What is a Martial Art?

[Marcus]

E=mc2

Einstein’s simple, direct and effective formula. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, but do you know what it means? What does the e; the m and the c2 stand for? I’ll wager very few of us really know.

The same can be said of Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan (T.C.C.). I’m certain you’ve heard of them, but do you really know what they are and why they are outstanding systems for developing self defence, perseverance, tolerance, discipline, vibrant health and general well being? Due to media distortion and some good intentioned but misguided instructors I doubt it. As a student of Shaolin Kung Fu I wish to address this issue and to clarify for the public what real, genuine, traditional Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan is. So that they can tell the difference and make an educated choice should they wish to pursue these Arts.

The qualities mentioned previously (self defence, perseverance, tolerance, discipline, vibrant health and general well being) can only be developed if Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan are practiced as Martial Arts and not martial “dance” or martial “sport”.

Here is my formula for what makes a “complete” Martial Art:

Martial Art = Form + Force + Application + Philosophy

Form – External movements made with the body
The most obvious aspect when people think of Kung Fu or Tai Chi Chuan. Many instructors and students think that by practicing forms or patterns, they will be able to defend themselves, as we will see this is not true.
My experience is that the majority of schools today place an over emphasis on this component. In these schools, if you took out the form training component you’d be left with a program of stretching and playground style kicking and punching commonly referred to as “sparring”

Force (or skill)
There is a saying that goes something like this:

“If you learn Kung Fu or Tai Chi Chuan forms but never develop force then your Kung Fu or Tai Chi Chuan will be futile, even if you study for the rest of your life”.

Force or skill refers to a student’s ability and efficiency in using technique. It is formless, invisible and involves accuracy, power and speed. Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan are rich in methods to develop Force (skill & techniques) but further discussion of actual techniques is outside the scope of this article.

Application
Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan become meaningless as Martial Arts if they are devoid of their fighting function. You must be able to fight using the forms you learn. It is outrageous the number of schools that teach Kung Fu form and then fight using kick boxing or other fighting systems. This is especially true for Tai Chi Chuan; if you want the benefits you must train it as a Martial Art and not a gentle dance.
Free sparring is meant to test your skills, techniques and fighting ability. Free sparring does not teach you these skills. There are many stages before free sparring is even considered. This again is in stark contrast to most schools, where once form practice is over, the gloves go on and it’s every person for themselves. Many long-term injuries are sustained in this way.
Remember, one of the main aims of a Martial Art is to stop you from getting hit. Being hit on a regular basis is seriously hazardous to your health and well-being.
When I first began my martial arts training I went from being “beaten up” once in my life time to being beaten up twice a week! The worst thing was I thought that this meant I was no good and I eventually gave up on martial arts all together. After a few years “sabbatical” I had the good fortune to discover the Shaolin Wahnam Institutes website (www.shaolin.org) a school that teaches fighting application in a logical and structured manner using genuine kung fu forms.

Philosophy
It is worthwhile to note that the main purpose of Bodhidharma and Chang San Feng, the first Patriarchs of Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan respectively was spiritual development, irrespective of the student’s religious conviction or lack of it.
Students of Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan inherit an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom which not only applies to the Art but also to one’s effectiveness in every day life. A Martial Art must complement and enhance your life, not take it over at the expense of your family and friends.


These 4 components are the methods used by students and instructors of the Shaolin Wahnam Institute. They have given us the benefits listed earlier in this article and those benefits described by the masters who developed and perfected these arts.

In brief practicing a Martial Art is an outstanding system for taking your health and complete well being to a level you may never have dreamed possible. It must be an effective form of self-defence, not just against physical attacks but also from illness and depression. Its emphasis is on working and developing what is already there and not aggression or domination. Over time it must complement your life and make you better at everything you do.

Please don’t take my word for it, come along to a class taught by Grandmaster Wong Kiew Kit or a Shaolin Wahnam Instructor and experience the benefits of genuine Shaolin Arts for yourself.

Kind regards

Marcus Santer
Shaolin Wahnam Institute - UK




Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha

[Mark B]

Nice article, Marcus.

I often wondered about the term art in martial art.

In Ulysses James Joyce wrote "Art is anything that puts you in touch with immortal wisdom."

Thats the way I like to think about it.

Mark

[Marcus]

Hello Mark,

I Hope life in Tokyo is being kind to you. Thankyou for your quote it is very useful. I believe anything can be an art, from drinking wine to plumbing and everything in between. But the question of what it is that transforms something into an art has escaped my ability to describe in a few words.

Kind regards

Marcus



Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha

[Charles David]

And then there's The Art of the Internet Forum

Great quote Mark B.

[shaolin_mike]

And the art of the smily

[Mark B]

Hi Marcus,

Tokyo's great! Having a lot of fun! And spring really smells different here!

Did you ever see the KLF (remember them?) documentary about them trying to exhibit 1,000,000 pounds in art galleries and finally burning it (after they weren't allowed)? Its all about the nature of art! Its great, though a bit painfull to watch at times! You can see seemingly intelligent people say things like "Well, art is, of course, something created by an artist"

How are your classes going back in England?

Mark

PS: I can't believe it, there's no pound sign on this keyboard!

[HugoDarien]

good Day to you all!

I just want to thank you Marcus for the excellent answer and information about Martial Art! Keep on going!

Good Bye!

[grammatoncleric]

Hi everyone,

I was just thinking all traditional martial arts where made for more reasons than just about self defence.
I make this statement because of basic nature of self defence, all that's needed according to many, many, self defence experts is to; use scenarios of common attacks which there are about 4 or five; practice recognising a potentally violent situation and attacker, practice diffusion, practice of recognizing an imminent attack, practice a pre-emptive attack; an eye strike, throat strike or strike to the chin. According to them if you practice these things you will most likely not be a statistic in a crime report.

Taking this as true, and I personally think it is, why is there the complexity of martial arts. All that's needed is a solid strike to the jaw/eye/throat and run , or if on the ground eye gouge/bite/headbutt. Why are there so many different styles, form, techniques, etc? There has to be another reason rather than self defence, not just for internal martial arts but for all.

Any thoughts?

[Marcus]

Hello Marcus,

Why are there so many different styles, form, techniques, etc?

A short thought: Difference - different countries, different people, different culture, different religion, different needs.

A long thought: Imagine a dot in the centre of a very large piece of paper. Draw a long line outwards from the dot. Now draw a second line from the dot, but make the angle between this line and the previous one, 1 degree. Over a short space the lines will appear as one, but over a large distance a noticiable gap will start to appear between the two, even though they started from the same origin.
So, over the 1000's of years that systemised fighting arts have been evolving, difference is inevitable and rather wonderful.

Hope that helps

Kind regards

Marcus



Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha Namo Amitabha Buddha

[Grimlock]

Hi Grammatoncleric,

To paraphrase something Sifu Anthony said somewhere else in the forum (I forget where): we train to overcome high level fighters, not low level ones.

While I am a beginner, I do know that in some situations, more sophisticated techniques are the best choice. If sophisticated techniques were not useful, they wouldn't be part of our Shaolin Kung Fu reportoire. I imagine the same is true for most other martial arts.

Let's take your pre-emptive strike idea. You could pick the perfect pre-emptive strike and practice it over and over, and get very good at it. But there is always the chance that your opponent is able to counter it, no matter how small that chance is. If that's all you've practiced, you will be in big trouble if you ever find yourself in that situation.