........but everyone has the right to be a contender" This is what I quoted this morning at Fight Club but still can't remember who it was that said it! Anyway I'm sure you get the point. The way things are today it could not be easier to find yourself a Martial habit. Spare a thought for the men and women of decades past who originally brought the mysteries of the orient to the shores of the UK. Grandmaster Sken of Muay Thai, Master Yau of the BKFA, Yukio Tani of Judo to name but a few. What of the more recent trailblazers Ticky Donovan, Rick Young and our very own Steven Burton. The list goes on. There are of course lesser knowns who have dilligently plugged away often behind the scenes George Kerr, Vadim Kolganov both very active in Scotland. When many of these guys were younger there wasn't so much to choose from and even the ones they could choose from were not necessarily the best choice. I came along a generation later and even for me there was nowhere near the saturation of the market as there is now. So have Combat Arts become in some way less special because of ubiquity? I certainly don't think so but marketing and the reducing of Styles to "products" has taken its toll. Styles/systems have had to change to find a place in a much more cut throat market place. The flashier ones have proven more successful in the short term, but the Martial Giants (Karate, Judo, Boxing, Kung Fu) although not in vogue sustain.
I was in a very privileged position this morning, sitting with four individuals who have not lost sight of that. People the world don't know but gents who have worked tirelessly to provide others a place to train and a class to train in. I've been around for a while I've travelled Europe as a fighter and I have travelled to the orient as a student with a thirst. I've done this partly for me and partly for the next generation. Of course you should too if the opportunity arises but today you don't have to. The resources are available to you right now and right here. I am so proud to say that I have access to our own gym, a dream that many Martial Artists have. It is imperative that it sustains through tough times. People take it for granted that the Instructors and the class will always be there when they are ready. Well the Instructors and the classes are always ready even when you are not. Too tired to train? Not really in the mood? Maybe still a bit sore from last week? Maybe you don't even have the right to be a contender?
You don't owe me anything, you owe yourself. Likewise, I don't owe you anything but I (like many) will give it. It is a brotherhood forged in pain, sweat, effort and laughter. Be a part of it.
