What do you think of Martial Arts?

I have always loved Martial Arts and even went to China to study and learn Kung Fu. However I sometimes feel that Christians are not happy to learn this. What are your thoughts on this?
Why would it be against Christianity?

I have been training in Okinawan Karate as it was brought to the US 4 generations ago. As my Shihan's instructor trained under his instructor who was an actual student of the original Okinawan school. It is mainly a self defense martial arts and very brutal in it's origin. As it was designed to an undercover training for the farmers and people who had no actual weapons to use against the tyrannical government of their time. So they created a karate designed for up close combat as weapons are hard to use when you are only a foot away. It was designed to attack the parts of the soldier where the armor didn't cover. The vulnerable areas. They would attack pressure points and rip muscle from bone as their karate involved hand strengthening exercise so intense their fingernails would fall off. The original teacher would purposefully walk dangerous neighborhoods hoping to find trouble so he could perfect his art. There is a good book that documents the Okinawan karate's history by Mark Bishop.

Back to your comment. I believe martial arts is good but only within a few certain guidelines.

1. As long as what you are doing isn't for worshipping or honoring a false god.
2. If your intentions are pure as in self defense, defense of others, to get healthier, more confident, etc.

To me it all about how you answer those two points.

Do you have any experience with Aikido?

No I do not but I have heard of it.

Thanks.

”To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.” - Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido

Some Christians actually don't believe in self-defense. For them it might be a reason to be against learning how to fight. Other Christians believe it's ok to defend themselves and others. It depends who you ask.

If you ask me, martial arts is good if used responsibly. It can enhance physical fitness and give someone an edge over an aggressor.

Not a practitioner, but I do work out regularly. I would be wary of the philosophy and religious attachments. I have heard and read on a consistent basis that Christians should not actually practice those 'arts'.


In my understanding, I would not say it is 'against' Christianity rather than the philosophy and origins are not 'for' Christianity. These forms were developed thousands of years ago :

The primary unifying aspect of the East Asian martial arts, which sets them apart from other martial arts, is the influence of Daoism and Zen Buddhism. This influence has resulted in a strong emphasis on the mental and spiritual state of the practitioner, a state in which the rationalizing and calculating functions of the mind are suspended so that the mind and body can react immediately as a unit, reflecting the changing situation around the combatant. When this state is perfected, the everyday experience of the dualism of subject and object vanishes. Since this mental and physical state is also central to Daoism and Zen, and must be experienced to be grasped, many of their adherents practice the martial arts as a part of their philosophical and spiritual training. Conversely, numerous practitioners of the martial arts take up the practice of these philosophies. SOURCE

These things are at enmity against God or against God, in other words they are really sourced from eastern religions and as such, not a practice for a Christian.

I don't know to what extent a person can practice these things and leave out 'mind' involvement as described above in the quote, but it seems to actually excel at it, a person would have to at some time, tune in to it.

At that point, I think it would kind of invade their entire life, just as practicing Christianity is to be a part of or actually be our life.

I don't want to argue or even debate necessarily with anyone who is currently involved in these arts, but you did ask what we thought and that is what I think


Frankly I don't think it can be practiced and defended from a biblical viewpoint, which I understand some might disagree with, but I think you might be having some thoughts about it anyway since you brought the question here and asked for opinions.

I have no problem with self defense and certainly not defending others. Martial arts are not the only way to get in shape or defend or protect yourself.

Don't know how handy it would come in if the person you want to defend against is standing 20 feet away with an automatic

Guns are not really an issue with me either, but just saying, yah know?

Many modern martial are a combination of styles as im sure you have heard the term MMA. Mixed Martial Arts. People choose the art for the purpose they want. Many in China are connected religiously but most in the US are not. Most in the US are practicing what people combined to create a better self defense style that fits them. Even a guy in a wheelchair can mix different arts to become deadly in self defense. I have seen 1 legged people who twisted techniques to fit their disability to gain the upper hand. For example a self defense that mainly focuses on standing fighting like Taekwondo will not work good for him. But Jiu-Jitsu would. Secular police departments and military branches like the Marine core have their own mixed martial arts styles where they took what works best for their work in the field.

It isn't a skill for 20 feet away facing a rifle. But 1 foot away and it can allow you to take control of the rifle by attacking the true weapon. The true weapon being the hands and eyes. If you break the hand/arm or destroy the vision then the rifle is useless.

I'm informed actually and I would stay away, which is what I wrote. The op asked for opinions and I gave mine. Yes I have heard of mixed martial arts but life is not a Bruce Lee movie .

I can hear it now. 'Excuse me, but you are too far away for me to get lethal with you. And I need glasses, soooo'

Judo is another good example of a martial art that serves to instill and transcend discipline, respect and tradition as a way of life. Proud to say that I was able to introduce Judo to all three of my kids at a very young age with tremendous positive influence as it's mantra which they aptly apply to life is: "Maximum efficiency and minimum effort." My oldest was an Olympic prospect in 2016...

