In kids’ class yesterday a brand new student asked me, “What does Martial Arts mean?” I then characteristically went on a long rant about Martial Arts, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and much more. It’s been a while since I’ve written about some of this, so let’s discuss some of the meaning and history of our styles.
First, when we say Martial Arts we are referring to all of the fighting styles that branch from the first style, Kung Fu. Martial means fighting or warlike. While Art refers to something deeper than the physical expression of the body. Art touches us in a profound way. In Kung Fu there is some element of fighting, as well as some internal focus. We focus on self defense technique, as well as mindful movement, sitting meditation, energy work, etc. If there is no internal focus, there is no art. It’s simply fighting. There are fighting styles we wouldn’t really consider Martial Arts, but most traditional styles fall into this category.
Kung Fu
Kung Fu is largely considered the original style of Martial Arts. It originated when the Indian Buddhist monk Bohdidharma traveled to Shaolin temple in China and taught the monks there around the year 500. Of course there were many fighting styles before. However, the first style that incorporated philosophy and meditation as an integral part of the practice is said to be Kung Fu. There are now thousands of styles of Kung Fu. Styles range from the ancient animal styles to Bruce Lee’s modern Jeet Koon Do and everything in between. Our specific style of Kung Fu is Yuchia. The term Kung Fu essentially means achievement through effort. I love this because you can have Kung Fu in any activity such as academic endeavors or washing dishes. A big part of our philosophy is to connect our mindfulness and effort to everyday life. Whatever we do can be Kung Fu.
tai chi
Tai Chi is said to have originated in the 12th century. A legendary Taoist figure Zhang Sanfeng watched a crane fighting a snake. He decided to use the principles he observed to create a form of martial arts. The fighting form is referred to as Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan. Tai Chi usually refers to the exercise and philosophy without much of a fighting emphasis. Chi is the internal energy in our bodies, also referred to as Ki in Japanese and Prana in Indian practices. Much like the meaning of Kung Fu, Tai Chi has quite an esoteric translation of Supreme Ultimate. The philosophy is Taoist and utilizes the concept of yin and yang, opposites that are complimentary and interconnected.
brazilian jiu jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a sophisticated style of ground fighting derived from Japanese arts of Judo and Jiu Jitsu by Helio and Carlos Gracie in Brazil around 1925. It is perhaps the fastest growing style of martial arts due to the fact that it is very effective for self defense without being very hard on the body (depending on the way you practice and with whom). Jiu Jitsu translates to Gentle Art.
A central concept in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and the other styles we practice is to use an attacker’s energy against them rather than to resist with force. This allows a smaller person to efficiently defend themselves against a bigger attacker. Also, we learn to yield and flow with the energy coming at us. When we see an attack as an opportunity rather than a problem, this allows us to creatively deal with the situation. This is an essential concept that we strive to practice in everyday life.
No matter what style you practice, remember the roots and meaning behind what you do. These arts persist after so long because the students who have come before us had great reasons to practice and were profoundly influenced by what they learned. Be proud to continue this tradition!
