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Piper- The “Marketing” of an Art
I’m usually a fairly mellow and phlegmatic individual, but I feel the need to respond to all the wonderful folks on the forums who, using the most accusatory tone they can lay their hands on, talk derogatorily of the “marketing” of Piper.
I have one major regret when it comes to Piper. As a knife art, we cannot, for legal, moral and sanity-related reasons, issue a “Piper Challenge” in the same way in which my favourite martial arts family, the Gracies did when they wanted to make people aware of the superiority of their art. As most martial artists by now would know, they did this in Rio decades before they did it in the U.S.A. It wouldn’t surprise me if their detractors were also waffling about “marketing”, both before and after they got their collective butts kicked.
I love the Gracie Challenge. As an instructor of the Chinese Internal Arts and a mere blue belt under Roger Gracie, I have twice in my ten years of grappling taken it to the mat with Kung Fu instructors who claimed their secret techniques could counter BJJ, with predictable results.
That’s the thing about knives and knife usage. Pot bellied chain smokers with great sounding lineages can run off at the mouth, safe and happy in the knowledge that for all the obvious reasons nothing will happen to them. At least in the stick fighting arts, one could arrange a romantic get-together at the next Dog Brothers meet, but with knives, the Internet warriors on their forums are king. That’s why I don’t visit the forums, it’s not good for my blood pressure.
Now, to the issue of marketing. There seems to be a belief system out there to the effect that “real masters” (whatever the hell those are) never advertise, they are hidden away somewhere working as caretakers, like dear old Mr. Miyagi, teaching one or a small number of students but making their living in some other manner. In other words, they are amateurs and in some mystical, to me totally incomprehensible manner, this makes their art purer and better.
Well, newsflash, o great venerable pot-bellied “masters”: Professional is where it’s at. With the exception of a small number of foreigners, most of whom are also professionals, the best kick boxers in the world are the Thais. Why? Because that is what they do for a living, from an early age. I spoke to some teenage BJJ practitioners in Rio a year ago, they could not wait to finish school so that they could get sponsorship and turn pro. When last did you see someone with a “real” eight hour a day job do well at MMA?
Yes, I know that to some there may be no connection between these combat sports and their ancient art, but this is the Western world and the 21st century: performance rules. Humility is so often a garment worn by those whose daily practice time can be measured in minutes, if that; in which case they have much to be humble about. Look at the ancient samurai: a caste of professional warriors. Our knife wielding criminals down here: also professionals. As are elite military units the world over. As were the Ba Gua and Hsing I fighters who worked as trade caravan security escorts in China a century or so ago.
I know lots of wonderful and highly competent martial arts instructors with day jobs, but if they have any sense they do not climb into the ring or cage with a professional. A few years back, as a happy amateur in boxing, I asked to spar with a reigning world champ a few weight classes below mine. In spite of the weight differential, the only reason I got away with a few days of serious headaches and no hospital time was because the champ decided to be nice.
I am not a Confucian, I did not grow up in the East, although I have lived there on occasions. If you know that what you are doing is better than a lot of the stuff you have seen others show at seminars or on videos, why should you not draw attention to your art? As an instructor in some other system of knife usage, why should you not take a few ideas or techniques that may blend in and improve your art? Especially since a skill set such as knife usage may determine the outcome of a life-or-death struggle for your student somewhere down the line. If I know someone may be heading into a storm, would I rather loan him an ocean-going yacht or a rubber dingy?
Finally, Lloyd is quite correct in saying that there has never been an attempt to actually sell anything, by himself or Nigel. I aim to change that. I have had two books published, one on Jiu Jitsu and one on Thai Massage and as a professional writer and martial artist I am working on the first ever e-book on Piper. So, yes, I will be doing a lot of “marketing”.
If I do it correctly and professionally, many of my readers will be able to better defend themselves if attacked and this will make me happy. As for not liking me or my attitude, well, nothing either of us can do about this knife-wise, but perhaps if you would like to play some “Vale Tudo” or grapple, my friend…?
Update on the above: I wrote this article on my birthday, the eighth of March. I managed to convince Nigel and Lloyd four days later, on the 12th that a “Piper Challenge” would be a fun idea, an educational experience and a great way for our critics to “walk their talk”, as it were. For more information, please see “The Piper Challenge”
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