Actually, NO; just the opposite is true. This may sound strange because it “looks
so violent on TV”. We must look beyond misinformation that Hollywood has been feeding
us for years. In the wrong hands, the Martial Arts can be used for violence but,
in and of themselves, the Martial Arts are actually a peaceful pursuit. In the same
way, a knife is neither violent nor non-violent. It can be used at dinnertime to
cut food or used by an assailant to injure someone, but by itself it is just a piece
of metal.
Violence is something that you cannot ignore, shun, legislate, or do away with.
Our only hope for stopping violence is learning to control it. Violence by itself
is not the problem and is not a sin. Jesus himself used an act of violence in His
ministry when He chased moneychangers from the temple with a whip. Jesus knew when
violence was and was not appropriate and how to control it, which is exactly what
the Christian Martial Arts can help to teach.
Aggression and violence can be managed very well with a good Christian Martial Arts
program. I have seen it many times. I often have parents comment that they wouldn’t
dare enroll their child in Karate because they are too aggressive. The truth is
that the physical side of the Martial Arts is simply a means to an end. The end
result is a better understanding of self-discipline and control in matters of anger,
fear, stress, frustration, and conflict; these are the very things that lead to
uncontrolled violence and aggression. The Martial Arts are, in actuality, an antidote
to violence.
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