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.

The Dojo Is My Universe

When you look out of your eyes at nature happening out there, you're looking at you. That's the real you. ⁠— Alan Watts

In a recently published research paper titled Sense of Coherence and Connectedness to Nature as Predictors of Motivation for Practicing Karate, 127 karate practitioners were examined to determine the connection between nature and motivations for training. The gist of the paper is that mental health and a sense of well-being is associated with karate training done in a natural setting. It's not surprising that people enjoy practicing outdoors on a nice day. Male and female trainees were observed and findings showed that feeling emotionally connected to the natural world was important for the physical fitness objective for both sexes. The study was undertaken, in part, due to a "pandemic of physical inactivity" and also because...

Martial arts belong to a particular group of sport disciplines which are very rarely practiced outdoors, especially when it comes to tournaments and competitions. Therefore, carrying out at least some parts of the training process in natural open spaces is justified, which would make it possible to use natural environmental elements as part of the training. The idea of harmonizing the training of martial arts with nature is also hidden in the well-known Japanese calligraphy of old warriors under the name “Sekai-dojo”―My “dojo“ (my gym), is my universe. All budo (martial art) students eventually realize that their behavior has changed and has been greatly influenced by the martial art discipline they practice. They become more conscious, braver, more careful, more attentive, and more respectful of others. They are able to better acquire natural principles in their philosophical context. They are able to exercise greater willpower, frankness, and generosity. This is followed by the next step: Introducing these virtues into ordinary life outside the dojo (gym). After this happens, the whole world becomes a large, wide dojo. Research shows that this attitude is particularly visible in athletes who engage in traditional forms of karate, which place an emphasis on values. Outdoor physical activity also provides more opportunities to achieve states of mental relaxation, which is so important in fighting sports that some even consider it fundamental.

The study goes on to show the relationship between Eastern philosophy and traditional martial arts. The connection to nature, however, was highly correlated to physical fitness goals associated with karate training. The paper also delves into the different goals of men and women for training in karate.

It's an interesting work that examines the karate way, it's unison with the natural environment, and ultimately, the path to overcoming one’s weaknesses.

Bushido: A Graphic Novel

The seminal work, Bushido: The Soul of Japan, first published in 1900 in English, introduced Americans to the history and culture of the samurai and paved the way for similar works on feudal Japanese warrior ethos to be released to the West. The author, Inazo Nitobe, was a Japanese academic¹ who traveled widely, spoke English, and wrote extensively on a number of subjects for both scholars and laypeople. Bushido² was actually written in the States where it was well received, though in Japan it did not receive praise until 1985 when Nitobe's likeness was put on Japanese currency. Though coming from a samurai lineage, I could not find any sources to indicate Nitobe himself was a practitioner of martial arts.

I recently picked up an updated version of this work, Bushido: The Soul of The Samurai, written as a graphic novel, i.e., a comic-strip format,³ but don't let that dissuade you, this is a creative tour de force. Published in 2016, this new illustrated softcover begins with a brief bio of Nitobe, then delves into the Seven Virtues of Bushido, each getting treatment in their own section:

1. Rectitude
2. Courage
3. Benevolence
4. Politeness
5. Veracity
6. Honor
7. Loyalty

Subsequent parts of the book deal with aspects of the sword, training, and self-control, each accompanied by tasteful artwork. Mind you, this is an adaptation of the original. At any rate, this graphic novel format is well done and worth checking out.



1. Nitobe's accomplishments are dizzying. He held doctorate degrees in economics and law, and positions in numerous world organizations such as The League of Nations, just to scratch the surface. Little wonder he had no time for martial arts training. Despite his academic achievements, he felt insight and wisdom were more important to develop than intellect.
2. "The way of warriors."
3. The new author, Sean Michael Wilson, has done graphic novel adaptations on other Japanese classics, such as Hagakure, The Book of Five Rings, and The 47 Ronin.

Nunes vs. Rousey

Striking is back in style:

The UFC bantamweight title match pitting champion Amanda Nunes against former champ Ronda Rousey Friday night (Dec. 30, 2016) looked more like a boxing event than anything else with each opponent getting off few kicks. Rousey's head movement and defense was non-existent against the superior striking Nunes who scored at will. Rousey was stopped by Nunes after 48 seconds.

