Amanda shared this article, and while it is about the BS that happens in the entertainment industry, it is pretty applicable to what we do as non-indigenous practitioners of FMA. In this article, you can see the opposite of what we talk a out when we say the colonial mentality. In the colonial mentality, the subjugated culture begins to view itself a inferior to that of the subjudators and they throw away their own history, traditions, and identity to adopt that of their oppressors. On the opposite side, the trend of cultural appropriation is more dispicable. Here, you have outside members of the oppressed group reviving elements of a subjugated or near extinct culture to try to push some personal, political or financial agenda. This is a fine line that I tread as an instructor because many caucasion instructors of FMA do this knowingly and unknowingly. I think I am accepted by so many Filipinos because I care about the history and tradition of the people, not just using one aspect of their heritage to make a buck. There are some very protective Filipino Martial Arts practitioners and instructors out there, and I fully understand their reasoning. However it is very important to me that I can penetrate their xenephobia and be accepted for my sincerity and dedication. As all non-Filipino instructors and practitioners should strive to do. In the end, my path in Filipino Martial Arts has been undertaken with the care and focus of anthropological field work. I am going to make my guys read this article.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Jun 2013 16:38:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015