WHICH IS THE BEST MARTIAL ART
THE BEST MARTIAL ARTS
The classical fighting arts of ancient cultures, including those of
China, Japan, and even the ancient societies of Greece and Rome, were often a blend of various
martial arts styles.
Some of the martial arts schools of thought toay also blend several fighting styles into what they believe to be the most cohesive application of the ancient arts.
Still, there are those martial arts purists who believe that there can be only one true style; often one that is believed to possess roots that lie in the ancient traditions.
The reality is that, even among those “pure” forms, there are several hundred varieties, leading many martial arts seekers to wonder which is the best martial art.
Much of the discussion about which martial art is the most desirable came about because of the commercialization of martial arts training.
To draw in students, martial arts schools had to find ways to emphasize their own tradition over all others.
So, it became commonplace for one philosophy to assert its superiority over all others.
The sad fact is that these types of debates minimize the true philosophy behind the study of any martial art.
“Ki ken tai ichi” Mind, sword, and body are one – kenjutsu proverb.
The focus of martial arts has become the perfection of fighting skills in many schools and training forums.
Certainly, the martial arts arose out of a need for self-defense, yet to confine the definition of ancient fighting styles to merely a way of combat is to belittle the spiritual philosophy that reigns in each one.
The study of martial arts is not a means to an end but a physical and spiritual path that anyone who has devoted themselves to true study can attest is a life-long pursuit.
The martial arts combine several physical and spiritual properties to create a primary philosophy. The majority of these philosophies are amazingly similar.
Each school of thought asks that the student create a balance between the physical and spiritual.
A student must do more than learn how to move the body and the feet, how to maintain proper posture and distance, and how to execute the proper technique.
Every student must seek to blend physical conditioning with grace, confidence, comradeship, and a sense of harmony. “I have nothing against sports, they train the body and develop stamina and endurance.
But the spirit of competition and power that presides over them is not good, it reflects a distorted visionof life. The root of the martial arts is not there...”. - Master Taisen Deshimaru.
As much as martial arts training is a path toward the mastering of physical conditioning and self-defense tactics, it is also a path along which the true student desires to create opportunities toward self-confrontation and self-discovery.
It is as much about the physical confrontation of the opponent as it is about the spiritual confrontation of the self.
Ancient fighters knew that the most important battle they would ever have would be with their own fear of death.
They knew that their ability to win this battle would be the deciding factor that would determine their success in combat.
The confrontation that one has with death is perhaps the most important factor in one’s spirituality. This is why true martial arts training must address the spiritual as well as the physical.
According to ancient thought, freedom from the incapacitating fear of death releases great power in the student.
So, what is the best martial art? Simply put, there isn’t one.
The best martial arts training is the one with which the student feels a spiritual connection as well as a physical one.
The best martial arts training is one in which the student seeks spiritual growth as well as physical conditioning.
The best martial arts training is one that emphasizes structural technique in addition to an exploration of the inner self.
In essence, the best martial arts style is the one that leads the student down the path of physical perfection as well as the perfection of character.
The classical fighting arts of ancient cultures, including those of
China, Japan, and even the ancient societies of Greece and Rome, were often a blend of various
martial arts styles.
Some of the martial arts schools of thought toay also blend several fighting styles into what they believe to be the most cohesive application of the ancient arts.
Still, there are those martial arts purists who believe that there can be only one true style; often one that is believed to possess roots that lie in the ancient traditions.
The reality is that, even among those “pure” forms, there are several hundred varieties, leading many martial arts seekers to wonder which is the best martial art.
Much of the discussion about which martial art is the most desirable came about because of the commercialization of martial arts training.
To draw in students, martial arts schools had to find ways to emphasize their own tradition over all others.
So, it became commonplace for one philosophy to assert its superiority over all others.
The sad fact is that these types of debates minimize the true philosophy behind the study of any martial art.
“Ki ken tai ichi” Mind, sword, and body are one – kenjutsu proverb.
The focus of martial arts has become the perfection of fighting skills in many schools and training forums.
Certainly, the martial arts arose out of a need for self-defense, yet to confine the definition of ancient fighting styles to merely a way of combat is to belittle the spiritual philosophy that reigns in each one.
The study of martial arts is not a means to an end but a physical and spiritual path that anyone who has devoted themselves to true study can attest is a life-long pursuit.
The martial arts combine several physical and spiritual properties to create a primary philosophy. The majority of these philosophies are amazingly similar.
Each school of thought asks that the student create a balance between the physical and spiritual.
A student must do more than learn how to move the body and the feet, how to maintain proper posture and distance, and how to execute the proper technique.
Every student must seek to blend physical conditioning with grace, confidence, comradeship, and a sense of harmony. “I have nothing against sports, they train the body and develop stamina and endurance.
But the spirit of competition and power that presides over them is not good, it reflects a distorted visionof life. The root of the martial arts is not there...”. - Master Taisen Deshimaru.
As much as martial arts training is a path toward the mastering of physical conditioning and self-defense tactics, it is also a path along which the true student desires to create opportunities toward self-confrontation and self-discovery.
It is as much about the physical confrontation of the opponent as it is about the spiritual confrontation of the self.
Ancient fighters knew that the most important battle they would ever have would be with their own fear of death.
They knew that their ability to win this battle would be the deciding factor that would determine their success in combat.
The confrontation that one has with death is perhaps the most important factor in one’s spirituality. This is why true martial arts training must address the spiritual as well as the physical.
According to ancient thought, freedom from the incapacitating fear of death releases great power in the student.
So, what is the best martial art? Simply put, there isn’t one.
The best martial arts training is the one with which the student feels a spiritual connection as well as a physical one.
The best martial arts training is one in which the student seeks spiritual growth as well as physical conditioning.
The best martial arts training is one that emphasizes structural technique in addition to an exploration of the inner self.
In essence, the best martial arts style is the one that leads the student down the path of physical perfection as well as the perfection of character.
