 Pete Mills, founder of Martial Edge, the Worlds Largest Online Community for Martial Arts says we should "forget all that stereotypical nonsense" talked about the martial arts. Forget Bruce Lee, as far as the Community is concerned, Peter says, it's all about bringing people together. For the majority of those who don’t practise it, martial arts still conjures up images of white pyjamas, The Karate Kid, and lots of exaggerated noise. However, forget all that stereotypical nonsense, martial arts such as Karate, Judo and Taekwondo have not just evolved into modern Olympic sports but have become increasingly popular ways to keep fit.
However, what has also become apparent is the positive impact it can have on the local community. As a martial arts practitioner living  in Bradford, I have seen first hand how people from all kinds of ethnic backgrounds become closer with martial arts practice.
Mohammed Shabir is a martial arts instructor in the city. He says: "Martial arts are special. It is almost a notion of colour blindness. Training together, whether it be in Karate, Judo, whatever, ultimately creates a sense of belonging. Bradford is often cast in a negative light. Sometimes I feel there is almost discrimination against it. But under the surface there is a real effort by everyone to make it a better place to live, and you can find it in every martial arts club in the city."
In Bradford there are many different cultures so obviously there are always going to be occasions when tension is felt by one group or another. Yet walk into a local training hall, and you won’t find any tension, just people wanting to train and to achieve their aims whether it be improved fitness, self defence or to win the next competition.
Another Bradford instructor told me: "Martial arts provides an outlet, something for kids and adults to do. The key is that it provides physical and mental conditioning, something which can be transferred into how you approach everyday life."
Bradford has an unusually high proportion of world class instructors too, individuals who have competed, or still compete at an international level. Tony Devine currently represents Great Britain in Judo and Kenny Walton is the Taekwondo Association of Great Britain’s (T.A.G.B) national team coach. They teach children and adults not only a system or style of martial art, but values such as courtesy, respect and self control.
These qualities are certainly transferable into everyday life. One martial art student pointed out: "Practising martial arts has made me more aware of the people around me. At my club there are people of all ages and backgrounds. The colour of someone’s skin is not the issue, respecting them is."
Certainly what I found when talking to both fellow students and instructors is that there is a genuine feeling of optimism in the martial arts community in Bradford. A young Muslim from a local Thai Boxing club told me: "Things hit an all time low in 2001 with the riots and there is no ignoring the fact that there was tension. But now I feel there is a genuine understanding between white and Asian communities and you can see it in my club."
If we adopted the attitudes and sentiments of many of these martial arts practitioners - young and old, Taekwondo instructor or Karate beginner - then we would realise we have so much more to be proud of from living in Bradford.
Pete Mills is Co Founder of the Worlds Largest Online Martial Arts Community, Martial Edge
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