Where shall we start? For me the constants of gravity, time and change are always on my mind. Perhaps one of the best changes over the last two years has been our Five Elder Monk Mew Hing 18 Daoist Palms System’s breakaway from Doo Wai’s Bak Fu Pai Association. Being a metal tiger / quadruple Taurus, this suited my goals just fine. I am not a yes man, I bow to no man and call all the shots as I see it. In other words, I have a mind of my own for doing things. If I see power over others and glory for self, and if I don’t see the works OF Jesus being lived, I get disgusted and bored.

I appreciated Gary Alexander’s part 4 of his "History" series concerning martial arts in America. Reading it brought several things to my attention. Tournaments of all kinds seem to be on the rise.

Back a few years ago, I wondered if this Ultimate Challenge thing would last. It amazed me at how almost every martial publication just could not get enough. Oh sure, we had the judo phase when Black Belt first came out in the 60’s, followed by America’s next big magazine from the East Coast perspective, that covered karate primarily. I am speaking of Official Karate that debuted a couple of years after Black Belt. The magazine had its ups and downs, changed names, and went back to the original name and soon after disappeared. For a time the East Coast pioneers were not getting covered. As a martial artist scholar living on the West Coast, it made me sick. Then the kung fu magazines came out on the West Coast. It was a long slow process to bring the East Coast pioneers and legends up front where they belonged.

Thank God for Karate International and the vision of the DePasquale’s to carry the cross of not only stay power, but also full color! All this was fine. For once, someone was acknowledging the great East Coast legends and their students.

How many tournament stars went on to movies? How many others became chain school owners and video producers?

Now that I have set a tone and brief picture of the scenario of the times, ask yourself; what made tournaments more popular again?

I think the UFC had a big part in proving that it could get our attention. We all know, or should know, that the baddest, meanest most ruthless killers are locked up in maximum security prisons in America! This is reality. P.O.W. experiences are not the the same as far as inmate violence against inmate and the increased racial tensions of a more amalgamated (cosmopolitan) society such as ours. No comparison. Sorry to pop any P.O.W.’s bubble, but that’s my view. My Dad, aside from being a Navy dive-bomber, guarded German P.O.W.’s as well.

Getting back to this UFC thing, I must say I was right all along as to where it was headed and what its purpose was. It did give a big boost to martial arts in general and set a new trend for cranking it up a notch in the tournament sparring scene, which had felt pretty macho until the reality of UFC took away some of the glitter.

I wrote a letter to one of the editors on the West Coast covering the UFC after Royce saying he wanted more money. Who can blame him? All of them were getting peanuts compared to what WWF and WCW wrestlers were making. Fake you say? If it is so fake, then how come Shamrock went WWF and Severin followed right along after awhile? 

Shamrock had said in earlier interviews that he left the WWF at an earlier time in his life because it was somewhat not realistic enough…something to that effect. He was the first to realize though that the American public decides what is "real." The American public knows that in prisons or in the "hood", folks break rules. Tyson bit an ear off to save pride. In the WWF there is now the gang element, using improvised weapons. Not only were UFC fighters getting paid peanuts (remember folks, Tyson, love him or hate him, made 150 million after he got out of prison! That is almost twice the just under $70,000,000 that Ali made in twenty years of boxing! The wrestler Bret Hart was rumored to have pulled in a 7 million contract with WCW. 

So what conclusions can we draw from all this? First off, we learned that Ron Van Clief of the East Coast, showed the whole "traditional" martial arts world that he had real guts just to enter, especially at his age. Love him or hate him, give him credit. No other so-called legends dared enter the ring with the young lions. Secondly, after awhile we all noticed that unlike real fights on the street or prison, no one cheated in the UFC. 

Americans like a winner at all cost, even if it means pulling out brass knuckles, using a chair, cheating with a manager’s help or having a gang pre-attack, attack during the match or after the match. An American as Patton would say, gets sick at the mere thought of losing. 

So, lets fast forward to what has happened since Shamrock was the first to have the guts to go where the big boys play and where the money and number of fans are at. From day one of entering the WWF, he has never back peddled to anyone. He has beaten everyone that did not cheat on him. This made him realize that he would have to fight fire with fire. He rose to the occasion many times. He learned in his fight with Vader, to break Vader’s nose for real, to slow him down for the submission (give credit to fist power that leaves things broken, when done for real.) It is inconceivable to me how a trained puncher could not break bone or draw blood with any hand strike to the face unless they were holding back, or simply had punching power of a little girl. 

Shamrock and his new fellow martial art buddy Steve (nicknamed "world’s most lethal weapon), have never been beat except for when their opponent cheated. Despite this, neither has whined or sniveled much about it. Shamrock and Steve will have to learn to win titles even if cheated on. Why? Because Americans demand it. We cannot tolerate losers at any cost. In love and war all is fair. Being a goody two shoes that does not win the heavyweight title, does not get the respect because Americans hate losers. We broke some unspoken rules when we "nuked" Japan, but we still celebrate because we won. 

