Marshaling the Forces
Some people say it’s because of the popularity of spinoffs like Tae-Bo. Others point to a heightened fear of violence, an increase in bullying or the charismatic appeal of martial arts movie stars such as Jackie Chan and Chow Yun-Fat. But professional martial artists attribute the new boom in their ancient discipline to its unique ability to address the most pressing problems of modern life.
“Everyone today wants to get in shape, relieve stress, defend themselves and do an activity together with their family,” says Katherine Jones-Thiry, a fourth-degree black belt from Bellevue, Wash., a spokeswoman for the USA National Karate-do Federation. “Martial arts fulfills all these needs and more.”
Training schools, called dojos, have seen “a tremendous upswing in participation over the last decade,” she says, because martial arts can boost everything from biceps to self-esteem.
Adults who find the same old aerobics class boring discover that martial arts training is continually challenging.
“There’s always something new to learn,” Jones-Thiry says. “When you take a martial arts class, you feel productive no matter what else happens in your day.”
Children often flock to martial arts schools inspired by TV characters, like the Power Rangers, while their parents enroll them to develop mental and physical skills, including the often-neglected qualities of respect and discipline. Pediatricians, like Boston’s Lyle Micheli, frequently recommend martial arts training as one of the best organized physical activities for youngsters.
“Children who are brought to me because their parents think they are unathletic seem to make the most progress in coordination, strength and flexibility when they join a martial arts program,” he writes in his book, “Sportswise: An Essential Guide for Young Athletes, Parents and Coaches” (Houghton Mifflin, 1990).
Seniors also are increasingly studying martial arts, especially the softer, flowing forms such as tai chi. Recent studies have linked the practice of tai chi with a variety of positive health outcomes especially important to older adults, including lowering blood pressure, improving balance and relieving arthritis.
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Two of the biggest trends in martial arts are family members training together and the increased numbers of females, making up as much as 50% of students in some dojos. “Schools are becoming very family-oriented,” Jones-Thiry says. “We’re seeing the reluctant lobby parent watch their child’s class, see its value and decide to join in.”
Training together with family members can create strong bonds, she says, “because it evens the playing field between parent and child. Promotions aren’t based on age but on productivity and your ability to bring everything you have to the fore.”
(Promotions are displayed by belt color. Most schools begin with a white belt and add color as students progress; for example, gold, blue, green, purple, brown and then black. At black, ranks advance by degree, from first degree to 10th degree, or grand master.)
Mothers, in particular, are training with their children because it’s a time-efficient way to combine various needs--since many already drive their child to and from class, joining in allows them to spend time together and get a workout, too.
Women also are attracted by the self-defense aspect and the rare chance to study on an equal level with men in a discipline in which size and strength do not necessarily win. And many women have been drawn into martial arts by participating in cardio kick boxing, America’s hottest fitness craze, which has exploded in recent years--largely through the popularity of the workout video “Billy Blanks’ Tae-Bo.”
“Enrollments have doubled in many martial arts schools because of the [kick-boxing] trend,” notes John Graden, executive director of the National Assn. of Professional Martial Artists. Nearly 2,000 martial arts schools around the country have sent brown and black belts to certification classes for the association’s fitness kick-boxing program, called Cardio Karate, which began in 1996.
“Many people who come to a martial arts school for Cardio Karate become intrigued by traditional classes and sign up,” says Graden, who founded the organization in 1995 to help martial arts schools improve their business and operating procedures.
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Today’s martial arts schools are very different from those that pioneered teaching the Asian discipline in America in the 1960s.
“The vast majority of first-generation instructors received their training from the military while stationed in a Far East country,” says Graden, a seventh-degree black belt, based in Clearwater, Fla. “Those classes reflected a strict military atmosphere and attitude and were taught by highly disciplined adults to other highly disciplined adult men.”
The 1984 movie “The Karate Kid” took a completely different approach to martial arts training. The caring, compassionate master instructor, Mr. Miyagi, helped attract the first huge wave of children into the martial arts, which dramatically changed the nature of teaching the ancient discipline.
“We’re in a new and exciting period of sharing and networking,” says Graden, who also founded an instructor education program called the American Council on Martial Arts. The council’s instructor certification program is designed, he says, “to set a high standard of competence, professionalism and safety throughout martial arts schools.”
Yet despite the highly professional, family-oriented nature of martial arts today, many misconceptions remain. One of the most common is the Hollywood-fed myth that martial artists are swaggering, violent people itching to bloody the nose of anyone who gets in their way. But the opposite is the true spirit of the black belt.
“The intent of the martial arts is to resolve conflict, not create it,” explains Terrence Webster-Doyle, a Middlebury, Vt., psychologist and sixth-degree black belt who teaches nonviolent solutions to conflict through his educational organization, Martial Arts for Peace. “True martial arts combines physical skills that build confidence with mental skills geared to solving conflict before anyone gets hurt.”
These qualities can be life-saving in a society in which four out of five middle school students admit to acting like bullies at least once a month--a finding reported by University of Illinois psychologist Dorothy Espelage at this year’s annual meeting of the American Psychological Assn.
“Kids need to learn mental self-defense skills so they can handle bullies and avoid being victims,” says Webster-Doyle, who travels the country teaching “How to Defeat the Bully Without Fighting,” a workshop for parents and children.
“Too often we tell our kids they have only two choices: fight or flight,” Webster-Doyle says. “But youngsters need to understand how to use their minds instead of their fists.” Learning martial arts can help people defend themselves without ever resorting to physical force, he says, because “knowing that you can protect yourself can keep you from being afraid when a bully picks on you.”
Indeed, the founder of modern karate, Ginchin Funakoshi, said: “To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill.” And martial arts legend Bruce Lee is quoted as having said, “Any dummy can get in a fight. It takes a smart guy to stay out of one.”
Prospective students are often perplexed by the wide variety of martial arts disciplines with many confusing names and styles. The three main groups are defined by their country of origin: Chinese, including kung fu or wu shu and tai chi; Korean, including taekwondo and hapkido; and Japanese, including judo, karate and aikido. If you decide to join a dojo, visit several, watch classes, talk with instructors and students and take an introductory lesson.
A well-run school emphasizes positive values like courage, discipline, fitness and respect for self and others, say martial arts experts. Their advice: Watch the best students and ask yourself if you’d like to look like them someday.
How to Find Out More
* The National Assn. of Professional Martial Artists makes referrals to member schools, and their affiliated educational organization, the American Council on Martial Arts, offers certification for instructors. Call (800) 973-6734.
* Martial Arts for Peace is a nonprofit educational organization that offers workshops and materials on conflict resolution. Call (800) 848-6021 or visit their Web site at https://www.atriumsoc.org.