The Origin of Martial Arts 

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The original concept of martial arts incorporated a total system of training that went far beyond fighting. The arts were intended to take the practitioners past the violent antagonistic of hand-to-hand combat to a transformation of their very being. For the essence of the martial artist is not just to be concerned with conquering an opponent, but with coming to terms with oneself and life, pessimistic failures can be transformed into optimistic successes. This search for self-awareness might seem an unlikely goal for those intending to learn self defense, but it is the essence of the martial artist.

 

Any martial art or fighting system worth the moniker “art” should allow for the less powerful to overcome the more powerful. The Greek philosopher and scientist Archimedes has the following statement attributed to him:

“Give me a place to stand, and with a lever I will move the world.” This philosophy along with the 2 rules of SURVIVE COMBATIVE ARTS 1) hard work and 2) hard work are the core attitudes that all SURVIVE programs are built on.

 

When someone is asked; why do you have a spare tire? One would probably reply, “in case I need it”. Those four words delivered so matter-of-factly, encapsulate why most of us turn to the study of self-defense. So the next time you’re asked why train in the martial arts when everybody carries a gun. You recite a litany of recent crime stats that have involved beatings, clubs or bladed weapons, and then hit them with the old proverb: Better safe than sorry, which is just another way of saying; “In case I need it”.

 

The martial arts may be many things to many people. For some they are the perfect vehicle for achieving physical fitness, while others regard them as an ideal means of self-protection in a violent time. But they can also be much more than that, and can lead to a path of self-discovery and self-awareness. It’s up to you how far you travel and how much you achieve!