God bless Ken and Steve. I am proud of both of them. They may have underestimated the so-called killer spirit, however, nevertheless they will show us all in time whether or not they can be WWF world champions, by hook or crook. If not, respect for martial arts will dwindle until a martial artist can muster the "meanness" to prevail over the reality of cheating.

No one really likes a bad guy or cheater that cannot win without breaking the rules. When I was a kid in the 50’s, biting, kicking, scratching, hair pulling and even wrestling were considered for sissies. Americans were bare knuckle toe to toe, in your face, one to four moves, punch your lights out folk. Even in the first form of Greek wrestling, if you went to the ground you were the loser. The first Greek standup wrestling included punching. Knockouts with the fist prevailed, and still do. On the other hand, when a person like Ken, Steve or Dan represent us martial artists in general as they meet these types of unfairness, we will watch how they deal with it. Will they kick butt despite the chairs, brass knuckles and other numerous cheap shots? In a prison environment they would have to survive by similar "anything goes, watch your back" mentality. 

In closing, if and when Ken, Steve or Dan do win the WWF heavyweight title, will it prove the superiority of wrestling in their minds? Keep dreaming! Until a martial artist can get in the ring with the likes of Tyson and win a world championship in heavyweight boxing, boxing will remain the macho, toe to toe, in your face, one to four move knockout epitome of the closest thing to the "real thing"; the real thing of course being the streets or more specifically, hard core maximum prisons with the Aryan Brotherhood, Mexican Mafia and Black gangs that dominate. 

So, what is my take on all this? Simply this; the only "known" martial artist (old at that), to actually have the guts to enter the Octagon was East Coast legend Ron Van Clief. You can talk about the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s tournaments all you want, but we martial artists should be most proud of our own Ron Van Clief, who at such an old age (relatively) was the absolute only well known martial artist that had the guts to try. And, he did not cheat! 

I must admit that I would do anything to win as long as I had a legal green light, if you know what I mean. For many that are forgotten and locked up in cages, some even inocent, martial arts means surviving the "big yard" day to day, doing life in the maximum security penitentiaries or on the mean streets of places like Harlem, East Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit and the hoods right near our sacred "White House." 

Shamrock, Steve and Dan will need to be much more ruthless to obtain and more importantly, hold on to, what has remained unobtained, the WWF title. Are they good enough to be legends? Can they win as the "good guy," or will they have to settle for winning as the "bad guy?" 

I’d love to see Kimo carry the torch for the Lord and beat them all. In the meantime, I give Shamrock the kudos for being the first to enter WWF and walk the walk and talk the talk, like a real man. Steve and Dan followed the bandwagon. Notice how Ken and Steve went in alone, while Dan entered as a gang titleholder of the AWA. With Jim Cornett’s group of goofs (midnight express), he has already resorted to bully tactics that Ken or Steve have not resorted to using, albeit, Shamrock and Steve’s weakness are their naivete – thus they get jumped a lot. They are starting to catch on. 

The lesson is that in the big pool, boxing is the moneymaker because people say so and thus that is where the big money is. UFC did not allow cheating, thus lack of big bucks (boring). Pro wrestling is a step up in the bucks department, but light years from world heavyweight championship boxing money. 

Hope you enjoyed this column. These things were not being covered. I myself prefer the underdog that against all odds, stands up for The Lord, and against all odds, even cheating…wins!! Good always overcomes evil, come hell or high water eventually. I acknowledge Dan "the beast’s" intensity. He knew that the AWA was an established lineage older than WWF. By hook or crook he won the heavyweight title. Now with a ruthless manager like Cornett and an aging "midnight express", will they get in Dan’s way? Does he need them? Does he have what it takes to meet the likes of the Undertaker, or the more dirty players like "Stone Cold"? Will he be able to beat Shamrock without cheating? 

In a high technology society, WWF entertainment relieves some tension and pent up emotions, as did boxing in the 20’s. Like the coliseum at Rome, we want to see gladiators. We want to pick sides in the "good vs. evil" game. It helps us release tension in a way that also brings some humor. Without constructive/entertaining methods of stress reduction, society would vent out their frustrations on each other. Anarchy always augments misery. In times past, leaders of clans, tribes or governments would dissolve disputes by having the leaders themselves fight it out. Other events were designed to ridicule the poorest debater amongst two leaders. If one leader was so much cleverer with words so as to humiliate the other to the roaring cheers of the crowd, then they were the "winner." We see ego’s play out in all aspects and facets of life. The true martial artist learns from the only real master…Jesus. This all happens from within. The most advanced martial disciples of the only "Real Master" focus on living the life of, rather than talking about the life of our Lord. Those who are not against Him are with Him…true freedom to follow your heart.

Happy Spring and God Bless. I have nothing but respect for Ken, Steve and Dan. 

-James Lacy 

Mew Hing Productions
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