If you want to improve your game nothing will get you on the right track more quickly than well formulated Mind-Movies. The good news is that you can at last get a really first class guideline on how to develop effective Mind-Movies.
A great deal is written about visualization in sport. A lot of it seems to center around the idea that what the sports person should do is visualize the result they wish to attain.
I do NOT agree with this.
I agree that it is a good idea to have objectives and targets and to visualize those objectives, but that it NOT the most powerful way to use visualization in sport, or indeed in any other area of your life.
In any aspect of our lives objectives only serve as a destination for your efforts. So it helps to visualize your golf ball nestling near the hole. But what gets you to that destination is the effort that you make and the quality of that effort. It is the quality of your golf swing that gets your ball next to the hole.
The real power of visualization is in its ability to guide your effort. Good visualization provides a guide line or template for the body movements necessary to a good golf swing.
Once you know what you’re doing you can create and produce a Mind-Movie of your golf swing in a matter of minutes. And you can make that swing as powerful, accurate and elegant as you want.
The other great beauty of visualization is that it gives you the ability to constantly hone and improve the Mind-Movie which is
guiding your body and thus your swing. So you can get better and better as you rehearse your swing more and more in your mind.
And, because no-one else knows that you’re working on your golf swing you can practice in your mind anywhere you like and as often as you like. The new Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack recommends that you practice as often as you can.
The trick is to learn how to write, direct and produce a good Mind-Movie which will guide your swing so that it becomes a powerful, reliable method of propelling your golf ball accurately to any target you choose.
Whether you are new to golf or an old hand The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack will almost certainly improve your game in next to no time.
The fact that the beta trial version of The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack sold out in just 19 hours bears strong testimony to the revolutionary effect that Mind-Movies are having on the games of many golfers.
The Golf Bandit is an ordinary golfer who has dedicated himself to the art of winning at golf. He currently wins over 80 percent of his golf games and this year he has won 4 major trophies. He constantly researches new methods of improving his play which he shares with his Gang of Golf Bandits via his web site at http://www.TheGolfBandit.com. The Golf Bandit is the publisher of The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack, about which you can read more at http://www.thegolfbandit.com/golf_tip_Mind-Movies.htm
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According to various sources on the internet, a 1996 article in Iron Man Magazine revealed Bruce Lee’s workout. In addition to his cardio and karate workouts, Lee lifted weights three times a week and performed the following routine:
clean and presses 2 x 8squats 2 x 12barbell pullovers 2 x 8bench presses 2 x 6good mornings 2 x 8barbell curls 2 x 8
Unfortunately, he injured his back doing good mornings, which nearly ruined his career. Otherwise, his weight training was successful in that it is credited with helping him add 30 pounds of solid muscle to his relatively small frame.
Although Lee is the most famous martial artist ever, it may be that the strongest was a man named Masutatsu Oyama. Therefore, it will be interesting to contrast Lee’s workout with Oyama’s.
The Karate Bull-Fighter
Oyama was one of the first to bring Karate to America and founder of the Kyokushin style of Karate. His 1958 classic “What is Karate?” was one of the first books on the subject written in English, and designed to make the subject accessible to westerners.
Oyama initially became famous with stunts such as bull-fighting Karate-style. Unlike Mexican bull-fighters, he would actually wrestle the bull to the ground and break off one of its horns. (He wasn’t too popular with animal rights activists in Tokyo.)
Oyama’s Strength Training
According to Oyama’s 1958 book, strength and speed are more important than skill for Karate, and speed more important than strength. Also, he said it was very important to practice jumping.
Here are some recommendations he gives in “What is Karate?” (He doesn’t give an exact workout.)
Running – 4km per day
Rope-skipping – 20 minutes per day
Dumbell arm exercise (shoulder press?) – 200 times
Dips – 100 times
Push ups (with hands in fist) – 300 times
Inclined push ups – 100 times
Jumping side kick over 4 foot vaulting horse
Inclined dumbell bench press
Exercises requiring a partner:
Hitting bag with upper elbow and side of elbow – 200 times each
Practicing jumping kick with bag
Exercises for neck (with partner)
Leg exercise (squat with partner on back)
Back and Abdomen exercises with partner
Elsewhere in the book, Oyama said that he would bench press 175 pounds 500 times a day.
Then there are karate-specific exercises such
as straw striking and exercises that are specific to board and stone breaking abilities. All this was in addition to practicing forms, sparring, etc.
Comparing Lee and Oyama
Now, what strikes me as the essential difference between Lee’s and Oyama’s workout styles is volume. Lee’s weight training routine is relatively brief, and he avoided lifting on days of heavy martial arts training.
