You might be asking yourself, "Why is this section here? What's it have to do with Wing Chun?" Look on any martial arts site and more than likely you'll find a reference somewhere to zen, Buddhism, Taoism or another eastern religious following. For Christians, though, the subject can become confusing since many questions are rarely answered.
The one question I always get asked more often than any other is "how can you, a Christian, justify your training in a martial art? Martial arts are violent and aggressive, and Christianity is passive and peaceful." A valid question, most certainly. And that's exactly why you see this section here, to help answer these questions for both the Christian martial artist and the non-Christian who's curious about the topic.
In reality, there's no such thing as a "Christian" martial art. The term "Christian martial arts" simply denotes a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, who trains in a martial art. Is it acceptable for a Christian to train a martial art? Yes, it is, provided that a few areas are first addressed.
It is not acceptable for a Christian to engage in non-Christian religious training or practices. There should be no shrines in the corner paying homage to Buddha or anything else that suggests worship of any kind outside of Jesus Christ.
It is not acceptable for a Christian to train in "death arts" or methods designed exclusively for taking the life of your opponent. Many arts have one or more techniques for delivering these types of attacks, yet a Christian should carefully examine their chosen art for this. Under no circumstances would killing your opponent be acceptable to a Christian.
It is not acceptable for a Christian to "chant" or learn meditation as it relates to martial training. By "martial training," this indicates meditation to "calm the body and allow the environment around you to assist your enlightenment." There is no enlightenment for man outside of Jesus Christ. Those that believe there is have been persuaded to think this from forces contrary to Jesus' teachings.
It is acceptable to bow to your teacher, your training family, or even to photos of deceased grandmasters, founders, etc. This is not a form of worship; rather, it is a form of respect, similar to shaking hands in the west. Do not confuse a simple show of respect as being the same thing as worship.
It is acceptable to call your teacher Sifu, Sensei, or even "master" if that is his/her respective title. All Christians acknowledge Jesus as our one and only true Master, yet "master" in this sense is not a form of worship and it is perfectly acceptable. The terms "master," "teacher" and "instructor" are interchangeable on many levels, so calling your teacher "master" is not a form of worship unless you intend it to be. In the martial arts, it is simply refers to one who is highly skilled and proficient in their chose art.
Self-Defense vs. Violence
It's human nature to physically protect ourselves. It's the reason we don't stand in front of oncoming traffic or a bullet train. It's why we know that when a rattlesnake is angry, we better watch where we step. It's why we don't jump off the roofs of buildings and pretend we're birds. There are inherent instincts within each of us, and self-preservation - as well as protection of our families and communities - is something that's "built in."
The real problem is when someone confuses self-defense or self-protection with "violence." Why this confusion results, I can't rightly say. They are completely different and have nothing to do with each other.
The Old and New Testaments are quite different where physical protection is discussed. In the Old Testament, "an eye for an eye" relates that whatever injury is seen, the same injury is to be done on the attacker. Jesus, however, taught us that that is no longer acceptable. "Turn the other cheek" is the new law. Does that mean that we are no longer to protect ourselves? No, it doesn't.
In John 15:14, Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." If he laid down his life, what circumstances would be occurring? Possibly while attempting to save his friend from drowning? From a fire? Jesus didn't say "what" circumstances, and He didn't need to. His message was total and complete vs. specifically on a few certain situations.
And if the Bible teaches us about loving God and Jesus, it also teaches us about loving our neighbors as ourselves, as well as loving our families. Does this sound like "violence" and "self-defense" are the same? It doesn't to me. Did Jesus teach us that we should stand idly by and allow evil to run rampant? Of course not. He said to trust Him with all things, and we most certainly do. But many take that to mean that we are just mindless robots incapable of any action.
Let me put it this way.
If someone were to break into your home, what would you do? Would you stand idly by while the perpetrators accosted you or your entire family, and did nothing about it? As theologians J.P.Moreland and Norman Geisler stated it:
"To permit murder when one could have prevented it is morally wrong. To allow a rape when one could have hindered it is an evil. To watch an act of cruelty to children without trying to intervene is morally inexcusable. In brief, not resisting evil is an evil of omission, and an evil of omission can be just as evil as an evil of commission. Any man who refuses to protect his wife and children against a violent intruder fails them morally." (emphasis mine).