A world class judoka, Ronda never got to close the distance to use her grappling skills. Like I've said in earlier posts, I don't really follow the sport, so who knows how Nunes — who like virtually all MMA players has trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu — would have fared on the ground against the likes of Rousey. The majority of Rousey's wins came by use of an armbar and have lasted on average less than a minute. Nunes lost in her pro debut via armbar submission in 2008. Grappling techniques like those found in judo, wrestling and BJJ dominated the early years of MMA.

Prize money was lopsided as Rousey was guaranteed a 3 million dollar purse to Nunes' $100,000, plus a "matching win bonus."

Ronda doesn't need to do this anymore. Hollywood's calling with even bigger paydays.

Cashier vs. Gun-Toting Punk

I'm not a big fan of gun disarm techniques for obvious reasons. A while back I posted about a murder trial that involved Chuck Norris testifying for the defense, demonstrating how to disrupt a gun wielder.

This past week, a cashier working at a convenience store in Georgia (US) thwarted a 17-year-old robber brandishing a gun. Bhumika Patel was ringing up the youth's purchase of soda when he flashes a gun in her face. Attempting to slap the weapon away, she hits him over the head with the cash drawer and then promptly chases him out of the store with a hammer. The suspect was caught later. Christian Thornton faces charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during a crime. Check out the video here.

Everyone is hailing her as a hero. I think she's more crazy than heroic. I'm guessing this was not her first rodeo — who knows how many times this store has been robbed or shoplifted — but this could have ended tragically very easily.

The Suffragette That Knew Jiu-Jitsu

This month the film Suffragette will be released that depicts the struggle for women's right to vote in the UK which officially began in 1903. As the movement for voting equality picked up steam in the form of protests and civil disobedience, there was the inevitable presence of harassment and violence that these women had to endure. When the police rounded up the suffragettes to be thrown into jail, many of them resorted to hunger strikes, were released to recoup, only to be re-arrested for the original "crime" of demanding civil rights. To prevent this game dubbed "Cat and Mouse", one of the movement's leaders — Edith Garrud — taught her followers the art of jiu-jitsu to be used against the police and male vigilantes who stormed their demonstrations and meetings. Garrud, who learned self-defense from her boxer husband, was also schooled in Bartitsu from Edward Barton-Wright and later jiu-jitsu from Sadakazu Uyenishi, one of the first jiu-jitsu instructors to teach outside of Japan.

In addition to jiu-jitsu, Garrud taught her entourage — who came to be known as The Bodyguard — to conceal Indian clubs (a weapon resembling an oversized bowling pin) under their hoop skirts to use in case their grappling skills failed them during clashes with police or hooligans. Garrud and her movement prevailed, taking a break to help out in the effort to win the Great War, and getting a portion of voting rights for women (over 30) in 1918. By 1928, full rights to the vote (over 21) were finally implemented.

Later in life Garrud would continue to teach jiu-jitsu and became a stage and film martial arts coordinator. Not a bad life for the 4-foot-11 suffragette who refused to quit. She died in 1971 at the age of 99.

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)

The Female Warrior: Archetypes and Stereotypes

Occasionally I'll get a question about the Isshinryu symbol, the mizugami (water goddess). One version is that the founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku, had a lucid dream about the said deity encountering an evil presence and warding it off with a ring of fire, but with peaceful intentions. Shimabuku's water goddess, a Shinto entity, was probably inspired in part by the androgynous Shiva, the Hindu Destroyer. But the Isshinryu Mizugami is decidedly female and presides over water; femininity and water both being aspects of yin, a Daoist concept pertaining to creativeness, intuition and other ethereal manifestations of the psyche which correlates to the right hemisphere of the human brain. Yin/female also pertains to yielding, mysticism and darkness, the subtle aspects of the martial arts. While female combatants lack the less-subtle size and strength attributes of their male counterparts, their presence in the martial arts and even the military have a long history worldwide.

Recently the US Defense Department announced that women would be permitted in dangerous jobs closer to the front lines. Political conservatives such as Rick Santorum feel that a man's position on the battlefield would be compromised with the presence of women. In traditional cultures women have been held as the "weaker sex", treated like chattel, and expected to be submissive -- hardly the stuff of warriors. The French Christian Joan of Arc and Greek mythology's Athena are exceptions which have provided inspiration for TV heroines such as Xena: Warrior Princess.


