Is being Martial an Art?
Many of us worldwide, at some point in our youth, were encouraged to take up Judo, Karate, Taekwondo or some other Martial Art. The usual motivation was to promote self-esteem, focus, confidence, discipline and fitness. When introduced to adults, the focus seems to be on self-defence, competition or codified systems and traditions of combat. Originating from the word ‘martialis’, meaning ‘of Mars’, the Roman god of war, the term ‘martial’ has a historical association with warfare and military training. So it has always intrigued me why combat sports are referred to as the Martial Arts and those who practise them are known as Martial Artists. Let’s explore this a bit further.
Surprisingly, the name ‘Martial Arts’ has its roots in ancient Roman culture and literally means ‘Arts of Mars’. Revered as one of their most powerful gods, soldiers often worshipped and prayed to Mars to protect them in battle or rebellion and safeguard cities from invading armies. Given this apparent association with warfare, somewhere along the line the term became intertwined with spiritual combat from Asia – the most obvious being the monasteries of Shaolin Kungfu or in the entertainment world, names like Bruce Lee, Jet Li and Jackie Chan immediately spring to mind.
Expanding this train of thought, the principles suggested in The Art of War by Sun Tzu revolve around the concept that victory without physical confrontation, is the most desirable way to win. He suggested that this type of battle-free victory consists of five principles – The Way, the weather, the terrain, the leadership, and discipline – which lead to favourable military operations. This seems to lean a little more towards the creative side of combat, hence the word ‘Art’ in the title, suggesting a fundamental creative preference to strategy rather than combat. However, when most of us think of Artist(e)s, we tend to think of Leonardo Da Vinci, Salvador Dali or Van Gogh. So is it appropriate to consider combat sports as an ‘Art’? Let’s dive a little deeper.
Art is defined as ‘the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.’* Let’s break this down and see how it applies to the Martial Arts. Different Martial Arts have strict rules and guidelines, which, to some degree, may hinder or impede creativity. However, exceptional Martial Artists must incorporate adaptability and reaction to the line of attack of their opponent. In competition, there are limits to what is determined as a ‘legal’ move, but that aside, there is still plenty of room for creativity that changes the game and adds a layer of aestheticism, where what is produced is beautiful rather than just practical or effective. The Universal visual appeal derived from watching the rhythms and patterns of two skilled Martial Artists engaging in combat can be quite mesmerising and entrancing.
We should also consider the existential aspect of Martial Arts. The Spiritual aspects of Martial Arts are often overlooked because of the combative and self-defence skills contained within them. However, Martial Arts have also been described as the journey of cultivation, where we are spiritually connected and focused. In turn, we harness the mind and project what we see and feel in nature with a particular concentration on some object of thought or awareness. Surely, this is what any Art is all about ? So whether the intention is war, peace, love, business, deception, lying or just being, it seems that creativity and imagination play a pivotal role in the ART of doing anything.
*https://www.encyclopedia.com/literature-and-arts/art-and-architecture/art-general/art-history
Words by Amir Yussof
Find out more about Amir here.
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