One of my heros in martial arts action movies is, without doubt, Aikido master Steven Seagal. I'm a die-hard fan of his movies, his life and his martial arts career. In contrast with actors who became martial arts movie stars (like David Carradine, who was an actor, not a martial artists), Seagal is a true, seasoned martial artists who become an actor. There is a difference here.
However, according to the most reliable information about Seagal's personality, it has to be admitted that his tends to run contrary to the spirit and values of Aikido and most other martial arts. Seagal has been reported as being egocentric, extremely arrogant kind of person.
Seagal's arrogance is both regarding his person and regarding his style (Aikido), and this has casued him a lot of problems in the martial arts community. In future posts, I'll provide specific evidence for these claims.
In this post, I want to illustrate Seagal's improper attitudes toward his fellow martial arts actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. It is not well known (except among readers of martial arts magazines or Hollywood stories) that Seagal has been almost always hostile and condescending regarding Van Damme.
Watch for yourself Seagal's body language and dismissing comments when questioned by Arsenio Hall about Van Damme:
Even though they haven't met a lot, it is almost unavoidable in Hollywood to meet each in parties or public events or invitationsm from friends in common (like in the case of Stallone):
In fact, in one of such meetings between them, Seagal's open dismissing comments about Van Damme almost caused a street fight between them, in a Sylvester Stallone's party some years ago, as Van Damme explains in this interview:
Keep in mind that these problems happend several years ago (mostly in the 90s) and I ignore the current state of their problems. Currently, there is a rumour that Seagal will be present in the upcoming Stallone's movie The Expendables 3 (in which Van Damme will be acting too), and God wants that it happens, because Seagal is an icon in the martial arts acting community, and I don't conceive The Expendables being fully complete without him (keep in mind that Jet Li, Jason Stathan, Van Damme, Chuck Norris, Randy Couture, and others martial arts stars have been part of the Expendables' two previous movies). I'd like to see Jackie Chan there too, but it is unlikely.
Since it is possible that Seagal and Van Damme will work together, I hope their problems will be a matter of the past. In fact, at least on Van Damme's side, there is a disposition to be sympathetic to have Seagal in the movie:
In fact, as far I know, Van Damme has always said good things about Seagal, but unfortunately, it is Seagal who dislike Van Damme. In any case, let's to expect that these problems won't affect them when they work together in the Expandables 3. I'm looking forward to watch that movie!.
My reflection about all this is that Martial Arts should be a path for spiritual self-discovery, not a way to feel oneself superior or "better" than other people. In fact, most correctly trained and seasoned martial artists are good and nice people, they have been taught (and teach when they're senseis or instructors) to respect others, to be humble, to help other persons, to keep his fighting skills in secret or at least in a low public perfil and so forth.
Exceptionally, however, one finds people like Steven Seagal who, apparently, think his skills make him superior to other people, including (specially) other fellows martial artists like Van Damme.
Hope Seagal's personality and previous problems with Van Damme won't be a problem for their presence together in the Expendables 3, the "Dream Team"of martial arts movies.
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