derision of other traditional arts has become a marketing ploy. From the website of one BJJ school in Texas:

Karate: the vast majority of what is called Karate today is about as effective as interpretive dance. Wide stances, complete lack of takedown defense or awareness of submissions and a general watering down of its belt systems have made Karate kind of hilarious. There are some styles that have proven to be effective, so never assume that someone who does Karate is ineffective, but generalizations can be made.


Taekwondo: perhaps the most popular and most derided Asian martial art, TKD has become a sort of a joke in that it is, on a fundamental level, simply tag played with ones feet. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is superior to Taekwondo because, simply put there is no distance management taught in most standard Taekwondo curriculums making it, on a fundamental level, ineffective…especially when someone that know what they are doing grabs you.

Taekwondo may have surpassed judo as the most popular style on the planet, thanks in part to its inclusion in the Olympics (like judo), but also (unlike judo) for its reputation for quick promotion and prepubescent black belts, resulting in its new moniker "take-one's-dough." In fairness, we have karate "McDojos" doing similar things for the almighty buck. To reiterate, the BJJ guy is raking it in. It's all in the marketing.

The Reluctant Point-Fighter

The attitude of destroying the enemy with one cut is based on the attitude of "going in" to the attack. If not, your spirit is lacking and your resolve is less than complete. You must always close in on the enemy regardless of the indications of the enemy's strength.

— Miyamoto Musashi

In karate and tae kwon do sparring, scoring is kept by counting hand and foot strikes that make contact as points. The point system came about from the idea that atemi (vital strikes) are indeed lethal. Obviously real atemi are prohibited in sportive matches, and as such point-matches morph into a game of glorified tag. What happens is that players tend to fight from exaggerated fighting ranges (ma-ai) with hands held low (especially in TKD), and at times not fully committing to techniques, especially kicks. Combatants are trying to score, but are especially leery of getting countered or "tagged." For these reasons, a point-match is nothing like a realistic fight.

This is clearly a problem if you fancy your art as a viable means of self-defense. In sportive arts like boxing, wrestling and judo, players are fully committed to hitting, getting hit, throwing and getting taken down, even in practice drills. Realize that how you train on the mat is how it happens in real life.

Somebody once told me that the difference between black belts and those at the lower echelon was really a degree of self-interest. "Black belts don't care," he said. What he meant was the BBs aren't concerned with the outcome of committing to a combination of techniques against the opponent. They're more centered in the here-and-now. That means visualizing the attack and following through without being hindered with the mental baggage of a counter. Still, judges don't want to see matches that look like a train wreck or game of chicken.

The bane of the point-match isn't whether or not a technique is so devastating that it can maim or kill, but the aversion to being hit in return. That doesn't mean to disregard defensive techniques completely during a match. Just don't be so mindful of your opponent's strategy that it impinges your game plan. The Japanese concept of kobo-ichi is just another way of saying the old adage "the best defense is a good offense."

New Female Taekwondo Uniforms: Sexist or Innovative?

The World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is considering a redesigned dobok to be worn by female competitors.

The model designed by Juanjo Padrós [director of the Andorra TKD Federation], is a Taekwondo uniform that fits to the body using Lycra fabrics. The other model consists of a dress with a skirt and Lycra pants, giving it a more feminine touch to the Dobok. (Bolding mine)

Some reasons offered for the new look:

1. All scientific evidence suggests that new fabrics are vital to fit the body and allow a better freedom of movement, creating more definition and clean movements. People will enjoy better definition and movement.
2. The latest advances in medicine and physiotherapy, as tiping or other techniques, can be applied to Doboks.
3. The new technologies like blood pressure, heart beat, and temperature control chips can be applied in the new Doboks, and thus show to the world the most modern and innovative martial art and sport.
4. Sometimes, for amateur spectators, it is difficult to differentiate if it is a female or male combat. With these new models, the categories will be easier to differentiate.
5. The most important reason is to take a better advantage of our female competitors because they are a treasure. It is important to show that practicing Taekwondo gives good health, helps to stay fit and gives a beautiful body shape. This last issue must be exploited and must be used to promote Taekwondo in this specific moment, after the success in the Olympics and a great World Championship, to attract television and mass media interest.

The martial arts uniform should be utilitarian and tastefully simple. More definition? Control chips? I think this redesign is strictly to pump up male viewership. Again, it's still under consideration.

Hopefully this time, tradition will prevail.


