Arts of Peace
“Defeat the Enemy of the Self – 連者舍己無離之謂也”
Martial Development
For many individuals pursuing a spiritual path, which often involves exploring the nature and transformation of spirit and consciousness, the significance of the warrior arts can be difficult to grasp. While many Eastern spiritual traditions have long integrated martial studies, the deeper reasons for this connection may not always be immediately clear. To better understand the role of martial arts in the context of inner development, it’s helpful to break them down into three distinct categories:
- Martial Arts of Warfare
- Martial Arts of Competitive Sports
- Martial Arts of Peace-Time
Recognizing which category of martial arts one is engaging with is essential for understanding its relevance to spiritual practice.
Martial arts of warfare, traditionally practiced during times of conflict, are often characterized by their focus on violent, intense, and physically demanding training. The primary goal is the efficient destruction of an opponent, with little emphasis on aesthetics or the refinement of forms.
Martial arts of competitive sports, a more modern development, center around physical performance and achieving specific athletic goals, such as winning medals or improving one’s fitness. The focus here is on peak physical conditioning and competition rather than on spiritual or philosophical aspects.
Martial arts of peace-time, on the other hand, evolved from their martial roots to become tools for personal development. While they still retain techniques and principles from their warfare origins, the focus has shifted from aggression and survival to the cultivation of physical discipline, the perfection of form, and the harmonization of mind and body. These practices are often seen as a means of enhancing inner peace, focus, and spiritual growth.
We Teach Peace-Time Arts
Confusion often arises when individuals don’t fully understand the nature of the martial art they are studying, or when they attempt to apply it in an inappropriate context. Warfare-based martial arts are designed for combat and are not suited for competition; they also rarely contribute to the elevation of the spirit. Sports-based martial arts, focused on physical performance and competition, lack the mental conditioning required for life-and-death situations and do not foster spiritual growth. Peace-time martial arts, while effective for self-defense in certain situations, are not intended to turn someone into an efficient killer or to prepare them for competitive victory.
These three forms of martial arts are fundamentally different and should be recognized as such.
- Warfare-based martial arts are designed to “stop your opponent from killing you.”
- Competition-based martial arts aim to “stop your opponent from beating you.”
- Peace-time martial arts seek to “stop inner conflict on a spiritual level.”
PEACE-TIME MARTIAL ARTS 慈
At our school, we focus on peace-time martial arts, and we are clear in our understanding of what this entails. This discipline involves the study of efficient movement, internal principles, and combative techniques, all with an emphasis on integrating body and mind into a unified whole. Through this practice, individuals learn to harmonize Ming (health and vitality) with Xing (inner nature), addressing the emotional and psychological distortions that often contribute to feelings of low self-esteem, insecurity, and frustration. In essence, peace-time martial arts help resolve the internal conflicts that prevent individuals from attaining true inner peace.
We live in an age of relative peace, which shifts our focus to the common internal and physical challenges many of us face. While violent encounters may be rare, health issues such as heart disease and other chronic ailments are far more prevalent, and they represent some of the greatest threats to our well-being.
The path of the spiritual warrior is not easy; it requires discomfort, self-reflection, and disciplined repetition. However, it is a time-honored and proven path to spiritual growth and elevation.
In the opinion of Damo Mitchell, a lifelong practitioner of the martial arts, this direction is the natural evolution for traditional Gong Fu. Those who become overly fixated on violence in their martial practice may inadvertently draw more violence into their lives, leading to greater personal suffering. True spiritual growth, in his view, emerges not from the study of aggression, but from the cultivation of peace, both within and without.
The Illusion of External Conflict
Many individuals begin their martial arts training with the goal of building self-confidence and learning how to defend themselves. While these are perfectly valid and beneficial reasons to start, traditional martial arts systems in Asia often envision a natural evolution in a practitioner’s journey. This evolution typically unfolds in the following manner:
Combative Training > Medical Training > Spiritual Development
The inner mechanisms that guide this development of focus were inherently woven into the traditional teachings of Gong Fu. Unfortunately, for many practitioners today, these deeper aspects have been lost or overlooked. In the beginning stages, the focus is typically on combative training—becoming more skilled in fighting techniques and improving martial efficiency. This phase corresponds to the ‘child’ stage of martial arts practice, where the practitioner is primarily concerned with physical prowess.
As one progresses beyond the foundational elements, the emphasis should shift towards inner study and health. At more advanced stages, what might be called the ‘mature’ phase of practice, the focus evolves towards spiritual cultivation and the resolution of inner conflict.
Those who neglect this progression, remaining fixated on fighting and defeating others even after many years, often find themselves trapped in greater personal turmoil. They resemble the proverbial “frog in the well,” unable to perceive the broader peace that practices like Taijiquan and Baguazhang can offer.
The video to the right is a short discussion of the nature of martial arts training from Damo’s personal perspective. Subjects covered include:
00:00 – Beginning in the Martial Arts
03:24 – The Internal Arts and Conflict
05:55 – Three Types of Taiji
07:28 – Stages of Development in Taiji
11:08 – Masters of Taiji
12:39 – Taiji is an Advanced Art
16:10 – The Taiji Community