Martial Arts & Violence

At times, and especially after the release of kung fu films, I see a trend at my college – mostly young men and adolescents come, excited and affected by a movie, want to learn how to hit and fight like Jet Lee, Jackie Chan etc… The reasons for coming to learn have always been variable, which is entirely acceptable – each person wishes to receive something different and that is OK, but this specific reason usually has its roots in violence, a matter I do not support in itself.

I, personally, regard the martial arts as an art of life, a way of life. I believe there are many others like me who see it this way, and I ask, if one wishes to learn kung fu for the ability to hit and kick only, should I, as a teacher, accept students who wish only this? What if they apply the knowledge I pass to them in violent situations? I myself see in my art as a means to minimize violence, not increasing it

Fortunately, over the years I have had the opportunity to take an active role in discovering the answer, at least partially, through academic research with criminology professor, Israel Kim. Together we researched the influence of learning the martial art I teach on violence in disconnected youth and discovered significant improvement in their ability to handle situations in a more sophisticated manner, concentration, perseverance, self control, discipline, self confidence and behavioral norms. We saw that our training method put the adolescent at the center and allowed him to grow, while demanding a certain code of behavior.

Thus, I have at least some studied answer to this problem. Also, from my experience, I find that people of all ages who arrive to my college, whatever their original goal may be, often realize rather quickly that the martial arts have much more to offer their lives than they ever imagined (self empowerment, health, stress management techniques, negotiation skills to name a few), and as I focus on the internal art, those who only wish to learn how to fight naturally leave.

So, if a student came to my college due to a movie, but stayed due to discovering the secrets hidden in the kung fu training which helped him in his life, than I am happy he had an initial trigger. I believe the art teaches more than physical principles but also moral principles, a way of life, and hopefully – one that makes us better people who enjoy life more.