Harmony in the Face of Change

Driving through almost any section of the endless sprawl that is Southern California, you will undoubtedly see signs (some hand-written) for martial arts studios in strip malls and distressed-looking buildings. Lessons for karate, kung fu and tae kwon do are as accessible as 7-11s and McDonald’s. A few of the studios may be pulling from the same fast-food labor pool.

There was a time when the martial arts like judo, karate and kendo were almost exclusively taught by Japanese for Nikkei. But as with so many other cultural arts and activities gone mainstream, anyone today can read a book, buy a gi and claim to be an instructor.

published on April 10, 2019