While Lee might do an exercise for 2 sets of 8 reps (which is fairly typical), Oyama would do it for hundreds of reps. Clearly, Oyama’s is a more time-consuming approach that would require a lot of dedication.
If you look at pictures of these men, they have quite different builds. For Lee, his training goal was apparently to add bulk. Before the weight training, he weighed only 135 pounds, and he added 30 pounds of solid muscle.
Oyama, on the other hand, was obviously a stockier fellow, and talks in his book about losing weight during periods of intense training. Judging from pictures of him with other people, I would say that he was probably slightly taller than Lee (who was 5′ 8″). Although Oyama was of average height, he doesn’t look like a small guy when standing next to American professional wrestlers, boxers, and strongmen.
Possible Conclusions
The point is not to compare them as saying one was better than the other. I do wonder what affect their training style had on the way they looked and how much was just genetic.
At any rate, if Oyama struggled to keep his weight down, it sounds like high volume training helped him to achieve that. Lee, on the other hand, seems to have been naturally lean and wanted the weight training to bulk up (probably to look better on camera). Too much volume (without steroids anyway) might be counter-productive to that goal.
So, maybe the lesson in this is that if you want to lose weight while simultaneously getting stronger, it might be worth considering an old-fashioned high volume workout routine, assuming you can make that kind of dedication. On the other hand, if your goal is to look like Bruce Lee… well, all I can say is “good luck”!
The author, Greg Bonney, is the owner of Bonney Information and E-Commerce and founder of Scoutcamping.com (http://www.scoutcamping.com).
Copyright © 2005 Bonney Information and E-Commerce.
Did you ever wish you could get out of the heat in the summer? So does the Bronzeback.
Shallow water means warmer water, and as a rule, warmer water in the summer is not where you are likely to find your limit. Then again, rules are made to be broken.
To find them in the shallows you will need to find some moving the water; current from a river, water being released or water being drawn in, such as at a power plant, or whatever creates a current.
Also, the shallows may be good on cloudy days which brings baitfish up. Baitfish bring smallmouths with them and usually in schools.
For these, use topwaters or soft plastic jerkbaits. Two of the best all-around smallmouth are soft plastic tubes and grubs.
But the majority of the time, you are going to be looking deep, and
deeper. Maybe 30 feet deep or more.
Look for main points near a river channel. Scour the sides of deep rocky points, bluff points, sharp drop offs and shady bluffs using Carolina-rigged soft plastics (french fries and centipedes), crankbaits and drop-shot rigs (tubes).
If you aren’t catching them, change locations. They can bunch up in the summer, often schooling by size and suspending themselves in deep water.
Oh, they’re out there in the summer. You just need to find them.
Most of the time you will need to think deep and deeper.
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By Bobby Ivie
Bobby Ivie is an avid fishman and owner of Fishing-Hunting-Camping.com. He makes the biggest part of his living on the Internet, NetBizWorkshop.net
This article may be reprinted as long as this source box is added and the source box hyperlinks are kept intact.
—-
1st Lady Assistant to Sensei Henry Ellis
Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido
I was born in West London in 1963, my father was very involved in the martial arts and a dan grade in Karate he was also a dealer in ancient Japanese arms and armour, although my father has an antiques shop in London’s Bond Street, my home was more like a samurai warriors dressing room, with original suits of Japanese armour complete with very frighting face masks that would frighten the life out of my friends when ever they came to visit, there were also very many valuable swords yari and naginata spears.
The Masters
My father would travel around the world searching for the best quality weapons, what intrigued me the most as a child was all these strange visitors that would come to my home, the famous Otani family were regular visitors with Sensei Matsuro Otani 7th dan Judo the UK National Coach, Kenshiro Abbe Sensei, Tomio Otani Sensei the UK National Coach for Kendo, his visitors were like the who’s who of martial arts, as recently as two weeks ago I was pleased to meet with Sensei Kazuo Chiba 8th dan when he came to see my father.
Introduction to Aikido
As a child I did a little Karate with my father but nothing serious until 1992 when I went to the local Aikido dojo in Bracknell, Berkshire, UK. All those years with my father and his Japanese weapons must have had a latent but profound effect on me, as I watched Sensei Ellis teaching his Positive Style of Traditional Aikido I knew there and then that this was the martial art for me.
The Hard Training Begins
When I started Aikido I made a point of training with the men and they treated me as one of them. With regular practice I progressed. I had now developed the hard training bug and started courses in physical training and amateur weight lifting, after a few years of hard work I became a fully qualified fitness instructor-personal trainer and amateur weight lifting coach, the high light of all this effort was when Sensei Ellis promoted me to assistant coach of the Ellis Schools of Traditional Aikido (ESTA) two years later he promoted me to first lady assistant to himself, there had never ever been a lady assistant in all the long history of the ESTA, Sensei put me on a three month trial and 8 year on I am still here.
