Martial Christ

Martial Christ

by Mike Reilly

I rarely tell people I’m a Christian. Some may think this means I’m ashamed of my faith or that I hide my faith to avoid ridicule or persecution. Of course if I was in China or Iran this may well be the case. But in America I see the announcing of faith more as a shield then a risk. I meet people on a daily basis who profess a Christian faith. I admire their forth rightness in their claim. For myself however I rarely verbally announce my faith. My reason is simple; If my actions do not announce me as a Christian, then perhaps it best I not advertise for the Lord. I have seen many people claim their faith, wave their bibles and preach the good news. But then see these same people do things that hurt others. I see them judge others, lie to them, cheat them and otherwise fail to bring goodness to others. I do not feel inclined to judge them but worry that there actions will bring judgment onto the Lord. For how else will God be judged then by the actions of those who allege to follow his commands. I do not want to be the reason someone turns away from faith. Or worse be one who attracts another to a false or shallow faith. This being said I want to share some of what has been revealed to me in my life and my experience on the mat.

Nothing said here is in any meant to proclaim myself as anything unique, special or elevated in any way. I do feel like I have been blessed; a blessing I all too often fail to make the most of. I’m not a better person then most and indeed frequently fall short. I hope as you read this you are able to gain some insights for yourself. If you do, please keep in mind that any good that comes from this is the result of talents not my own. Where you see mistakes, faults, errors, or if you see me in person where I’m less then kind; that is me; all me.

In the religion of Islam they have a concept called Jihad. Of course in modern times this word has been corrupted by wild eyed lunatics who seek to cheapen the values of Islam and life in general. These are evil minded people who are no more Muslim the Spanish Inquisition was Christian. Let’s look beyond how the word has been bastardized and what the concept is really about. Jihad means struggle. While this at times can include violent struggle or holy war in the interest of Islam it more practically refers to an individual’s day to day spiritual struggle. It is the struggle to see God’s plan, follow God’s plan and be obedient to God’s will. In this manner, all faiths incorporate Jihad to some degree or another.

For the Christian Martial artist the concept of Jihad is played out on a physical as well as emotional, spiritual and mental level. For those who need hard evidence to promote faith I think the struggles in the gym, or on the mat provide evidence about as hard as it gets. I honestly believe the wonders of God can be found in struggle. I believe the touch of God is better understood in trial, in pain and troubles then in easy times. Those who choose to follow a martial way are choosing the way of struggle, they are choosing Jihad. There are many reasons and many rewards for choosing the hard path. Many are simple and benign. Some are corrupt. But for those who do so as a means for self improvement on all levels will see a world open up for them they could have never seen any other way.

Of course for every person this journey will be reviled in different ways and in different times. This simple truth escapes many people and thus many teachers both of religion and Martial Arts fail. The standard in most TMA schools is to teach each person the exact same thing, in the exact same order and have them perform each movement in the exact same way. This often meaning pounding round blocks into square holes.

Among the many great beauties of this world is how different we all are. Not only in appearance and size but in mental and emotional make up. Every person in unique in the way they think, act and react. Stripe away all the outer things and there is differences right down to the physiological level. How your brain and body communicate. We are not all the same under the skin; we are different on a molecular level. Funny how hard others might try to make us all the same.

Allow me to break this down using martial techniques as an example. Starting out we all have similar and even predictable responses to action against us. If we are pushed, we push back. Now your Sensei may teach if pushed to give way and allow the aggressor to slip by you. Or they may teach to turn into a hip throw, an arm drag, a foot sweep, a double leg, a fireman’s, a drop shoulder and so on and so on. To be honest there is no conceivable end. As you grow in your martial sense you will develop more and more technique. Then you will begin to personalize, combine and invent. Your reaction will not only be immediate, instinctive; it will also be unique. This tends to be contrary to what is so often taught. But the only way to have a martial understanding is to understand it for yourself and what it means and what it gives to you specifically. I can tell any person that a martial study will give them much; but what exactly they will reap depends on them.

The result of this is we see so many martial arts. In deed every culture, society and even separate small communities create their own. Does this sound familiar to anyone yet? Often the founders or leaders of a specific art have reaped great benefits, have gained so much insight they feel the need to teach others. Sadly however they expect others to reap the exact same benefits and force specific idealized steps onto their followers (How about now? Sound familiar?). This is generally done or at least starts with the best intentions, but what results is a bastardization of the original truth that was revealed to the teacher. Once the individual application is lost so are the true benefits. Often the followers have no personal insight and instead become copies, shadows of their leader and generation after generation may pass before anyone makes a significant break through. A pursuit of truth gives way to protection of dogma. (Finally, this has to sound familiar?)

