The old man had taught martial arts at the same humble dojo for over fifty years. He was a legend in the martial arts community but one would never have guessed it by looking at his school. There was nothing fancy about the exterior. No plaques, magazine interviews, or photographs of the master hung on the wall. No trophies stood in the window to prove his credibility. He had never encouraged his students to compete in tournaments or sought the spotlight through them. He earned respect with the depth of his knowledge and the warmth of his character. He never even called himself “master” or insisted that others do so.
He also had a reputation for being blunt but kind. When a student who didn’t know him very well came into the dojo bragging about winning a street fight, the master would question him relentlessly until the true cause of the conflict was revealed, which was almost always something the student had done or said to attract the trouble to himself. Every such story ended with the student feeling silly and completely stripped of his previous feeling of victory. The master didn’t lecture the student but helped him make this realization himself, and always with kindness and humor, not judging or scolding. He was not so old that he had forgotten his own youthful foolishness, fighting strangers over trivial insults, real or perceived.
So, because of the quiet life he had led, it was a surprise to him when he received a letter from the owner of a new mixed martial arts league asking him to host an event in Las Vegas. While most leagues have the same hosts at every event, this league’s concept was to have one permanent host for each event but a different martial arts master as co-host. It was a strategy that had paid off well, with fans eager to see who the next master would be and what they might learn from him about fighting.
The old master, however, had deep concerns about whether or not he would be right for the job because of his lack of experience or interest in competition. When he expressed this concern to the league owner, he replied, “Your reputation speaks for itself, sir. It would be an honor to have you on the panel. Just have fun and speak freely. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”
But there was something else. He had been to Vegas once many years earlier and had not enjoyed it. The bright lights of the city seemed to sharply contrast its dark purpose – to separate vulnerable people from their money. He had sat in front of a casino one night and watched the faces of the people coming out. Most seemed mildly depressed despite the flashing, colorful lights surrounding them and the happy music flooding from speakers hidden in bushes and plastic boulders. Others seemed deeply troubled. Still others were even cursing or weeping. He remembered wondering what other business in the world could send their customers out in such a state and yet manage to stay in business. The master couldn’t wait to leave that heartless city and had no desire to return.
In the end, however, he reluctantly accepted the job as co-host. Despite his advanced age, his spirit was still as adventurous as ever. If nothing else, it would be an interesting experience to share with his students.
On the night of the event, sitting at his microphone by the stage engaging in pre-fight small talk, the host asked him, "So, why do you think mixed martial arts competitions have become so popular?"
"Well,” the master answered, “clearly, despite thousands of years of evolution and all of our amazing technological advances, human beings have not evolved very much at all on a spiritual level and still enjoy watching people beat the snot out of each other."
The auditorium became quieter. The host laughed nervously, assuming he was joking. Hoping to get the conversation back on track, he said, "Uh, yeah, I suppose. But you must admit, these guys are sure talented!"
"Yes, they are," the master said, “but the supreme philosophy of all true martial arts is to not fight; to not harm another person for any reason other than to protect your life or the lives of others, especially if you're stronger and more 'talented.' Nature is filled with conflict. Fleas are fighting right now on the rear ends of dogs all over the world. Human beings should be better than fleas."
The auditorium became even quieter. The host stared at him, dumbfounded. Even the two fighters in the cage stopped warming up and looked down at him with twisted up faces.
He did not intend to be antagonistic. On the contrary, he was confused by the host’s obvious discomfort. He only expressed what he felt were obvious traditional beliefs.
"Uh, that’s a good point,” the host responded, “but surely you'll admit there's a place for competition? I mean, human beings have always competed. Think about the, uh, the Greeks! Yeah, the Greeks! I mean, hey, come on! The Greeks invented the Olympics and they were no dummies!"
The master smiled and continued, "The great Master Kan wrote, 'Where there is no contention, there is neither defeat nor victory. The supple willow does not contend against the storm, yet it survives.'"
The auditorium was now so quiet, one could have heard a mouse break wind.
The host, mortified at this unexpected and radical turn in the normal pre-fight script, looked over his shoulder at their boss, who was sitting with the owner of the league. They were not happy. He wanted to change the subject but didn’t because he knew it would score points with his boss and the increasingly hostile crowd if he somehow found a way to bring the master around to his way of thinking. He took a deep breath, turned back to him, and said, "Look, these guys are experts at the top of their games. How else are they supposed to demonstrate their skills? I mean, what are you saying? That all competition is bad?"
The master thought for a moment, put his hand on the host’s shoulder, and said, "The only true victory is over our own laziness and complacency. Most who have come close to death and survived have no interest in fighting for anything as worthless as money, or as crass as fame.”
Growing angry, the host asked, “Have you ever been in a war?”
Because so many of his contemporaries had never worn a uniform, he expected and hoped that he would say no, too, so that he could discredit him.
The master answered, “Yes, I have.”
Disappointed, the host snapped, “Have you ever killed anyone?”
