Beyond the Backlash
INSIGHTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF INCLUSION, RECRUITMENT, RESEARCH, AND GEN Z
VOLUME 5: What Happens When Inclusion, Discipline, and Combat Collide
By Greg Almieda, Founder & CEO Global View Communications
Could the fighting arts have been a valuable lesson in inclusion all along?
The number of martial arts disciplines seems countless. There’s Judo from Japan. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Krav Maga from Israel. And Tae Kwon Do from Korea among many others. To anyone with even passing knowledge, the martial arts are about much more than just fighting. They remind us that some of the most powerful lessons about inclusion come from disciplines that have spanned continents, cultures, and centuries. The diverse world of various martial arts techniques reflect the lived experiences of people from all over the world, while deeply connecting with deep philosophies and rich histories.
But when you step into a martial arts gym you’ll notice something else: the martial arts community is surprisingly small. Much like other micro-communities we see in today’s workplace and civic life, it thrives because people choose to belong. That choice creates a culture where connection matters.
The martial arts also require trust. Every practitioner knows that someone can be seriously hurt with just one poorly executed throw or submission. This sobering fact has resulted in some of the unifying unwritten rules in martial arts. Among them? Protect one another. Train hard, but with care. Push each other and encourage mutual growth. Attitudes get left at the door. Ego doesn’t help you learn. Bias doesn’t make your partner safer. Division doesn’t lead to victory.
The parallels to inclusion are not merely coincidence. In a moment when inclusion work is under pressure from all sides, such parallels should ground inclusion practitioners, advocates, and believers. Diverse styles can coexist. Small communities can thrive. Trust can be built. And when people commit to a shared purpose, they find a way to move forward together.
Inclusion is about partnership. And like any good training session, the work gets better when everyone shows up with discipline, humility, and respect.