The universe is a dichotomy, when you come right down to the heart of the matter. The meaning of the concept of dichotomy is that there are two sides to a thing. Up and down, right and left, and so on into the realm of abstract ideas.
The crux of war versus peace is readily seen within the Martial Arts. And, in studying the martial arts dichotomies are on every...side. Dichotomies which head right into the soul and heart of the discipline, and even put our very existence up to question.
The beginner enters the school and is, in the very short while, confronted with the dichotomy of freestyle v form. Does he elect to study battlefield ready techniques of death and destruction, or does he opt for forms, with their abstract perfectionism?
Underneath this simple question of dichotomy is the question of destruction v control. Does the student practice techniques of destruction, which are quick and easy to learn, but perhaps not in keeping with the philosophy of the human soul, or does he practice techniques of control, which are more difficult to work on the street? The answer will dictate what kind of a human being he will end up being, and which way he goes in life.
Then there is sport v art. Should he practice the martial arts for the abstract of art, and be willing to wait perhaps decades for its benefits, or should he practice the martial arts for athleticism and a strong body, and then risk that body in contest? Again, the answer will dictate the very worth of his life, and his direction as a human being.
Really, it is the age old question of matter v mind. Is man nothing but an animal, or is he a spirit contained in a body? Should he study to find his soul, and that is the point of it all, or should he study like a careening roller coaster, and that is the point of it all?
Really, man is deciding his fate in answering these simple questions. In a murky fog with no sense of direction he is choosing to go up or down. For what is the worth of the human being, and who is to apprise us of the wrong and right that is within ourselves...but ourselves?
Betides. We choose, wrong or right, we choose. Whether we choose right or wrong, our uniqueness is put up to the light, and it is a choice to be valued.
The crux of war versus peace is readily seen within the Martial Arts. And, in studying the martial arts dichotomies are on every...side. Dichotomies which head right into the soul and heart of the discipline, and even put our very existence up to question.
The beginner enters the school and is, in the very short while, confronted with the dichotomy of freestyle v form. Does he elect to study battlefield ready techniques of death and destruction, or does he opt for forms, with their abstract perfectionism?
Underneath this simple question of dichotomy is the question of destruction v control. Does the student practice techniques of destruction, which are quick and easy to learn, but perhaps not in keeping with the philosophy of the human soul, or does he practice techniques of control, which are more difficult to work on the street? The answer will dictate what kind of a human being he will end up being, and which way he goes in life.
Then there is sport v art. Should he practice the martial arts for the abstract of art, and be willing to wait perhaps decades for its benefits, or should he practice the martial arts for athleticism and a strong body, and then risk that body in contest? Again, the answer will dictate the very worth of his life, and his direction as a human being.
Really, it is the age old question of matter v mind. Is man nothing but an animal, or is he a spirit contained in a body? Should he study to find his soul, and that is the point of it all, or should he study like a careening roller coaster, and that is the point of it all?
Really, man is deciding his fate in answering these simple questions. In a murky fog with no sense of direction he is choosing to go up or down. For what is the worth of the human being, and who is to apprise us of the wrong and right that is within ourselves...but ourselves?
Betides. We choose, wrong or right, we choose. Whether we choose right or wrong, our uniqueness is put up to the light, and it is a choice to be valued.
About the Author:
Al Case has practiced the martial arts for 40 years. Examine the Dichotomy of him at Monster Martial Arts.
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