Posts Tagged ‘poway’
Martial Arts with Meaning
There are a lot of martial arts today, from Karate to Mixed Martial Arts covering the distance between sport and art. Most of them have been created fairly recently from the late 19th century to a combination of different arts into a so-called “real” martial art and of course sport fighting in the 20th and 21st centuries. There is no doubt that there are intrinsic values in each of these from physical skills to discipline, confidence, respect and other values.
It takes a lot of discipline and skill to be a MMA fighter and it is no less so to be skilled in karate, kenpo or any other marital art. However, going beyond the physical and the inherent discipline, etc., the real question is why train in these arts at all. Some train for physical fitness, some for self-defense skills and others for trophies and titles.
When training in the traditional martial arts, and speaking even more specifically to the kobudo arts we train at Poway Samurai Martial Arts, the teachings go beyond these concepts. Some mistakenly think of the samurai arts as being only the sword or weapon training. And it is true there is a diverse set of skills with weapons in kobudo training. However, traditional martial arts are the source for many of the modern unarmed martial arts. Kobudo is a very diverse training that builds the highest levels of discipline, dedication, confidence as well as leadership and focus.
What really sets kobudo apart is that it is what I call “Martial Arts with Meaning.” The samurai didn’t go “do” kobudo. It was how they lived. The samurai virtues were a code for their entire life and how they strived for the “ever appropriate response” to whatever situation they encountered. Above all the samurai lived a life of service.
Many with only a cursory knowledge of martial arts and the samurai, think only of their tremendous fighting prowess and martial skill. While those were present, what motivated these warriors were service and love of family, lord and their country. It was equally important for the samurai to be skilled in other arts to remain in balance. Whether it was painting, writing or any other number of forms of art, the samurai needed to live a full life in balance.
Now I do not mean to suggest that no other martial art form carries any lessons, philosophies or “meaning”. However, not all more modern schools do or focus on it. In kobudo that original purpose and the “meaning” is inherent and is such an integral part of the training, that Julian R. Fuller in the British Journal of Medical Psychology p.321 wrote that “Traditional martial arts training is more beneficial than modern martial arts training.” When comparing the samurai code of bushido and its principals and effective modern psychotherapy.
Michael E, Trulson, wrote (“Martial Arts Training: A Novel ‘Cure’ for Juvenile Delinquency, Human Relations, vol 38, no 12) “The majority of…schools teach only self-defense techniques, and our data reveals that this type of training enhances negative personality traits of people who are already delinquent…Traditional…martial art philosophy places great emphasis on respect for others, humility, confidence, responsibility, honesty, perseverance and honor.”
There are a number of reasons for training martial arts and choosing a school and there is no “correct” answer for everyone. When considering a martial arts program and school, what do you want most for you and your family?