So recently I’ve watched bunch of martial arts videos on YT and it got me wondering if I should start training something. However there is more to martial arts than just the exercise part: most of it is rooted in eastern religions like buddhism. This specific article covers the problems with karate fron christian perspective, I’d like to hear if anyone here has tried martial arts and what’s your experience with it. Were there any religious parts like meditation?
There are some dojos that are run exclusively and explicitly by Christians who focus in on the martial arts as it relates to exercise and self defense and then some incorporate Christian themes in where the eastern religious themes would be.
I attended at least one of these growing up where we were taught the fundamentals of the martial art and they incorporated Christian themes in. We didn’t do any meditations of any kind, unless you count praying as a form of meditation. We were taught virtues such as respect but it wasn’t necessarily always grounded in Christianity.
Though there are also many different forms of martial arts, and not all come from places where religion has been part of it like Jiu Jitsu from Brazil but not having any religious themes involved despite it originating from Japan.
What are your goals in learning and practicing a martial art? Is there a specific type you have been interested in that heavily incorporates these religious elements?
I highly highly doubt that in secular country there would be single dojo which would be run by christian, europe is not like US. Maybe 20-28% of the people here believe in God so we are in minority here and the procecutors want to pretty much ban Bible here.
Ah sorry, I assumed you were in the US. I apologize but you’re right. My experience was with the US.
karate interests me, from what I’ve read there are some buddhist teachings but it depends on the gym of course.
Taekwondo and Kyukoshin karate have been thoroughly reformed martial arts for a while now and whatever lingering religious roots may exist in some practices have been completely expunged as far as I know…? Like, I would not be surprised if someone could bring up some old manual or origin behind a specific movement in a kata or a specific philosophy that is vaguely tied to an Eastern religious perspective, but I would also say that… This shouldn’t be problematic.
The Catholic church even ruled that Confucian ancestral rites were OK as it was a ceremony to honor the dead more than some fixed religious thing…
I do appreciate your concern, though…! And I do not want my answer to be the definitive one here… Just trying to help.
From what I’ve read karate can have buddhist meditation/teachings of chi which is not ok for christians to participate in. I think this is more nuanced question without clear yes or not answer so it depends on the gym you are going to. Also as lutheran i would not do those confucian rites.
If it bothers you (I really don’t see the big deal), go for krav maga. It was developed for military use and has no religious ties whatsoever.
Yes, i tried it for one day. The gym smelled so shit and sweaty so I didn’t continue xD. BTW this was never meant to be yes or no question since the answer to my question is more nuanced. Also I don’t have MA experience so I decided to ask others if there is any problems for christians to try it.
I would like to learn basic self defence against drunk finns xD, BTW taekwondo and judo are also fine since they don’t have any religous parts in them.
Just throw a 6 pack of karhu into the bushes and leave while they’re distracted.
good tip, then they die of alcohol poisoning
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you are literally twisting everything i said and did not read my post, low effort troll
alright, you are not christian. you will be banned for trolling and lying.
Oooooo lol
you literally failed reading comprehension by not reading the title, GL with that mate
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you get banned, hhahahaha