In 1994 I received my coaching certificate from the British Aikido Board (BAB) which is the governing body for Aikido in the UK. Once I became assistant to Sensei Ellis I became involved in assisting in teaching both men and women and also helping with the children’s classes.
The First Seminar
Sensei Ellis asked if I would like to take part in a very large and important seminar in Liverpool in the North of England, Sensei Ellis is not one of those teachers who has a pet uke follow him around to fly all over the mat at a touch or a glance, he prefers to try to involve all the students who attend his seminars if possible, knowing this I felt very privileged but nervous when Sensei told me there would be about 700 students from various martial arts, I think the phrase “Being thrown in at the deep end” is applicable here.
On arrival at the venue I was amazed to see so many students from so many countries, UK-France-Germany-Italy-India-Austria are just some that I can recall. Sensei Ellis was asked to take the first class of approximately 50 dan grades from various martial arts. Sensei had me demonstrate 100 press-ups on the backs of my wrists with fingers pointing both inwards and outwards. When I had finished and was in the raised position Sensei sat on my back (he did not warn me of this) and carried on with his lecture. Sensei suggested that those who wanted to should try this exercise. It was amazing to see all these black belts struggling. Later I had
a little crowd around me wanting to inspect my wrists, I explained that this exercise is standard for both seniors and juniors in our schools.
I was now feeling a little more confident when Sensei pointed out that there were six young dan grades who had arrived late and were respectfully waiting for permission to come onto the mat. Sensei asked me to show them what we had been teaching so far, they were all wearing black gi’s and when I approached and invited them on the mat, they scowled as if to say “hey, we have not traveled all the way from London to be taught by a women” as I showed the first technique “nikkyo” a wrist locking action, the first guy tried to resist me, I applied the technique as shown to me so many times by Sensei and almost put him through the mat. I thought he would be upset with me, but as he got up he asked “How did you do that?”. He then wanted me to do the technique on all the others, now I had their attention and they were a great bunch of guy’s. I really enjoyed teaching them. At the end of the seminar, as we were leaving the hall to head for the car park, these six guy’s were waiting in a line and bowed to me simultaneously with a smile and said to Sensei Ellis ” You have a strong lady assistant there ,sensei” Sensei replied ” That is why she is my assistant”. That was my first seminar and one that I will never forget.
I have been involved in many other seminars with my Sensei and they were always good, but I was never so overawed as I was at my first one, or so I thought. Then Sensei Ellis asked if I would like to visit New Mexico in the USA for a seminar. The seminar was to be held in Alamogordo NM, where Sensei’s USA representative in the US lives and works at the Space Museum. Sensei visits New Mexico every year and we have another Ellis dan grade in Texas, Al Montemar. I had always wanted to visit the US and jumped at the opportunity. We made the trip into a vacation for friends and family. We taught members of the USAF and German Air Force at Holloman AFB, which included a guided tour of the base and various fighter aircraft, including the Stealth bomber. Sensei Rogers is an instructor who teaches students from the USAF, Highway Patrol, police and some members of the United States Marshals.
While in the US, I also visited the Grand Canyon and Phoenix. I intend to move to Phoenix to live within the next two to three years. Sensei Ellis has a book on aikido coming out next spring in the US titled “Positive Aikido” which I am pleased to be featured in, Sensei Rogers is a journalist by profession and has worked on this book for the past two years and it will be published in the US. There are several publishers interested in the book so we are all very excited about this latest project. I hope to be visiting the US again next year and I hope to be there for the launching of the book.
For the martial artists out there I would like to add one more comment about the proposed book. Where as most Aikido books spend a great deal of time harmonizing with the planets and the universe, there will be none of that in this book, Sensei always tells students to come out of the clouds and get back on the tatami because “This is where it all happens” and he also often says “leave the dancing to Fred Astair” (who is Fred Astair?).
Anita Wilson
Assistant to Sensei Ellis
www.EllisAikido.org
www.geocities.com/britishaikido
Anita Wilson has been involved in the martial arts from childhood she is now a very highly qualified personal fitness training instructor, qualified BALA weightlifting coach, Aikido assistant coach.
By: Henry Ellis
AK Fitness Tips – diet plan, exercises, weight loss and gain muscles latest information.
Whether you are just starting to learn golf, or you have been golfing for many years and you’re just looking to refine your game, this will provide a good direction of focus for this season.