The host knew the answer by the master’s silence and the look of disappointment that he would ask such a question. It was then that he was reminded that he was sitting next to a true master. As cliché as it sounds, there is something in the eyes of a man who was walked through the valley of death and yet retained his humanity; a man who has mastered himself. Humbled, the host turned his eyes down and said, “I’m sorry, sir. Please continue.”
The master said, “'The true martial artist, or master if you prefer, shuns competition for he knows that it arises from the ego, the least trustworthy part of a man, or woman. The heart is the best guide. Competition encourages brutality and justifies degradation. The triumphant chest-thumping of the one who thinks he won while his opponent looks down in humiliation, or worse, lies wounded on the canvas, is nothing more than an advertisement of his deep insecurity and complete loss of spirituality and compassion. The lure of fame and fortune corrupts and degrades hearts in every field, but I have always believed and prayed that martial artists could set a higher standard for humanity.”
The auditorium was silent for another moment, then the crowd exploded with anger. They had paid money to see a fight, not listen to a lecture. Terrified, the host stood up and threw his hands in the air as if to say, "I give up."
The stage manager signaled to cut to a commercial. The league owner came to the table, his eyes filled with rage, and yelled, “What the hell are you doing?”
The master calmly answered, “I’m sorry but you asked me to speak freely.”
He fired the old master on the spot and asked him to leave.
As he made his way out of the auditorium, someone in the stands spat at him and called him a very unpleasant name. Someone else threw beer on him. Another even tried to hit him. He ducked and the man spun and fell to the floor. Seeing this, a few men struggled to hold back the crowd so the old master could leave without further insult, and they bowed as he passed.
Driving back to his hotel, he thought about all the money, attention and adulation he had just traded for honesty. He laughed and reminded himself that there are more important things.
They say the universe teaches the same lesson over and over again until we finally learn it. He had learned this lesson before in love, and friendship, but he realized that night that it is also true in business . . . that the wiser we become, the more we must get comfortable with spending time alone.
He was happy the next day to be back in his old, familiar dojo, teaching. He looked at the shining faces of his young students and prayed that they would never know the terrible feelings of want and lack that give birth to, accompany, and follow competition.
Comments
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How Awesome!
Although I suspect I'd have said what they wanted and kept the money!! Shallow bitch i am. :-) Mouse Fart!!! LOL!!! Thanks for the smile and also the lovely thought for the day. I'm personally not a huge fan of any type of competition, probably for the reasons expressed in this poem, although i've never analysed it!
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Thanks to Wanda for giving us your link. Your authors page had me laughin, and your poetry has me nodding. lol. I needed that. So thank you Mark. I like the way you look at life, and write it. Bravo.
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Outstanding!
This write had me captured from the first word...now I understand why the comments left for you are of such high esteem...truly this an outstanding piece of work...respect and regards...Dan
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EXCELLENT!
Beautifully said! How much more courage, strength and valor to be able to say the truth and take the chance of ridicule and rejection, compared to the Neanderthal concept of beating each other to prove which one is more of a 'man'. The real man was the one with the courage to speak from his heart with wisdom. -
Thx for your entry and great poem
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i'm always intrigued by your stories and this ranks at the top for me. i admire many things about you and honesty is the top one for me. you have taken me to different places and different walks of life with your stories. you are a very admirable gentleman and i hope those that matter appreciate this about you.
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Yet again I am humbled by your ability and willingness to hold on to your principles even when surrounded by opposition. I've kept my tail in hot water where I work for over 20 years now for just the same thing. I refuse to lie for them or to them. I will not do their dirty work just so they can look good. If they want someone reprimanded or fired without a darned good reason, they can do it. I refuse to tell them what they want to hear, they get honesty and believe me they don't like it. Ohhhh, I catch hell for it but I can look at myself in the mirror and hold my head up.
Bravo and good on ya!!
As for TV in general, they are only interested in ratings and money. Not necessarily in that order. MMA is an abomination to the fundamental teachings of martial arts and undoubtedly leaves the wrong image in the eyes of those who don't understand. Young people look up to these people and think they are the coolest thing walking. Then we wonder why violence is on the rise.
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Just re-reading your comment on this one and wanted to say thank you. You're so right. This society is a study in hypocrisy - crying over the violence statistics while celebrating it in popular culture. "Ground and pound" is as far away as it is possible to get from what martial arts is supposed to be about, but the people making money from MMA will never say it. Their pockets are too full, and their hearts and minds are too empty.
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My philosopher
Mark...always the philosopher, but I couldn't agree more.
I absolutely love martial arts for the same reasons you do, but when my boyfriend makes me watch those tap out fights (I can't remember what they are really called) I can't help but to find them barbaric. It even made me question whether or not to put my son in martial arts (who is now six, by the way). I'm still not sure if it will give him the type of discipline and morals I want it to instill in him or teach him to be a barbaric fighter. Anyway, if I was in the audience...I would have stood up and applauded you!!
