Martial Arts
 

Not sure if anyone has ever posted on this subject before...but...

How do you feel about Martial Arts? Karate, Judo, Tae Kwon Do etc. Is it o.k. in your opinion to participate or allow your children to participate?

Just wondering.....

Re: Martial Arts
 

I know some UPC churches have their own clubs.

I think its a great thing as long as they keep it Christian on the meditation etc.

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Some wouldn't allow women to do it since they'd have to wear pants.

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I don't know why not. Some allow them to wear pants to ski.

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What is the point of Martial Arts but to inflict physical harm upon another person?

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Martial Arts are like any other sport, howbeit there are some clubs that embrace the Eastern religion aspect when teaching it.
I have never seen it have a detrimental affect on anyone.
I know many that have participated until moving up to the upper levels.

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Not necessarily true. Not all martial arts are offensive. Some are taught as defensive.

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How did Christ teach us to defend ourselves?

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You defend yourself everyday. It's how He created us. :wacko

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oh please. :blah enough with the sacreligous babble.

Martial Arts can be a healthy way to instill dicipline. As the Mrs has pointed out there are some forms that are completly defensive in nature.

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Defensive as in striking back? So, no turning the other cheek to your opponent then?

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Most of TKD's moves are meant to ward off an offending blow and neutralize your attacker.

My daughter will earn her 2nd Degree Black Belt in TKD in the next couple months. I've never regretted her learning this. I want her to be equipped and ready to protect herself from evil if it ever confronts her in a dark parking lot, or while walking to her classes.

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No, read below.

Many arts teach defensive moves that render an attacker useless without pounding on them. I don't believe anyone is advocating violence here, but I do believe God gave us common sense, if my daughters were attacked I would hope they could and would beat the living ( ) out of someone. I'll make sure you recieve their repentance afterward. :heeheehee

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In this day and age, I wish all parents would put their daughters thru TKD. :thumbsup

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In class last night, after sparring with a black belt, we were talking. She made the comment that a black belt is not a magical cure for conflict or that if conflict occurs that you won't get hit etc. I myself am in Isshinryu Karate and have a great teacher. One of the first things you learn is that your greatest weapon is your brain, and you avoid physical conflict. In fact, after nearly 30-years my Sensei has never had to use his skills.

I'm sorry but to make some over religious issue out of it shows how little someone actually knows about Karate and martial arts in general. If you think it's all about violence you are living in a bubble and have no idea what your talking about. Should I be forced to defend myself, I have the skills to neutralize the situation.

It would be like the US military defending our country with a fistful of flowers. There is a time for peace and a time for war. Living in mambe pambe land with theorized idiology is not the real world.

Anyway, martial arts is suppose to be about peace. As far as being allowed...that was not my question, and I'm a grown man, I will not have anybody tell me in an instance like this weather I'm allowed to do it...period. The female aspect is a moot point for me because I don't subscribe or by into the women not wearing pants in the first place.

I just wanted to see what some of my Aposolic kinsmen felt about it as over the years I have heard both positive and negative, I mean literally one side of the pendulum all the way to the other.

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Well, if THAT'S what you were looking for, then I can tell you what was expected of me in the church I was raised in.

It would have been taboo because of the 'spiritual' aspects that come with most martial arts teachings. The fear of Eastern religion being taught was what kept us at bay. Of course, nobody had any actual 'first-hand' knowledge of what's actually taught. It was assumed. I learned that the school my kids went to was owned and taught by a Christian man, and there was no spiritual aspect, but there was a whole lot of: Courtesy, Attitude, Goals, Respect, Honor, Perseverance, Loyalty, Self-Control, Integrity.

My kids blossomed under this guidance. But then again, their teacher is one in a million and has been an incredible influence in their lives. :winkgrin

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THAT is the issue... whether or not meditation is involved. I know a young man whose instructor told them to pray to Bruce Lee to empower them. He came into church and got saved after that, and said what he felt when he prayed to Bruce Lee to strengthen him was eerily similar to what he felt when he experienced the presence of God in worship and prayer.

Re: Martial Arts
 

My teacher is also a Christian, and no we don't meditate or pray to anyone. Praying to Bruce Lee?? Really?? That is just out there! While we don't subscribe to the Eastern Religion / Meditation part, I wonder if folks even blow that aspect up a little much.

Most folks I have encountered that oppose the martial arts think they know what they are talking about but in reality know very little if anything, and what they do know is nothing more then fabricated opinion mixed with hollywood portrayals of what they think it stands for.

Trust me I know there are alot of people that claim to be black belts and teachers who aren't worth the paper their promotion is printed on. There is confusion, and conflict within many forms of martial arts, it really depends onthe teacher and who taught them. Sort of the same in church huh?

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Meditation and/or prayer has never been a part of my kids' school.

According to my daughter, the closest they get to anything 'spiritual' is honoring the flags. They focus on character development mostly, and it's not drawing from some strange spirits out there. :wacko

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It really happened. That was not blown out of proportion. Made me gasp, too.

