Science or Religion?

 

(thanks for the inspiration MC and Anthony)

It's always a great joy to meet other members of the martial arts community, especially when they are also very passionate about creating good dojo atmospheres and promoting learning and development for students. I was grateful to make a new friend yesterday before class, who was very excited talking about how to motivate students and deliver better results for them. The conversation flowed smoothly and naturally. It was wonderful. I can't wait to discuss further.

We spoke about evolution and adaptation from traditional styles, and the need to have the arts evolve while retaining the traditional elements that yield so much character development and discipline - vital elements for success in life.

I told the story of my Aikido journey starting in 1987 and continuing on into its current expression as part of my Kali Majapahit, relating it to O-Sensei's own evolution. O-Sensei also came from a very traditional martial arts background, after which he was sent to Manchuria for several years to fight in the Imperial Army. No doubt during that time he used his skills in combat to save his life and those of others. Later in life he became an ordained Omotekyo priest and eschewed the violence of the physical world for a more spiritual path. Modern Aikido (since 1945) has been focused on "harmony" and spreading happiness rather than simply self-defense or success in fighting.

In the case of O-Sensei, he is nearly revered as a God by Aikidoka. Most dojos have a black and white photo of him in the kamiza (the place of highest honor), to which they bow before and after class. Despite so many variations of aikido which exist today, propagated by his various "disciples", each branch seems to think they are "the authentic one" truly expressing aikido the way O-Sensei intended. Many of them disagree openly with each other and consider the others to be frauds.

This is no less the case in many karate dojos, Taekwondo dojangs and even FMA schools. Many of them revere their grandmasters, giving them uncountable black belt stripes or bestowing regal titles on them, similar to what fanatics do for their own messianic figures. These styles are akin to cults where their master can do no wrong, and each word is treated like a pearl of irrefutable wisdom. Believers are "excommunicated" for even suggesting that the system could adapt, evolve or be improved. Rather, they revel in their "traditions" just like Catholic masses given in Latin which none of the worshipers can understand. Practical or not, their arts are repeated and mimicked the way they have been for centuries and considered "pure" despite often lacking any real world applicability any more. There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach, unless we promote the idea that these styles are somehow still useful for fighting (a fact easily disproven in quasi-fighting scenarios such as MMA bouts). 

There is often a lingering fear that if these arts were considered to be impractical for self-defense they would be without merit and disappear. Much in the way Christians fear that their religion would disappear if Jesus were proven to not have been real. In my opinion, the benefit of religion is not about whether the supposedly historical figures actually existed. It is much more to do with how the belief systems allow you to grow as a confident, compassionate human being and navigate modern life's challenges successfully. I think this would be possible even if the Christian god(s) were proven to be completely fictional. As well, very traditional martial arts can and should have appeal even if they are not totally relevant for self-defense in how they are currently presented. 

To me, the treatment of martial arts as quasi-religions is inherently wrong. Despite the fact that often we do discuss esoteric matters, especially in the context of each individual's spiritual growth, good martial arts practice empowers the practitioner for positive change rather than investing their power elsewhere. Unlike religion, an emphasis should be placed on positive reinforcement and challenging limitations to achieve personal goals (CAN DO) versus restricting them via negativity and guilt (CAN'T DO).

Many modern martial arts are far more scientific in their approach. There are emphases placed on good fundamental science (physics, nutrition, bio-mechanics)  and rigorous analysis. Several excellent books and papers already exist written by scientists doing martial arts who have applied their training to this domain successfully.

Rather than be prisoners of a doctrine, these systems seek a Darwinian model of evolution and expand the scope and usefulness of their arts continuously. Generation after generation of instructors expand and develop the art in new and exciting ways through good research and experimentation.

One of the best examples of this can be found in Sigung Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. Of course, Sigung Bruce also had a traditional background in Wing Chun, a notable Hakka style. Becoming aware of the limits of what he had learned from his teacher Yip Man, Sigung Bruce set out to expand and improve on his training by examining a wide variety of other Asian and Western fighting systems including not just karate and other styles of kung fu, but also western boxing, wrestling, fencing, savate and more. He became very experienced in physical training and nutrition as well and developed phenomenal physical abilities. His goal was to create a limitless system of growth and learning to improve the individual to his/her maximum potential. One of the core tenets of JKD is "absorb what is useful". This allows the practitioner to customize his or her expression of martial arts based on body type, physical limitations (if any) and philosophy. The result is that professionals in JKD's concepts-based system will have a lot in common due to their shared principles, while simultaneously expressing the concepts uniquely in how they are applied.

I think tradition has its place and is very important for understanding the cultural context of how martial arts came to be in their current form when we encounter them. The traditions give us a sense of belonging and are an important way of showing respect to the lineage and those who paved the way for us. There is nothing wrong with honoring our instructors and being grateful for their knowledge, wisdom and dedication in teaching us, provided we remember they are human beings, not demigods. They can be respected without being worshiped.

At the same time, I prefer a scientific approach. This allows the depth of observation, study and analysis that leads to much deeper understanding. Fundamentals are developed so that we can explore further and research deeper into the system. Like science, all disciplines have much in common (mathematics, for example) and share knowledge between them. Of course rivalries do exist, but I have yet to hear of genocide between geologists and physicists, for example. It has even been suggested that advancement to higher black belt ranks be accompanied by independent research and peer-reviewed, in order to ensure that all seniors contribute to the growth of the system. This is the same in scientific disciplines, where subsequent higher level degrees require deep research in some original topic as part of a dissertation.

In the end, martial arts should be of maximum benefit to the growth and success of the individual, encouraged by dedicated, knowledgeable instructors who encourage their students to develop their self-confidence and explore, discover and evolve into the best, most authentic versions of themselves.

See you at class.