If you want your score to drop by any significant amount, you should learn to hit your 150 yard club, and learn to hit it very well.
By “hitting your 150 yard club very well”, I mean being able to step up to the ball, and KNOW that you can hit any green that is 150 yards away. Every time, any condition, with no pressure.
You need to get to the point in your game where you can hit those 8 or 9 irons very consistently and accurately. Anyone can do this. Believe it or not, 150 yards is not very far away, and most greens these days are very big targets. The short irons should be the easiest club in your bag to hit. And if they aren’t the easiest clubs to hit, you should work on them until they are.
Once you master that shot, everything else is a simple adjustment. Your swing will be on, and you can simply add or take away a little club to adjust for varying distances.
That’s step 1.
Step 2 is designing your game to work around your “guaranteed 150 yard shot”.
Let’s say you are on the average 400 yard par 4. If you have that 150 yard shot in your bag, then it should be very easy for you to get onto the green in 3 shots.
Think about this…(I know you wouldn’t really do this) but if you have the 150 yard shot, you can hit it off the tee, and again for your second shot, and end up 100 yards out hitting 3 from the fairway.
Now you’ve put yourself in a good position, which is what course management is all about. And better yet, if you have the 150 yard
shot down, your 100 yard shots are likely to be working a lot better as well.
Even if you get yourself into trouble off the tee, just lay up to 150 yards out, and use your 150 shot to get on the green. This will do a ton of good for your golf game. You’re on in 3, and you can still save par or make bogey with a 2 put.
Start small, and master the 150 yard shot. Then build your game around it. If you do this, you won’t have to worry about so many bunker shots, chip shots, and all the other specialty shots that make this game so frustrating.
If you can get this shot down, you’ve taken the first step to breaking down your game and lowering your scores. Then you work on your putting, and then you work on your driver.
Now, I realize golf isn’t as easy as I’ve made it out to be above, but it really can be if you have the 150 yard shot. I can guarantee that you’ll be playing the best golf of your life this season, if you keep focus on improving that 150 yard shot. It is essential!
That’s it for this newsletter. I’ll be in touch in the next few weeks with some putting tips that should really have you stroking the ball.
If you would like to refine your swing this season “The Simple Golf Swing” is a great place to start. You can get it below. I guarantee that it will cut 7 strokes from your average score almost immediately.
David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of “The Simple Golf Swing” which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to http://www.golfswingguru.com
One of the most important things to consider when fly fishing is choosing your tackle the right way. Many people overlook this important factor and start with the wrong assumptions. They first buy the rod, then the line to match the rod, then the reel and then they buy the flies they will need to fish. The fact is the flies are the most important in determining weather or not you will be catching any fish.
The tackle selection process should go as follows:
First you must select the correct flies that you will be using to catch the type of fish you will be attempting to catch. The type of fly that is abundant in that particular environment. We will get into the types of flies to use in the right environment later on in the book. For now, accept that the fly should be chosen first.
Lines:
Once the fly assortment has been chosen, the next logical progression should be the line that will be used to catch the fish. The major between fly fishing, spinning and plug casting, is that with the last two types of tackle, the lure is used as a weight that drags the line from the reel to the target point of fishing. Flies are almost weightless, so you will need something to haul the line to the target area.
That weight is the fly line, which can be linked to an unrolling sinker. Just before the stop of the back cast and the forward cast, the line is straight. On the stop the line begins unrolling, transporting the fly to the target area.
There are four basic types of fly lines: Level taper, double taper, weight forward and shooting taper. Now, within these four tapers there are many variations. Some companies produce several hundred of fly lines. The good thing however, is that once you decide what type of fishing you will be doing, you’ll be using only a specific type of line.
Lines are given numbers from 1-15, and the most commonly used lines are numbered 3-12 in weight. As a rule the first 30 feet of a line is weighted and this line must be matched to the rod for optimum casting. Since most anglers have a variety of different outfits, each outfit is then matched to a different line to match each rod.
As a rule, most manufacturers will have a label attached to each reel, which will usually indicate the lines’ weight or number.
About The Author
Brett Fogle is the publisher of Fly Fishing Secrets, an insiders guide to flyfishing tips and techniques of the pros. To sign up for free flyfishing tips and other articles, please visit www.fly-fishing-secrets.com.
brett@macarthurwatergardens.com
Custom build your own personal “system”:
Useful areas of training and study to find, train and develop the various “parts” -
To develop STRIKING:
Western BOXING
Savate
Muay Thai (Burmese Boxing)
Jiu Jitsu ATEMI
Old style KEMPO
To develop GRAPPLING:
Catch/Freestyle Wrestling
Greco-Roman Wrestling
JUDO
Sambo (Real SAMBO/SOMBO)
Brazilian Jujutsu
A comprehensive study of the above will provide methods applicable to ANY so-called “ranges” of combat.
