The Ambience of Martial Arts

Ancent traditions in modern culture

What is it about Asian martial arts that so captivates the imagination?

Clearly it is more than fighting or self-defense, although those are obviously part of the initial appeal. But there’s something more.

Each of us has our own relationship with these arts. For me, it originated with the concept of inner development. The balance of mind, body, spirit was integral to my seeking a martial art and this in turn was fuelled by a romantic vision of Asian cultures.

It is that ambience of learning something exotic on a mysterious mountaintop to which I and so many have been drawn. Yes, that is an idealized version of what actual training is about. But even as I was learning, there was that feeling of being part of a special world that is lost in history.

Learning in a peaceful, philosophical, spiritual environment and developing one’s skills has an appeal that seems to touch something deep within us.

One of the programs in the Internal Arts University is the Sabre. Obviously, one is unlikely to face off with a sabre-wielding opponent these days. Yet the learning and practice with the weapon contains so much history, so much tradition, and vanishing knowledge that it can take one back in time to that mountaintop.

Think of the movies featuring lone warriors facing seemingly impossible odds; or the mystique of a Shaolin monk performing feats of unimaginable power. While these are virtually all fantasy, they appeal to something within - something from childhood. It is what creates the appeal of superheroes. It is the magical combination of someone both good and powerful.

Children experience very little power in the confines of the adult world. So it’s understandable that they love characters who have more goodness and power than everyone else. This feeling is what many carry into adulthood and find an appeal in martial arts.

That one can overcome the opponents with secret knowledge is the very essence of a superhero. Add the learning of the knowledge at the feet of a mysterious master and you have the formula offered by Asian martial arts.

The appeal of the mysterious is a big part of learning martial arts, and it is particularly present in the internal arts. Here, ideas like using the soft to overcome the hard; generating power by the use of the mind; being able to sense the movements of an opponent, are all part of the mystery.

The traditions of martial arts are indeed ancient. They were designed to transmit the mysteries from teacher to student down the ages. This transmission is also part of the appeal. The idea that one is part of a long line in a chain going back hundred or years or more is deeply satisfying.

Frankly, as I see how the current world is unfolding, I feel a deepening connection to the ancient traditions.