News of the Day
USA Today on a "Fight Club" in Silicon Valley
The New York Times on Kendo in NYC
Apart from the standard "Look at funny people doing funny things" approach of the press, a similar line in each article caught my attention:
"You get to be a superhero for a night," Klimanis said. "We have to go to work every day. We're constantly told to buy things we don't need, and just for a couple hours we have the freedom to do what we want to do."
"From the moment you set foot in this dojo, you are a New York samurai," said Jose Pena, 51, who has been studying with Mr. Kataoka three days a week for the past 27 years. "It may be 2006, but we still follow the way of the warrior."
I've always been bothered by this common attitude that doing martial arts makes one special, as if whacking somebody on the head a few times makes you superior to mere mortal office workers. I suppose that this hits a nerve somewhere for me because when push comes to shove, I too engage in martial arts in part to avoid feeling dull and empty. Yet, it just seems that one should have a bit more perspective. One should realize that even if playing samurai (or street-fighter) makes you feel special, that doesn't mean that you are.
I know that that these quotes are taken out of context and edited to sound over-the-top, but a 27 year veteran of the martial arts should know better than to call himself a "New York samurai" and talk about following bushido. It makes him sound like an extra from "Ghost Dog".
The New York Times on Kendo in NYC
Apart from the standard "Look at funny people doing funny things" approach of the press, a similar line in each article caught my attention:
"You get to be a superhero for a night," Klimanis said. "We have to go to work every day. We're constantly told to buy things we don't need, and just for a couple hours we have the freedom to do what we want to do."
"From the moment you set foot in this dojo, you are a New York samurai," said Jose Pena, 51, who has been studying with Mr. Kataoka three days a week for the past 27 years. "It may be 2006, but we still follow the way of the warrior."
I've always been bothered by this common attitude that doing martial arts makes one special, as if whacking somebody on the head a few times makes you superior to mere mortal office workers. I suppose that this hits a nerve somewhere for me because when push comes to shove, I too engage in martial arts in part to avoid feeling dull and empty. Yet, it just seems that one should have a bit more perspective. One should realize that even if playing samurai (or street-fighter) makes you feel special, that doesn't mean that you are.
I know that that these quotes are taken out of context and edited to sound over-the-top, but a 27 year veteran of the martial arts should know better than to call himself a "New York samurai" and talk about following bushido. It makes him sound like an extra from "Ghost Dog".
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