Liu, Lisa

Journal of Martial Arts Studies
Volume 4, Issue 1, pp. 77-85 (1999)

Recommended

In Lisa Liu’s article we begin to see the evolution of martial arts from a way of life to a mere competitive sport. With this she explains the intricate details surrounding the differences among martial arts that are still taught and practiced in the Asian world, and that of the Western world. In her article, Ms. Liu sites several prominent experts in the field of martial arts to explain their take on the new direction that it has taken. Several regard this new form of competition as being nothing of the original meaning of the Do’s, or ways. Stating that these new fads are only a mere flash in the pan and that, in the long run, they will not deter the true course of Martial Arts. With her argument she sites the sacrifices of spirituality that many modern dojos have taken, as well as key differences in the goals surrounding the traditional practice and the new incarnation of the sport.

Her first argument states that the code of ethics, or way of Martial Arts has been lost in recent years, with this she sites the example of karate-do. With regards to competitive karate-do many argue that its main purpose is to “teach only the fighting art and neglect the spiritual aspects.” This argument is followed up with the idea of the disappearance of the spirituality behind the art forms when competition is a motivator behind the learning.

This opens her argument up to the idea that there is too great an emphasis on titles and distinctions within the forms. Both of which, she argues, has been fostered by its popularity in the Western world, which supposedly has a low self esteem among its citizens. The fear behind this is that more and more will try to distort the form to better only themselves while leaving the true ideas of the art behind.

Her conclusion is one of the weaker parts of her article ending without a hard lined definitive answer. She states that only martial arts that challenge the self are living up to their original meanings. I also found that she leaves most of her arguments to quotes from individuals of only one persuasion, she lacks the understanding or research on the opposing view point to make this a winning essay.

Annotated by: Jeffrey Schrimmer (October 2003)

Martial Arts:

Topics: competition/sparring | history | instruction | philosophy |