They will also provide ALL “techniques” necessary -
Striking, punching, kicking, knees, elbows, headbutts, biting, gouging, ripping, clawing, crushing, joint breaking(from the neck to the ankles), throws, trips, take-downs, strangles, chokeholds, and other assorted “nasties”.
“Mixed Martial Arts”. BULL@#$!(sounds like a f@#$ing breakfast omelet or pancake mix). This is real Kill Or Get Killed UNARMED COMBAT, gaining the ability and knowledge to EXPLOIT any and ALL weaknesses of the enemy and to NEVER EVER be caught by “surprise”.
ADD to this the ability to USE REAL and EFFECTIVE WEAPONS and you have about the MOST comprehensive system possible.
Its not going to look pretty. It never does.
And NEVER forget HARD TOUGH and PRODUCTIVE physical training for speed, power, strength, endurance and TOUGHNESS. Get your self in the best physical condition possible. The better shape you are in, the more damage you can absorb. You will get hit, you will get hurt- how much is up to you. Last, but not least: Get your MIND right,
DO what HAS to be DONE when IT HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE you have to make the decision. Kill or BE KILLED. Screw the BULL*&^%. Leave the poetry writing for later. when it comes down to it, it’s just a matter of who is left.
Carl
PS. Check out the combat jujutsu series www.combatjujutsusecrets.com
Copyright 2003 http://www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©
Carl Cestari began his study of the martial arts with judo at the age of 7 under the direction of Yoshisada Yonezuka. During the past forty plus years Carl has dedicated his life to studying the martial arts, hand to hand combat systems, history and religion. What makes Carl unique is his combination of martial arts, law enforcement, military and real world experience. Carl has been exposed to a multitude of people with a wide variety experience. The following is a list of some of Carl’s ranks and honors.
Shinan (Founder) Tekkenryu jujutsuRyokudan (6th degree) Koshinkai Karate under John BurrelleGodan (5th degree) Jujutsu under Clarke of the World Jujutsu Fedaration (now defunct)Sandan (3rd degree) Nippon Kempo under Narabu SadaNidan (2nd degree) Judo under Masafumi SuzukiShodan (1st degree) Judo under Yoshisada YonezukaShodan (1st degree) Shukokai Karate under Kimura, Kadachi and Yonezuka Shodan (1st degree) Daitoryu AikijujutsuInstructors Certificate- Charles Nelson System of Self Defense under Charlie Nelson
http://www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com
If You Have Never Used A Blacklight While Night Fishing, You’re Missing Out
We all know the benefits of night fishing – bigger catches and calmer waters are just two, however, night fishermen have several challenges that “day time” fishermen do not have to deal with.
One of the most difficult challenges is, of course, being able to see your line to find out if you have had a hit. Here is one way of easily being able to watch your line at night.
Use a blacklight and a fluorescent fishing line.
When fishing at night, it may be a few seconds before you know you have one on the line. By this time, the fish could already be under your boat or have begun it’s mad dash to the opposite shoreline.
By using a blacklight, your florescent line will glow in the dark, making it sometimes easier to see your line than during the day. You’ll be amazed at how your line lights up in the dark waters.
There are several types of blacklights on the market specifically made for night fishermen. Probably the most
popular is the “Stan Sloan” brand. Cabela’s also has an Optronics brand blacklight they are selling for about $50.
Just as important as the blacklight is the type of line you use with it.
Berkley makes a great flame green fireline florescent line that works well with blacklight night fishing as well. The reason this particular line works so well is because the florescent coloring is not painted on the line, but rather is chemically mixed into the actual line during production, which means the color lasts much longer than other brands.
P-Line also makes a good fluorescent line that is clear. You will need to test to determine which one works best for you.
The use of a blacklight during night fishing is a common debate among avid fishermen. Some think the black lights may spook certain fish, others couldn’t live without using them.
Give it a shot and see for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised with the results.
Daniel Eggertsen is a long time fishermen, as well as President and Founder of Evening Secret Fishing – (http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/blacklight.php)
Choosing the right is not really the easiest thing in the world anymore. There are so many different options out there and who really knows which golf shoes are better than others? If you really want to find the right golf shoes you need to do a little homework. You will want to look online to see what people are saying about their own golf shoes. Read some reviews and see which brands make the best golf shoes. This means the golf shoes that are not only comfortable but that last. You don’t want to have to pay a fortune for your golf shoes but neither do you want to buy cheap golf shoes that hurt your feet and fall apart quickly. Try to find an acceptable balance.
