"Bully Beatdown" show is a disgrace to
Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and Martial Arts in
General
I have said it before and I will say it again,
“Reality Television” is an oxymoron. The latest
example is a recent import from the U.S. called
"Bully Beatdown" in which apparent victims of
bullying are avenged by professional mixed
martial artists. The bullies are supposedly
challenged to a martial arts bout against a
seasoned pro. If the bully is offered ten
thousand dollars if they win the fight. Of
course, they don't stand a chance. The bully is
beaten, the ten thousand dollars goes to the
initial "victim" and sometimes the bully even
apologises. It is predictable but not realistic.
The show presents a parody of justice. It teaches
the victim and the viewer to feel more powerful
through the suffering of others. In other
words, it aims to make bullies of us all.
As a martial arts instructor with thirty years
experience in a variety of martial arts, and as a
fan of MMA athletes such as George St. Pierre and
Carlos Newton, I must say that I was quite
disturbed to hear about this show, and only
slightly relieved to discover that the show
itself is a farce.
I will be participating in the Mixed Martial Arts
Expo in Toronto next month, and I expect to hear
nearly unanimous condemnation of the MTV show
from fellow instructors and competitors. The
concept of the show has apparently invoked a gag
reflex in those to whom I have spoken to, so
far.
The concept of a martial artist stepping in like
Charles Bronson to avenge the bullied
(essentially to "bully the bully") does not
represent the spirit of Mixed Martial Arts, nor
does it reflect the philosophy of martial artists
in general. UFC and MMA organisations should take
immediate legal action in order to stop this
disgrace, and save the credibility of Mixed
Martial Arts Franchises.
Fortunately, after watching several excerpts of
the “Bully Beatdown” episodes via the world wide
web, I can say with absolute certainty that the
show is not real at all. The dialogue is clearly
scripted. Each episode clearly features several
actors and at least one stunt double. It is more
WWF than MMA.
Nevertheless, I believe the show must be stopped,
as it serves to invoke hatred and ignorance, and
has the potential to to terrible harm to young
people. It is also promotes an inaccurate view of
traditional and modern martial arts.
Martial arts are terribly misunderstood. I should
know. One of my favourite martial arts is tai chi
(taijiquan), which most people think of as “old
people sneaking up on trees.” Explaining the true
nature of the art has taken up a large part of my
life.
There are many reasons why people start learning
martial arts. Most learn martial arts for the
broad range of benefits for mind, body and
spirit.
But one of those reasons is, admittedly, for the
defence or reinforcement of ego. Some boys and
immature men do start training in martial arts in
order to “beat other men.” They may say that it
is for self defence, but the truth is that some
want to experience the sense of power and
confidence that comes from defeating another
person in combat. Years ago, one aspiring
sixteen-year-old actually wrote on his
application form that his reason for wanting to
learn from me was, as he said, “So I can break
people.” It read, to me, like a cry for help and
I immediately knew that I had to teach
him. Through proper training, one learns to
transcend the immaturity that leads to such
primitive emotional impulses. Students learn
instead that true fulfillment and self-worth is
found in what you can do
for
people, not in what you can do
to them.
Elite fighting skill depends on far more than
martial techniques and physical conditioning.
Just like any elite sport, there is a great deal
of mental, emotional, and “spiritual” cultivation
involved.
Violence of some sort exists everywhere. Martial
arts are a means of skillfully seeking peace and
security in an inherently violent world. This
starts with self-cultivation of mind, body and
spirit. Trained martial artists, in the process
of learning to defeat external opponents, must
learn to conquer the internal enemies. Fear,
anger, hatred, worry, and bitterness fall away as
one discovers the toxic and self-destructive
nature of the ego.
Non-martial artists are victims of violence that
comes from within as well as from external
sources. While the skilled martial artist uses
superior skill and awareness to avoid conflict,
the untrained person often falls victim to
egotistical and fearful responses that lead them
into increasingly dangerous situations. Ego
impairs awareness and judgement, and interferes
with the cultivation of high-level martial skill.
As martial artists, we must learn to know our
enemy and know ourselves. We do not learn much
about anyone by hating them. We will also never
be able to know their mind without first
understanding our own.
I cannot accept that any trained martial artist
of any style would see vengeance as an effective
means of ending the cycle of violence. I am sure
that the overall trends in history, martial arts,
sociology, and court systems would support me on
this.
A show like Bully Beatdown is, at best, junk-food
for the untrained mind. It is a disgrace to
martial artists everywhere, and an insult to the
intelligence of the viewer. Those who watch it
will learn nothing about martial arts, and risk
becoming worse people for having done so. As a
martial artist, I would like the show wiped from
the face of the earth in order to prevent any
further damage to the martial arts.
At worst, I see Bully Beatdown as a vehicle for
promoting hatred and stupidity. It has the
potential to do real harm to young people who
watch it. As a caring citizen, I believe the show
should be banned, for the damage it can do to our
society.
It has been suggested that the show could be
banned for violation of hate laws. But such
action may prove unnecessary. I cannot imagine
that the show will sell well once people realize
its true nature. If it does continue to sell,
however, then society may already be in worse
shape than I thought.
Ian Sinclair
- Instructor, Cloud Mountain Martial Arts
- Vice President, Canadian Taijiquan
Federation
Tags: martial arts, tai chi
