November 23, 2009
Courage
Of all the virtues one might expect to find in a martial code of ethics, courage could be the first that comes to mind. The mythology that surrounds martial arts is full of examples of physical courage. Heroes face danger to right wrongs, protect the weak, and avenge murdered teachers. To me, this is the most basic and easily cultivated kind of courage. Moral courage – “the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement” - is often more challenging. The two are linked, and point to an underlying fortitude in the heart of the brave individual.
There has been a lot of thought and word dedicated to the concept of courage in human history. Mark Twain gave us perhaps the most common Western conception of courage:
“Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it.”
Certainly true, though I think the danger of this view is to think of courage as something that is only applicable in situations where one is directly challenged. I rather feel that courage should be a constant aspect of one’s behavior. Courage is found in the commitment to live and exemplify one’s ethics. It is found in the person who stands for justice and fairness as much as in the one who stands against injustice.
The Tao Te Ching tells us that courage comes from love (chapter 67). Love is the foundation of courage. Without love, there is nothing to stand up for nor hold on to. Courage is the first of ten characteristics of dharma in the Hindu Manusmruti, speaking to its importance. Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics, warns us that too little courage is cowardice, and that too much is recklessness. And courage is still important to us today – especially in a civil setting – manifesting in such places as “Good Samaritan Laws.”
Courage is essential to the virtuous martial artist. It is the lever that allows us to live by the ethics we espouse. Without that fortitude of mind and spirit, a martial artist is reduced to a mere practitioner of a skill. With the strength of courage to guide honorable behavior, the practitioner potentially elevates herself to a Master.
At least, that’s what I think. I’d be interested to see some comments on different conceptions of courage, and how it applies in daily life…
Peace,
Brad
October 29, 2009
Do the right thing
The concept of righteousness can be somewhat difficult to pin down. At least ina society that is largely Judeo-Christian in its morality. What I am talking about here is not being right with God, or “free from sin or guilt“. Rather, I am talking more about taking actions that are ethically and morally justified. In short, doing the right thing.
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October 13, 2009
Courtesy
Over the various martial arts schools and codes I searched out, almost all included some rule about courtesy in some form or another. I was somewhat surprised at its ubiquity at first, but it began to make sense as I delved deeper into the meaning of the term. In this post, I’ll take a look a general definitions of courtesy, how I’m using the term, examples of its inclusion in various codes, why I think it’s important, and how it applies in martial and daily life.
September 27, 2009
Ethics in Martial Arts
The topic that has gotten my attention most recently has been martial ethics. It seems like most every style has some kind of code of honor or guidelines for behavior. I’ve been doing some online research along with talking to other martial artists I know about the similarities and differences between codes of ethics in different styles.
So far, it seems that there’s not a lot of difference between ethics in different styles, even though they may have their origins in very different cultures. This is not surprising to me. In my experience, the die-hard martial artists – the ones that live it rather than do it – are mostly the same. They’re a self-selecting group that have a several things in common, and one of those things is a belief in being a “good” person. Of course what defines a good person differs slightly, but largely it centers around not being selfish, and giving back to the society one identifies with.
Given that context, there are several key elements in most martial codes: courtesy, righteousness, courage, loyalty, justice and fairness, respect for life, modesty, self control, defense of the weak, perseverance, and honesty.
Of course, those few words are simplifications of complex ideas. Over time, I will expand on each of those concepts and try to explain what I feel is meant by them in the context of the life of a martial artist. I will attempt, as much as I am able, to identify why these rules of behavior are important. I’ll explain how they came to be included in my list. I’ll speculate on the motivations for our martial ancestors including them in their ethical codes.
I hope that you, dear reader, will discuss and comment, so that we may all learn from each other and grow from the effort.
Peace,
Brad
September 10, 2009
The first post
The first post. I’m excited. Really!
I’m new to this obviously, but I hope to do a post a week at first. Maybe more often as things get my attention, and as I get into a habit. I would like to try my hand at writing, so this seems like as good a place as any to start.
Since this is just an initial post, and I understand it will live forever, I’ll just point you to the links on the right. At least they’re on the right with the theme I’m using right now. Stuff changes on the webs.
Over there, you’ll find some basic info about me, my motivations, and some ground rules if you decide to comment. Just be nice, and we’ll get along.
Peace,
Brad
