Simply stated, a growing number of martial artists are contending that born-and-bred, apple-pie Americans are fast becoming the creme de la creme in the fighting arts; that Americans have transcended the traditional bonds of their Asian brothers and are in the process of elevating their respective styles to yet-to-be-conceived heights of perftection.
It is safe
to say that most proponents of this theory are less inclined to point out
any negative aspects of the traditional Asian approach. Rather, they are
more likely to play up the positive reasons why Americans are-and will
continue to be-at the forefront of pragmatic refinement in the arts.
Hard evidence usually centers around the American affinity for in novation, the conceptual refinements of American tournament fighting, apparent dominance of the full-contact scene, and the abundant supply of self-defense schools offer- ing a combination of styles aimed at drawing the most useful and adapt- able techniques into hybrid arts of various origins. These arguments are usually supplemented with obvious size and physical-strength differentials and the seemingly ingrained "king-of-the-hill-win-at-al'- costs-top-of-the-heap" attitude that is woven into the American spirit.
There are few arts that are as representative of these ideals as American kenpo. Although it should not be considered the American martial art, it does, according to
Larry Tatum, characterize the pro- cess of taking a good thing and making it better.
"Today, you see the Americans dominating the tournament scene," Tatum pointed out. "Full contact, light contact, whatever. This is just something that has occurred over the last decade. You see masters from the Orient coming to the United States to learn new concepts about their arts which are constant- ly being refined. This has happened because Americans have always been innovators-that is why this country is as great as it is.
"Traditionally, we are not tradi- tionalists. If we were traditionalists, we would all be driving around in Model. T Fords."
Well, Larry Tatum certainly doesn't drive around in a Model- T Ford. But that's not to say that he's all flash and dash. Considered by many to be the heir apparent to Ed Parker's American kenpo empire, the 31-year-old West Los Angeles instructor is an influential advocate of applying what works best for the individual, whether it be traditional or experimental.
Although Tatum acknowledges the importance of learning the basics in whatever art, he is convinced that all fighting arts improve once they are Americanized.
"One thing that you must keep in mind," according to Tatum, "Our teaching methods and our moti- vations are different than any coun- try in the world. Traditional training teaches you to do what the instructor does, which is what his instruc. tor taught him-no more, no less. To emulate your teacher, or your father, is as far as you are expected to go. To improve on his teachings, to be better than your father is not the accepted goal.
"But in America, the reverse psychology is in effect. You are taught what your father knows with the expressed hope that you will im- prove on it and ultimately be better than he was. That's the way we teach everything and the martial arts are no different than anything else that was once foreign to this country. Americans like to put some- thing to the test. They like to play with it, get a feel for it, take it apart and put it back together. We will Americanize anything and by doing so we usually improve on it. I'm con- vinced that this is what has been happening in the martial arts and why arts like kenpo are so popular today.
"Of course the final test, the acid test of success is whether a person will pay his hard-earned money for access to a certain martial art. Money-that's what a guy treasures most after his family and himself. Some people treasure it more than life itself; "Ed Parker was condemned in the beginning because he took martial
arts out of the temples and put it out in full view of the public.
Basically, what he was saying was, 'Here it is. If you want it, you have to pay for it.' So many people thought that what he was doing would disgrace the art forever. That commercializing and Americanizing something so supposedly sacred would ruin the arts. Well, Parker proved otherwise. What greater sacrifice can a man give of himself than his cash? It's the cash that feeds his family."
According to Tatum, the reason that Americanized martial arts like kenpo are so popular is that the art is tailored to the person, rather than having the person adhere to stringent guidelines with no regard for his individual physical short comings or attributes.
"Kenpo doesn't move in straight lines. It's very elusive and adaptable. Through kenpo, I can teach a small person how to deliver power that he never knew he had, or teach a big man to move like a ballerina. Most big men truly believe that they cannot be graceful. They can be graceful. I was teaching a wrestler by the name of Tanaka who weighed 395 pounds and was six-feet, three- inches. Now for sure, if a guy is that big and strong, you know he can be taught to move like a freight train. But I convinced him he could move like a ballerina, that he had the raw talent to do it, and he did.
To watch mass move quickly is incredible. To watch it move gracefully is awesome.
"Kenpo seems to be particularly attractive to women-about half the school is women. Most of them are looking for an art that they can pick up quickly and adapt to their own specific needs. Any woman who has been on her own for any amount of time will tell you that to depend on yesterday's chivalry is like depend- ing on a garage mechanic to fix your car at a reasonable rate. Women need the martial arts to survive. "Ours is one of the few schools that allows women to teach. I had this guy come in the other day-big son-of-gun. When he asked who his teacher was going to be I told him it was going to be a woman. His response was that he had never had a woman teach him anything and he expressed serious doubts that learn- ing martial arts from one would be any different. I told him if it didn't work out,
I'd
find someone else. He came back after the first lesson with nothing but
praise. A teacher is a teacher-they enjoy seeing people learn. I don't
let ego-seeking women (or men) teach. There are no princesses at this school."
Tatum has obviously "found the way" through kenpo. He defines his art in terms of Ed Parker's alphabet of motion and punctuates his
rhetoric with continual references to his mentor. To Tatum, kenpo is the American martial art. But at closer examination, the underlying theme
of American martial arts supremacy becomes apparent.
"What people have got to remember is that the Orient has given us an incredible gift," said Tatum. "Every country had its form of martial art. After all, the martial arts are defined as military fighting. England had jousting, Africa had spear throwing and dart blowing. These are all martial arts. But the Asian arts gained popularity
because of the spiritual aspects as much as the physical and this is one part of tradition that should never be lost. The Asians brought us the raw material and we have refined it. It's up to us to continue this process of innovation."