Lot's of love
Shannon Rose
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I truly loved this
Mark, sometimes world events infulence writers, as they should. There has never been a justification for a back street brawl, nor a mugging, nor a beating. There will always be those things in our world, and in some hearts. Money, power, clothing, or even a simple watch ... all infulence the evil that slithers in the darkness of our souls. But, if only the words of a sage could infulence just one of us, just a single soul, those words may well change the world. As Jesus said...
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Thanks for the great comment, Chuck. From your keyboard to God's ears!
Mark
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Spot on!
Terrific story, Mark! And so spot on! That is one reason I loved the ASMA because of the complete lack of competition, of the truth in why we were studying kung-fu..."to only better yourself" (I can't remember the exact motto wording, but that is what the school philosophy is.) I have never understood the morbid fascination with boxing and punching the living daylights out of each other. Thank you for this excellent piece of wisdom. Suzy
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Yes! Train only to master yourself. The only competition there should be is against our own laziness and complacency. As Master Baird teaches, in a good dojo, it may look like students are sparring but they are really sharpening each other for the worst case scenario - running into a monster on the street. In that respect, the "competition" of sparring is a caring act, not just a war of egos, though it can easily degenerate into that when pride steps in.
Thanks, Suzy.
M
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Ah you learn your lessons well Grasshopper, The student is becoming the sage.... oh how the universe opens door after door for one to pass over the threshold of knowledge.
I've often felt that the great Masters must be turning in their graves at a sight such as this!! I personally have never considered MMA to be Martial Arts at all but an excuse to brawl and draw blood, fighting for the sake of fighting. What they are doing is tantamount to putting dogs in the ring. It is contradictory to the Martial Arts teachings... hopefully those that called you a pussy and threw beer at you will come to realize just that.
You have ethics and are principled, you practice what you preach...I for one would have been very disappointed had you not spoke the truth and your mind. Its good to know that you value your soul and your spirit... every mother of those you teach are lucky to have you teaching these things to their children...and should they know what you have done, would consider themselves blessed and would have a restful sleep knowing their young minds are in your charge.
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This is one of the best reads i have read this week and was absolutely rivited to my seat while i read. It does not pay to be honoest these day s if you want to keep your job. But at the same time i love the ending which really in some ways went against the grain of what you were saying.
I adored this. You really know how to put a story across and keep your audience interested. Thanks for this brilliant read and good luck in the contest.
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You tell 'em, Scribe. If they don't listen, tell 'em again. 
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Thanks, Wanda!
Hey, what's going on with that profile pic? It's a little spooky.
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By the way...I changed the pic now.
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Nuhhh uhhh...I'd just woken up & my husband took pictures of me lookin' out the window at the day unfolding...Well, maybe it IS a lil' spooky...woulda been worse, had he taken it from the front. I've been posting pics as "poems" quite a bit since March. C'mon by & take a gander if ya wanna. There's at least one of 'em pinned to my page; the others all say "pictures" in the title for easy reference.
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Hey Mark. This is a dynamite write! A top shelf piece that should be sent out to publish. I wish people would see all this violence as clearly as you have written here. Maybe then cultures around the world would begin to mature in peace instead of war.
I REALLY DISLIKE MMA!!!.... TIMES A ZILLION!
Great write.
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Thanks! That means a lot to me, especially coming from you.
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thats great.
at first I was like '-_- dear god that is the WRONG thing to say there, your gonna lose your job' but I see now, your right, some things are more important than money.
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That is the best thing you have written!
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Thanks, David. Nice to hear from you. Hope you're doing well.
Mark
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On the Mark!
I don't even like those shows that our televisions are littered with. Who makes the cut, who is prettier etc.
You saw it in the faces of the judges when that British lady sang like a songbird, like, "This can't be true, plain
cannot possibly sound this good!" It is already ingrained into our psyches.
We would do well to learn something from Albert...
E=mc2
Excellence = mediocrity x creativity squared
I think every one of us is in that equation somewhere!
Like your poem!
I've seen better LOL Just messing with you my friend!
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I agree. The story of Susan Boyle reminded me of a story called The Dwarf by a spoken word group called Celestial Navigations. The dwarf lives in the belfry of an opera house and is scorned and abused by everyone who sees him. He keeps saying, "Someday I will show them all what I have in the deep of my heart." It sounds like he's going to do something violent and terrible to get revenge against them but at the end of the story, the organ player gets sick and the show is about to be canceled when he hobbles out onto the stage and plays the organ beautifully. He shows them what he had in his heart all along, despite their abuse.
The problem is TV appeals to the most shallow of our receptors - our eyes - so it's inherently vacuous. Even human beings who consider themselves "above it all" can't help getting sucked in to the vortex of swirling bullshit. There are teams of people studying what gets and holds people's attention. Conflict mongers who lowered the bar to the floor, then dug trenches so they could lower it some more. Of course, their rationalization that "we're always free to turn off the TV" is absolutely right. Ultimately, we each choose what we will concentrate on. And, of course, that makes all the difference.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, buddy. Nice to hear from you.
M
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