Is it right for a Christian to be involved in martial arts?
ANSWER
One of the early founders of modern martial arts, Gichin Funakoshi, said, “The mind and technique become one in true karate.” Development of martial arts such as judo, kung fu, hapkido, and aikido were steeped in the spiritual traditions of their native countries. This makes sense, given that many of those martial arts sought to merge spiritual and physical exercises with the goal of strengthening both. Also, systems meant to develop combat skill naturally sought a means to govern when to use violence. As a result, the initial practice of those martial arts often included training in Buddhism or Zen philosophy.
However, that is not how most martial arts are taught or practiced today. At least in the Western world, martial arts such as tae kwon do, jujitsu, capoeira, or judo are defined as systems of physical technique. Training in martial arts, as practiced by most schools, is entirely focused on refining athletic skills. Spiritual training beyond generic ideas such as discipline and respect is all but absent from most modern dojos. Still, schools and instructors will vary. The spiritual components, if any, offered in a martial arts training program ought to be carefully understood before a Christian becomes involved.
The Bible says the mind and heart are “desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). In the Scriptures, the heart and mind are often considered to be the same thing. Since our hearts and our minds are wicked, we are not able to think clearly about our spiritual situation. Any martial arts instructor who claims a person can “polish” one’s own spirit through his program is teaching falsehood. We are in need of a Savior to clean our hearts and develop within us a new spirit. Titus 1:15 gives us insight into the mind of the unbeliever: “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.”
Martial arts schools that are spiritually “neutral”—that is, most of them—probably don’t present any particular threat to a Christian’s faith. The same cannot be said of the rare martial arts school that openly incorporates non-Christian spirituality into its training regimen. We are not to conform our thinking to the world’s way of thinking but “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2; cf. Ephesians 4:23). We should train our minds in how to serve the Lord and then please Him in all that we do.
The philosophies contained in Buddhism, as well as most religions of the world, were developed by flawed men with defiled minds. They do not offer advice suitable for anyone to follow. Therefore, it’s important for Christians to ensure that whatever physical training they receive is not tied to spiritual error.
The physical side of martial arts is a good form of exercise, and it can be extremely useful for self-defense. Many Christians participate in martial arts, and some instructors even incorporate Christian spiritual ideas into their training. A spiritually neutral or Christian-flavored martial arts experience is most likely something a believer can participate in with a clear conscience.
It is dangerous to allow the mind to be influenced by the philosophies associated with the origins of karate and other forms of martial arts. Training that carries overtones of a false religion should be avoided. Some martial arts, such as jujitsu or kenpo, are effectively neutral in terms of spiritual content. Others, such as aikido, can be more difficult to separate from non-biblical spiritual practices. Therefore, it is wise for the Christian to use caution before participating in this kind of activity.
Is the idea of chi compatible with the Christian faith?
ANSWER
Chi (also spelled ch’i or qi) can be defined as “the energy force that gives life to all things.” The idea of chi comes from Taoism, which teaches that there are spiritual and health benefits to developing and strengthening one’s inner chi. This is done through meditation, exercise, and other techniques. Traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, and some martial arts like Tai Chi have an ultimate purpose of balancing and enhancing one’s chi on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.
By definition alone, the idea of chi is not compatible with the Christian faith. A foundational doctrine of Christianity is that God created all things through Jesus (see Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1–4). It is God who gives life, and by God, through Jesus, all things are sustained (see Psalm 147:9 and Colossians 1:16–17).
The idea of chi cannot be separated from the spiritual realm. When one engages with the spiritual realm, he or she will either encounter God or the demonic. In the Old Testament, God forbade Israel to engage in certain occult practices. This was for their own protection; the forbidden practices would have put them in contact with demonic forces (see Deuteronomy 18:9–13).
One point I want to address here before closing. Tik Tok Man in this video expressed his deepest desire to engage in an Astral Projection experience. What exactly is Astral Projection?
A voluntary out-of-body experience, or an “astral projection,” is spiritually dangerous. A person practicing astral projection or trying to achieve an out-of-body experience in order to connect with the spirit world is practicing the occult. There are two forms of this. The first is called the “phasing” model, in which the person tries to find new spiritual truth by accessing a part of the mind that is “shut off” during everyday life. This practice is connected to Buddhism or postmodernism and the belief that enlightenment is achieved by looking within oneself. The other form, called the “mystical” model, involves the person trying to exit the body entirely, with his or her spirit traveling to a mystical plane unconnected to the physical world.
The Bible explicitly warns against occult practice, or sorcery, and that
warning can be applied to voluntary out-of-body experiences and astral
projection (see Galatians 5:19–20).
God’s commands are always for our good, and He commands us to stay far
away from occult practices. There is great potential, when trying to
access the spiritual world, of opening oneself up to demons who can lie
to us about God and confuse our minds. The phasing model of out-of-body
experiences is also futile, according to Scripture. Jeremiah 17:9
says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick;
who can understand it?” It is futile to search for infinite wisdom
inside the finite mind of man.
EXCERPT TAKEN FROM GOTQUESTIONS.ORG
See the link below for further study:
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