Sam is a young undergrad from Texas University (Austin) where he is immersed in Japanese studies. He even speaks the language with considerable facility.
It sort of follows that he would be attracted to the Martial Arts. He is.
Sam holds a Black Belt in Ju Jitsu. He has come all the way to Toronto for a weekend advanced self-defense seminar.
His interest is so keen on his chosen field of study that he has already made long-term plans to obtain his Doctorate and his thesis will be an examination of the “spiritual component” of Martial Arts. Or if, indeed, there actually is one.
Personally, I believe it is a manufactured quality. I merely pose the question, “If a man truly is peace-loving and non-violent , why does he dedicate his life to learning how to beat the daylights out of his fellow man?” That doesn’t sound very spiritual to me.
It should be very interesting to hear Sam’s take on the issue.
First of all, I’m having a little trouble walking today. Yesterday evening the martial arts instructor, himself a PHD in Japanese Culture and History, struck a great nerve point on both my calves.
It’s endlessly fascinating to wonder about how the martial arts emerged and about the processes that led to their current incarnations. I seriously doubt the primal roots of martial arts involve religious qualities. Most likely, one guy determined that the pointy end of the stick needed to go into the other guy (for X reason). I think that in Japan’s case the Samurai class discovered that the practices of certain religions, primarily Chan Buddhism (which later became Zen Buddhism in Japan), achieved the simple, unhindered state of mind required for low-delay action. In addition, the practice of “Koan,” poems designed to make the pupil think outside his paradigms, undoubtedly aided the Samurai class in warfare (which involves constant trickery and subterfuge). At this point, I do not believe that the Samurai class initially approached religious masters for the sake of practicing their religion. It was a simple matter of supply and demand. The masters had good techniques for refining the mind and body, and the Samurai had a demand for combat effectiveness. Once war was no longer the norm, Samurai had the freedom to practice religion with no need to focus on the effective training regimens that had helped their ancestors. Of course there are exceptions to this.
How ironic is it that the pacifist religion of Buddhism holds some of the best meditations and training regimens for the martial arts.