We see this played out in churches and religion all the time. From the largest most powerful churches to the smallest basement fellowships. In the worst cases we see cult figures demand absolute obedience to their individual vision which often is sorely corrupted. More commonly the origins are far more benign. Indeed while it is easy to point to the leaders and blame them the fault often lies with the individuals. Most of us are flat out lazy. We don’t want to walk a hard path, we don’t want to blaze a trail into our own souls. We want to be told what to think, what to feel and how to act. We want black and white, right and wrong spelled out with simple to follow life instructions.

Sadly however at best this gives us a very shallow understanding of ourselves and of God. Worse it leads us to believe that what we know is all that there is to know. That the path others walk is flawed, failed and fatal. Nothing has been used to justify more crimes in the history of humanity then this simple belief. Every day, every hour of history dating back eons is stained with blood spilt because one person felt he knew God better then someone else.

How many times have we seen those whose corner stone belief should be non judgment, judging that those who follow a different religion are going to hell? I remember as a young Christian how I would feel if on judgment day sitting on the Lord’s throne instead of Charlton Hesston was the compassionate Buddha who just shakes his little fat head and sends me back for another go around. Growing up in the Catholic Church I was told I needed to be Catholic to enter heaven and that Buddhists, Muslims and of course Lutherans (simply referred to as Bastards) were most certainly going to burn. How unfortunate for those born into a Buddhist society where picking up the tenants of another faith would have meant the rejection of, and likely from, their family, friends and society. Why would God have made my path such an easy one to walk and theirs so difficult? As I became older I became less intrigued with that mystery and more shocked that those who claimed to love God, to know God, to fear God would be so arrogant to dare to confine the Lord of all things into their own narrow understanding.

I remember a street preacher whose traveling band went across the county offending every free thinking person they saw. They would scream “WHORE” at women who walked by dressed in anything they did not consider conservative enough. I wonder how they would react to the Taliban stoning them for dressing like some Amish slut? They would scream “SINNER” at all who did not hit their knees and speak in tongues on command. Their message was simple; there is but one way to God, their way and everyone else can and will go to Hell. I just remember thinking watching this zealot freak show, God loves you; but I find it hard to believe he would like you very much.

I believe that God is so wide, so vast, so deep that I can only hope to know him in but one way; my own. This way simply will not work for others. If you follow my footsteps to God all you will see is my back. This is what makes the journey of discovery so hard and so rewarding is that you have to make it alone. While you will have fellowship, leadership and support along the way, the final steps, the important steps are made alone. Your brothers prepare you but you step alone. Some will find their way in halls of marble and burning candles. Others in silent temples of teak wood and incense. For me I see God best drenched in sweat while a brother I love is trying to take my head off.

Grappling and fighting to me is a great gift. When I’m on the mat nothing exists but that time on the mat. There is no winning or losing. There are no bills to pay or traffic jams. There are no disappointments or expectations. There is no anger, no longing. There is no ego, no past, no future. At it’s best there is just that perfect moment where everything disappears but that moment. You do not need to think just do and be. I guess some might call this Mushin. I must admit I have a hard time articulating the concept in words but understand it in totality when I’m on the mat.

When in my role as coach I truly feel God working through me. I never feel closer to people then when I’m teaching. On the mat showing people the beauty of the art I feel the layers of myself, my failures, my ego disappear. Sometimes I’m able to relate things that I don’t even understand myself and things that are far beyond my own ability to accomplish. In the modern word it sounds bizarre to say God is using me or directing me. Perhaps ever stranger to think God would use me to teach people how to fight. But the Lord used Balaam’s Donkey, so why not me? Some may also think that Fighting is not something the Lord would use to speak to people; but for some; myself included, it may be the only way to reach them.

Martial Arts are a gift. With in this great gift I find a glimpse of God. I feel the touch of the Lord and in the stiffest conflict, the most subtle peace. I find in martial study a parallel to my discovery of God. I learn from others. From what I see, what I read, what I hear. But for my art to develop I must find a way to incorporate this into my own style; adapted for my body. In the same way I grow as a person and as a Christian. God gives us all many gifts. As we go through life we learn how to make the most of those gifts. We must learn how to make them blessings for ourselves and when done in the best way, blessings to others.

Laws govern the worst of us, morality governs the rest.