Defending a Fine Art: Anarchism and MMA (Mixed Martial Arts)
_ | 17.12.2011 09:33 | Culture | Health
Anarchist groups in this country have traditionally had a strange attitude towards the martial arts. This is in part been due to the inherent hierarchies and replications of macho/homophobic behaviour that are assumed to exist in gyms.
In terms of anarchism there is a clash when rejecting hierarchy in political life and accepting the sometimes oppressive relationship between coach and student. A relationship some are happy to accept when wrapped up as an “exotic” non western and non gendered partnership such as in the traditional martial arts of bujikan and Capoira. Both are not only physically highly unrealistic for the average person to successfully practice but also operate under a strict gendered hierarchy.
The revolution against the more traditionalist (or impractical) martial arts kicked its way into the main stream in the early 70s through the writings and practice of Bruce Lee, who advocated a free style of fighting based on what worked best rather than what was historically practiced.
This new philosophy, free of the social constructed limitations on practice allowed more people to begin practicing martial arts. This trend was also beginning in Brazil where jujitsu was being developed outside of Japan by the Gracie family.
We see the current practice of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as part of this development in martial arts, a move away from the rigid hierarchies developed under feudalism to a more practical understanding of how the human body works. We see MMA as achieving this through different styles co-operating (judo with boxing or wrestling with kick boxing).
In that last year we as a collective of likeminded people, not only from an anarchist background, decided to start a martial arts group. We have no head coach, but rather a collective of people with experience helping train others for free; mutual aid was the main idea. The collective has grown in many different ways, with people young and old, male and female, LGBT training together. The training is split into three. The first hour for people with who had never trained with us, the second hour people who have trained together for a period of time and feel comfortable with hitting each other a bit harder, and the last hour is a sparing class. This does not appeal all, but we found people with and without previous experience of martial arts are happy to try as our only motto is “no winners, no egos, no fascists”.
Lucky for us we have a place like the London Action Resource Centre to train…. feel free to come down and train. All welcome For people interested in getting involved in the martial arts group contact Freedom:
copy@freedompress.org.uk and we will pass on your details.
Lets see Anarchist fight club in Russia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCAYT0Aep4k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4naVp3kI4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3TuJPGvABI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsB-boYMaQ4
In terms of anarchism there is a clash when rejecting hierarchy in political life and accepting the sometimes oppressive relationship between coach and student. A relationship some are happy to accept when wrapped up as an “exotic” non western and non gendered partnership such as in the traditional martial arts of bujikan and Capoira. Both are not only physically highly unrealistic for the average person to successfully practice but also operate under a strict gendered hierarchy.
The revolution against the more traditionalist (or impractical) martial arts kicked its way into the main stream in the early 70s through the writings and practice of Bruce Lee, who advocated a free style of fighting based on what worked best rather than what was historically practiced.
This new philosophy, free of the social constructed limitations on practice allowed more people to begin practicing martial arts. This trend was also beginning in Brazil where jujitsu was being developed outside of Japan by the Gracie family.
We see the current practice of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as part of this development in martial arts, a move away from the rigid hierarchies developed under feudalism to a more practical understanding of how the human body works. We see MMA as achieving this through different styles co-operating (judo with boxing or wrestling with kick boxing).
In that last year we as a collective of likeminded people, not only from an anarchist background, decided to start a martial arts group. We have no head coach, but rather a collective of people with experience helping train others for free; mutual aid was the main idea. The collective has grown in many different ways, with people young and old, male and female, LGBT training together. The training is split into three. The first hour for people with who had never trained with us, the second hour people who have trained together for a period of time and feel comfortable with hitting each other a bit harder, and the last hour is a sparing class. This does not appeal all, but we found people with and without previous experience of martial arts are happy to try as our only motto is “no winners, no egos, no fascists”.
Lucky for us we have a place like the London Action Resource Centre to train…. feel free to come down and train. All welcome For people interested in getting involved in the martial arts group contact Freedom:
copy@freedompress.org.uk and we will pass on your details. Lets see Anarchist fight club in Russia:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCAYT0Aep4k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4naVp3kI4w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3TuJPGvABI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsB-boYMaQ4
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Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
A few points.
17.12.2011 11:02
Sure, work on self defence, so you can defend yourself. You don't learn a martial art to attack people. If you wanna put these fascists in their place.
I think the best option would be mass opposition to show em that their ideology is pants and that it won't be tolerated by the public.
keep sports separate from politics
Leftist critique is no critique at all
17.12.2011 12:33
"The far-right would love to see a squad of 'left-assorted' group get a little fighting club" is obviously the complete opposite, as history has taught us -
More on politics and sport - anarchism and football - they have history:
Duffbeerman
Anarchist fight club in Italy & Spain - video
17.12.2011 12:50
Anarchist fight club in Spain:
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My gung fu is better than yours......good i hope it is
17.12.2011 14:02
There are many styles and many more teachers to choose from - and if not, do the training, then start your own class, simples. A mixture of anarchism and MA to me seems the way to go, but one of the problems i've encountered is that people who come to a class, expect the MPH wrapped up in a bit of mysticism (I did 20yrs ago), but really, it's heightened sensitivity and body machanics that makes the techniques work.
Try not to be too hard on the instructors as they have their own insecurities they are working through and invariably were drawn to MA after being smashed up themselves.
Training in self defence does give you confidence and it gives you heightened awareness.
Just a suggestion, I think it's better to say what you are for, rather than what you're against - no fascism, no ego etc - ego manifests itself in many ways and you wont get many people to your club who don't have an ego - probably none. What about '' Anarchist Martial Arts open to all, whatever ability, everyone welcome''. Even someone with fascist tendencies may have something to learn from you. Anyway good luck, this is a good idea.
feng po
destroy all the stereotypes
18.12.2011 20:34
Ng Mui