If you
ask anyone what the most popular fitness activities are in America today, hatha
yoga and the martial arts will probably rank high on the list. Rather than
adversarial pursuits, these two mainstream ideologies have much in common. According
to recent studies, both disciplines engage roughly 20 million practicioners in
the United States and the evidence suggests that the trends are growing. From
small towns to large cities, yoga studios and martial arts schools are familiar
fixtures on both street corners and strip malls. Doctors recommend yoga for
stress relief and workplaces offer classes to their employees while the study
of martial arts is seen as a way to learn self-defense and boost confidence for
both children and adults.
How did
these two ancient yet complementary disciplines with roots in Asian culture
become mainstream physical and spiritual enrichment activities in modern
American life? Not surprisingly, if you study the historic progress of both
disciplines, you will find that they had their beginnings largely at the same
time, and their paths of development are intertwined. The third son of a Brahman
Indian king, Zen patriarch, Bodhidharma is credited with initiating a program
of exercises and drills that he taught to the shaolin monks. These techniques
were imparted with the hope of strengthening the monks’ ability to concentrate
during meditation while preserving the spiritual harmony required in monastic
life. Considered the Father of yoga, another mystical figure, Sri Patanjali
Maharishi, is believed to be the author of the famous treatise, The Yoga Sutras, which remain one of the
most influential spiritual writings in yogic practice today. Consisting of 195 aphorisms or sayings, the
work lays out a clear and practical path to gaining spiritual insight and
self-realization. Through the subsequent years and up until the 20th
century both philosophies became strong cultural components in their lands of
origin but only marginally penetrated the western way of life. Then, during the middle of the last century, interest
in yogic philosophy and martial arts found its way into the American psyche
mainly through popular culture. The current outlook that yoga and martial arts
study has become a “way of life” for so many Americans is a testament to the
popularity and accessibility of these two ancient disciplines.
Even
though both traditions have evolved from similar roots, they are vastly
different in their applications. The
fast paced and forceful movements of a martial artist are in stark contrast to
the strong but deliberate yogic postures called asanas. Even so, certain
parallels become apparent. The
atmosphere in both a yoga and martial arts class is one of reverence and
decorum with practicioners bowing to each other to show mutual respect. The
beginning of both classes might consist of seated meditation and breath-work
exercises. A yoga class will then progress to various yogic positions led by an
instructor and a martial arts class will move through basic motions and
vigorous defensive skills.
For
many practicioners, what may have started out as a desire to improve physical
fitness and “get in shape” is augmented and even supplanted by a desire to
develop a deeper connection to the inner self and a thirst for a more esoteric
study. The yoga student and the martial artist begin to realize that they are
on a “path” and the practice is a vehicle for their own transformation. How
does this happen? Again we can look at what is at the core of both yoga and the
martial arts and see very strong likenesses. Both disciplines adhere to a code
of moral conduct. In martial arts study it is called, The Five Tenets. They are Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance,
Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit. These words are recited at the end of each
class and reinforced through mutual respect and sublimation of the ego. Yoga education also ascribes to an Eight Limbed Path which is a series of
steps that act a guideline on how to
live a purposeful and meaningful life. As the student trains more deeply, she
becomes more self-observant and begins to practice detachment which helps to
slow the never ending cycle of action, reaction and judgment. It is becoming
common for martial arts academies to offer yoga instruction in addition to
their training classes because of the balance that is gained from their complementary
qualities.
Here in
the west, far from their birthplaces, the ideologies of hatha yoga and the
martial arts may also be undergoing a transformation. As anyone who has delved
deeply into either or both disciplines will tell you, change is the constant
force that is at the root of both practices. And it is here in America, where
innovation and reinvention are the norm that many believe lies the future of
these two extraordinary paths.
Patty Cook received
her yoga certification from the New Age Center in Nyack, New York, under the
direction of Paula Heitzner, RYT. She is a member of Yoga Alliance and has been
teaching and directing the Hatha Yoga program at the Chosun Taekwondo Academy
in Warwick, New York for 16 years. She can be reached at: info@chosuntkd.com website: www.chosuntkd.com
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