Philosophy in the Martial Arts

1. Introduction

2. Zen and the Martial Arts

3. Tao

4. The Five Elements

5. Further Reading

 

 

Introduction:

 

Many sources of information pertaining to the martial arts, be they books, TV shows, movies, magazines, websites, or martial artists when asked, talk about the philosophical ties, spiritual underpinnings and deeper meanings to be found in the martial arts or which can be gained through their practice. Rob Redmond has an interesting view on this subject, which can be found on his website. Nakayama states specifically in his book Dynamic Karate that "...the ultimate goal of karate should be the attainment of a developed moral character built through hard and diligent training." The Dojo Kun also specifically states this in its first principle. I must admit that I agree with Rob Redmond in the fact that training in a martial art does not automatically lead to a "better", a more moral, or even a more enlightened character. In my own experience alone I have met too many excellent martial artists who were extremely wanting in the character section. There are however definite ties between the martial arts and Eastern philosophies and although mastery of one does not automatically lead to mastery of the other, I find they go well together. Therefore in the following I will try to detail some of the links between the two.

 

back to the top

 

 

Zen and the Martial Arts

 

Aside from the fact that legend attributes the founding of the Chinese martial arts to Bodhidharma, who also happened to be the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism, Zen and the martial arts have a long history. After its introduction from China to Japan it was especially the warrior class that embraced Zen with fervor. At first glance this seems to be a grand paradox since Zen like other forms of Buddhism is a religion of compassion. The question that poses itself is why a class as warlike as the samurai would choose a religion of compassion as its premier source of inspiration. The answer lies in the fact that although the teachings of Zen did not actively support the violence which was an integral part of a samurai's life it also did not condemn it. Zen did not force a samurai to ponder concepts such as the immortality of the soul, righteousness, or ethical conduct. Instead, its teachings promoted not looking back when a decision to act had been made and helped to sustain them in these times of violence. Zen also propagates simplicity, directness of action, self reliance and self denial, all of which fit well with the warrior lifestyle. In order to be effective in combat, a warrior should not be encumbered in any way, whether through intellectual doubts, emotions, or physical possessions. Embracing Zen helped the samurai to do away with these encumbrances. The teachings of Zen helped develop Bushido "the way of the warrior" and was also seen as an optimal means of living up to these standards.   

 

Probably the centrally most important concept of Zen Buddhism which appealed to the warrior class was the concept of Mushin (no-mind). In the direct translation "Mu" means negation and "Shin" means heart, mind, or feeling. In essence Mushin is the "turning off" of conscious thoughts, judgments, and emotions. This frees the mind, enabling one to be in the here and now. It is not focused on anything, instead it is open to everything with total awareness. This state allows the warrior to react instantaneously to any situation which is a definite edge in surviving or winning a combat encounter. This state of mind is achieved through the practice of Zazen (Zen meditation). On the critical side however it must be mentioned that the achievement of Mushin for this purpose is not truly Buddhistic since it is used as a tool for combat and not as a means to free oneself of suffering in order to help others. 

 

back to the top

 

 

Tao:

 

Many of the modern Japanese martial arts contain the word "DO" (Aikido, Karate-Do, Judo etc.). "Do" is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese term "Tao". "

 

 

This Kanji character stands for "Tao" and translates as cosmic order or way. Essentially it is the way of attaining cosmic order or harmony. This character is made up of two characters which are explained below.
This character is the stylized head of a master or teacher.
This character symbolizes walking feet and is read as movement.

 

Together these characters symbolize the way to a higher state of mind or the way to enlightenment. It is under the "Do" concept that the martial arts began to be practiced with the idea of internal fulfillment and for the joy of doing i.e. as a goal in and of themselves and not so much in terms of goal fulfillment i.e. winning a combat encounter. This shift began during the Tokugawa period (1600 - 1867) which was characterized by peace. During this time the martial disciplines started to decline since most members of the warrior caste found themselves employed more and more as bureaucrats and administrators and less and less on the battlefield. This decline led to a movement for the preservation of the old martial ways by emphasizing martial training and its technical mastery not as a means to an end but as a step along the way to self fulfillment. This development was the precursor for the modern forms of Budo practiced today.

 

back to the top

 

 

The Five Elements:

 

The five elements is another philosophical concept incorporated into the martial arts in order to help develop different techniques, strategies, and methods of fighting. The following table lists the five elements with their respective attributes, how each one transfers into fighting technique, and lists a fighting style which has its major emphasis on one of these elements.

 

 

Element Attributes Fighting Techniques Fighting Style Example
Earth deeply rooted, earth bound, strong, immobile low stances, emphasis on strength Sumo
Water flowing, yielding but strong, evasive turning into and out of attacks, yielding to gain an advantageous position for a counter attack Judo
Fire explosive, energetic, aggressive fast and devastating strikes and kicks, attacking before the opponent has completed his attack Karate
Wind light, prancing, whirling Quick evasive movement, use of centrifugal forces to off-balance or throw an opponent. Aikido
Emptiness Mushin, reaction immediately follows action unfettered by consciousness Meditation and full focus on techniques in order to attain this state  Iado, Kyu-Do

 

It should be noted that the styles listed do not exclude the other elements, they only emphasize one element over the others. All styles incorporate all five elements to a greater or lesser degree.

 

back to the top

 

Further Reading:

back to the top

 

Javascript counter