Martial art is one of the ancient ways to combat against the opponent. Nonetheless, it is not a simple fighting technique but it also has its philosophy and religion. It is evident that despite being a violent act, every individual has to learn about it, as it is complicated and has a unique philosophy. A primary goal of this essay is to explain what martial art is and underline the importance of learning about it. In the end, the conclusions are drawn.
Firstly, martial art is a practice, which involves physical movements and spiritual background (Green & Svign, 2003). Nonetheless, martial art is not a simple fighting technique since it is evident that every movement has spiritual meaning. Surprisingly, martial art is a widely spread phenomenon, and its origin is unclear (Sharif, 2009). Its religious background also seems questionable. Nonetheless, Chinese martial arts have a strong connection with Buddhism, which is a calm and relaxing belief system (Sharif, 2009).
Nevertheless, Chinese martial artists consider it as a primary driver of power, as Buddhism principles are associated with the flow of life. In this case, it gives them the power to continue the practice. Additionally, martial arts involve particular tactics and pose, and each of them has a specific meaning, for example, the ‘horse’ posture implies that an individual is riding a horse (Farrer & Whalen-Bridge, 2011). Nonetheless, the poses might vary in different martial arts. In the end, it could be said that martial art is complicated, and a lot of philosophical and historical knowledge is required for successful practices.
It is evident that in general, people underestimate the importance of martial art and have a stereotype that it is only ancient fighting practices. It never comes to mind that each movement in martial art has unity with the religion of the region. It is complex and sophisticated, and cannot be considered as a mere fighting technique. Every individual should broaden his/her knowledge about the martial art since it might be one of the ways to find harmony with the body and inner soul.
Learning about the martial arts not only helps expand the knowledge about the existing fighting practices but also broaden the information about religious aspects of every Asian culture. In this case, learning more about the martial arts will break the existing stereotypes about this act. Moreover, the new knowledge might encourage individuals to start participating in this act since it remains beneficial from the psychological perspective.
In conclusion, it could be said that martial art is an ancient fighting technique. Martial arts vary in their meaning and intention depending on the region of existence. Moreover, martial arts involve various postures, which vary and have dissimilar meanings in different martial art practices. However, it is not mere fighting tactics, as it has its philosophy and religious structure. Nonetheless, some stereotypes, which ruin the genuine perception and meaning of the martial art, exist. Each individual has to broaden his/her horizons about the martial arts, as it is one of the ways to maintain the body in the proper physical condition and reach the harmony with the inner soul.
References
Farrer, D., & Whalen-Bridge, J. (2011). Martial arts as embodied knowledge. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Green, T., & Svign, J. (2003). Martial arts in the modern world. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishes.
Sharif, S. (2009). 50 martial arts myths. New York, NY: New Media Entertainment, Ltd.