Martial arts are often associated only with fighting. However, a true martial art is much more than that. It is an art that involves the whole person: body and mind. The practice of a martial art is a real tool for personal development. Its ultimate goal is the plenitude of the being and serenity.

The martial artist seeks to develop a strength that allows him to face different types of trials experienced as aggressions. What is this strength? Does it come from an abundance of muscles and proven fighting techniques? Many combat sports falsely lead their students to believe that they are practising self-defence against external aggressors. But the ultimate goal of self-defence is to learn to face our own inner struggles and keep our ego at bay. This is where the martial artist will find this strength.

Our experience of practice, as well as numerous meetings with teachers and masters in martial arts have confirmed that the goal of martial arts is to build the individual to become a Warrior.

The warrior differs from the common mortal by the meaning he gives to his life. The warrior is in a permanent quest to connect with the forces of the universe. He seeks to live in harmony with himself and with his environment. What is a stress for everyone is a challenge for the warrior: “How to solve this test with wisdom?” Indeed, The Way of the Warrior asks us to live in harmony with our inner strength and the universal consciousness.

Why become a warrior?

Everyday life increasingly resembles a battle, with attacks often being insidious (frustration, illness, the death of a loved one, fear of losing, etc.).

Through martial arts, individuals methodically reprogram themselves. This gradually allows them to better cope with the aforementioned situations.

By materializing conflictual contexts of physical aggression, the practitioner experiments with defense techniques while learning to better understand themselves.

Thus, each difficulty encountered in their practice (effort, challenge, observation) prepares them for this confrontation with life. The apprentice warrior learns to observe and feel. Thus, they gradually develop their awareness of themselves and their environment.

There are, of course, different ways to cope with life’s challenges. But in my experience, the rigorous practice of a martial art is particularly effective. It is all the more interesting for women, who, due to their sociocultural heritage, find themselves or place themselves more in a victim situation. The self-confidence generated by practicing a martial art allows them to escape this status of eternal victim.

The virtues

Martial artists are introduced to a culture. They practice an art, developing virtues that will be integrated throughout their development. From the very first second, beginners pursue a path, even if they are not yet aware of it. It is the path of harmony. Thus, they cultivate a bodily aesthetic in each of their movements. In doing so, they develop physical and mental qualities through the more or less delicate situations in which they are placed. For harmony is the key to a healthy and fulfilling life.

Furthermore, martial arts teach mutual aid and solidarity. In training, the opponent is above all a partner. And each partner seeks just as much to help their partner progress as to progress themselves in the aforementioned virtues. Thus, martial arts teach altruism and respect for others. In daily life, aggression is rarely physical.

As a result, the individual has lost sight of an essential element: vigilance. The practice of a martial art, by physically materializing an aggression, obliges the practitioner to cultivate this vigilance. Indeed, the slightest lack of vigilance is dearly paid for. This vigilance gradually develops to become an extra-consciousness, which will persist outside the dojo.