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HOW DO MARTIAL ARTS DIFFER FROM WESTERN SPORTS

What is it about Asian martial arts training philosophy that elevates Taekwondo, Karate-do, Kung Fu and others to the status of martial "art" while boxing, wrestling, fencing, etc., are considered to be only sports and skills? During belt testing some time ago, the examiners asked how Taekwondo training—as well as training in other Asian martial arts—differs from that of western combative sports like boxing or wrestling, and why the distinction is important. Unfortunately, many students found it difficult to formulate an answer. The following might shed a bit of light on the subject...

Asian martial arts and western combative sports share many similarities and their participants train with many of the same goals in mind. However, it must be noted that Asian martial arts training and western combative sports training differ in one extremely important respect: the number one goal of martial arts training is to make better people. In time, fighting skills, self defense, sport, etc., all become secondary to the cultivation of the individual martial arts practitioner. For this reason Taekwondo is taught within a moral framework—in accordance to the "Tenets of Taekwondo"—which is why Taekwondo as well as other "do" or "way" martial arts seem so different when compared to their western counterparts.

Boxing, wrestling, and even kick-boxing (which only superficially resembles Taekwondo and Karate-Do) are typically taught with only the development of fighting skills in mind. The cultivation and improvement of the individual’s personal qualities generally aren’t a consideration, only the development of technical expertise. Sometimes a cruel or vicious demeanor and general disregard for others is even looked upon as an asset. This might help explain why some of the most skilled and famous boxers of our time—Mike Tyson for one—could hardly be looked upon as good role models (actually, the same could be said about many professional western athletes as well).

When traditional Asian martial arts skills are taught, it is generally with an emphasis on the belief that with those skills comes a social and moral responsibility to use them wisely. Often it is said that, "...with great knowledge comes great responsibility." In Taekwondo this responsibility is conveyed to the student by teaching and observing the tenets—modesty, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit, and etiquette—in every aspect of training. It is hoped that eventually the tenets will come to be applied to every aspect of the students’ lives.

Many other Asian martial arts share this philosophy in common with Taekwondo, along with the belief that developing a good work ethic, learning respect for others, and having respect for and confidence in oneself, ultimately will lead the student to a fuller and more harmonious life. This is the "do" or "way" to which we refer in martial arts training, and it is a harmonious and full life that we are all ultimately working toward.

Certainly, Taekwondo skills can be taught outside of the moral framework within which a traditional martial art functions. They often are since there really isn’t anything mysterious about learning the mechanics of a roundhouse kick. However, if a departure is to be taken from this fundamental aspect of a traditional martial art like Taekwondo, you must also accept the fact that you lose the "do," usually in exchange for many of the worst aspects of western sport and competition.

Then, which approach produces the best fighters—the "do" approach or the western approach? This question has long been the subject of heated debate, and there are many martial arts coaches who advocate abandoning traditional teaching in favor of a more western sport-like approach. However, at the elite level just how physically skilled a competitor becomes is ultimately determined by coaching, talent, and individual effort. Most Taekwondo practitioners will never attain such high levels of ability, which is why it hardly makes sense to exchange a system that is accessible to everyone for life, and encourages moral and social responsibility, for one that focuses merely on winning.

Ultimately, the value of anything comes down to what it contributes to society. Western combative sports are fine if you remember to consider them in the correct context. They are fun to participate in, exciting to watch, and they generate a lot of money for a select few fantastically gifted athletes who are able to participate in them at the elite level. However, they don’t really contribute much to our society beyond entertainment and their value as exercise.

Traditional Asian martial arts strive to be more than that. For many people, the training philosophies of Taekwondo, Karate-Do and Kung Fu seem alien and are often difficult to grasp. However, unlike western sports like boxing, they offer something more than a set of combat skills: a philosophy, a code of ethics, a "way" of life that can enhance far more than an individual’s ability to fight.