The True Meaning Of Martial Arts
On the surface, martial arts looks like a violent and mindless activity in which the weak perish and the strong survive. Anyone who has trained in martial arts properly knows this couldn’t be further from the truth. However, this western misconception still holds true in the minds of people who have seen a boxing match or MMA fight on TV and didn’t enjoy it.
At the most basic and fundamental level, martial arts is the way in which an individual applies their own methods and styles to a way of fighting. From here, martial arts is split into a variety of different disciplines such as striking, grappling, and use of weapons. These disciplines filter down even further into a variety of martial arts within each style. An example of this is Muay Thai, Karate, and Taekwondo all being variations of striking. These arts can be defined even further by the way each individual practitioner survives.
Table of Contents
The Real Meaning Of Martial Arts
Below the surface level of martial arts there is a much deeper and personal meaning.
Martial arts is not just a discipline but in fact a way of life. Many people will begin martial arts for reasons such as learning self defense, or becoming fitter. However, once these basic goals have been achieved, the practitioner of martial arts will continue with new goals and purposes.
Developing An Iron Mind
Martial arts is a real test of handling adversity and setback. During training, you will have many obstacles to overcome. These will be both physical and mental, as well as a combination of the two. Various examples of this are improving your technique even though you believe it has improved, consistent training, and even the struggle of overcoming an injury.
Developing an iron mind is not something that happens overnight and takes years of practice to achieve. The Shaolin monks are known for their dedication to training and physical conditioning. This level of dedication surpasses any other mental strength documented within martial arts. When dedicated, the mind can be developed just like any other muscle and becomes stronger as it is used.
Physical Conditioning
Physical conditioning is the most visually obvious meaning behind martial arts. Anyone who trains properly will see a change in their physical appearance, strength, and flexibility. Everyone who trains martial arts does it to keep their body fit and healthy. This may not be the primary reason for practicing martial arts, but it is the most obvious.
Living A Disciplined Life
Discipline is something that spills over from martial arts into everyday life. Whilst you may not see results when first starting out in martial arts, discipline is something that comes with time. Training a martial art that requires technique, focus, and physical conditioning. To get better at martial arts, you must be a disciplined person, there is no other way about it.
The habits you pick up from martial arts will become applicable to other areas in your life. If you are successful in martial arts, this will give you the skills you require to excel in other areas of your life. The commitment, focus, and ability to keep going will all be positives for your work and any other hobbies and goals you set.
Becoming At Peace With The World
There is only a single place available for the best martial artist in your gym. The same goes for your country or even the world. The chances are you are not this person and regularly get beaten by an opponent in the gym. Whilst this may be somewhat frustrating, it does give you the knowledge that not everything in life is as you would want it to be. There will be people in life who are more talented and skilled at certain attributes. This is something that has to be accepted and understood. If you do not train martial arts, it is very difficult to understand this reasoning since you may not have voluntarily suffered during your life. Until this happens, it is tough to truly grasp this concept.
Summary
There is not a single true meaning behind martial arts. It is more of a combination of various other smaller points combined into something larger. For some people, there may not be a spiritual or growth aspect behind martial arts training (although there usually is).
The point is, that everyone in martial arts has a different starting point, as well as a different ending point, not to mention a different journey. No two people’s paths are the same, although they may both diverge and converge at different points during the process.
