To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War
A lot has been said about martial arts. There’s a lot punching, kicking, sparring and wrestling involved. The notion or preconceptions about martial arts were developed, in a large measure, due to films and movies that depict combative arts as a means of inflicting violence. But in reality, the true aim of martial arts is exactly the opposite. At the core of every fighting philosophy are the values of valor, chivalry, nobility, self-control, and self-sacrifice. This art form is not just about fighting, combat, or self-defense. Martial arts philosophy stresses that people should live in peace and harmony. It emphasizes respect for self and others, compassion, and a high regard for physical and moral excellence. In its purest form, martial arts is practiced to achieve strength and enlightenment of the mind, body, and spirit.
True achievement in martial arts is not gaining the force and skill to smash bricks, cement blocks, baseball bats, and blocks of ice. Neither is it the privilege of wearing different colors of belts, the prestige of winning sparring championship titles or tournament trophies. The real value of martial arts is in helping individuals harness their natural physical strength and innate goodness of character. The power within— the elevation of the spirit and the mind. The spiritual side of martial arts is not religious in any sense, but more closely related to the practice of ethics and philosophy. It is manifested in several training methods and techniques, which includes breathing and relaxation drills. According to experts, these drills may help reduce stress and anxiety. Engaging in martial arts also helps people in their battle against emotional, physical, and mental stress and ailments. The deep breathing exercises, similar to the techniques of yoga, produce a calming effect on a martial artist. The inhalation of oxygen and the concentration involved in meditative execution of martial arts routines serve to relax the body and provide “stillness” in the mind during practice. Long-time martial arts practitioners attest that physical training has helped them deal with depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, and other related illness. To some degree, one can even “shout away” both stress and anxiety during a punching or kicking exercise.
Debbie Spiegel, Enrollment Director