What is Martial Arts - according to the movies

Ever wanted to learn martial arts? Ever wished you could fight like Bruce Lee? Do you wish you could defend yourself or teach a bully a lesson in manners? Lol.

When many of us think of martial arts we think of the late 20th century kungfu movies starring Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme. More recently Chinese actors like Jackie Chan, Chow Yun Fat and Donnie Yen have taken up the mantle. These guys are great at what they do, aside from being good actors they have pretty neat fighting skills.

Many a little boy's dreams of learning kungfu began watching these legends of the silver screen enthrall us with their power and speed, flexibilty and grace. Aside from the physical component we were introduced to a mental side of martial arts which we probably dont understand but which was shown to as breathing, calmness and meditation. It seemed these masters all had this in common - a deep inner sense of power, calm and certainty, something which most of us have never experienced.

And while they are great martial artists and what they portray on screen is undoubtably martial arts techniques, fighting is only one aspect of martial arts.

The truth about Martial Arts

In truth martial arts is more than simply a method of self-defence. It is a holistic philosophy of how to live a productive and successful life. Martial arts mastery strives to find a balance between the the mind, body and spirit, that is to achieve mental, emotional and physical control and well-being through regular practice.

The word Kungfu in its original meaning, can refer to any discipline or skill achieved through hard work and practice, not only fighting. Therefore any task in which one attains mastery is considered kungfu. Kungfu literally means the attainment of mastery.And whether or not practitioners have yet attained mastery they consistently practice said task.

This means that a master chef, a great athlete, a parent, a teacher, even a fireman can attain kungfu is his or her chosen profession or hobby. Its philosophy derives from the idea that success comes from constant and daily practice. Kungfu masters are those that have attained such a level of physical and mental mastery as to be said to have reached true enlightenment. If the purpose is to attain self-mastery, personal success and enlightenment then the instruction and methidology of martial arts in the East serves the same purpose as religion does in the West.

Why Learn Martial Arts?

The benefits of learning martial arts are wide-ranging. Firstly lets look at the benefits of exercise. Aside from the obvious cardiovascular and respiritory health benefits attributed to regular exercise there are additional benefits to conditioning the body. Regular exercise improves bloodflow to the organs, limbs, joints heart and brain. This increased bloodflow carries with it increased levels of Oxygen (O₂) which is vital to cell repair ad optimum bodily functions.

This increased Oxygen directly impacts the body's energy levels, muscular strength, cell repair and even muscle growth. Higher O₂ levels directly correlate to a healthier heart and lungs and lower risk of heart attacks and respiritory problems later in life. Therefore being active daily is one of the best ways to stay young, fit and healthy.

Martial arts is a great way to keep mobile and achieve this. This daily mobility not only strengthens muscles but also prevents muscle and joint injury. So may people develop knee, hip and back pain, not to mention arthritis. Strong muscles and regular stretching keeps joints healthy, flexible and pain free.

And then there are the mental and emotional gains. Learning martial arts takes time, practice and dedication. Building these mental attitudes as early in life as possible hardens to mind to dealing with the stresses of life. An important component of learning kungfu and indeed in learning any skill is to be able to meditae, calming the mind and emotions to allow to body to express its full potential.

Stress is a killer. Kungfu teaches how to effectively deal with internal and external stresses of life by learning how to focus and calm the mind. Developing mental and physical control is incredibly rewarding. It is great to see progress and feel pride in your success. Learning kungfu is a great way os pushing your boundaries and overcoming limitations. This mental strength will carry over int oall aspects of your life, work and relationships. You will feel more clarity and be more connected to your inner power. Enough said. So now that you are ready to start martial arts lets move on to choosing a fighting style.