(h/t: reddit/karate)

All Show and No Go

Back in my younger years I had a friend who owned a 67 Chevelle. In those days the Chevelle was considered the muscle car, a real street machine. Just one small problem: my friend's car only had an inline-six cylinder engine under the hood. Those sixes were good on gas but pretty lousy in the horsepower department. Yet people were afraid to drag race with this guy. Why? Because he had cool looking Cragar wheels all around, a header exhaust for his measly 250 cu. inch motor (which gave it a formidable growl when he hit the throttle), and a badass hood scoop. But on the strip this car was in a league with a Volkswagen. So the perception was that this car was an all-out racer, but the reality was that it had the performance of a scooter. Looks can always be deceiving.

Has anyone ever seen these exhibitions of extreme or tricking martial arts on TV? I'm referring to the choreographed acrobatic stunts that masquerade as traditional forms or kata. Every time I see someone twirling a bo like a baton at a hundred miles an hour I think of my buddy's pseudo racing machine. On some level it's impressive, it may look good, but hardly any of it is useful in a combative sense. I'd like to see some bunkai (realistic applications) for some of these moves. Black Belt Mama's article on The Great Kata Debate was one of her finest, and it includes a video of a youngster performing kata that's interspersed with more kiai (spirit shouts) than you would find in most Bruce Lee flicks. Very annoying. His parents must be stocked up on earplugs when he's practicing at home. They should've bought this kid a set of drums instead of karate lessons.

Admittedly, some arts are more demonstrable than others. Tae kwon do certainly comes to mind with its flashy kicking arsenal. Africans enslaved in Brazil during the 17th century developed capoeira which today incorporates movements that resemble a cross between gymnastics and breakdancing. Mind you, I'm not knocking either one of these styles. They're difficult to learn and probably impossible to master unless you're a certain body type. Both systems began as combative arts, but modern tae kwon do has for the most part been relegated to sport. Capoeira routines are typically set to music and chanting. No-contact "matches" between capoeira practitioners are always a crowd pleaser, but generally don't arouse much interest from the traditional martial arts camp.

There's a memorable scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indiana Jones is accosted by a sword fighter. The would-be killer puts on a little show as he demonstrates his skill with some taunting air swipes only to be summarily blown away by Jones' trusty sidearm. Never bring a sword to a gunfight. As for my friend's prized Chevelle - he ended up wrecking it. Apparently he caved and tried racing somebody when he lost control of his vehicle and hit a tree. Miraculously he wasn't hurt, but he learned a hard lesson: It doesn't pay to show off.

Flying Nuns

Since 1991 the Sisters of Fraternity Notre Dame have operated a soup kitchen in New York. When they first arrived here from their native France they couldn't speak a word of English, but were still eager to help out in their new community. Aside from feeding up to 300 needy people a day at the kitchen's storefront in Spanish Harlem, the nuns dispense food in Times Square and care for AIDS patients at local hospitals.

Of course all this selfless altruism needs an outlet. In addition to singing in a gospel choir, some of the sisters partake in a tae kwon do program. Although one is likely to assume that this is strictly for self defense on the mean streets of New York, the Order insists it's mostly for recreation and fun. Sister Mary Chantel, probably the most formidable student (see photo), also has a black belt in judo. Not to mention a nice flying side kick! Tae Kwon Do Nuns. Only in New York.

Mixing It Up

Bruce Lee predicted that the day would come when practitioners everywhere would have to resign themselves to an irrefutable truth: Knowing only one style is limiting; that cross-training in the martial arts is the best way to develop a formidable repertoire of fighting techniques. Lee himself borrowed from a variety of systems, including Western arts such as fencing and boxing. He felt that the single study of any style, while they all contain deep wells of material, could cause the aspirant to become dogmatic and exclusive. A martial fundamentalist if you will. Interestingly, Lee's thinking mirrored what was happening in the US on a much broader scale at the time; the 60s was a decade of radical change and upheaval - a breaking away from dated ways and ideas. Needless to say, Lee's concept of cross-training did not go over big with the old school strict adherents of martial tradition. Visionaries tend to say the right things at the wrong time.

No single style has an answer for every imaginable encounter. Brazilian jiu-jitsu's ground strategies are highly effective - but against multiple opponents? Would those who train in a predominantly kicking art - such as tae kwon do - be able to execute their familiar techniques standing on a patch of ice? These are just a couple of scenarios to consider. I'm not suggesting that people should run out and start training in a hodgepodge of every style they can get their hands on. I'm still a firm believer in having a foundational art to work from. Being a jack of all trades will never measure up to being a master of one.