You walk in, bow to show your respect to the Master before changing into your uniform. You then go through a ritual of motions and reciting an oath before listening to the lecture for the day. There is a code of conduct to live by, both in and out of the building. The Master tells you to unite your mind, body and spirit in everything you do. You tell all your friends and family about the great experience you are having with this organization and how they should join you!

Is it any wonder why some people believe that martial arts promote religion and spirituality? There are obvious similarities going on here from the outside looking in. Like many of my Myths and Misconceptions blogs, it really depends on the instructor and student. There are many martial arts instructors that do promote religion in their training. But are martial arts really based on religion?

This myth is further perpetuated by the story of the origins of martial arts. The story of Bodhidharma traveling from India to the Chinese Shoalin Monastary. Seeing that the monks were weak, he taught them a meditative form of martial arts, which is said to become what we now know as Shoalin Kung-Fu. However, this is unlikely to be a true story, which I’ve covered in another blog post about the origins of martial arts.

Believing that the origins of martial arts came from monks in a monastery further reinforces the belief that martial arts teach religion of some sorts. The question then becomes, what makes a religion? And how does that stack up to what makes a martial art?

A religion is an organized set of beliefs and practices that involve the worshiping of a god (or gods) or a controlling supernatural force or being all while guiding the worshiper on how navigate life. While a martial art may have an organized set of beliefs and standardized way of practice, there is no worshiping of gods or controlling supernatural force/being. The bowing you see in many martial arts styles is not a bow of worship, but a bow of respect. Not unlike a handshake or a tip of the hat with a smile.

I have, unfortunately, seen “Masters” all but demand their students worship them and the ground they walk on. However, this is an ego driven arrogance and has nothing to do with martial arts. People like this are in every walk of life. You might be working for one right now, hah!

Some of you may be thinking, what about Qi (or Ki, or Chi)? Qi is considered somewhat of a supernatural life force that flows through the body. Being used to create superhuman strength, toughness, or even manipulated to inflict harm on another. Assuming Qi is real, which I’ve discussed in more detail in a previous blog, it is not worshiped. It’s just used as a tool in some martial arts training.

Lastly, let’s talk about spirit. It gets mentioned in the martial arts quite a lot. Yet, it’s not likened to a spirit or soul like it would be in religion. It’s referencing more of an attitude or emotion. If you have no spirit in your technique while practicing, it will look bland and weak. A practitioner that places a lot of spirit into their training is exciting to watch. Their moves are explosive and awe inspiring. It’s that burning flame in the gut that motivates you to try harder and accomplish
the seemingly impossible.

It seems clear that religion isn’t a part of martial arts, correct? Well, I’m going to throw a curveball at you and state that many traditional Asian martial arts are absolutely based on religion. But it’s not what you might be thinking. It also depends a bit on what you consider a religion. Zen Buddhism, Daosim and even Confucianism all tend to be the backdrop to most traditional martial arts systems. Even if the instructor or student suggests it’s not.

Most traditional martial arts make use of breathing exercises and meditation. They also contain student oaths and tenets that guide the student on how to live a good life that creates positivity in this world. All of these things came from the religious practices during the times these arts were developed. However, most don’t look at Zen Buddhism, Daoism, or Confucianism as religions, but more of a spiritual philosophy on how to live. But it’s easy to see similarities minus the worship of a god or gods.

However, these spiritual philosophies and guidelines are not the reason for martial arts. They can be separated. Think of the relationship between Zen Buddhism and martial arts in the same way we think of Christianity and the United States. Is Christianity a must to be an American? Absolutely not. But look at any coin in your pocket and you’ll see “in God we Trust”. Or watch a new President take office by swearing on a Bible. It’s intertwined with much of our lives whether we worship or not. This is a good way of looking at the connection between religion and martial arts.

It is essentially your choice as to how much, if any, religion you place into your martial arts training. But we must respect the connection as the founders knew that training and being involved with great violence demands a non-violent outlet to offset this violence. As with most all martial arts training, it is very personal and varies from person to person as to what they want out of their training.