Catholicism And Martial Arts

[jmjtina]

Taekwondo.

I actually find it pretty much in harmony with my faith. Practiced since I was in 5th grade.

Of course, if you have that bad guy from the Karate kid, I can see how it could conflict.

[Galloglasses]

Also, for the record, my old Religious Studies Teacher was a black belt in Taekwondo. Goes there every other week.

[Noel's angel]

The chaplain to my school did karate

[Kirisutodo333]

[quote name='Galloglasses' post='1584857' date='Jun 27 2008, 02:27 PM']Ok, that last part made me chuckle XD
I won't, but I have seen only a few animes that were any 'good' Hellsing, (as horribly insulting as it is to a Christian, specifically its portrayal of the Roman Catholic Church as an Imperial Menace, the priest guy was awesome, if a little pysco), was so far the only anime asides from Claymore that impressed me in terms of animation. The story in Hellsing is absolutely enthralling, even to a man like me who despises anime. (so thats saying something), but the vast majority of anime tends to be mindlessly repetitive, and causes lasting and sometimes unstoppable obsession in younger minds. (Naruto, Pokemon), its these animes which are destroying the western animations. That, and Companies such as disney as investing far too much in 3D to compensate the competition, how I miss the old cinematic animated masterpieces suchs as the Hunchback of Notre Dame and the Lion King.

Also, for the record, its not that hard to beat Hollywood in terms of storytelling. The Host, (A Korean Movie, live action, that wasn't all that good), was better then alot of Hollywood flicks I've seen.[/quote]

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Naruto or the likes. I'm more into serious and dramatic anime. Elfen Lied and Tsukihime Lunar Legend are some good ones. The "Host" was a bit silly, but it was fresh and entertaining. The Vengeance trilogy (Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Lady Vengeance) are off the hook! Yes, Hollywood has been a disappointment for a long time, but it does deliver me "Ironman" and "Batman" in the same summer too, so it has it pros and cons.

Peace

[Galloglasses]

Aye, there are some redeeming factors.

For some reason I have a need to rewatch men in black now =s

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='Galloglasses' post='1584654' date='Jun 27 2008, 08:25 AM']I didn't, I was generalising western Culture which IS obsessed with the eastern Culture. Otaku conventions for example. We get as many of them in Europe as America does.

And Nihil Obstat, my reply was not aimed at you...like, at all, it was a reply to Kirisutodo333. What gave you the idea I was argueing with you?[/quote]
Posting in the thread was related to my topic in any case.
Sorry, I was in a bad mood for some reason when I replied. Probably not a good idea to write in times like those.
I will agree, there is a lot of Eastern 'fixation' around here, and I don't like it at all.
Also, in general I hate anime and 'manga'.
One exception. Actually two.
Number one, I like that cartoon Teen Titans.
haha, yes. I know, it's completely lame.
I love it anyway. It almost doesn't count though, since it was half American.
Other thing I like is a 'graphic novel' that my friend wrote. It's called Karma. She got Chapters to sell it on consignment, and I bought it because I'm nice like that.
Had a heck of a hard time learning how to read it properly.

[Galloglasses]

Right to left is unnatrual @_@

[Ash Wednesday]

I studied the martial arts for a few years and I have a black belt in two arts -- taekwondo and hapkido. I haven't studied in a while due to life changes and moving, but I do plan on taking it up again sometime.

Whether or not it conflicts with Catholicism really depends on the school you choose to train with. A lot of it one would think should be common sense, but people should be grounded in their Catholic faith before training extensively. But that applies to everything life throws at you.

The school I did train with, I think, did have some things going on that people, at least deeply religious ones, might find objectionable or would warrant caution. And the same could go for other schools. It was a very traditional school that delved into the philosophies and histories behind the arts just as much as the physical training. However there were many religious people in the school who trained and leaders always insisted everyone's right to have their personal beliefs respected and not infringed upon. For this reason I chose not to read or study the I Ching when preparing for black belt, and chose alternatives offered to me.

Being that it was very tradition and culture-minded in its curriculum, getting into more complex or higher levels of training they did start discussing "chi" which has been a somewhat grey area or terminology that often causes debate particularly among people in western or religious thought. I know that interpretations of "chi" do tie into eastern religion and the new age movement, including reiki, which is a popular but problematic trend among Catholic circules.

So as is, I could see a Catholic not very well grounded getting into these things and being led into heterodox thought. A lot of people I trained with gravitated towards asian religion, one in particular I know was raised a Christian but became a Buddhist.

For me, it was like a dance, a way of getting exercise, and in a way, like artistic exploration and expression. I would take it up in a heartbeat, so long as my back and bank account will allow it. As is, so long as you're doing it for the right reasons (i.e. fitness, discipline) then it's fine. And above all and with anything in life, be grounded in your faith first.

[Galloglasses]

Lovely comprehensive summation.

[Ash Wednesday]

And of course I haven't had actual experience with the "Rex Kwon Do" style schools -- you know, the ones that get really competitive and develop a cult-like obsession with training and "kicking a**" -- ones that develop a kind of interest in violence or competition that the wrong kind of people really shouldn't get into, if you know what I mean. I knew a couple of people like that and I imagine there are schools on that end of the spectrum that can conflict with being Christian as well.

There are many schools and associations that specifically cater towards Christian martial artists and have Christian based schools.

And let's not forget one man who champions martial arts and is a great Christian man: Chuck.

[img]http://digilander.libero.it/macs_73/Chuck.jpg[/img]

[Galloglasses]

Chuck Norris doesn't push himself up, he pushes the Earth down.

[Winchester]

Mr. T pities the fool. Chuck Norris rips the fool's head off.

[Nihil Obstat]

Lol... Chuck Norris.

[LivingStone]

Quick Question: What about martial arts in competition? Often times, there are people that use martial arts as self-defense or as an excercise (as I do), but what about when it comes down to competition? I'm talking more than just kick boxing, I'm talking the stuff that's floating around on TV all the time, the UFC stuff or whatever...

I guess my question is where the line ought to be drawn? Eh?

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='LivingStone' post='1589769' date='Jul 2 2008, 11:08 PM']Quick Question: What about martial arts in competition? Often times, there are people that use martial arts as self-defense or as an excercise (as I do), but what about when it comes down to competition? I'm talking more than just kick boxing, I'm talking the stuff that's floating around on TV all the time, the UFC stuff or whatever...

I guess my question is where the line ought to be drawn? Eh?[/quote]
Well I've been in some 'competitions', but that's not what you're talking about.
In these tournaments I've been in, it's basically a showcase of what we practice in normal classes, just with other groups that are linked to my club. The only sparring that happens is the same as in our regular classes, very strict regarding light or no contact.
When we're talking about kick boxing and UFC though... Well there's a difference, obviously. I guess in a lot of cases I can't see it as inherently bad, because these people train specifically for the competitions, and it's often their job. The desire isn't to hurt anyone, although the lines get very blurred...
Good thinking though; I'll have to consider it more.