Ask yourself about the ay that you play your golf game. This is gong to have a giant effect on the golf shoes that you choose. If you like to do a lot of walking on the course you are going to need a different shoe than someone who does not. If the only walking that you do is between the golf cart and the ball then the golf shoes you need are gong to be somewhat different.
You will also have
to take into consideration the kinds of spikes that you like on your golf shoes. Do you like the soft ones or the hard ones? It is a good idea to go with the soft spikes even if you prefer the hard ones since more and more golf courses are banning the hard spikes all of the time. These golf shoes simply do too much damage to the grass on the golf course and this is causing damage that costs a pretty penny to repair. So really, you might as well get used to golf shoes with soft spikes now, as you will have to sooner or later anyway.
The next step in your golf shoes shopping is to try on the different shoes and different brands. This is the final step to finding the right golf shoes for your golf game. Choose the golf shoes that are comfortable and that you feel you could stand or walk in for a long period of time. If you are an avid golfer you are going to be spending a lot of time in these golf shoes so make them comfortable, this is essential.
Jason Powers, a devoted golf fan, offers more golf tipson his personal website ===>http://www.golfsites.info
As a Christian and a martial arts student, I have often wrestled with the idea of self-defense. Does God expect me to defend my family and myself when physically attacked or am I to “turn the other cheek” and endure it in the name of Jesus? As I considered the many comments I encountered on this topic, I became even more confused. Some advocates for “religion” have gone as far as to say that anyone who practices any form of martial arts is without a doubt bound for hell. It wasn’t until I committed myself to a more thorough study of the scriptures that I discovered the truth for myself. The Bible gives more than a few examples of the practice of self-defense and the idea of martial arts. I would like to share some of what I have learned in this study of the Bible – Old Testament and New. The Bible is, in fact, the very word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17).
God and Warfare
The first example of a physical struggle in the Bible is in Genesis chapter 4. It is here that Cain kills his brother Abel. This is an act of violence condemned by God for two reasons. First, the violence was out of anger and jealousy because his brother’s actions were better than his own (Genesis 4:4-7). Secondly, the violence was pre-meditated. God confronted Cain before this violence occurred. He told Cain that he would need to figure out how to master the sin of anger and jealousy that was trying to overtake him. What this scripture teaches is that God does not want us to initiate violence but he wants us to train ourselves to master our emotions when tempted with feelings of anger, jealousy and rage. He wants us to prepare our hearts to respond humbly. I believe the study of martial arts can provide this kind of training. I have seen it in my son’s martial arts class. His sensei (teacher) may spend up to half of the one-hour class teaching the children humility, manners, concern for others and peace-making. They are taught to avoid violence and stay calm in situations of conflict. This kind of character training is right in line with the example of God’s training of Cain.
The next biblical example of a conflict involving a physical struggle is found in Genesis chapter 14. In this chapter, kings are at war and Abram’s nephew, Lot, and Lot’s family are taken captive. In response to hearing the news about his relatives, Abram sends men to rescue them. In Genesis 14:14-16, Abram sent out “the 318 trained men born in his household”. It seems that even though Abram was not at war, he had a training program for his family and household. It was obviously a training program for warfare of some kind – and a good one, at that, since they were victorious in returning Lot, his family and all of their possessions from the hands of warring kings. After Abram’s successful rescue, he is honored by God and reminded that God had made him successful against his adversary. God later renames Abram, “Abraham” and he becomes the founding father of faith for the Jewish people (and later Christians as well).
To clarify the meaning of the term “martial arts”, Webster’s defines the word martial as “warfare” or “warrior”, and arts as “a skill acquired by study”. In the story of Abram rescuing Lot, the Bible gives us an example of warrior training. Not everyone in Abram’s household was a part of the 318 trained men, but the ones that were had excellent martial arts training. And God helped them to be victorious as they executed their warfare skills.
Here are a few other brief examples of warfare, from the Old Testament, that could be studied further:
- Genesis 32 – Jacob avoids war with his brother, Esau. He prepares for battle but orchestrates a peaceful resolution.
- Deuteronomy 20 – God goes with the warriors to fight against their enemies.
- II Samuel 23:8-39 – the Bible describes David and his mighty men of battle.
- Nehemiah 4 – the builders of Jerusalem’s city wall carry weapons to defend themselves during the rebuilding.
There are many more examples in the Old Testament, with a wide variety of scenarios and many unique resolutions. The subject of warfare is very complex and each situation needs to be considered carefully. Therefore, when faced with adversity, wisdom needs to be applied.
