A Naturopath and The Martial Arts
Over the years I have been asked many times why a Naturopath would study martial arts. Perhaps this question is rooted in martial arts movies that portray martial artists as blood thirsty, heartless, soulless brutes capable of accomplishing impossible feats. Without a doubt, the movies rarely portray true martial arts. Reaching back to the roots of martial arts reveals a different picture. Before we travel there, let's define martial arts. Martial arts cover a broad range of activities that involve fighting techniques, physical exercises, and methods of mental discipline, and other skills. Martial arts originated in the ancient cultures of Asia, and are used today around the world for self-defense, exercise , health, spiritual growth, law enforcement, and athletic competition.
Origins
Very few activities have as many legends and myths surrounding them as do martial arts. Hundreds of practices are included under the title of martial arts, and some of these were passed down in secrecy for many generations. In fact, martial arts developed in countries that have been historically isolated from the Western world. As such, there are many conflicting theories and opinions concerning the origins of martial arts. What is known is that martial arts began in the ancient cultures of Asia, including China, India, and Japan. In both China and India, artifacts from 2,000 to 4,000 years old have been found with paintings of people striking possible martial arts poses. Qigong, one of the oldest systems that may be considered a martial art, is believed by some historians to be 5,000 years old or older. Its origins are ancient China. Some scholars trace the development of martial arts much later to the sixth century a.d. According to legend, that is when a Buddhist monk from India named Bodhidharma brought Buddhism, yoga exercises, and meditation techniques to the Shaolin Monastery in China. (Above image is The Purple Cloud Temple, Wudang Mountains (æ¦ç•¶å±±), Hubei, China).
Martial arts involve intellectual concepts as well as physical techniques, and have been influenced by many of the religious and philosophical systems of the East. The Taoist philosophy holds that the universe operates within laws of balance and harmony, and that people must live within the rhythms of nature. Martial arts cultivate these concepts of balance and adaptation to the natural flow of events. Buddhism is believed to have introduced breathing methods, meditation, and techniques of mental and spiritual awareness to the early founders of martial arts. Chinese Confucianism was concerned with ethical behavior in daily life, and martial arts often address these concerns. Some martial arts, such as t'ai chi and various kung fu methods, developed from qigong. Qigong, which means "energy cultivation," is a system designed to increase the flow of the body's qi, the universal life energy responsible for health and strength according to Chinese philosophy. Traditional Chinese medicine also incorporates concepts derived from martial arts to better the understanding of the body and health. Because therapeutic exercise is one of the major modalities of treatment in traditional Chinese medicine, some martial arts masters are also expert healers.
True martial arts are holistic in nature and have been so for eons. They are much more than the fighting skills many modern schools teach. Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan Karate, taught that "Karate is the compliment to the spirit." Indeed, true martial arts are much more than fighting skills. They are the means by which the character is molded and the personality forged. Similarly, a Naturopath views the patient holistically in that each person is comprised of body, mind and spirit. A Naturopath helps the individual strengthen body, mind and spirit. Now we have come full circle. Naturopathy compliments martial arts and martial arts compliment Naturopathy. Together, the practitioner gains inner and outer strength, wisdom, courage, honor and learns respect.