Martial Arts Are NOT About Religions
As stated above, some might think that the martial arts are based on Asian religious beliefs. In reality, that's just simply not true. Yes, there are schools out there that include religious philosophies in their curriculums, but the art itself is not about a religious practice.
Throughout mankind's history, self-defense in one form or another has always been a necessity. Warring tribes, warring countries, and even personal protection are nothing new to us. "Formalized" instruction of the martial arts are said to have originated with simple exercises designed to increase the health of various monks while they endured their meditation. Since they had little (if any) physical exercise, their bodies were deteriorating. So, exercises were created that would improve their health. From this, it transformed over time to organized movements for personal protection, which many emulate the movements of animals. Whatever developed after that was from personal influences of its practitioners and not due to the movements originating from a religion.
If you encounter a martial arts school that is about a religion, I recommend that you steer clear of it.
Martial Symbols and Logos
Many logos and symbols you see that represent various arts or schools usually come from the "roots" or origination of the art. For example, the AWCA logo includes both a yin/yang symbol and the Phoenix. The yin/yang symbol represents the "concept of opposites" while the Phoenix represents the state in which we live. The phoenix was chosen because it represents a southwestern symbol that many recognize, and also because it represents a re-birth from its former ashes.
I chose this symbol to illustrate that man is re-born in the Spirit of God after Jesus Christ as his Savior. Simultaneously, it represents the understanding that a martial artist achieves throughout the course of his/her training.
So as you can see, symbols and logos will abound greatly, depending on the art, the style, and even the person creating it. Not all of them represent a "pagan" tradition, and many of them are perfectly fine, just misunderstood by the public in general. For example, the yin/yang symbol mentioned previously.
The yin/yang symbol simply represents the "concept of opposites," such as hot/ cold, hard/ soft, etc. Could it be used for a religious symbol? Sure, especially since everything has an "opposite." But is it used exclusively for religious purposes? Not at all. Is the group incorporating it participating in a particular religion? Maybe, maybe not. Who can say what the person was thinking when the logo or symbol was created? But does it automatically mean that a particular logo or symbol indicates a particular religion or following? Of course not.
"You Cannot Serve Two Masters"
Also as mentioned above, many anti-Christian martial artists say that calling your teacher "master" is counter to the Bible, that Jesus and only Jesus is our master. They are correct in that we have only one true master, but again, they are misguided as to what it means from a martial arts standpoint, as well as the culture.
Asian languages do not regard the term "master" as a Christian would. Because the words for "master," "teacher" and "instructor" are interchangeable, they do not denote a form of worship; rather, it is simply a title of respect, a title to address your teacher. It's odd that the same methodology can apply to other languages yet no one seems to have a problem with that.
For example, the term "Rabbi" means "my great one," yet there is no implication of worship, is there? He is a teacher of the Scripture passed down from God to man. And what about "sir" or "madam," common terms of address we see today? Do people even realize that "sir" stems from "Sire," and that "madam" stems from "my Dame" (meaning "my Lady")? These were titles of respect, perfectly fine for the times and by no means indicating worship in any sense of the word. However, "sire" was also used with "my lord." Did that mean that the title indicated the "holder" being God? Of course not.
And what if a Christian plays in the symphony orchestra? The conductor is called a "maestro," which in Italian means "master." So if you play an instrument, are you worshipping the person that's leading the music? Of course not (and if you are, then you really need to get out more).
As you can see, "terms" in the martial arts have absolutely nothing to do whatsoever with worship. They are simply terms of address, many of the same terms that are applied to other occupations.
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To summarize, there is absolutely nothing in the Bible that would prevent a Christian from learning a method of self-defense, provided that the above points are addressed. Now, I'm not saying that all Christians should suddenly run out and start training in self-defense! I'm just saying that there is nothing in the Bible that states or even remotely hints that protecting yourself, your families or your communities goes against God's Word.
God said that all mankind will understand Scripture, and you need to know what you believe in and WHY. Far too many people grow up within a certain religion and have no idea about where it came from, how it got to them, or what its background is. Doing some research and finding out exactly what it is you believe in is one of the most eye-opening things you can do. And it's a journey you will fully enjoy.
[http://www.awcaonline.com/cma/cma01.html]
