Christians and Martial Arts

[Martialart]

If this topic is inappropriate for this forum, please delete it with my apologies. I just wanted to mention something about Christians and the martial arts.

It seems to me that Christians who take "turning the other cheek" seriously would have to be highly accomplished martial artists.

Think about it: if a bully slaps you, and you're too weak to do anything but let him or her slap you again, where's the glory? I think the idea is that you are more than capable of taking the bully's head off, but choose instead to turn the other cheek--realizing he's too weak to actually defend against you. This fits with "loving your enemy."

And humilty doesn't exist if you have no choice but to be humble. If you are a weakling--there's no glory in being humble; that's just what you do to survive. If on the other hand you could easily kill or seriously injure a person with your bare hands owing to your years of training in the martial arts, then you being humble means something.

It seems to me that the love inherent in turning the other cheek or in being humble can only come from those who are truly powerful enough to do otherwise.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

[Lupin1]

This may be a bit off topic, but my religion professor told us that turning the other cheek has nothing to do with being humble, and was actually an act of defiance. When someone slapped you, they would slap you with their left hand on your right cheek and they would never slap you with their right hand (I forget the exact reason). When you turned your other cheek towards them, it made it harder for them to slap you again. That's what he said, anyway...

[bushido_man96]

I remember a high dan grade once telling me that we've only got two cheeks to turn...

But, at any rate, you make some interesting points. I'm not big on the "turn the other cheek" idea, but that's just me. As far as the weak being humble because they have to in order to survive, this I'm not so sure of. There is a difference in being humble, and being fearful. Its the wolves, sheep, and sheepdog idea.

[Martialart]

There is a difference in being humble, and being fearful. Its the wolves, sheep, and sheepdog idea.

I wonder what that difference is. It seems in that scenario, only the sheepdog can be humble. The wolves have to survive (just as a bully must survive psychologically, or a mugger must survive his addictions or his starvation). The sheep, must beg for mercy and thus show their humility to both the sheepdog who can kill them, as well as the wolves who need to kill them.

Only the sheepdog has the strength to be truly humble. It seems to me that only those who are in power can be humble.

But I would like to read more of your thoughts on this.

[bushido_man96]

The sheep are just normal people. They aren't necessarily scared; they just don't have the ways or the means to fight if they need to...lack of training, weapons, or, they just don't want to, or, are taken by surprise, by the wolf in the night.

The sheep isn't always afraid. But when the sheep is attacked-mugged, robbed, or what have you, he may not have the recourse to act. This isn't being humble, or fearful. It may be fear at the time, but who wouldn't be?

The sheepdog is the protector of the flock. He knows that his duty is to protect the flock, no matter the cost. Now the sheepdog isn't really a superhero; he just does what his job is, which is to protect the flock.

The wolves here are the criminal element, preying on the weak, old, young, innocent, etc.

[sensei8]

Martial artist ALREADY turn the other cheek! How?

Karate-do wa rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru koto a wasaru na Translated...Karate-do begins and ends with rei [bow]

What, imho, this scripture ISN'T saying. This passage is not about a life threatening attack; it is about being insulted. A martial artist uses his/her skills as a last resort. An insult isn't even close to the last resort.

Each martial artist will have own different doctrines and beliefs, and in that, we may or might not agree, thus we'll just remain at an impasse.

For me, I'll continue to turn the cheek until the circumstances dictate differently. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”(2 Tim 1:7). The same is true of the martial arts. As practitioners became increasingly capable of destruction, some form of control becomes necessary.

[Cable Dog]

The sheep of the shepherd will become lions when threatened.

In my full time of training martial arts and military, I've learned how to not cause any harm and yet fully pacify a target using only two fingers.

As the phrase goes, "If a man strikes you across the cheek, turn the other cheek" says, turn the other cheek. It says nothing about allowing yourself to be hit again. Only giving the person the opportunity to disgrace themselves again. I've been attacked several times, and not a single person, using weapon or no, has ever even been so much as hospitalized. (This doesn't count military targets of course, only unprovoked targets)

[MasterPain]

Read Judges 5:23-27

It'll give your a little perspective on this matter.

Jesus was talking about the insult of being slapped, if he were talking about true violence, he would have told the soldier to turn the other ear.

[hiddendragon98]

turning the cheek doesn't mean get the crap beat out of you and do nothing i am a baptist christian in a way you should take pity on your enemy but it is ok to fight in self defense it just kind of means try to avoid all costs of fighting but when you have to fight you can

[shimizu]

If this topic is inappropriate for this forum, please delete it with my apologies. I just wanted to mention something about Christians and the martial arts.

It seems to me that Christians who take "turning the other cheek" seriously would have to be highly accomplished martial artists.

Think about it: if a bully slaps you, and you're too weak to do anything but let him or her slap you again, where's the glory? I think the idea is that you are more than capable of taking the bully's head off, but choose instead to turn the other cheek--realizing he's too weak to actually defend against you. This fits with "loving your enemy."

And humilty doesn't exist if you have no choice but to be humble. If you are a weakling--there's no glory in being humble; that's just what you do to survive. If on the other hand you could easily kill or seriously injure a person with your bare hands owing to your years of training in the martial arts, then you being humble means something.

It seems to me that the love inherent in turning the other cheek or in being humble can only come from those who are truly powerful enough to do otherwise.

Just my thoughts on the subject.

That is so true. Thank you for touching on that subject - I agree but when as you say for example, a bully slaps you and you know you could (for want of a better phrase) destroy him but you don't because you are a humble man that is thinking of the bully's "feelings" if you turn on him then other people around you may just think that you're a weakling for not retaliating against the bully - such a scenario would be common and also frustrating- would it not?