Articles
Fundamental Magazine
(Jan/Feb. 2004 issue)
Title: “Strength, Confidence & Inner Peace:
The Study of Martial Arts” (excerpt)
A few years ago, it became obvious that my life needed a change. I was happy in my work but unhappy with my increasingly sedentary lifestyle. Success as a freelance writer resulted in long hours at the computer. As the client base increased and deadlines loomed, I felt torn – overjoyed that this career was progressing so well, yet resentful of the pressures and stress of a home-based writing business.
A writing colleague, who had recently completed a story about karate, phoned to announce that she had joined a dojo (training hall or gym). She was so impressed with the attitude and philosophy of the sensei (teacher) she had interviewed, she signed up for classes. Now she was calling to encourage me to join, too. I had never considered studying a martial art. I was intrigued. Here, I thought, may be the perfect match for me - something new and interesting that also requires hard physical workouts.
According to Stephan Fournier, a second-degree black belt (nidan) at the Shintokukai Karate-Do in Burnaby, British Columbia, all martial arts originated from China. Indian monks brought yoga to China around 500 A.D., and the meditative form was combined with an existing system for training soldiers to create kung fu, a type of boxing. “Everything else really stems from this,” says Fournier.
The variety of martial arts styles available today for study in North America is quite astonishing, although most traditions exhibit similar tactics: hand, arm and foot blows; knee kicks; throws and trips; gripping; and blocks using the wrist, forearm or elbow. Kung fu is known for dodges, leaps and somersaults. Jujitsu emphasizes “atemi” or strikes to vital parts of the body. Aikido, which developed from jujitsu, uses flowing circular movement of hands and feet. Judo, a form of wrestling, teaches how to turn an attacker’s momentum to one’s own advantage. Tae kwon do, from Korea, stresses flying kicks and evasive tactics. Kendo, or Japanese fencing, uses bamboo swords. Karate, which means “empty hand”, was also developed in Japan but unlike other Japanese weapons-based systems, does not use weapons.
Sensei Fournier, 31, who has been studying martial arts for over 15 years, notes that all these styles have been influenced by Zen Buddhism. The Eastern philosophy believes that the body has untapped potential, or energy, known as ki, and teaches that the physical body cannot be separated from its emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. Martial arts exercises were designed to increase one’s energy and thus encourage or promote a more positive mental attitude.