An Eye For An Eye
Even with the Old Testament of the Bible showing support for martial arts training, some might argue that the God of the Old Testament is different than the God of the New Testament – that God’s position on warfare changed when Jesus came on the scene. It might be said that the God of the Old Testament was about war and the God of the New Testament is about peace.
The Bible, however, does not support this. James 1:17 says that God does not change, and Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ [God] is the same yesterday, today and forever. Therefore, the God of the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament. As we continue to study this topic, we will see that the New Testament also discusses self-defense and the idea of martial arts.
Matthew 5:38-42, in which Jesus talks about “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, has been used to condemn martial arts. It reads, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” At first glance this passage seems to be advocating a reversal of the Old Testament laws. I was swayed by this argument myself, and was torn in my own convictions for some time. But when I finally decided to dig deeper into the Bible, I was amazed and encouraged to find some answers.
Many people who want to obey the Bible simply gloss over this scripture, like I did, because they are torn between what they think the Bible says and their consciences telling them to prepare for warfare and to protect.
The truth is that Jesus never intended to abolish the Old Testament laws. He only intended to clarify them, to reinforce them, fulfill them, and reveal God’s heart behind them. This is what Jesus says just moments earlier in Matthew 5:17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the [Old Testament] Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” When Jesus speaks about “turning the other cheek”, in Matthew 5, he is referring to the Old Testament Mosaic laws found in Exodus 21, 22 and 23. These chapters in Exodus contain the laws God gave to his people, which reinforce and further detail the famous “ten commandments”. Jesus is specifically referring to Exodus 21:22 where God explains what punishment should be given if men are fighting and an innocent by-stander is harmed (in this instance, a pregnant woman). This is not a scripture about self-defense but about restitution and punishment for a crime. Jesus referred to this scripture because the people, in religious self-righteousness, were using this particular scripture to justify retaliation and vengeance.
“An eye for an eye” had become an excuse to be intolerant and merciless toward one another. A closer look at the “act of aggression” that Jesus refers to as a strike on the cheek, will reveal that he is talking about an insult rather than a fighting fist. The word “strike” is translated from the Greek word “rhapizo” which is used interchangeably with the word “slap”. In the Jewish culture (as in many other cultures), a slap in the face was a form of humiliation or rebuke. It was not necessarily a physical attack and was not meant to result in physical harm. Even Exodus 21:21 (regarding “an eye for an eye”) says that if, as a result of a conflict, a pregnant by-stander is forced to give birth pre-maturely but there is no serious injury to the woman or the baby, “an eye for an eye” should not be applied as a punishment. Jesus is confirming that this Old Testament law regarding punishment is not to be used as an excuse for retaliation when inconvenienced or insulted. Jesus is exposing the heart of man and is further clarifying the Old Testament Law. God’s desire is that we don’t retaliate but rather that we restrain our emotions in the heat of conflict and maintain righteousness and mercifulness. We are not to pounce on our adversary at the first sign that we have been offended. The ultimate goal of God is to win over the offender, help him to see God’s mercy and institute a change of heart in the offender (see 2 Peter 3:9-15 and Luke 9:51-56 for further study).
Guidelines For Martial Arts
The Bible provides some guidelines for practicing self-defense and martial arts
as it aims to clarify what is and is not acceptable in the face of conflict. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture [the Bible] is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” I Corinthians 13:7 says, “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”. Using the Bible as a guide, a person can become thoroughly equipped to be a protector.
Permanent injury or death can occur as a result of practicing martial arts. This does not make martial arts unacceptable to God but God clarifies what is and is not acceptable in regard to deadly force in various situations. For example, Exodus 21:12-14 says that if a person is killed unintentionally, the killer is not guilty of murder. If it is intentional, the killer is to be sentenced to death. Exodus 21:18-19 says that if men are quarreling and one strikes the other and injures him seriously but not permanently (even with a weapon), he is responsible only to compensate the injured man for loss of time and medical expenses. I point out these scriptures to show that God is concerned with the attacker’s and the defender’s intentions as well as the outcome of the conflict. We cannot simply say that anyone who harms or kills another man is guilty and has committed a sin. It depends on his intentions. Also, we see that using extreme force, or even a weapon may be acceptable if it is used in a way as to not intentionally inflict permanent damage.
The Bible refers to another situation in which self-defense may be used during a robbery, in Exodus 22:2-3. If a man is being robbed, he is entitled to protect his property, his family and himself. If the attempted robbery takes place at night and the actions of self-defense result in the death of the robber, the defender is not guilty. If the attempted robbery takes place in the daytime and the robber is killed, the defender is guilty of sin. The difference may be that in the daytime, the defender should have more control of his actions and should be able to subdue the robber without killing him. Self-defense is warranted but control must be applied. At night, in the dark, maximum force would be acceptable since it is more difficult to assess the threat that the robber poses. It would be more difficult to tell if the attacker had a weapon, or to assess his physical strength.
