Do Martial Arts Really Teach Humility and Respect - Assignment Example

Do martial arts really teach humility and respect? Martial arts can be defined as “any of several arts of combat and self defense (as karate and judo) that are widely practiced as sport”(Merriam Webster). The popularity of martial arts is growing day by day because the benefits it provides for the self defense mechanisms. Violence and aggression are increasing in the current world and learning martial arts may help people to protect themselves from violent attacks. Even though martial arts are getting popular at present, still many people have concerns about its utility. Some people argue that learning martial arts would cultivate aggression in the minds of people. At the same time, many people believe that martial arts can promote humility and respect, even though the primary aim of it is self defense. This paper analyses how martial arts can promote humility and respect in the minds of the people. Humility “means not regarding ourselves as more important than other people, including those who have achieved less than we have. And it implies judging ourselves not in comparison with others, but in light of our capabilities, and the tasks we believe God has set for us on earth”(Willitts). It assumes that people who have learned martial arts might consider themselves as superior to others because of their better ability to dominate others physically. The thirst for domination is inherent in human blood. For example, a physically healthy person may not bother much about the physical attack threats from a weaker person. This is because of his assumption that he will be able to defeat the weaker ones in a physical encounter. On the other hand, the same person may be worried, if he gets a threat from a stronger person. In short, superior physical strength may create domination motives in the minds of people. Therefore, it is logical to assume that knowledge of martial arts might increase this aggressive or dominating mentality. However, in martial arts mental abilities are as important as physical abilities. Before teaching any martial arts, the trainer teaches the ways of improving mental abilities. Topics about humility is the first lessons normally given in a martial arts class. This is because of the awareness that a sound mind is necessary to perform an activity effectively. “The humble man makes room for progress.  Because a humble man does not stop looking for improvement in himself, he always assumes he can find a way to make himself better” (Martial Arts: Fitness, Traditions and Trends in West Today). Martial arts work on this principle. Therefore, lessons of humility are given at the beginning of the classes of every martial arts.   “Martial Arts emphasize on balance-- balance of the mind and body. Both should work as one”(The True Meaning Behind Martial Arts). The human being is considered to be made of three things; body, mind and spirit, even though the existence of mind and spirit have not been proved scientifically. In fact mind and spirit are responsible for driving all the body activities. The body is carried out the mission that generated by the mind. For example, before doing an activity, the mind advices the body what to do, how to do, when to do and why it should be done. The duty of the body is to carry out the mission planned by the mind. An evil mind forces a person to perform an evil activity, whereas a sound mind motivate him for performing good activities. Thus the combined efforts of the mind and the body finally end up in an activity, irrespective of whether the activity is good or bad. It should be noted that the involvement of mind is necessary while the body performs an activity. It is impossible for a person to perform an activity successfully, if he fails to concentrate his mind on that activity. For example, it would be impossible for a student to study his lessons while watching a movie. The full presence of mind is necessary both for learning as well as for enjoying the movie. Martial arts help a person to develop a skill which helps him to concentrate fully on the activity that is performed. Moreover, it helps a person to keep the mind calm and quiet while doing difficult tasks. It should be noted that people with aggression may not be able to keep their minds calm and quiet. They may not be able to perform their activities properly with the help of an agitate mind. On the other hand, a humble person will always keep a calm mind since he does not bother much about the status of others. In short, humility is necessary for martial arts learners keep their mind always in a healthy condition. Respect is another important lesson, taught in martial arts classes. It should be noted that before the start of every martial arts class, the teacher and the students bow their head towards each other as a mark of respect. When you visit a martial arts school, you are bound to notice the many expressions of respect that students and teachers display. Whether it is your teacher, a fellow student or an opponent, you are taught to respect them and their skills by bowing, or any other form of salute, depending on the style of martial arts you are learning. Respect is inherent to martial arts and is one of the fundamental qualities that a martial artist has to develop (Martial Arts and Respect). Martial arts teachers ask the learners to respect others, especially those with higher ages, experience, and expertise. It has never advocated using the skills learned upon old or weaker people, except in unavoidable circumstances. Moreover, martial arts asks the learner to respect himself while providing respect for others. The principle behind this policy is that only self respected people will be able to provide respect for others. For example, the major reason for the unethical behaviors in the society is the lack of self respect among the people. People who respect themselves would never engage in antisocial or unethical activities. On the other hand people who have no self respect may engage in all types of antisocial activities. Such people have nothing to lose. On the other hand, self respected people would think twice or thrice before performing an illegal activity. Martial arts promote only ethical activities. Therefore, it asks the learners to develop self respect and respect towards others. According to Abu Baker Kasim, “martial arts teach discipline and confidence. No matter how tough you are and how much you excel in it, you will always know that there are others who are far better than you and this will make you know your limits and respect boundaries” (Kasim). The aim of asking martial arts students to respect others is to make them aware of the fact that there are people who are healthier than them both physically and mentally. Disrespect towards others may force a martial arts learner to misuse his abilities and get into troubles. Martial arts teachers ask their students to use their self defense mechanisms only on unavoidable circumstances. They never ask the learners to use their skills to dominate others. To conclude, martial arts have the potential to spread humility and respect. Humility is necessary for martial arts learners to keep their mind fresh and unagitated always. Peace of mind is necessary for performing the skills learned through martial arts. Humility provides peace of mind. On the other hand, respect is necessary for martial arts seekers for avoiding unnecessary problems. It reminds the martial arts seekers about the availability of stronger opponents in the society. In short, martial arts promote both humility and respect. Works Cited Kasim, Abu Baker. “Seven Skills Martial Arts Can Teach You”. Web. 25 January 2013. Merriam Webstar. “Martial Art”. 2014. Web. 25 January 2013. “Martial Arts and Respect”. 2013. Web. 25 January 2013. “Martial Arts: Fitness, Traditions and Trends in West Today”. 2012. Web. 25 January 2013. “The True Meaning Behind Martial Arts”. 2010. Web. 25 January 2013. Willitts, Joel. “What is Humility?”.2012. Web. 25 January 2013. Web. 25 January 2013. Read More