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I have mixed feelings about this. I don't oppose these activities for the most part however I have noticed that many families that involve their kids in sports (not just martial arts but soccer and baseball) miss a lot of church.

And Parents encourage their participation, which is fine, but often don't have the same encouragements in church activities (prayer, sunday school) etc etc

So honestly it's not the activities themselves but how parents approach them and their kids that I think needs to be considered.

Re: Martial Arts
 

So t-ball for my 4 y.o. is outta the question then eh?










*disclaimer j/k*

Re: Martial Arts
 

I didn't realize he gave us a manual for that one.

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I say YES! If it is ok to practice fire drills for safety and all that then yes! I feel that anything that a person can do to better their bodily health, mental health and all then going through training to protect yourself and others then you should be prepared. Also, martial arts can really, really center ones emotions so there are several benefits to it and I cannot see any down side.

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I can understand where you are coming from with the "missing Church."

The missing link here is how we see Sunday as the Church event. Or the mid-week event, or the youth event, etc... With that perspective, it's quite difficult to accept people living life in other ways, and fully within their faith community.

I know a kid that misses Sunday mornings for 8-weeks each year due the sport he plays. He's firmly rooted in the mission of the Church, is the first one to bring all his friends with him to his house, talks to them about God, etc...

Re: Martial Arts
 

Praying to Bruce Lee? That's either exaggerated or someone is loony.

No problems with meditation. Clearing the mind from daily noise, etc.

Similar to some types of yoga as well.

Re: Martial Arts
 

I am not familiar with praying to Bruce Lee, but I am well aware of many who go further in meditation than a Christian should. When I was in TKD there were some who believed they could/would contact spirit guides through meditation.

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Then, as a believer, they could use that time to meditate on Jesus-- We believe in Spirit guides too! :)

It's not like you are commanded to worship the devil or death.

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Or, if she needs to protect herself from a much too friendly boyfriend. She can flip him over on his back put him in a cross-over-toe-hold from a full nelson. Then, she can pick him up in a chopper whirl, slam him up against the wall after dislodging both knee caps.

:lol

Boys seem to be kind of scarce? Not to worry. The Mrs can take her out on Saturday nights for a romantic candlelight lobster dinner. :D

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I don't mean merely a service like sunday morning but making other services. Im talking about where the parents and kids all drop off entirely because their focus has turned to something else

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LOL! Actually, that doesn't sound too far from the truth! They not only teach TKD for kids, they teach Krav Maga for the serious adults. She's now an instructor at the TKD school, and has been allowed to learn Krav Maga as well. Them folks is ROUGH! :uhoh

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I have a great defense system. Kick them in the shin, when they bend over kick them in the head. Preferably wearing cowgirl boots.:D

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I could see you doing that.:foottap

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Once a Sunday School teacher in Kentucky was instructing his class on turning the other cheek. He made it very clear that if someone ever punched, hit, smacked or slapped you on one cheek, you were supposed to turn the other cheek toward him and let him punch, hit, smack or slap it also.

One student then asked, "What do I do if he hits the other cheek?'

The teacher gave answer from the Scriptures.

He quoted John 6:20 as


"Be not afraid. Hit 'is eye"

Re: Martial Arts
 

My daughter competed a couple weekends ago at a Regional Tournament. She competed as a 2nd Degree, but is still a test away from being one officially. She was competing against 5 other gals, all 2nd & 3rd Degrees.

She took first place in both Forms and Sparring. None of the gals competed in Weapons.

Here is her Forms video. She actually tied for First Place in this video and had to do it a second time, and won.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz18XHmNh2c


Here is her Sparring video which she took First Place. She's the one of the left as the 'White' competitor. The girl on the right is 'Red'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pC46qKAfENY

You score 1 point for chest contact, 2 points for head contact. It takes the first one to score 5 points to win the match. Here's a rundown of the scoring:

1 point White
2 points Red
No point
Red illegal hit to face - award 1 point White
2 points White
No point
1 point Red
No point
2 points White

I was pretty amazed that my daughter won this match because watching the 'Red' opponent compete in her previous matches she was pretty aggressive and annihalated the opponent quickly. I was very proud of my daughter for not backing down! And I'm immensely proud of her for competing against those other 2nd & 3rd Degrees and coming out on top! :D

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My son was in martial arts while we were pastoring. He got tired of it after a while, but I wish he would have kept at it.

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Both of my kids had stopped after they received their Black Belts. They were both in High School, and had other things that were keeping them busy. My daughter is the only that has picked it up again and is now teaching part time while attending college. She may get too busy again, and need to drop it.

Their contract enables them to continue their education at any time, up to their 3rd or 4th Degree I believe. So at any point in their future, they have the option to pick it up again.

Re: Martial Arts
 

What about in self defense? Is there something wrong with hurting someone who is trying to seriously injure or kill you or someone else?

I carry a gun for just that purpose. It's far more effective than karate.

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We have a saint that teaches martial arts. We have been blessed and he has kept away all manner of attacks from Martians.