Who knows where this legend comes from, but it almost always starts with an unassuming traveler and the thug looking to start trouble. As he strides up, he notices the traveler picking black flecks off his rice (or catching them out of the air) with his chopsticks. The thug retreats in terror—the black flecks are live flies! If this mystical warrior can catch flies mid-flight with his chopsticks, what do you think he’d do to you?
It’s oft-repeated martial arts tale attributed to numerous people, among them Japan’s greatest swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi and Hollywood’s favorite magical Asian, Mr. Miyagi.
Now imagine if this traveler took on students, but because the path to learning what techniques truly work is so long, painful and even dangerous he decided just to teach the chopstick and fly trick instead.
His disciples might master the one skill, but be totally useless if ever tested in combat.
The only title they can truly claim is Paper Tiger. Or Fake black belts.
This is the most damning problem not only with many martial arts schools but with many established ways of doing things. We practice the forms without ever truly understanding the function. It happens all the time. Underdeveloped 20th century Melanesians built airplane runways and idols because they thought it would summon the cargo that developed nations airdropped out of them. And because mimicry is older than humanity, even pigeons are superstitious enough to repeat patterns if they think it will get them food.
And so it goes with our world of media. Even when the old Star Wars magic is gone, we keep flashing laser swords and putting on brown robes and turning up in droves to sold-out theatres. And even when nobody watches TV anymore we keep putting old teen idols and movie starlets on the boob tube because we don’t really know how to get people’s attention. Many of us spend more time mastering pitch decks than executing what’s in them. The sale is the victory, who cares if they can make any of it?
But the rubes have gotten smarter.
Is it any wonder why so many companies are taking their advertising in-house? Or that all but the biggest tech giants are pulling their sponsorship for sports teams, half time shows, arenas, and concerts? Clients have taken to challenging the mystic ad masters and seen them crumple under the pressure.
The old magic trick of massively-padded budgets for 30 seconds of airtime, of “you’ll be in homes everywhere!” doesn’t work so well anymore. Just because you can pull flies out of thin air, doesn’t mean anybody’s buying.
This isn’t to say that there’s no place left for agencies. But it does mean that we need to take a hard look at what value we truly have to offer. Get back in the dojo, and figure out how we’re going to back it up.