Spiritual Beliefs of Your M.A. Style

[Tiger1962]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone follow the spiritual / religious beliefs in your everyday life of the style they train under?

Personally, I do not, but I was curious if anyone does. (Buddhism, Taoism, etc.) also, i.e. meditating....

Just a simple yes or no is fine; I'm not trying to get too personal here.

[DWx]

My main style has very little religious content but even if it did I don't think I would necessarily follow it. There are some philosophical aspects I agree on and they have changed my perspective on things but I don't do anything special like meditation.

[The BB of C]

My beliefs do relfect on the way I train from time to time. For example, I won't train with a certain mindset that would contradict them. Further than that, it's a case-by-case thing more than anything else.

[tallgeese]

No, but then again my primary artform is wrapped up in combatives so there isn't a esoteric background to it.

[tenshinka]

Yes, Buddhism.

[bushido_man96]

My style, which pretty well corresponds to DWx's, has a set of tenets that are supposed to be viewed as the way we should carry ourselves in society as well as class. I wouldn't say that I have molded myself to these tenets, though, because my folks pretty much raised me to do things the way the tenets flow. Its just a coincidence that my parents raised me to follow rules similar to the tenets. Or, it isn't a coincidence, as the tenets are just about the kinds of things that you expect upstanding citizens to adhere to.

As far as anything religious goes, I have my beliefs, and I live by them. MA training fits into them well. Nothing really hard and fast, though.

[ninjasan11]

as far as studying buddhism and such I do not, though I do practice zen, because I feel it is practical to life, I just take the religous aspect out of it to an extent. However, Honshindo, which means way of the true heart, Is part of the US christian acadamy of martial arts, and is a ministry. It relates the virtues of karate, to what Jesus taught, so in that aspect, my martial arts is intertwined with religion.

[joesteph]

I'm spiritual but not religious. My parents are the religious ones, but never practiced a martial art. If my art (Soo Bahk Do) were grounded in religion, it would never have held my interest, and I wonder if it would clash enough between its religious side and my children's needs that I'd have to pull the plug.

The tenets are ones I've already arrived at through introspection, reading, and experiences in life. I find myself comfortable in contemplating what my style (Moo Duk Kwan) calls virtues, as we're pretty much on the same page.

[sensei8]

Religion in Shindokan? Nope! Even though our Soke and Dai-Soke were/are both extremely religious. Both were/are Christians! Hanging in the Hombu is our Dojo Kun. Our Hombu has the typical pictures of lineage hanging in its given place, but, there's one difference from other Dojo's that hang similar pictures. There's a picture of Jesus Christ that's right in the middle of these lineage pictures AND it's twice the size as the other pictures, AND it's been hanging there for as long as I can remember.

[ninjanurse]

According to the Dictionary, Religion can be defined as the following:

"–noun

1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.

4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

6. something one believes in and follows devotedly; a point or matter of ethics or conscience: to make a religion of fighting prejudice.

7. religions, Archaic. religious rites.

8. Archaic. strict faithfulness; devotion: a religion to one's vow."

So...you could say that most martial artists who are dedicated to their art and follow it's philosophies/principals/tenets/etc. are practicing a "religion". Of course, I am not implying that it is akin to Christianity or Buddism, etc., just commenting on the idea itself.

I find my martial art and my ideas on theology mesh quite well but I realize this is not the case for everyone, although I believe that the underlying ideas are all interconnected in some way.