Racism in martial arts has been a common allegation.
Media portrayal
Some of this can be attributed to media portrayal of minority groups while giving the majority a primary role. Television shows such as ''
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
''Mighty Power Rangers'' (''MMPR'') is a superhero television series that premiered on August 28, 1993, on the Fox Kids programming block. It is the first entry of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, and became a 1990s pop culture phenomenon along ...
'' have been called racist for alleged
ethnic stereotyping; however, in the case of ''Power Rangers'', African-American actor
Walter Emanuel Jones
Walter Emanuel Jones (born November 30, 1970) is an American actor, martial artist and dancer, known for playing the role of Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger on the hit television series ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''.
He also appeared in ...
attributed it to coincidence. The
web television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air ae ...
series ''
Iron Fist'', based on
the comic book character of the same name, centers around a white protagonist who learns mystical Asian martial arts to fight crime, typically against Asian antagonists; the show's premise has drawn accusations of
cultural appropriation,
white savior narrative,
Orientalism and
yellow peril
The Yellow Peril (also the Yellow Terror and the Yellow Specter) is a racial color metaphor that depicts the peoples of East and Southeast Asia as an existential danger to the Western world. As a psychocultural menace from the Eastern world ...
stereotyping. Movies such as ''
The Forbidden Kingdom
''The Forbidden Kingdom'' (: ''Gong Fu Zhi Wang'' ( Mandarin) or ''Gung Fu Ji Wong'' (Cantonese) and translated ''King of Kung Fu'' (English); Working title: ''The J & J Project'') is a 2008 wuxia film written by John Fusco, and directed by Rob ...
'' and ''
Birth of the Dragon
''Birth of the Dragon'' is a 2016 American martial arts action film directed by George Nolfi and written by Christopher Wilkinson and Stephen J. Rivele. The film stars Philip Ng, Xia Yu, and Billy Magnussen. The film is a fictional account on th ...
'' have drawn similar accusations as well.
Quite often the media would portray Asians as being proficient in martial arts while lacking other defining qualities. Ethnic groups and ethnic martial arts would be merged into one although they might be quite distinct. However, martial arts shows such as ''
Into the Badlands'' and ''
Warrior
A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste.
History
Warriors seem to have be ...
'' have been praised for avoiding and subverting stereotypes that have commonly plagued Asian martial artists in western media.
Alleged instances
Bruce Lee stated that racism was widely practiced in martial arts in Hong Kong. Ron Duncan (an Afro-Panamanian), a founder of ninjitsu in America, discussed in detail the problems of racism in martial arts as he saw them. Duncan explained how he believes he was denied recognition by ''
Black Belt'' magazine in favor of
Stephen K. Hayes (who was white). The Black Karate Federation was formed by
Steve Sanders and others seeking to have equal treatment of black fighters in karate tournaments. This included allegations of biased officiating in martial arts tournaments.
Current times
Fighters such as
Maurice Smith and
Kevin Randleman
Kevin Christopher Randleman (August 10, 1971 – February 11, 2016) was an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, and former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Randleman's background was in collegiate wrestling, in which he became ...
were amongst the first black champions in MMA, but neither have received the media attention that fighters of other races have.
Joe Rogan
Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC color commentator, podcaster, comedian, actor, and former television presenter. He hosts ''The Joe Rogan Experience'', a podcast in which he discusses current events, comedy, polit ...
of the
UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
has suggested that
Jon Jones
Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...
, a UFC light heavyweight champion, is not as popular as he could be due in large part to racism.
See also
*
Racism in sport
Racism in sports has been a prevalent issue throughout the world, and in particular racism towards African Americans has been especially severe over the course of the history of sports in the United States and around the world.
The Human Rights ...
References
{{Racism topics
Racism in sport
Martial arts culture