Reading my previous post on the three types of enjoyment, where I had classified Martial Arts practice as sattvic, my brother asked me if it was indeed the case. He said that, for some reason, he related martial arts to rajas. I insisted it was not so. Since there are many who associate martial arts with […]
Category: Martial Arts
When to Quit Martial Arts?
I have heard (and read) many give advice on when to start practicing martial arts. Most of the time, the recommendation will be either now, or earlier than that! But I have not come across anyone throwing light on when to quit martial arts. I think this is an equally important question to consider, and not […]
Why Some Masters of Martial Arts Claim Mystical Powers
Had an interesting discussion today with Pradeep, my friend and training partner, on mysticism in martial arts. It started with him telling me that he read my earlier post on the subject. After expressing a broad agreement with my views, he continued to share his thoughts on why many masters of martial arts claim to […]
Mysticism and Magic in Martial Arts – the Three Stages of Practice
Martial arts have always had elements of mysticism associated with them, and this has reflected in most depictions in popular culture. For a person whose understanding of the subject is solely based on these colourful reflections, martial arts is magical, mystical, and supernatural. For the mundane fighter who has picked up his technique on the […]
Titiksha – The Defining Spirit of a Martial Artist
The injury that I got while sparring in the class turned out to be a calf bone fracture, and my leg has been in a plaster cast for over a week. This has made difficult many of the things that I had taken for granted – walking, driving, bathing, even turning over in the bed. Martial arts training has been completely […]
Should Full-contact Combat Sports be Banned?
Last week, when I read about Australian Medical Association’s stand on combat sports and their call for boxing to be banned from Olympics and Commonwealth games, I was not surprised. Given that entering a boxing ring poses greater risk (in terms of probability) of a head injury than riding a two-wheeler without helmet for a comparable […]
What it takes to be a Martial Artist
What does it take to be a martial artist? Perhaps there are many factors that work together to make one. To identify these, and their relative importance, we can begin by looking at what keeps many from being the martial artists that they want to be. I have met people who claim to be interested […]