Exploring popular culture can show you a lot about martial arts, and it can even teach you lessons you might not see coming. An example of this is shown through an early episode of “The Simpsons”. It was in season 3 that a simple subplot launched an interesting topic of discussion about martial arts as a whole, for those who paid attention to the deeper meaning. It is in that episode that Bart Simpson wants to learn to master the elements of karate, and has visions of fighting off attackers, as a new student of the arts.
Confusing media
Bart Simpson takes on the idea that he will be the next great kung fu legend, and it shows through the insights he’s given through video games and culture in the episode. This is how many people learn about martial arts for the first time, through the media. The culture is saturated with that, and as they go into the first few lessons, they realize that it is kind of boring. There are no crazy flying fists, no rogue teachers wagging his facial hair in sinister motions, no explosions or rival schools disrupting things. That’s where people go. It is during the first lesson that Bart Simpson leaves.
The real world
When faced with the reality of bullying, in the episode, Bart ends up getting beaten up and hung from a basketball hoop. He was unable to defend his sister from bullies and instead became a target. Karate is fascinating, like all martial arts, but you have to realize that what is shown in movies and in video games is not the truth. Even fighting like the UFC is not something that is a complete representation of what martial arts really is.
Turning boring into exciting
It is true that there is no surprising action when you start learning karate, kung fu or anything else in life. Even if you were a stuntman, your first day of training wouldn’t see you getting out of a car at breakneck speed. The first thing you learn is the basics, and those basics build your career as a martial artist, whether it’s for profit or personal. It is within that framework that the art form comes to life. If you follow the simple story shown in “The Simpsons”, you will see that the lesson is much bigger than the subplot. The point is, don’t give up on the first lesson and don’t assume that the rest of the learning, training, and methods will be boring. The first step of an incredible journey is never the most iconic, it is the bigger picture. Focus on the big picture – that’s where the full scope of the lesson really starts to make sense.
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