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Politics of the Asian Male Physique
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An Asian male who adopts the let's-bulk-up-for-football-y'all mentality probably wins some superficial respect and acceptance from peers. But what does he lose?
First, he loses authenticity. Yes, I know that theoretically we Asian Americans have as much claim on football as anyone else. On the streets though, we are seen as being of a culture alien to football and hayrides. No doubt football will change over time to encompass guys who, to American eyes, look ricefed instead of cornfed. Meanwhile, to both sides of the color line, the Asian guy who manages to become a gridiron star has just branded himself a cultural turncoat, a wannabe, an imitation, albeit a good one. In other words, he is seen, fairly or not, as having distanced himself from his roots. Assumptions will be made about his self-image. Wannabes don't command deep-down respect.
Secondly, an Asian Joe Pigskin compromises his own long-term health. Have you ever seen an ex-football player in his thirties? He typically looks like a Macy's Thanksgiving float. There isn't much he can do about it. The better part of his late teens has been spent adding low-grade bulk to fit prevailing notions of what a pro footballer should look like. In the span of four years he has gone from a lean, athletic one-seventy-five to a "solid" two-forty. Those extra pounds may be solid enough for quick bursts of power but become dead weight past ten seconds. How many important activities can you think of that lasts ten seconds or less? If you can think of even one, you are one selfish sob! What happens to the extra bulk after the football career ends? Think Kobe beef -- tender because it's so thoroughly marbled with fat.
Thirdly, even well-conditioned bulk hinders true athletic performance. The belief that massive pecs, delts and biceps somehow help physical performance is the big bugaboo of American physical culture. Unless you're a champion armwrestler, athletic performance is powered mostly by the legs and lower torso. Upper-body bulk hampers the quick weightshifts that power even homerun swings, goal kicks and knockout punches.
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Lastly but not leastly, consider this rule of thumb: quality women prefer men whose IQ's exceed half their body weight by a healthy margin. If you have an IQ over 125 you might get away with bulking up past 200, at least until you enter your thirties. But if you are an average joe, query whether it's smart to close on that 200-pound mark.
Is it really smart to adopt the same blindnesses that bred the stereotypes we're fighting?
I believe it's smarter for Asian American men to pursue a physical ideal tailored to winning our real-life fights instead of the mock battles that take place on football fields and wrestling rings. In any real contest, balance, stamina and vitality beats bulk, stopping power and visual intimidation. The wrestler and the footballer win the adulation of children and those who like their action in Lazyboys. The boxer wins the respect of those who have been in real life fights.
As it turns out, the ages old physical traditions of Asian cultures advocate the same values. We can have our authenticity and eat it too! Yes, sometimes America mocks aspects of the martial arts tradition. At the heart of that mockery is the fear and awe inspired by contact with superior knowledge. Even if you seek validation in the surrogate reality of Hollywood, consider that the ethic and aesthetic of Asian martial arts are so compelling that today they have become synonymous with big-screen action. Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan have made laughingstock of those old action sequences in which John Wayne types trade leisurely blocks and looping sucker punches.
Let me close my case for pursuing our own physical ideal with one of my favorite American sayings: He who laughs last laughs best.
| "Is it really smart to adopt the same blindnesses that bred the stereotypes we're fighting?" |