It Wasn’t in the Textbooks: My First Wake-Up Call

It was April 1969. The pages of my freshly delivered Black Belt Magazine rustled in my hands as I eagerly thumbed through to find something fascinating, something new, something to fuel my adolescent passion for martial arts. At that point in my life, my understanding of martial arts was centered firmly around East Asian traditions—judo, karate, kung fu. I assumed, like most people, that these forms originated exclusively in countries like Japan, China, and Korea.

Yet, buried near the back of this particular issue was an opinion piece that stopped me cold. A single, bold sentence leaped off the page:

"Africa is the home of martial arts."

I stared at those words, incredulous. Mind blown. How could this be? My understanding was deeply rooted in Japanese etiquette, East Asian philosophy, and a fascination with these arts from afar. This statement shook the foundations of everything I thought I knew.

My curiosity erupted instantly, a surge of energy coursing through me. If something as fundamental as martial arts history could be misunderstood, what else might we have overlooked or outright omitted?

That single line opened my eyes to the uncomfortable yet thrilling possibility that there were countless narratives, stories, and truths buried beneath layers of neglect or intentional oversight. What other hidden histories were waiting to be rediscovered? How many truths were resting silently, waiting to speak?

This question propelled me from an enthusiast to passionate seeker. Gradually, I began to collect not just martial arts materials, but any historical documents, books, magazines, and posters that seemed to whisper untold truths. My bedroom shelves filled first, then my home, becoming an archive of forgotten perspectives, overlooked voices, and neglected histories. Each piece represented a fragment of a broader, richer narrative—one that deserved to be recognized.

Today, decades later, my personal curiosity has grown into something far more profound: Elliott's Emporium. It’s a haven where rare, vintage materials are preserved and offered—not simply as collector’s items, but as gateways to enlightenment. Every artifact is an invitation to curiosity, to explore personal and cultural histories, to ask questions, and to refuse easy answers.

I still think about that sentence from April 1969, printed unassumingly at the back of a martial arts magazine. It taught me that history is rarely complete, often skewed, and sometimes intentionally omitted. But more importantly, it showed me the power of curiosity—the power of asking “What if?”

My hope is that each person who discovers Elliott's Emporium experiences their own moment of awakening. May they stumble upon a piece that shifts their understanding and ignites a lifelong journey of seeking, just as it did for me.