Violence is everywhere. Krav Maga was created to combat violence. Muay Thai came from a militaristic combat system. MMA is derived from a combination of multicultural martial arts systems including, but not limited to Muay Thai, kickboxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and Japanese. It is in our media both real and staged. What can we do? Take responsibility for the people you influence.
Right now there is a viral video where an European American father of an adopted African American girl is being cyber bullied by some other girls at school. They call her the “N” word in a number of different social media outlets. When the father of the young girl confronted the father of the girls doing the bullying, he responds by calling him a “f#*.”
http://dads.littlethings.com/dad-daughter-bullies-snapchat/?utm_source=spcl&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_campaign=dad-daughter-bullies-snapchat
Since going viral and posting the video, the racist, homophobe named in the video has been fired from his job. I’m guessing he lost a few friends in the process as well. Overall, no one was going to come out a winner. It did however bring to the forefront that racism is alive and well in middle America. And often times these words can lead to violence.
I was fortunate enough to have the experience of playing college football. It was a mixture of every race and there was one goal, to win. Of course there were cliques. But if we were together and out, we were still a team. I was 20 years old. I was at a party with the rest of my team. Most of my teammates were black. Upon our departure from the party, a party goer decided to call our starting tailback the “N” word.
We all took offense and a brawl broke out! I punched people. I got punched. I kicked people. They didn’t kick me. After the melee, my friends and I came out victorious! Or did we? I have to say in most altercations that take place, there is often, from a cerebral point, not a lot gained. But when I was able to fight against a group of racists, it felt good. I don’t condone this in the least. In fact, most likely a racist being beaten up by the race they hate will most likely lead to deeper resentment. Is there a way to save people like this? Yes. Don’t let it start. Take responsibility at home. Educate your families and friends. There is no space for it in our lives.
Had the martial arts only remained isolated to the races who created them, I would most likely be swinging a battle axe and telling people to put up their dukes. I wouldn’t have trained up Nobu Iseri in Aikido (RIP). I wouldn’t have studied Japanese Jiu Jitsu under Robert Brooks. Guess what? He’s African American. I wouldn’t have trained in Kempo Karate under Peter Taymoroz. He’s Persian.
Without educating people, young and old, we can not eliminate violence entirely. Whether humankind is simply incapable of achieving world peace, we most likely won’t know until everyone can get an understanding of one another’s culture. I know it sounds naive. I’m a dreamer. But the people who quit are often forgotten. The people who stand up for what is right are forever remembered.
Smile big. Laugh a lot. Train hard. Train often
S. Derhammer
Elite Training Center
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Redondo Beach, CA 90277
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