Today, I have this story about Global Movement.
Global Movement, that is a continuous flow of cultural fusion, I say. One culture goes over to another culture and gets mixed up. I think this has been happening all over the world.
First, take a look at this youtube video below. This is called Wu Shu. One of the masterpieces that China is proud of. Like the one you see Jet Lee does in films. It's an art been carried over 5000 years of history-rich China. It just is " que wow", sabes.
And Wu Shu goes across the ocean, to NYC. Then so many New Yorkers taught it was something really cool. You know New Yorkers love anything new and cool.
When I was in NYC, I was working for my teacher Takashi helping out his web design business. And he was also a master of this martial art Wu Shu. He actually won gold, silver and bronze medals during 2004 - 2006 in the US.
One of his disciples Rory picked up Wu Shu. This is where Hip Hop meets Chinese martial art, and its cultural fusion began. He mixed Wu Shu with break dance and street fashion. Tatoo, Yankees New Era cap, Hot 97 for BGM, and this history-rich tradition, they all got together. Now Rory performs at Cirque du Soleil.
Watch how he performs below.
Then here is an another example of the fusion. Wu Shu meets Samurai performing art collectives Spinnin Ronin in NYC. This became another level of mixture. Wu Shu became a part of story on stage. Its got a creativity, and its movement got refined.
As you saw above, culture gets fusion. It has been mixed up as far as we can go back to our human history, or maybe more. This flow keeps going. And I'm sure it will continue.
Like Japan, we used to send cultural delegates to China long long time ago. Borrowing and bringing back what Chinese empire at the time had. Then, over 500 - 1000 years of doing so, things were gradually localized for this islands nation. That's how Japanese culture became in shape.
Today, speed for cultural fusion became faster than the past. And it influences on majority of people in a society. In Japan, so many cultures are brought back from all over the world by those year by those returnees. Especially, for fashion n music which many youth find "cool".
Alright, so the returnees, like myself, really want to integrate what we got in overseas with what is in front of our eyes. And we all work on it.
So, here comes a little problem in a bit conservative society like Japan. Those who didn't leave the country are often cold unless they are your friends. You might feel somehow isolated in home culture. So, you gotta kick the shit out of this cold blooded re-culture shock which cannot be seen.
No one can get stuck right there tho. Globalization doesn't stop and you wanna live as a part of it, or stand up and work hard toward your own global movement. Of course the returnees gotta keep making effort to absorb home's tradition and its vital values. And be humble to find a middle point where your and their communication meet. We gotta listen to each other way more carefully and deeply. Then, maybe, things get changed for the better.
If we could manage this, our own cultural conflict inside a nation, then we could possibly be fairly strong enough to stand up and speak up in so-called international society. If this happen, as a nation, Japan can get more self esteem and it will guide the nation's direction.
Hmm, anyway, what I wanted to say was...
Big up all the cultural explorers inna di world!
Viva global diversity!
That's it.
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