My son and I share a passion in the martial arts. He’s ranked at a higher belt than me because he’s been training under various disciplines for three years. Yup, that’s him breaking the board before his summer belt promotion. I, however, am a newbie, having just recently earned my first two obis, and am gun shy when it comes to being tested for this skill assessment. I need more time and practice to reach that goal. But hey, I can honestly say I earned my white belt/yellow stripe through hard work and dedication.

We decided to take a day trip to Burbank’s Martial Arts History Museum so that we can immerse ourselves in information not normally found at our dojo. We weren’t prepared for what else the venue had to offer.

We were pleasantly surprised to see our very own Sensei, Master Robert Temple of the Ja She Shein School of Kempo Karate, featured on the local “Best Sensei Masters in California” display.

Next we were introduced to many displays of instruments, weaponry, costumes and short narratives of the different disciplines of martial arts. Here are some of my favorites:

I was especially excited to check out the Filipino Arnis/Eskrima/Kali section because it has been family legend that my ancestors were expert practitioners in this art. The metal weapons, though, were quite intimidating.

One day, I would like to eventually train with these rattan sticks. For now, I’ll watch YouTube videos (like this one) and admire the featured practitioners’ mad skills.

This was a weapon in the Hawaiian/Polynesian section of the Museum. Yup, those are teeth!

Did you know that Thailand also has a martial arts discipline called Muay Thai? We did not.

The venue even had some movie props, as well as the expected homage to the greatest martial artist in cinema.

If you are at all interested in the martial arts and have an hour to spare, please come visit this neighborhood gem. Exploring the Martial Arts History Museum is a fun way to learn about the history and artistry of the various martial arts disciplines. Moreover, the museum curator did a fantastic job presenting informative displays and in celebrating the Eastern culture’s impact in our modern world. Offering positive influence towards our Western culture, either by way of self-discipline, physical fitness or through entertainment through the arts/cinema is quite significant.

Martial arts certainly plays a big role in my and my son’s lives by way of our weekly mother-and-son practice training. It certainly has helped in my son’s confidence building and for that, I am grateful.

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Martial Arts History Museum
2319 W Magnolia Boulevard
Burbank, CA 91506
(818) 478-1722
http://martialartsmuseum.com/

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