Television has provided some characters that depict the alpha female as less strapping than Xena and much closer to cheesecake. The Avengers' Mrs. Peel and one of the Charlie's Angels had some sort of quasi background in the martial arts. When I was in junior high school a wave of kung fu flicks and Asian martial artists were making their way to the US that included one Lady Whirlwind ("Queen of the Deep Thrust") that caught my attention. It was a great era for martial arts movie posters with double-entendre. These days it's the likes of MMA's Gina Corano that now grace the silver screen, blending feminine beauty with real-life martial arts credentials.

Surviving a Home Invasion

Has anyone taken measures to ward off the possibility of a home invasion? Certainly, the very thought of one should be horrifying. But what to do? Keep a bat or some other handy weapon in the closet or drawer? Is owning a gun and keeping it at home a good idea if you have young children?

Do you think your studies in a traditional martial art would fare well against an intruder after being awoken in the middle of the night?

I recently received a link to a home alarm systems guide which also includes a story about a woman who was robbed at home after a day of shopping. Fortunately the woman came out of it unscathed but understandably shaken. She offers the following tips:

1. Always keep your head up when walking outside, this lets people know you are paying attention.

2. Never wear headphones in both ears when outside. If you must wear them only use one ear bud so your other ear is free to listen to your surroundings.

3. Try not to carry your purse in your hand, keep it on your shoulder where it is secure and cannot easily be removed.

4. Never unlock your car door until you can clearly see the surrounding area and are sure there is no one waiting to jump into your car.

5. Car keys are an excellent weapon; they are sharp and can be used if someone is grabbing you. If they are poked with the key they will quickly become distracted long enough for you to run.

6. Never be afraid to scream; make the most of the voice given to you and let people know you are in trouble.

7. If someone grabs your arm and you can perform a distraction drill; this can involve many things including stepping on their foot, pinching their other arm with your free hand. When you do the distraction, pull your arm free. If you do not have a free hand, use your knee. You know where to hit!

8. If you cannot use your arms or your knee, head butting is always a great option. This will blur their vision and distract them. At that point you should free your arm and run for help.

9. If you have a free hand, gouge them in the eyes, this will cause their eyes to water and give you the opportunity to run. Punching someone in the nose will always create the eye watering effect.

10. Should you see someone standing suspiciously near or next to your car, do not approach it; walk back into the building you just came from and call for help!

The underlying theme here is awareness. Any additional suggestions would be appreciated.

Battle of the Sexes

I've previously written about some of the reasons that attract women to the martial arts. It's their role in the dojo and interaction with men - both today and historically - that I'll briefly address in this installment.

Personally, I like the presence of women where I train. It seems to me that when they're around, an energy balance of sorts is created. Women seem to come to the martial arts out of fear of men. Men also fear other men, whether they want to admit it or not. Still, men and women from the same school will routinely spar with one another, although in sanctioned matches there is no mixing of gender. This wasn't always the case, however.

In the nineteenth century, male kendoists (sword artists that use bamboo shinai) would have spirited matches against women armed with the naginata - a staff with a mock blade attached the end. Competitions such as these were not uncommon in Japan, and locals were charged admission for these events. I seriously doubt the proceeds were evenly split, but I'm sure the naginata women took their fighting skills to unprecedented levels in doing battle with the kendo crew.

Some years back, female practitioners of judo were forced to wear an obi which featured a prominent white stripe running the length of the belt. Eventually, this practice was discarded, probably along with the ones who came up with this asinine idea.

In my experience, women seem to learn the technical and psychological aspects of an art quicker than their male counterparts, as the size and power that men enjoy are not at their disposal. With that said, the true combative aspects of bunkai (self defense applications) and strategy (heiho) become their special talent.

