Media and the MA's ~ The Next Focus? [Archive]

TommyK

9th February 2002, 03:31

Greetings,

From an historical point of view, there have been cyclical periods where the perspective of others to MA's has been shaped by various forms of media. (For example, there was a period where visual media brought a certain focus on MA's, then that empahsis was replaced by a print media surge, etc.) Assuming this is true, would someone like to describe a chronology of which media caused this perspective, and a description of it. Additionally, is there intelligent speculation on what the next big surge in media attention on MA will be?

Regards,
TommyK
Tom (John, where is my signature?)Militello
"Spotlight on the Media Week"

Steven Malanosk

11th February 2002, 01:53

Having witnessed a great deal of the metamorphasis, here it is, from my perspective, and what was told to me by my teacher.

THE CHRONOLOGY OF MEDIA INFLUENCE ON MARTIAL ARTS IN AMERICA

In the beggining, there was Jujitsu.

Pres. Teddy Roosavelt brought in one of the early Kodokan Jujitsu later to be called Judo, Sensei's to train him.

WW2 brought on a decention toward Japan, thus American Combat Judo.

Things got a little back to normal and Sport Judo was in vogue.

Military men like Peter Urban, Don Nagle, Robert Trias, Anthony Miriaken, George Mattson, etc. introduced Karate and an era began,being covered by Life and Time as well as Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Riply's Beleive It Or Not and Guiness.

The Bruce Lee and David Carradine era, " wow! what a paradox!", started the Kung Fu craze, occidentals now being allowed to train in up till then close to exclusively Chinese schools.

Pro Karate makes a big appearance on TV and although I enjoyed it................................didnt do all that much.

TV News: Nunchaku used in murder of NYC cop, thus big nunchaku ban, which actually made them more popular than ever.

AaRron Banks gets The Oriental World of Self Defense on the Wide World of Sports. Showmanship is born?

The corporate name Tae Kwon Do, became a house hold name, replete with a DOJANG in every town, often a couple per town, usually right down the block from the local Karate DOJO. Mass importation of MASTERS, mostly KOREAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, made TKD a major power, especially with Korean Govt. $$$ support. Splitting between ITF and WTF, one became the Martial art and the other the OLYMPIC SPORT.

Enter the NINJA. Although guys like Ron Duncan where already doing the shinobi thing, Steve Hayes followed by Robert Bussy, gave us the Ninja Boom, with the help of Sho Kosugi and lots of other hopefulls.

American Ninja, I still maintain, was definately written by someone familiar with my life story!

Capoeira!!!!!!!!! The movies, the TV shows, the Music!

Oh Oh!!!! Its the UFC and Rorion Gracie. Must have followed the Capoeira Maestre's.

Wrestling makes a comeback!

Tyson starts to bite!

Thousands flock to the internet. Many to E-Budo. Some to share and learn from all sorts of never before available resourses. Some to become a royal pain in the BUTT.

The wonders of modern technology!!!!!!!!