The martial
arts are systems of physical discipline stressing the control of mind
and body for self-defense, health, and often, spiritual “enlightenment.”
Different methods have different founders and emphases. The martial arts
claim to work by unifying the mind/spirit and body through
meditation, physical discipline, and other procedures. This allegedly
helps to 1) regulate the flow of mystical energy throughout the body (ki
in Japanese; chi in Chinese) and 2) enable one to attain a state
of mind-body oneness. Both elements are deemed important to effective
performance of self-defense techniques and/or “enlightenment.”
The major
problem with the martial arts is that people who attend a martial arts
program only for physical purposes may easily be converted to the
underlying philosophy of the particular system being practiced. Because
most methods incorporate Eastern teachings and techniques, the martial
arts constitute an excellent opportunity for conversion to Taoism,
Buddhism, and other East Asian religions. Further, some martial arts
programs involve occult meditation, development of psychic powers, and
even spirit contact (e.g., Somatics, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 48-49).
Because the
martial arts or their precursors were originally developed as physical
disciplines and only later incorporated the occultism of the East, in
practice, the martial arts can be a neutral technique of profound
physical development. This is not to say that neutral forms of the
martial arts can necessarily be developed in every method; some may be
inextricably bound to Eastern theory and practice. Any program having
Eastern or occultic beliefs or methods should be avoided.
Further, we
should not underestimate the delicate issue when a person is converted
from martial arts practice to Christian faith. Such a person may find it
essential to forsake all association with his former ways as a
requirement to spiritual growth. Also, the modern orientation toward
offensive procedures may make the issue of Christian participation
problematic. The martial arts are extremely demanding physically. Thus,
besides the possibility of occultic influence in Eastern forms, some
serious physical hazards (such as head injury) may present themselves by
the very nature of martial arts practice. An article in the Taekwondo
Times (January 1987, p. 84), “Neurological Disorders in the Martial
Arts,” by Dr. Michael Trulson, cautions that “Head injuries are the most
commonly ignored serious injuries in the martial arts. Often they are
not taken seriously and fatalities occur that could easily have been
prevented.”
