“Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.”
― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching
Why do you train? This is a question often asked of us as martial artists, and I believe it is one of the hardest questions to answer. It is such a deeply personal thing that it can be hard to articulate in words. It is also not fixed. The reason that you began training is not necessarily the reason that you continue to train today, though each is equally valid based on the context of the time.
We live in a society where validation always seems to be required from external factors. This is especially true as soon as people hear that you do martial arts. Either they are not a practitioner themselves and you are bombarded with questions. Are you a bad ass? Could you beat up that guy? What would you do if I attacked you now? Or they practice an art and the questions are different, what martial art do you do? What style? What’s your favourite move?
These questions always seem loaded. Demanding the answer yes I am a bad ass, or yes I know how to fight. These in themselves have a value but it may not be the thing that a practitioner values the most.
Why do I train? This is a question that I have been wrestling (though I have never studied wrestling as an art) with for some time now. The reason that I have been giving it so much thought is because I think it informs us of the choices we make, what we choose to engage with and who we are willing to learn from. As the quote at the beginning states, knowing yourself is true wisdom, and this chasing of wisdom is why reflecting on this question is important.
I began training when I was seventeen. My grandfather who I was very close to growing up had just passed away. I felt at that time that my grief was not as important as my grandmother’s, mother’s, and aunt’s. I realise with hindsight that of course it was, but at the time I felt I needed to not be another burden for them. In short, I didn’t know how to express myself.
I started looking at eastern philosophy and martial arts. There was something so captivating in the way that movement in an art could help people realise peace in the same way as sitting meditating or working in a garden or surfing or any myriad of other things.
The one that immediately grabbed my attention for its beauty was aikido. This was the thing that would let me finally express myself, an outlet for me to be me. The circular movements, the flowing hakamas, it spoke to my heart.
Beginning training was different to my idealised fantasy however. The style that existed in my local town was not the elegance I had researched but a more thuggish judo style. It was still aikido though and so I persevered. I came to love this group and often look back fondly at my time with them. Although it was not what I had originally sought out, these people allowed me to express myself which is what I needed.
I found what I valued at the time. This was not needing to feel safe, improving my fitness (I was a keen swimmer at the time), it wasn’t learning to fight, it wasn’t a need to prove myself in a contest. I don’t want to take away from any of these things as they are all wonderful reasons to train and if that is what a person enjoys and is what they value then that is amazing. What I am trying to express is the importance of including all reasons to train as equally valid, therefore all styles of martial arts have a place.
Now I am older and more worldly wise and have used martial arts as a springboard to enrich all aspects of my life in self expression. The reason why I train is a many layered and complex beast. I personally still remain disinterested in fighting and competing, but martial arts fills so many parts of my life, social, emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual. It is a huge part of who I am, and I know how it affects me when I can’t or don’t train.
As we can see the reason why I train is now multifactorial and has permeated every aspect of my life, but there are still underlying factors that guide what I learn and who I chose to learn from. I often shy away from the notion of competition or overly aggressive styles, I am always trying to soften myself not toughen up.
My wife has recently begun her journey into martial arts and her reasons are different from my own. Our children are training in karate. The dojo is run by two women, who are passionate, knowledgeable, powerful, caring and intelligent. Because of this I think they have a large number of women in their class and I think the environment of inclusivity and equality that they have created gave my wife the confidence to follow in the footsteps of women in the class who she found inspiring. Now I think she just likes hitting things.
When we as martial artists discuss differences in arts and the value in them I would encourage us to start from a common understanding of what is considered valuable for any given conversation. This should hopefully prevent any misunderstanding and friction that may occur. It often seems that people are looking at the same object from opposite sides and shouting that what they see is correct, when it would be much more helpful to come together and view it from the same angle before moving around to see it from another one.
I would also like to encourage everyone to constantly reflect on why they started to train and how this may have evolved over time. What do you value from martial arts and how is it fulfilled? What, based on your values, are your aspirations for the future?
I have shared with you some of my thoughts and experiences, giving you some intelligence about me. Now go search yourselves and find some true wisdom.
He has in the past tried over styles and systems but this is the style that he loves and always comes back to.
Since the start of 2020 and lock down he has begun a journey in Lee style tai chi as well as the kung fu that goes with this.
Although not working in this area Dane has done a degree in oriental medicine and acupuncture and has an interest in the health benefits of martial arts as well as the philosophy behind oriental medicine.
- Ukemi — What is it good for? (Part 2) - October 12, 2021
- Ukemi What is it Good For? - September 29, 2021
- Representation in Martial Arts Media - August 17, 2021
My reason that I began training at the ripe old age of 69 was watching my grandkids train, then realizing that I was watching, when I could be participating. Our dojang has a family plan, where the third family member trained for free. Little by little, the grandkids formed other interests and no longer train. I have discovered a group of older men that train together on alternate mornings. Our oldest will be turning 74 and just earned his Black Belt. Now, I train for the discipline of the mind to help retain memory, discipline of the body to maintain fitness and I enjoy the commraderie that was missing when training with the younger group. We are also slower paced which agrees with our more aged bodies.
That sounds excellent and an inspiration to all who wish to train