Judo ("gentle way") is generally categorized as a modern martial art, which has since evolved into a combat and Olympic sport. The sport was created in 1882 by Jigoro Kano (嘉納治五郎) as a physical, mental, and moral pedagogy in Japan. With its origins coming from jujutsu (Japanese Samrai trained for and used in Combat). Judo's most prominent feature is its conversion into the element of competitive SPORT, where the objective is to either throw or take down an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet as well as weapons defences are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata, 形) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori, 乱取り).
The philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for other modern Japanese martial arts that developed from koryū (古流, traditional schools). Judo also spawned a number of derivative martial arts across the world, such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga, Sambo and ARB.

I think that everyone should do according to their convictions, so that our own heart does not condemn us before God. "Happy is he that does not condemn himself in the thing which he allows". So be very careful that you don't end up condemned and sinning in what you allow. God made me physically clumsy so it obviously isn't meant for me. It definitely also isn't for some other Christians, anyone who would do it doubting if it's okay and therefore be condemned. I am against MMA though, people brutally fighting for money instead of getting an actual job, which kind of defeats the point of "arts" it's more like anything goes then I can also bite someone's ear off, and call it a martial art. This is not art nor sport it's more like extension of Roman gladiator arena, there is that gladiator like bloodthirstiness if you look it in the face, which is not present in tradition of martial arts. Real martial arts can be an asset, adding discipline and mental stamina to some self defense. All real martial arts are about defense and protection. Not about being bloodthirsty and saying how you're going to "baptize" people, how you can't wait to tackle and kill them in the ring and whatnot. I don't believe anything such is Christian. MMA does not equal a sum of 5 or 50 martial arts, it is something completely different in spirit.

You're not wrong.

I didn't say your opinion was wrong. We all have our reasons to why we religiously deny some things but allow others.

Yah I get the joke. It simply just provides another tool to your self preservation that in the opportune moment you may wish you had a plan B.

Men like to beat each other up. They start out young as boys fighting and wrestling. Men have a warrior spirit just as David the boy faces Goliath. Tough men was once a necessity and still is rather we like it or not. Our distant battle grounds are filled with the fallen we sent off to war. Many just kids right out of high school.

Idk if I could equate the MMA organization to the gladiator arenas as the Roman Colosseum saw the most brutal and disturbing acts that man and animal can commit on mankind. The MMA organization may have an accidental death but death is bad for business. As for making money by professionally fighting. It is I suppose if you do equate it to the Roman Colosseum then yes it is bad but in a strict setting with referees and medics on standby then it is no worse than football. Football actually claims many deaths a year.

But men as I said often like to test their limits, strength, and get tired of feeling as if our masculine attributes are dying behind a computer desk, a truck driver, or stock clerk.

There are also men who hike to push limits, or blacksmith as a hobby, or enlist to protect their country, or build their own house, or surf, if they really want to feel close to death. You are of course entitled to your opinion - but I don't see Christ in MMA, I don't like that whole thing I don't see it the same as normal martial arts and that's just how it is... For me.

Agree, and as a sport it is worth pointing out that the vast majority of pre-fight hype is just that (hype) - as the majority of these warriors are known to be good sports and have a mutual respect for each other - especially immediately after the contest.

It's cool I was just pointing out a different perspective.

When watching the martial arts movies, I notice that the fighters sometimes meditate. This must have to do with their religion or whatever spirituality they are practising. In that way it seems similar to yoga.

But nothing wrong in learning how to defend one's self. But we must be sure we are not worshiping other god's in doing so.

I had a discussion with a guy about this in front of a fire pit and I commented that martial arts in a way glorifies God, because it shows the abilities of the human body and therefore glorifies God, the Creator. Much like dancing or singing glorifies the Creator showcasing talent, martial arts too can show the genius of God. Even in the pain inflicted on their bodies and the healing process of the body after glorifies God (the self healing mechanisms of the body). I am not necessarily saying fighting in and of itself glorifies God (true violence is wrong), but you can see the wisdom and knowledge of God in the acts of His creation (singing, dancing, fighting, running, etc).

The issue with the colosseum and gladiators, was that people were fighting to the death not valuing life. There is a story about when (and why) the Colosseum ended, and it was about a Christian monk who decided to go out and about in society (instead of being in solitude). He was walking through the markets and hearing the cheers of the Colosseum and went to see what was happening. He witnessed gladiators fighting to the death and screamed for them to stop in the name of Jesus!!! He ran in between the gladiators and was pierced! 🗡 He fell to the ground and his scarlet blood stained the sand. Silence went throughout the crowds. Innocent blood was shed. It is said the gladiators laid down their weapons and that day forward the Colosseum stopped holding gladiator matches. The monk’s life ended their bloodshed, after years of solitude and deciding to go out into society being slain trying to stop violence.

I don’t know if that story is true, but I remember hearing about it.