Martial artist set themselves apart from the majority of others. We are committed to our own development and that of our art, systematically avoiding many of the usual pitfalls of modern life. We busy ourselves with our devotion to training and to developing our skills. The world looks different to us.
Getting fat or sick as a consequence of poor diet or lack of exercise is counter-productive to our goals. Getting caught up in unethical pastimes or simply following the crowd holds no appeal, no temptation of reward.
We follow a higher path, a warriors path. We neglect no aspect of our lives, recognising that our advancement is the sum of more than just the time we spend training on the mats. Through our training, the quality of our spirit is measured.
It doesn’t take much to call yourself a martial artist, you just need a uniform, a belt and somewhere to train. It takes a lot more to actually be a martial artist. It takes the right attitude.
In their early evolution, the martial arts were born solely out of violence. From a physical need to improve warriors for combat. When they were formed, it was in a time when they were not just frequently practiced but also frequently used. Development of the spirit was not the primary order of the day.
Warriors were taught to fight. They trained to be quicker, stronger and more talented than the opponent they faced in battle. They trained so that they might live. But it is also worth noting that they trained so that they might die. That’s a pretty good motivator whoever you are.
The nature of life is enough for most people to consider their own mortality at some point, to some degree. For a warrior living in a time of constant conflict and war, to train in the martial arts was to accept the inevitability of combat. It was to accept the probability of a premature death.
Always in the mind of these warriors was the knowledge that each confrontation on the battlefield would result in one of three outcomes. You could be defeated and killed, you could be victorious and kill your opponent or you could kill each other in simultaneous strikes. Each warrior knew he faced a two third chance of death every time he fought an opponent.
Inevitably, the martial arts developed a philosophy and spirituality around them, led by the need for balance. External development prepared warriors bodies while internal development steadied and resolved their minds for combat. The body can only act through the efforts of the mind and the desire of the heart. Developing a warrior attitude alongside warrior skills brings harmony to action. Prepared for death, the warrior was fearless, courageous and decisive.
To provide this balance, some arts turned to already established spiritual movements such as Buddhism, Shinto or Taoism, that were dominant at the time. Some practices and much of the underlying belief structures were adopted from these movements, giving the traditional arts their structure and formality. Warriors now had a way of dealing with the psychological impact of mortal combat. They had a perspective that extended beyond their own mortality and an awareness of their own souls.
Other arts developed their own philosophies, centering their beliefs around a code of honour, the glory of dying in service to ones lord. In samurai culture, death by the blade of a sword was a mark of honour, recognised as a way of life that extended beyond the physicality of combat.
By modern standards, this seems to be something of a macho or even occultist spirituality, but in a time of hand-to-hand combat, it gave warriors a fearsome source of inner strength. It hardened their souls for when they faced their enemy and undoubtedly made them one of the most dedicated and accomplished groups of warriors throughout all history.
Their perspective and warrior principals commanded every aspect of their lives, making them better fighters. It gave drive to their training and motivated their every action.
By the very nature of their lives, warriors during this age were very proud and introspective individuals. They were devoted to their cause, completely immersed in their learning in order to understand and dominate their own souls, fears and weaknesses. They trained and lived to their full potential so that they could survive to fight another day and serve their cause.
The traditional martial arts were born out of a need for self-improvement, not just in the training hall but also in the mind and soul. Those traditions continue to this day, albeit in smaller measure and with less recognition. But I can think of no examples in the modern age where any endeavour is so steeped in such traditions. Nor any that so nobly encourage and develop an individual’s ability to search their own soul. It is something that makes the martial arts unique.
We modern warriors may no longer be faced with the same level of intensity and threat to our survival as that of our martial forefathers but the traditions and attitudes that enabled them to become so formidable continue to this day. We may never be faced with the choice of taking an emery’s life over our own. Only those in combative jobs are likely to ever use their skills outside of the training hall. However, to reach our full potential as martial artists and individuals, there remains the opportunity through the development of the right attitude. If we keep one eye on the prospect of death and failure in combat and seek to understand our own mortality a little better, we will begin to see through the warrior mind.
The martial arts are still, as ever and in their essence, centred around a warrior way of life. There is still emphasis, if not an underlying foundation, on survival in a combative arena and in the face of an adversary. There is still the need for a holistic approach to self-development in order to better ourselves and there is still the opportunity to develop the right warrior attitude in order to fulfil our potential. The martial arts may no longer be utilised directly on the battlefield but they continue to be a higher path and a vessel for self development in all things.
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