Modern Martial Arts - Lack of Confucian Doctrine

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Recommended: Chinese martial arts, confucianism and daoism

Philosophy is one of the most important aspects of any traditional martial art. The philosophies of many martial arts such as Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Karate are based off of Confucianism and principles from Confucius’s The Analects. Although traditional martial arts contain philosophical teachings, modern martial arts have lost their meaning, or “art.” The popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has contributed greatly to the loss of meaning in modern martial arts. By examining the philosophy’s importance in The Analects, one can see how martial arts is more than a physical set of skills.

One of the most important aspects of martial arts is philosophy; without philosophy, there is no art. In fact, many traditional martial arts and warriors developed a conduct/philosophical code based on Confucianism. The Analects are a collection of stories and teachings from Confucius, an ancient Chinese thinker and sage who developed an ethical system designed to ideally govern all relationships in the family, the community, and the state. His teachings in The Analects focus on meditation, selflessness (humility), and spiritual cultivation. Confucius’s teachings emphasized the practice of moral virtues by moral persons including humanity, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. The practice of virtue distinguishes civilized humans from animals. The Analects describe the five most important personal and social relationships of human life: father and son, husband and wife, elder and younger sibling, rulers and subject, and friend and friend. Moral virtue should be expressed within these ethical relations. The principle relations of the family can be applied towards society (Maguire). Mental and e...

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Works Cited

Breckbill, Jeremy. "Is MMA a Real Martial Art?: How Does Mixed Martial Arts Compare to Traditional Styles? | Suite101.com." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. 25 Sept. 2009. Web. 15 May 2011. .

Maguire, Sean. "International Taekwon-Do Essay." International Taekwon-Do - Home. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. .

"Mixed Martial Arts: Sport or Spectacle? : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 24 Aug. 2007. Web. 15 May 2011. .Website

Simpkins, Dr. Annellen and Alex. "The Way of Virtue." Tae Chun Do Webpage. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. .

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