Values & Virtues

Techniques and forms are not the main reasons I kept learning

When I scan martial arts social media, I almost never see the things that are most meaningful to me.

I see lots of videos of forms and techniques. I see mentions of historical masters and styles. I see lineage claims and occasional debunking of same. There are endless debates about the quality of styles and the abilities of “masters”.

But I don’t see much of what has kept me involved for all these years. Namely values, virtues and the overall culture of a high quality martial arts school.

The values shown in the picture above are one example of what I’m talking about. Valuing the virtues is disappearing from the wider western cultural landscape which for me is a great loss.

Martial arts in general and internal arts in particular are at their best when they serve the development of an individual. Nourishing one’s spirit, adding depth of character, and building virtue within each student, are among the highest values of internal arts. They form the moral culture of a martial arts school and I personally found this appealing, even though it sometimes challenged my personal moral outlook.

Among the aspects of the culture I’m talking about are rituals. These symbolic actions are the meeting point of the individual and the tradition. They come together in a moment that is filled with meaning. Past and present meet for a moment in the continuation of values.

The perfect example of this is the closing of each class in my chosen internal art of Nine Dragon Baguazhang. The final activity of the class is known as The Four Virtues. We bow to the four compass directions while reciting a commitment to Honesty, Humility, Patience, and Sincerity. These virtues are key to the development of internal energy as they reduce inner tensions and agitation.

I personally struggled with some of these over the years. In fact I often referred to them as the four irritations since they called on me to override my initial reactions to various situations and rethink them.

Despite my discomfort I persevered with committing to them as best I could since they are such an important part of the Nine Dragon system. And the alternative was always to quit the system completely. I certainly did not want to do that, so I kept reciting the Virtues at the end of each class.

Today, I am most grateful for having stayed with the system. The Four Virtues indeed have had a deep, positive effect on me and remind me of the overall value of traditions. They have been preserved and handed down to subsequent generations because they offer an anchor in a confusing moral landscape.

In other words, they work. They improve one’s inner life. If they did not do this, their value would be questionable and it’s unlikely they would’ve been passed down.

Occasionally I see mention of moral values in martial arts commentary on social media. While becoming rare, it is always refreshing. I know there are still some who are benefiting from internalizing a set of virtues that will hold them steady in the inevitable storms that comprise life.

The atmosphere in classes generated by those who adopted the Four Virtues was one of genuine love of learning combined with mutual respect. I loved being associated with such people and being in that atmosphere. It is one of the reasons I stayed in this art rather than seeking out another one.

Values and virtues can be guides in the various moral maelstroms. Let’s please not give them up.