Down 'n Dirty

Let's face it: A fight is a fight. There are no rules and things can and do get ugly. The aesthetic grace of kata is nowhere to be found in a real knockdown and dragout fight. At one time, kicking a guy south of the border or grabbing and breaking his fingers were considered taboo. Real men just didn't fight that way. Today, with the advent of reality fighting and DVD/video courses with catchy titles like Filthy Jailhouse Fighting Secrets and Fighting Dirty, all bets are off. Face rakes, eye gouges and even biting (not recommended given the current status of STDs and other social diseases) are now being taught in self defense programs. Times have changed, and change isn't necessarily good.

The idea of administering these nasty maneuvers is to inflict maximum pain as quickly as possible. While it could be argued that this is already the philosophy behind the martial arts, many of the techniques that are currently presented have been watered down through the years to the point of being rendered ineffective or impractical. Certain bunkai (traditional self defense applications) are either misunderstood in some schools, or require too much finesse or fine motor skills to pull off when the heat is on.

A cop I knew from New York who trained in daito ryu jiu-jitsu would tell stories of drug induced psychotic episodes that would erupt in violent types he was attempting to pick up on outstanding warrants (his specialty). He explained that some waza just weren't enough to subdue these lunatics who seemed impervious to even the most painful joint locks, courtesy of being loaded on crank (methamphetamine), angel dust (PCP), or whatever else they had in their systems. Resisting arrest against a 7th degree black belt is not wise, as it usually leads to some serious damage. Years ago, a drunkard tried to attack me outside my father's restaurant because I refused to let him in. I walloped him good and he took off, only to return a few minutes later to try his luck at kicking in the storefront glass. Apparently, I didn't leave a lasting impression upon him. This time I was able to fend him off with a piece of molding (don't ask) which probably looked far more lethal than it really was. Later, an instructor/bouncer from another Isshinryu school told me I was lucky the guy didn't have a weapon. "Some guys are just used to taking heavy shots to the head. And when they're drunk, forget about it." I couldn't if I tried.

Women especially need to realize the effectiveness of utilizing atemi - strikes delivered to pressure points or vital areas. Eyes, throat, groin and knees are the targets of opportunity when negotiations fail. How you train is how it happens, so training for this as realistically as possible is imperative if you want to make these techniques work. And making them work can mean the difference between life and death.

It's A Crime

When the martial arts first arrived in the West, it was given the generic term "Self Defense". This strongly suggests that for all the techniques one learns in a dojo, the ultimate plan is to not fight. Since fighting to many people is synonymous with "streetfighting", these scenarios tend to be avoidable, assuming you're mentally stable. (Of course this is primarily a male issue. When two women duke it out, it's called a "catfight". I've never seen one, but I digress.) The flip side of the coin is being attacked, and for me, this is the realm for study in the martial arts. Tournaments, belt color, and titles fly right out the window when you're about to be mugged, raped, or have some other heinous act done to you. Your intuition just took the night off, and somebody just decided that you would make a convenient victim. There's no time to invoke philosophy, wisdom, or even judgment. You must act now. What do you do?

Action to strike is when the opportunity presents itself. This is a line taken from the ancient text The Bubishi, and it stands opposed to the more modern there is no first strike in karate. Personally, I'm not too comfortable with the latter. Sometimes the only available defense is an offensive tactic (kobo ichi - defense and offense are interchangeable). This strategy makes you crazier and more vicious than the would-be attacker/criminal. I don't want to wait around to see what this nut is going to do; I want to end this thing now. Patience is a virtue, but not on the street. Sometimes you have to out-bad the bad guys.

Women Who Fight Back

I had to laugh when I saw this photo of the young lady performing a hiza tsui on this hapless fellow. Makes you wonder what he did to deserve it! Many of the women I've spoken with through the years tell me they came to the martial arts because of some negative experiences they've had with men. Typically, these unfortunate events happen at the workplace. While kneeing Romeo in the groin will probably get you fired, the alternative isn't too promising either. Personally, I don't have alot of faith in these ethics training programs that some jobs provide.

Being confronted in an unlit parking lot late at night is a terrifying prospect for most women. At times like this, long fingernails, high heels, and hat pins make convincing deterrents. Kobudo (farming implements that double as weapons) is taught within Okinawan karate styles, and household weapons are as quick as they are handy. For women (and men), it's important to understand that brevity is the soul of having an effective encounter with someone intent on harming you. This reminds me of a popular saying depicted on T-shirts from years ago: "Do Unto Others, Then Run!"