Mixed Motivations for Martial Arts

MIXED ASIAN MEDIA - JUNE 9, 2021

By Lauren Lola

There is a wide range of stereotypes that have been made about people of Asian descent for the longest time. One of the most prevalent ones to exist — particularly regarding people who are East Asian and Southeast Asian — is the assumption that we can do martial arts. It seems like from the moment Bruce Lee blasted his way onto the big and small screens with his skills in martial arts, people’s eyes were opened, yet it barely made a dent in expanding the narrow perspective on the wide variety of Asian people out there.

Look at how many Asian action stars have come out since then; whether intentionally or because the opportunity presented itself. Heck, even Simu Liu didn’t think he would ever take on a martial arts role, until he got cast as the title character in the new Marvel movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

To say that all Asians know martial arts is stereotyping. However, what can be said about those who actually do martial arts? More specifically, in this case, what can be said about mixed-race Asians who do martial arts, and why did they take them on to begin with? Was it to learn self-defense techniques? Was it seen as an outlet to stay active? Was it to connect to the Asian side of their heritage? Was it just for fun?

Speaking from personal experience, my reasoning in taking on martial arts is a mixture of them all. When I was a teenager, I studied Karate for the purposes of learning self-defense. When I was in college, I took on Taekwondo as a way to stay active. In recent years — but most notably this past summer — I’ve been sporadically picking up Escrima (also known as Arnis or Kali), in order to connect with my Filipino heritage, to stay active as I continue to work from home, and also to learn more self-defense techniques — especially in the midst of the anti-Asian hate crimes that have been going on. The common thread among learning all three of these martial arts is that I also find them quite fun.

This, of course, is just my experience. To explore this topic further, I spoke with members of the MAM team, and friends of MAM, who do martial arts — about their histories and motivations for pursuing them.

What's your name and pronouns?

Alex Chester, though my full name is Alexandra F. Chester-Iwata. My pronouns are she/her/hers.

What martial art(s) or combat do you know?

I used to take kickboxing, which was a lot of fun, but it was more of a workout class than actual training. I also fenced for several years. Recently I've started taking "action training" from Saga Action Arts, which essentially combines kickboxing, Muay Thai, Savate, and Karate, along with weapons training. I am currently working with Kali sticks aka Filipino Martial Arts which will then crossover to swords, knives, and long staff.

Why did you initially decide to pursue them?

As I said earlier, I used to fence, mainly foil a little epee. When I moved to NYC, I stopped pursuing it. I did go to a fencing studio for a hot sec on the Upper West Side, but they shut down, and to be perfectly honest I was a bit intimidated about going to one of the bougie Upper East Side Fencing schools. I wanted a place where I could bout, learn some techniques, and have fun. I never had any desire to compete, even though my old fencing school in SoCal kept asking me to join the women's team. All of this is to say I've always wanted to continue some form of weapons training. I would eventually love to learn how to fight with a katana. By fight, I mean for film and TV, not real life. Though, I am sure this will come in handy if a zombie apocalypse ever happens (fingers crossed.) As a mixed Japanese person, I would love to learn more about fighting with a katana. It would be a way for me to connect to my culture, even though none of my Japanese ancestors were samurai or ninja. I thought why not pursue all of this now. I graduated from college this year, so that was one less thing on my plate, might as well start taking these lessons.

What do they mean to you on a personal level?

Taking "Action Arts" gives me a sense of physical strength. I find it very empowering and fun. I am doing this for me, not for my career as an actor (though it won't hurt it.)

What's your name and pronouns?

Michaela Ternasky-Holland; she/her

What martial art(s) or combat do you know?

Karate/Taekwondo, Judo

Why did you initially decide to pursue them?

Karate/Taekwondo: because I wanted to be physically active; at the same time, I also did ballet.

Judo: I had recently been forced to quit dance, so I tried judo because my younger siblings did it.

What does it mean to you on a personal level?

It's a part of my athletic identity, I still have a dream to train in MMA.

What’s your name and pronouns?

My name is Micheline Wu, and my pronouns are she/her.

What martial art(s) or combat do you know?

I studied and performed traditional Chinese dance for ten years where, amongst other things, we performed dances in a martial arts style with a variety of weapons. I now study with SAG stunt performer Dylan Hintz, founder of SAGA Action Arts, in his own technique which blends MMA, boxing, tumbling, and aspects of multiple styles of martial arts — all aimed at training performers for on-camera fight scenes.

Why did you initially decide to pursue it?

I initially decided to pursue it because I worked on a short film with Dylan, a Nancy Drew parody by Tochi Osuji, and had so much fun during the rehearsal and filming process. This particular fusion of martial arts, weapons work, and light gymnastics within the framework of training to perform fights on-camera has made the most of my background as a dancer and furthers my goals as a performer. And I just have a blast — not to mention that the workout is no joke.

What does it mean to you on a personal level?

For me, studying martial arts is an opportunity to revisit an aspect of my Chinese dance background that I haven't had the opportunity to touch on since I left the American Chinese Arts Society's traditional Chinese dance troupe. Since then, I've performed ribbons, fans, and water sleeves in various projects or events, such as Chinese New Year banquets. In relearning the same gesture now through a different lens, I’m not only reconnecting with these roots but also providing a deeper context for what I learned. It's a homecoming and then some.

What’s your name and pronouns?

My name is Alexander Seishi Tsuruki Holden and my pronouns are He/Him/His.

What martial art(s) or combat do you know?

I did a little bit of Shaolin Kung Fu and some Karate when I was little. A couple of years ago, I was the fight captain for the Lyric Stage Company of Boston's production of Pacific Overtures, a role I received with only a minimum of stage combat training. Based on that experience, I decided to pursue fighting training. I currently train with Dylan Hintz of SAGA Action Arts in an MMA style mixing a lot of martial arts concepts from boxing to Filipino stick fighting. This technique builds off of my athletic background, which includes gymnastics.

Why did you initially decide to pursue them?

I was born in Japan and lived there until I was 14. I always had an interest in martial arts because it’s a part of the culture, but I was too focused on team sports as a young adult to pursue it. When I got into acting and film, I thought it was a good opportunity to finally follow this interest, as well as to obtain a useful skill. It has the added bonus of enabling me to stay in touch with my heritage while giving me a great workout.

What do they mean to you on a personal level?

As I briefly mentioned, I believe this is not only a practical skill as a performer but also is something that reminds me of home. It touches on aspects of East Asian culture that I have not been in contact with since I came to the U.S., and that alone elevates the experience of learning martial arts techniques, as well as its concepts and mentality. There is a cultural resonance that I feel physically and mentally when practicing martial arts.

Lauren Lola is a San Francisco Bay Area-based author, freelance writer, playwright, and screenwriter. She is the author of the novels, An Absolute Mind and A Moment’s Worth. She has written plays that have been produced at Bindlestiff Studio in San Francisco, and in 2020, she made her screenwriting debut with the short film, Breath of Writing, from Asiatic Productions. Aside from Hapa Mag, Lauren has also had writing featured on The Nerds of Color, CAAMedia, PBS, YOMYOMF, and other outlets and publications.

You can find Lauren on Twitter and Instagram @akolaurenlola and on her website, www.lolabythebay.wordpress.com.