There's No Such Thing As A Superior Martial Art
Adam Cattillion's September 1998 letter titled "Down with the Korean Arts!" brought up a number of questions concerning the martial arts. What constitutes a "true" martial art, and does the art's country of origin have any bearing on whether it is a true martial art? What constitutes a "sporty" art, and does the art's country of origin have any bearing on whether it is sporty? What tenets do these arts teach? And finally, what arts should Black Belt cover?
Each of these questions could be elaborated upon, and indeed they have been - in much longer forums than this one. So I will try to address these questions while replying to Cattillioin's letter in a short and simple manner.
Cattillion stated that only Japanese and Chinese styles are traditional. He listed jujutsu, karate-do, tai chi chuan, kung fu, kobudo, judo, aikido and kendo as traditional arts that are true martial arts. He then listed several Korean arts - hapkido, taekwondo and tang soo do - as sport-style arts and called for Black Belt to stop covering them.
I'll point out the most obvious errors first. Judo is a sport. In fact, it has been recognized as an Olympic sport since the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. And while taekwondo will also join the Olympic Games in 2000, hapkido is not considered a sport and is still taught as self-defense. You will also find karate and kendo tournaments, as well as taekwondo and tang soo do purists who have nothing to do with the sport aspects of their arts.
So which are sport and which are traditional? This question cannot be answered by simply considering the style's country of origin. There are Korean and Japanese martial sports, just as there are Korean and Japanese traditional martial arts. This applies to the arts of other countries, too.
It seems that Cattillion's objection to the sporty Korean arts is that he believes that they teach competition and hatred. He believes the traditional arts teach peace, self-defense, self-confidence and ways to prevent a fight before it starts. Cattillion's motives are in the right place; it's just his knowledge of the martial arts that is askew.
Let's first look at competition. There is nothing wrong with competition, and many would argue that it is good for participants. We compete in things every day, and sport is just one area of this. One hopes that Cattillion is not calling for the dismissal of all sports, for these are the arenas in which people learn sportsmanship, fair play, teamwork and a host of other positive traits - as well as enjoy various health benefits. This is why there are sport programs in all schools. In fact, high school physical-education classes in Japan often consist of martial arts, including judo, kendo and sumo.
Stating that sporting arts teach hatred couldn't be more erroneous. When I competed in judo, I discovered that the tournaments were a place of sportsmanship, camaraderie and fellowship between players of different teams. I have seen the same at taekwondo tournaments. Even in toughman contests - which I have entered - hatred is absent. All the participants get along and congratulate each other after the bouts, and they sit with each other offering encouragement between bouts. In general, it is an enjoyable time for all.
Since Cattillion singled out taekwondo and hapkido as two arts that teach this hatred, let's look at what these arts do teach. Most of the taekwondo schools with which I am familiar teach courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit. Some go further and add humility and various other tenets which the instructor believes are important in the development of the whole person and not just his physical side.
When I studied hapkido in Kangnung, Korea, I learned not only the physical techniques of the art, but also the hapkido oath, which consists of nine parts: filial duty, brotherhood, faithfulness, loyalty, humility, knowledge, integrity, justice and courage. The roots of the taekwondo tenets and the hapkido oath can be traced back to the Hwarang warriors of Korea's Silla dynasty (57 B.C. - A.D. 935).
The Hwarang was a class of warriors that followed a code characterized by determination, simplicity, honesty, honor, bravery and absolute loyalty to the state. During the reign of King Chin Pyong, a Buddhist monk and scholar named Won Kwang incorporated the principles of the Hwarang and his Buddhist teachings into the sesok ogye, or five secular commandments. This became the Hwarang warriors' code of conduct:
- Be loyal to your king.
- Be obedient to your parents.
- Be honorable to your friends.
- Never retreat in battle.
- Make a just kill.
If following these tenets or others based on them is not traditional, then what is?
Finally, I would like to address the subject of which arts Black Belt should cover. The simple answer is . . . all of them. Martial artists practice their arts for various reasons, including self-defense, exercise, fitness, sport, self-improvement and spirituality. Not every art addresses these in the same way, and indeed some schools concentrate on one or two more than on the others. So what? That's part of the uniqueness of the martial arts. There is enough variety for everyone. It is up to each person to choose the goals he or she wants to obtain from the martial arts and then study a style under an instructor who will help with the attainment of those goals.
Sometimes our goals change or our arts don't focus on everything we want to learn, so we start practicing another art. Some of us choose to practice multiple arts at the same time - often with one as the base and the others as a complement. Again, this is a personal choice based on each practitioner's objectives and goals. I've encountered martial art from many countries, and all of them are worthy of study. There is a popular saying: There are no superior martial arts, only superior martial artists.
One of the benefits a person can gain from reading Black Belt is being introduced to various arts that thrive around the world. It is a forum to learn about that variety and to help martial artists understand one another. Additionally, it is a forum to learn concepts and techniques from other arts that may compliment your own.
Should Black Belt cover the traditional and sporting arts of Japan? Yes. Should it cover the traditional and sporting arts of Korea? Yes. Should it cover the arts of China? Yes. And it should cover the arts of Thailand, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Israel, and every other country in the world - the sporting as well as the traditional.
This appeared as the Guest Editorial or Commentary in the January 1999 issue of Black Belt magazine.
Alain wrote this editorial in response to the following letter that appeared in the September 1998 edition of Black Belt, that also featured an article on Chokes and Sleeper Holds that Alain wrote.
The Letter: Down with Korean Arts
I have a few things to say about Black Belt's coverage of the martial arts. You should concentrate on the true martial arts like jujutsu, karate-do, tai chi, kung fu, kobudo, judo, aikido, kendo and all the other Japanese and Chinese styles. Stop with the Korean arts altogether. Stop showing hapkido, taekwondo, tang soo do and the other sport-styled martial arts. They concentrate on nothing but sport, and even though they call themselves traditional, they're not. Please show us traditional arts like the ones listed above. The "sporty" arts don't teach us anything but competition and hatred. The traditional arts teach us about peace, self-defense, self-confidence and how to prevent a fight before it starts.
Adam Cattillion, Sarasota, FL