God expects us to constantly make decisions about the situations we are in. In regard to martial arts and self-defense, it seems that God is concerned with our intentions. Guilt and innocence, to him, are a matter of the heart. God expects us to be directed by the heart of the scriptures in the Bible. We must be directed in our actions by scriptures such as Deuteronomy 5:17, which says, “You shall not murder” as well as I Corinthians 13:7 which says, “[Love] always protects”. As the Bible states in II Timothy 3:16-17, all Bible scripture is relevant and useful. During one of my martial arts classes, one of my fellow students asked our sensei, “What attack should I make now?” He had just finished practicing a series of intense self-defense tactics on his partner, rendering him harmless. Sensei replied, “Run”. No final “kill-move”? No, it is time to make another decision about the threat the attacker poses. If the attacker has been successfully rendered harmless then you shouldn’t stick around to inflict more damage or further risk your own safety. The Bible gives us specific guidelines for martial arts but God also communicates his heart about how he wants us to treat one another. He wants us to treat one another with love – even in conflict.
Weapons
I have also wrestled with the question of whether or not it was right for weapons to be used as a means of defense. Should I own a fighting knife, a sword or a gun? Isaiah 2:4 says, “…They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” If this scripture were taken out of context with the rest of the Bible, to use a weapon would be a sin. But this scripture has to be balanced with others. In the context, this scripture is describing the contrast between the nations of that time and the type of nation Jesus would establish in the future. The nation that Jesus would establish would have no military and there would be no physical walls to defend. It would be a spiritual nation, not a physical one.
The New Testament clearly confirms the right to bear arms. Romans 13:4 says, “For [the governing authority] is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” Even Jesus directs his disciples to acquire weapons as the time of his crucifixion approached. Luke 22:36 says, “He said to them, ‘But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.’” And in Luke 22:38, “The disciples said, ‘See Lord, here are two swords.’ ‘That is enough,’ he replied.” Peter soon after uses the sword to protect Jesus and Jesus rebukes him for it. This was not to say that it is wrong to use a weapon to protect someone. Peter had earlier been rebuked by Jesus for trying to keep him from fulfilling his mission of dying for the sins of the world (see Matthew 16:21-28). Jesus was re-stating that Peter was not to protect Jesus from going to his death. This was not the correct time to use the sword. Jesus had his disciples arm themselves because Jesus was not going to be with them, physically, any longer. They would need to protect themselves and each other and Jesus gave them the right to bear arms in order to do so.
Martial Arts Is Not Religion
It is important to note that martial arts is not religion in that it is not an institute of service and worship of God. It is only a tool to accomplish a necessary training. There will be flaws in all martial arts training and even things taught that are contradictory to the Bible. This will happen even when the martial arts style or system is advocating biblical-based training. Romans 3:4 says, “…Let God be true and every man a liar.” My son was recently taught by an instructor during class to avoid talking about politics and religion in order to avoid conflict. Though I appreciate the effort made to train the kids to keep the peace, the concept is biblically flawed. I spent the next week teaching Bible scriptures to my son such as Acts 4, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey [man] rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” It is each person’s responsibility as a Christian to know what the Bible teaches. Even in Acts 17:10-11, when the apostle Paul taught the people of Berea, the Bereans were honored by God for having a noble character because, “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Each of us has the same responsibility to examine the scriptures to see if what we are being taught is true, whether it be a teaching from our martial arts instructor, school teacher, neighbor, or religious leader.
Conclusion
Martial arts training has its place. It can help people learn to deal with the inevitable conflicts in life. There is no escaping battle in life. God wants people to be prepared to handle these battles, whether it is to turn the other cheek to an insult, find a peaceful resolution, or physically defend themselves or others. Martial arts and self-defense are not sinful or inherently wrong, but without the guidance of God and the Bible, martial arts could be misapplied. Without proper biblical training we are left to our own sinful nature, which tends toward retaliation, haste, fear, hatred, pacifism, and intolerance. Martial arts is a biblical concept, but even more attention should be given to biblical training. The Bible should be used in conjunction with martial arts training. In conclusion, I Timothy 4:7-8, which says, “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
About The Author
Tom Katch, Christian and martial artist. CEO of Kataaro – Quality martial arts uniforms and custom embroidery and screen printing at http://www.kataaro.com. Translations are available in Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
tomkatch@kataaro.com