Shield and spear
To the ancient Romans, the concept of a non-violent martial art would be nonsensical. Their literal definition of martial was “belonging to Mars”, the god of war. Modern usage of the term martial arts, however, is hardly related to military strategy and tactics.
Today, most popular martial arts are practiced without arms. Considering this shift in focus, from immediate and practical skills to more abstract and long-term benefits, it is reasonable to ask whether violent destructive potential is still necessary at all.
Is a non-violent martial art worthy of study?
Before we can attempt to answer this question, we should first clarify the definition. There are two distinct categories of non-violent martial arts.
The first category is exemplified by Aikido, which can be translated as The Way of Peace, or The Way of Harmony. Under mainline Aikido philosophy, starting a fight is impermissible, but ending it is compulsory. Destroying one’s attacker is not ideal; yet this is recognized, in some circumstances, as a practical necessity.
Members of the second category of non-combative martial arts are not necessarily pacifist in disposition, but inadvertently harmless due to their complete lack of non-cooperative practice. In the absence of testing, formerly proven attack and defense techniques decay into empty symbolism. Dahnmudo apparently belongs to this second category, as do those schools of taiji that omit tui shou and san shou from their curriculum.
No Conflicts, No Resolutions
[The need for conflict resolution skills] is based on the premise that poorly handled conflicts lie at the core of emotional distress. With more effective conflict resolution patterns, individuals, couples, and families and distress can move toward resolution of their underlying difficulties and resume emotionally healthy living.
Business people, lawyers, political leaders, parents and children—in fact, all of us—deal with conflicts daily. Few of us want altercations to disrupt the smooth flow of our lives. We want what we want, but without loss of a cooperative atmosphere in our homes and at our workplaces.
Source: Skills and Strategies for Individual, Couple, and Family Therapy
In life, interpersonal and intrapersonal strife are inevitable; effective conflict resolution skills are not. Freestyle sparring is one way to develop these worthwhile skills.
This is not to say that all personal conflicts can be resolved with lightning-fast punches, brutal kicks and excruciating joint locks. It doesn’t mean that you beat up your boss after being asked to work overtime. The refined martial skill set contains far more subtlety and depth.
Relevant conflict resolution skills, summarized in a recent article by Drs. Jeanne Segal and Jaelline Jaffe, include:
- the ability to recognize and read nonverbal cues
- the capacity to remain relaxed and focused in tense situations
- the ability to experience intense emotions and recognize what matters most to you
These qualities are a natural byproduct of jiyu kumite. They are not passed down from master to student via verbal instruction; they are inculcated by the rigors of the practice itself. Competent conflict management is not learned so much as earned.
Dojo, or Day Spa?
Freestyle sparring is perceived as excessively dangerous by those without experience: resulting in hard feelings at best, serious physical injury at worst. In reality, these risks are minimal with proper supervision and guidance.
Students of non-competitive martial arts shoulder a far greater risk, that of failed investment; that, after spending much time and money in an artificially stress-free environment, they are no better equipped to cope with trial and tribulation.
Persuing short-term comfort and control at the expense of challenge and growth, these students have missed an important lesson. When the challenges inside the dojo exceed those outside of it, life itself may become an oasis.
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10 responses so far ↓
1 hermann // Mar 18, 2007
I’m not so sure anout non competitive martial arts.
Though I did sparring in IMA for more than 10 years, I stopped with 40 and the last 8 years did nothing in terms of serious fighting.
All in all, I never had reason to see and try my stuff in real application, thanks god! But as I get older my emphasis is more and more on inner training, neigong, qigong and form training.
2 Chris // Mar 19, 2007
I would like to distinguish between the free sparring I recommended above, and “serious fighting”.
Free sparring (in my opinion) does not require you to hit hard, or submit your partner. The goal is simply to gain and maintain a superior position, against someone who is trying their best to stop you.
I spend about 10% of my time in non-cooperative training. That is enough to ensure I keep moving in the right direction, during solo practice.
3 Chris // Jan 23, 2008
Featured in the January 2008 Carnival of Martial Arts.
4 ramji // Jan 28, 2008
The competitive approach …. both free sparring in a dojo or competing in a tournament … declares the most vital areas as off limits. In the lightest form it is a game of tag, maybe with some benefits. Perhaps full body gear could be the answer, but the limitations in movement would hinder effect execution of techniques. Like Hermann, I haven’t sparred in years …. uh, decades (unless you count the play sparring I do with my 12 year old). I loved it when I was younger, but I’m 52 now and find katas and basic drills works just fine for me. Is there really anything wrong with approaching it just as an art and for overall health?
5 Chris // Feb 1, 2008
When the great trumpeter Miles Davis took the stage in his later years, fans would sometimes ask him to play his most popular works from decades past. His frequent response was, “I ain’t playin that old sh*t!”
Do your katas and drills really approach the level of art? Or are they just comfortable repetition? There is nothing wrong with comfort, except that it is antithetical to growth.
As Confucius said, “The one who would be in constant happiness must frequently change”, and freestyle practice teaches poise in the face of change.
6 Ramji // Feb 2, 2008
I can appreciate this. It sounds a lot like Bruce Lee and the philosophy he derived from the teachings of J.Krishnamurti.
MY katas may not approach the “level of art” …… but some certainly do …..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTPkNqDakSg
My forms don’t come close to the level of this 16 year old girl (you have to admit she’s pretty awesome). I also draw and paint, but I’m no Picaso ….. should I give that up too. Is art also repetition? The performance of katas change as I become more proficient …. and I should grow with every experience … if I’m mindful.
Peace.
Ramji
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