Contributed by NINO* on 11/28/07

Chi. In Hip Hop we call it soul. It’s invincible, the most incredibly powerful force imaginable. It runs within you, all you have to do is learn how to magnify, control and release it in your own individual way - so if you concentrate your blood flow to one area of your body, that area will gain electrifying power. Try it. Circle one arm - slowly at first - then faster. Faster. Until finally - throw that punch, fall into that swipe…

You will experience this indescribable sensation. The hardest punch. The fastest swipe. It’s addictive. releasing an energy and ecstasy like no other.

Trust me.

So what is this? This undeniable link between hip hop and martial arts? If you could physically see it, it would be a bright glowing link. Like a light sabre from New York to Bejing.

Stunning.

Both cultures accept anyone of any background. But they must respect, understand and fully practice the lifestyle. When you think about it, it’s been shoved in your face for a long time; take Professor Griff and the rest of Public Enemy. Some of the most influential characters in hip hop, practising martial arts, live on stage. Or if you look at a film like Ong Bak; Tony Jaa perfectly illustrates the transition between Bruce Lee and Ken Swift. The windmill is used as a form of attack.

So is that what bboying really is? A disguised form of lethal self defence? In the Philippines, a history of inland issues means that martial artists there were forced to develop a disguise for their training. Boys with bells and ribbons seemingly prance about, harmlessly clicking sticks to the music of a 70 year old on banjo. And the soldiers just keep walking past… Minutes later. A rival crew will arrive. A fight will kick off. Using the same footwork, same rhythm, same fucking sticks. This time physical contact proves fatal.

Could emcees do the same? Perhaps use a spoken word format to practise free styling without rapping on the train? Could Djs? Graffers? Beatboxers? Drummers?

I don’t doubt it…

Many say hip hop and martial arts are dying out. Masters aren’t passing on 100% of their secrets to disciples. But you can hardly blame them. There is this saying - the cat taught the tiger how to fight. One day the tiger grew so strong he tried to attack the cat. the cat ran up the tree. That’s the one secret he never taught the tiger…

Hip hop and martial arts are changing. But many of today’s headstrong youths are using the original ninja mentality to create interpretations of the art, utilizing whatever they have to hand. So you’ve got all the kids shooting each other. Trying to see who can carry more bullets than Fiddy. Spitting weak bars over dry beats about guns, bitches and bling. And you’ve got these fools kickboxing in rings for money. Jumping around. No skills. No discipline.

But then you have these incredible street cyphers. Lyrics which define and outdo humanity. Beat boxers creating beats that computers couldn’t produce. Breakers perfecting the basics and creating new styles. Using new angles. New muscles. Freerunning. Krumping. Djs developing medal-worthy scratches. Graffers manipulating montanas to create masterpieces that move, speak and dance. Clothing entrepreneurs creating uniforms and personalities which breathe hip hop onto our skin.

So while the mainstream continue to further exploit and misrepresent these vintage art forms, the streets are blowing them up to their full potentials for real. Underground martial arts societies and techniques IFL and Hollywood will never imagine. Cellar hip hop crews and secret subcultures that MTV and Hip Hop Connection could never dream up.

Art is art bitches. And there’s only two art lifestyles that have survived through everything. That can conquer, control and save more than any religion, government or society. But in a ‘modern’ hip hop lifestyle. What use is martial arts?

How you gonna Muay Thai your way outta a bullet?

Hip hop needs martial arts right now. If more folks on the streets knew more about them - if they had the experience and education - they wouldn’t say no. And if beef did get physical. Mans would get beaten. Not killed. And no kid ever achieves manhood without a good beating.

Take a classic hip hop track - Cypress Hill, “I Could Kill A Man.” When that song dropped I was just like, finally, some honesty. I’m sick of this bullshit about violence being the product of a different species. Because in the right situation, most of us could ‘kill a man.’ However, trained martial artists would never present this problem. Yes. We are trained to kill. But are also trained to have control, discipline, stamina and integrity. So we can disable our attacker and leave him to suffer the consequences of his actions. As apposed to leaving his family suffering the consequences of his death. Which is the most likely possibility if we just pulled out a gun, in a confused, fumbling defense.

Hip hop and martial arts. Two streets of the same city. Two paintings of the same brush. A connection that should be strengthened in order to strengthen the two lights on either side.

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