On the warm Saturday afternoon of May 22nd, 2021, members of the New York City traditional martial arts community were joined by filmmakers, actors, and politicians, for the Martial Artists Rally Against Hate & Anti-Asian Violence at Borough Hall in Brooklyn.
The subject of Asian hate in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic has been at the forefront of the media. On May 20th, 2021, President Biden signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.
The event featured speeches by actor Perry Yung (Bruce Lee’s Warrior, Boogie), Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, martial artists, and self-defense demonstrations.
The event was co-organized by African American filmmaker Warrington Hudlin and members of the Chinese martial arts community.
Filmmaker Floyd Webb explained that martial artists are responsible for looking after others, especially members of the Asian community, in the wake of the pandemic, saying, “It’s part of the warrior’s code. Whether it’s knights, whether it’s samurai, any people that are suffering from injustice.”
New York City martial artist Demetrius Angelo, founder of the Urban Action Showcase, spoke on the significance of the event and the impact Asians have had on the African American community saying, “The martial arts community has always been about diversity. The foundation on which we stand is honor and respect. We have always been a people to bring people together. Don’t forget, our first representation of non-White heroes on the big screen were Asians in the Kung Fu movies.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a black belt in Taekwondo, provided some harsh statistics regarding the pandemic, saying, “This is so important… I want to thank all the martial arts instructors that are here. We were hit with two pandemics; one pandemic was COVID-19, we have a vaccine for that, the second pandemic is the pandemic of hate… There has been a 223% increase in crime from the first quarter of 2020 and 2021. It shows that the city has reached a point of violence.” Adams further spoke on recent Asian American attacks in Hell’s Kitchen and Times Square.
Warrior actor Perry Yung was emphatic regarding the need for unity, saying, “It’s important for all people of color to come together in solidarity to uproot White supremacist racism that’s embedded in the laws of America. Regardless of where you’re a martial artist or a politician, engineers, teachers, educators, we all need to come together and battle the first pandemic [hate] that’s been facing Asian Americans and African Americans and other people of color and women in the United States.”
Lady Sensei provided a stirring closing speech, noting that the pandemic took a psychological toll on people and that the Asian hate crimes we are witnessing result from that. “Each of us, no matter what your designation is in life, You are only one hashtag away from the same violence that attacks our Asian brothers and sisters,” said Sensei.
The New York City martial arts community sent a positive message to the city, and country, utilizing the code of the warrior, stopping the pandemic of hate.
Clarke Illmatical is a writer from Queens, New York. His writing has been featured in The Amsterdam News, The Norwood News, The Brooklyn Eagle, Harlem Community News, Queens Community Politics, The Final Call, Baltimore African American Newspaper, South China Morning Post, China Global Daily, TimeOut Hong Kong, The Phnom Penh Post, and E-China Cities.
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