The martial art and a possible social reality ... SBN Javier Acosta Serrano
The martial art and a possible social reality ... Why in a modern society, in which we are supposed to be more civilized, are we interested in training something that is aggressive and even violent? Why? Is it that violence is in our nature? As a self-taught researcher in the area of sociology, I have often asked myself: How do martial arts contribute to society? Could it be that they encourage violence? Do we really need as a society, that children learn to hit and kick? Why are they so popular? Why do we keep training them? The word Martial means war. In fact, the origin of all martial arts systems dates back to war. So no matter what system is practiced, martial arts are a branch of what was in ancient times The Art of War. Another thing that caught my attention when studying ancient cultures is that spiritual disciplines were almost always related to warrior cultures: The monks trained martial arts, and the warriors performed spiritual practices. Why? Doesn't this seem like an incongruity? Can a man who is dedicated to the art of killing or hurting another human being be spiritual at the same time? And vice versa. Can a man who proclaims himself spiritual learn to hurt another human being, and still be
consistent with his spiritual beliefs? Of course, I do not intend here to get into a debate about spirituality or the morals of warriors, I simply asked myself because, as a martial arts teacher and as a spiritual student, my moral conscience told me that I did not want to dedicate myself an activity That it contributed to the wrong paradigms, I was worried that I was fomenting violence, especially in the youth. So let's go back to the question: How do martial arts contribute to society? Self defend Many applicants tell me that they want to train martial arts because they want to learn to defend themselves, and I answer them that ... Defending themselves is something very dangerous! ... they better try to implement security measures in their lives, to avoid having to face a criminal because it could be tragic, because even if you are Khabib, you will always run the risk of things going wrong. Still, it is for this reason that I have developed programs to properly inform people about the risks of selfdefense in real situations. Martial arts do help you to defend yourself, but if it is so dangerous to defend yourself and it is better that you learn to prevent, why train martial arts anyway? Do physical activity
Yes, it's true, martial arts are not a sport, if they contribute to health, but why not go for a run? Why not practice dancing or any other sport? Why do this physical activity beating someone else? Well, here I have to start to defend a little my passion for martial arts, and all those who have practiced them with passion will not let me lie: I have practiced several sports, but the feeling of adrenaline, inner energy and power that training gives me martial arts, no sport can give me. After a training session where I left my soul on the Tatami, I feel refreshed. My body is tired, but my spirit feels free, powerful, and renewed. As a physical activity, training martial arts makes me feel agile, strong, and elastic. I feel lighter and my mind is clear to think clearly Relieve stress When I've felt stressed, nothing has helped me release this negative energy from my being more than a good hitting and kicking session or holding and throwing. Each blow is for me like an explosion in which I get rid of the pressures and the problems… it is simply liberating. With the whipping and falling, I remind myself how fragile I am, and I reconnect with the feeling of humility, remembering that life can bring me down at any moment if I am not attentive, at the same time that I learn, that I must get up quickly
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