Our guest post is from Neil Hall, Chief Instructor at London Chinatown’s Tae Kwon Do.
The riots across London have touched the lives of many of our students who live and work in the areas affected, and many more who have been in fear of the violence which has spread with such speed from one part of the city to another, or who are afraid for the welfare of their family and friends across the capital.
Some of our students have had to move out of their area. Others have suffered from continual distress as looting has gone on around them, while others have suffered not only the inconvenience but also the fear caused by power cuts, or the constant worry that their shops, restaurants, office or school will be next attacked.
In adversity, we see people not only at their worst but also at their best. With our classes canceled, Chinatown Instructor Mr Jon Alagoa offered to escort people home from work. Facebook has seen a flood of support for students and their families not only from their classmates, but from their fellow students in our Cotswold classes. Truly, in many ways, I have seen kindness today which makes me proud of our common humanity. Next week, we are all on holiday. The spirit I have seen last night and today makes me sure that we will be back to class the following week. See you there.
When we look at the scenes of violence across the city where we were founded, it makes me stop to think about the commonly held misconception that martial arts in some way condones or even promotes violence. As I said in my book, “First Steps in Martial Arts,” I have heard this claimed almost daily since I worked with Phil Martin’s Champ’s Camp in Moss Side in the early 1990s. So let me say this.
We have suffered from the funding cuts with a loss of support for our work with young people (of all backgrounds, not just Chinese) in Chinatown. Okay. So what have our students being doing over the past days? Helping each other. Supporting their families, friends and neighbours. Cleaning up. Though God knows many have faced, and still face, the poverty that both recession and spending cuts force upon people, their condemnation of the violence has been unequivocal and unanimous. Whatever their age.
I am no longer young, and I am not naive enough to think that martial arts makes all people good people. It doesn’t. But I am certain that the martial arts students amongst the rioters would be few and far between. Compare their actions to the discipline, integrity, and humanity of our students over the past days.
For the next nights, please stay close to home and keep safe. Check your neighbours are all right and that the elderly and vulnerable are not forgotten.
Neil Hall
http://www.lctkd.com/martialartsblog.html
Tags: cotswolds, first steps in martial arts, LCTKD, london, London Chinatown Taekwondo, london riots, Martial Arts, neil hall, tae kwon do
