commentary: the spirit of martial arts (part 1) - the reason for virtue

historically, the purpose of "martial arts" was 2-fold: apart from the very real need to train individuals in warfare, it was also ostensibly intended to fulfill a more abstract objective of inculcating desired values into people.

this was what was connoted by the combination of the word "martial" with the term "art." combat was not just a base struggle of brutality and primitive instinct, but rather a systematized mechanism designed to promote a warrior's abilities to fight, and fight in a way which reflected certain principles that were determinative in deciding the course and nature of life and death. as a result, the art of warfare came to be taken as metaphorical for the act of human survival, and the principles that were applied in warfare came to be seen as applicable in the preservation and continuation of human life.

in a way, such principles were expressions of particular virtues. often, these virtues included such things as: courage, loyalty, discipline, intelligence, creativity, selflessness.

the virtues of martial arts, or at least the idea of virtues associated with martial arts, have been as universal as the martial arts themselves, in all the ways they have been formulated throughout human history and across human society. for example, the ancient Mesopatamians hinted at the best (and worst) of warrior ethos in their epics of Gilgamesh, Hellenistic records detailed the qualities desired in their hoplite armies, the Roman Empire emphasized clearly defined characteristics expected of every legionnaire, feudal Europe espoused the ideals of chivalry and knighthood, the maritime Polynesian tribes of the Pacific region enunciated specific rules of conduct for their warriors, and Japanese samurai held to a spirit and code of bushido. each culture, in asserting their martial arts, invariably asserted the values they held most dear to human life.

in the modern world, however, there's been increasing questions as to the need for martial arts and the virtues they supposedly have extolled. in particular, it is unclear as to what "art" there is in warfare--or if there ever really was any, given that combat has always been a state of chaos, utter savagery, and gruesome death. even if, over time, war has become more "civilized" and bound by rules, it's still debatable as to what "art" there is in an age where combat has become conducted by bullets, missiles, bombs, lasers, microwaves, remote sensors, robots, and computers that engage and eliminate opponents without ever having made visual or auditory contact.

the implication is that without "art" to martial arts, there is no martial arts. there is just violence and carnage. in which case, the purpose of martial arts is pointless, because it cannot achieve what it was intended to do: train individuals to deal with the realities of warfare, and pass on virtues as relevant to warfare as they are to life.

these questions receive extra impetus in the modern world, which appears to not even have the need for the virtues historically associated with martial arts. instead, we live in a world that demands, rewards, and prioritizes things like profits, asset value, net worth, productivity, efficiency, billable hours, leverage, capitalization, and property. what space is there here for virtue?

after some reflection on my time studying traditional Chinese martial arts, i have come to believe that i disagree with these types of conclusions. to me, based on what i have seen, i think there is a value to martial arts, even traditional ones--in fact, particularly traditional ones. there is a value to virtue. there is a need for virtue. there is meaning in it.

to see what i mean, read my post on my triathlon blog:
http://jonathaninthedistance.blogspot.com/2007/03/meaning-of-virtue.html

human life is fraught with difficulties. physical, mental, spiritual. personal, familial, fraternal, societal. there are always challenges we encounter. some of them entail much greater consequences than others. some of them pose much greater dangers than others. all of them call upon us to make decisions that will affect our lives and the lives of people around us.

for someone who doesn't care, making those decisions are easy. if you are one of those someones, you act according to whatever makes you feel better, or according to whatever whim you have at a particular moment.

however, for someone who does care, making those decisions can become difficult. because then you have to think about how you are going to respond. you have to think about who your response is going to affect. and you have to think about how your response is going to affect them.

what you decide defines who you are.

and that's why there is a need for virtue. even in a world that no longer calls for it. especially in a world that no longer calls for it.

because when it comes to our identity, we presumably prefer one a good one; one that makes the world a better place and makes us better people, individually and collectively. otherwise, all we have is darkness...and a life lived in darkness is a life lived in a state of death.

but choosing an identity requires choosing principles about the way we want to live and the way we want the world to be--principles that articulate ideals we aspire to. in short, choosing our identity requires a choosing of virtue.

so in a modern world that no longer calls for it, where then does one look for virtue?

that's where traditional martial arts comes in.

for all the brutality and savagery inherent in war, soldiers of all armies in all societies from all times have always fought for things they believed in: their lives, their families, their friends, their countries, their civilizations. they did not fight for violence; they fought for things they thought could make the world a better place. in defending those things, they strove to uphold the ideals they represented, and so through their actions came to embody the values their societies perceived as the most crucial to human life. as a result, soldiers learned and practiced the virtues they wished to see in the world around them in a way that became reflected in their martial arts--a way perhaps more directly observable, more profound, and more personal in the hand-to-hand combat of traditional fighting than the remote-controlled automated nature of modern warfare. learning those traditional martial arts allows us to learn the same virtues held by ancient warriors...virtues that are as determinative of the course and nature of life and death today as they were to warriors of the ancient world.

and that's why there is a need for traditional martial arts.

because they believe in and hold to virtue, and because there is still a reason for virtue in this world.