In Search of The Ultimate Martial Art – Part Three

“The true science of Martial Arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.” ―Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings

The Physics of Martial Arts

The first problem encountered in following The Ultimate Martial Art Formula is that there is no comprehensive or universal terminology in Martial Arts. Karate describes their techniques one way, Aikido another way, Kung Fu another way, and so on. This is truly idiotic when one considers that the techniques being described are all related to the human body and the physical universe, and the terminology of these things should be agreed upon.

I suppose that there will be some who would disagree. They might insist that people must learn how to say “front kick” in Japanese so that they can keep with the “tradition” or that there is some mystical knowledge to be had by learning the terminology of the Shaolin monks. But, such think will more likely lead to ignorance rather than enlightenment. 

The point here is that the laws of Physics are the same no matter what country or time period you hail from, so why shouldn’t the science of Martial Arts follow suit? Because, so long as we live on this same earth, and have these same bodies that are affected by the same laws of the universe, all of Martial Arts will also be based on these same principles.  Indeed, the science of Martial Arts could be considered a branch of Biomechanics, which is an application of Physics to the human body. 

As such, the entirety of Martial Arts can be examined and organized based on the laws of Physics. While I wouldn’t expect anyone to be a Physicist in order to study Martial Arts, as that would defeat the purpose, I do believe that a Martial Artist would need to understand the basics of bodies and motion in order to master them.

For instance, one can study the mechanics of the body or the effects of forces upon it.  For the sake of demonstration let’s use the example of an incoming punch.  A Martial Artist would consider the distance and power of the punch. He would then calculate the proper counter-technique, and as long as he executed it with enough counteracting force, it would succeed.  This is how most of the technical aspects of Martial Arts can be conveyed and studied. 

One can also study the motion involved with each technique.  A Martial Artist would perceive the direction and speed of a punch, and would be able to redirect or counter it using his own motion.  At this point structure and size (for example the weight and strength of the opponent) matter less, as it only takes an ounce of pressure to deflect a ton of force.  This is mainly how Martial Arts techniques are applied at a practical level. Indeed, it could be said that Martial Arts is entirely concerned with the handling of the motion of bodies.

One can also become proficient in the dynamics or causes of motion.  In the example above, the Martial Artist would seek to understand that which drives the punch and would most likely respond by moving out of the way. No effort at all would be necessary to defend against the attack, as the force of the punch would be irrelevant.  When applied to Martial Arts this aspect of the technology would be mostly concerned with the intention behind techniques, and would likely solve the mystery of “chi” without the mysticism attached.

Note that none of the terminology used in the above examples is uncommon or obscure. The purpose is to simplify rather than over-complicate. This allows for Martial Arts to be taught as a science, something that can be observed and understood and applied to real life, rather than a mere philosophy or bunch of techniques.  This is the realm of The Ultimate Martial Art.