Why Do The Martial Arts Feel Different from Sports and Other Activities?
By CPMAstudio In InsightI don’t believe that the martial arts are any more beneficial or important than any other activity. That may seem like an odd way to start a blog about Karate, but that is the truth. This is too big a world to put just one thin slice of it on a pedestal. I can say that Karate and other martial arts feel very different to me, and that difference has been impactful, life-changing and life-affirming. Each martial artist I have met has their own story, and their own passions, and therefore their own reasons for believing in it and sharing it. Here are some of mine.
First, the martial arts are an education in how to move; they are studied. Simple skills come first.
Breathing is considered a skill.
You can learn basic martial arts technique in a few days, but you can train for half your life and still have more to learn. The seemingly least talented of students can become adept.
Secondly, the Martial Arts examine the components of inner strength. Some of these components may be taught as life skills.
Focus is a component of inner strength. So is Memory. So is Love.
Life skills are integral to learning martial arts and are explicitly introduced and reinforced in training halls and studios all over the world. Children begin to learn simple life skills as young as four years-of-age. Adults are never too old to work on them as well.
Finally, the Martial Arts are Primal. They recall a time when there was no difference between art and life when to live was to move.
Martial Arts are rooted in some of the first observations of nature and ourselves. Its movements evoke every natural force or living creature that you could name. There are thousands and thousands of styles, but they are all basically one.
You can practice by yourself. You can practice when you get old. Training partners of any age learn to respect each other and care about each other’s safety.
It’s also a lot of fun.
I don’t think I’ll ever really understand why I developed such a passion for the martial arts, but I am very grateful to wake up every day feeling like there is so much more to learn and experience. I am grateful to have the opportunity to learn and grow with some incredible people, and to share what I have learned. Best wishes to all, and I hope that everyone has a Happy New Year.
— Andy